New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

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New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

March 22, 2020, 04:42:50 pm

We are seriously considering this combo.

I know the hitch would need beefing up but what about the overall weight rating? Is this too much?

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon – 4,439 lbs

Re: New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

Reply #1 – March 22, 2020, 09:16:03 pm

Tede, does that number include gas, fluids, and cargo? Your limit for a newer RV is probably 14,500 lbs for the rig, and 20,000 lbs for everything. Bear in mind that pushing your systems to the limit will make a failure of some component (engine, trans, suspension, brakes, etc.) happen more quickly.

I am at about 18,000 going down the road. It is a strain on the drive train. So, there is more to it than just the hitch limit. Yes, you can safely go to 20,000 lbs on paper, but you will be pushing the system.

Ken F in NM

Re: New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

Reply #2 – March 22, 2020, 10:29:41 pm

We decided to tow a Jeep Wrangler when we bought our 2019 MidBath. We're happy with the decision.

Our family is me, my DW, BirdDog Brook and we seldom entertain. We do like to explore public lands, however and hence wanted a capable four wheel drive vehicle. Based on our needs, we bought a 2018 Wrangler JL Rubicon two door and ditched the back seat. Adding a RockHard aluminum bumper allowed us to forgo a towing baseplate (RH offers optional attachment points for most Tow Bar brands) and also provided a nice mounting point for safety cables, emergency breakaway device, and a Polak umbilical socket (see first photo).

The Jeep as configured, with fuel weighs just over 4200 pounds. Given our fully loaded MB weight of 12,900 pounds, our Combined Gross Vehicle Weight is well within the Ford CGVWR. However, our towed vehicle weight is obviously over the Lazy Daze specified 4000 pounds. At Vince's suggestion (he was Lazy Daze Service Manager when we bought our coach), we opted to have Paul Brow at All Car Specialists (San Gabriel), reinforce the Lazy Daze frame rail extensions. We asked Paul to fabricate a removable brace such that holding tank access would not be limited in the event of needed service/replacement (see second photo). We also asked Paul to use grade 8 hardware and to replace upgrade as necessary any factory hardware used to connect the bumper to the frame rail extensions with grade 8 stuff.

I feel very secure with this set-up but do drive "slow and easy" in an effort to reduce burden on the transmission and brakes. I'm not sure that I'd be as comfortable trying the same set-up with a Rubicon Unlimited given the additional 400 or so pounds of weight that would entail.

If you do go with a Wrangler JL and are interested in learning more about brake set-up or other towing details there are a few of us that have done it - just holler.

Warren

Re: New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

Reply #3 – March 23, 2020, 01:24:59 am

Ford upgraded the E450's CGVWR in 2008 from 20,000-lbs to 22,000-lbs.

Considering a new LD will have the new, more powerful V8 and a six-speed transmission, towing a two-door Rubricon is well within the CGVWR and should make a fine combination.
Our 2003 LD has pulled a 4000-lb Cherokee over a 100,000 miles, down some terrible roads without issues, once the bumper and hitch attachment hardware was upgraded.

Larry.

Re: New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

Reply #4 – March 23, 2020, 10:51:33 am

Larry, perhaps that GVWR change was mid-model year. My '08 still has a 20,000 limit.

Ken F in NM

Re: New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

Reply #5 – March 23, 2020, 11:04:14 am

Larry, you said that hitch was upgraded. I assume this is replacing all of the bolts and washers and nuts with grade 8? I have done that. Is there anything else to do ?

Re: New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

Reply #6 – March 23, 2020, 01:00:35 pm

Quote from: parussky - March 23, 2020, 11:04:14 am

Larry, you said that hitch was upgraded. I assume this is replacing all of the bolts and washers and nuts with grade 8? I have done that. Is there anything else to do ?

I had problems with both the bumper hardware failing, along with the receiver hitch plate loosening due to less than adequate bolt size and improper grade. The repair and modifications below eliminated the problems.

Rear bumper
Rear bumper mounting repair | Flickr
The series of 1/4" bolts across the top of bumper, at the bottom of the rear wall, prevented the bumper from falling off, when all the bolts loosened. The 1/4" bolts offer a significant amount of strength to the bumper, preventing lateral movement.

Hitch
Hitch receiver upgrade | Flickr
Several years ago I meet the steel fabricator that build LDs bumpers and hitch, he told me that the hardware on our 2003 LD was inadequate, as built to LD's specifications and there had been incidents when the hardware either snapped or loosened.
He suggested upgrading both the size and grade of the bolts and nuts, which I did along with adding a few short welds to prevent any loosening.

Many years ago in a conversation with LD's Steve, he told me that the rear bumper could handle more weigh than 4000-lbs and had set the limit to keep the load reasonable and to prevent exceeding the GCVWR.
With the above modifications made, the rear bumper and hitch are solid and have over 70,000 miles on, pulling the Jeeps since being done.
All the hardware is checked annually for tightness and proper torque. Nothing loose has been found since.

Larry

Re: New 27' MB and towing a Rubicon

Reply #7 – March 23, 2020, 02:48:28 pm

What Larry said. This has been discussed and discussed.
You will find many of the discussions in The Companion.
This link will show many of them.
The Lazy Daze Companion: Towing
This link is one I wrote.
The Lazy Daze Companion: My Thoughts On Towing

September, 2016
I followed Ed Daniels into a hitch shop in Moab, UT. Ed has a TK. The shop owner, Ben Wilson, did not think it needed anything extra to safely tow a 2016 Wrangler. Ed said he liked to tow down rough dirt roads. So Ben added a corner gusset to "beef it" up. Ben looked at my MB and saw no way to add any structural integrity. He drew out the TK design and compared it to the MB design. Way different. He saw no signs of metal fatigue after towing 95,000 miles. No wrinkles in the paint that would indicate the metal has been flexed. I felt better. I asked him to tack weld the adjustable part of the hitch, so it could not move if the bolts ever came loose again. And left feeling better about the LD hitch.

Key point the hitches are NOT the same on all LD's.

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