flman wrote:
For the occasional camper tow, or the constant small trailer tow, I can bet the CRD is great. I guess I did not consider people towing campers and boats for leisure, and the Jeep being the perfect companion. I was only thinking business use. But if I were towing something big and heavy all the time, I would be doing with a Cummins.
I have to disagree on that. I use my CRD both for hauling extreme weights (7,000 lbs and 7.5x20x7h enclosed box) and for fairly-regular hauling of a decently sized towable generator. The CRD likes to work. I think I get better performance out of it when it is loaded down, compared to when it is just moving my fat arse around and is having this power loss problem.
The arguments that people make about towing without using a truck are all silly and (IMHO) designed to make them feel better about their own lack of towing experience or the sad mileage they get from their trucks. Consider the TRUE power that might be possible if this ratio holds... My 4-cylinder Jeep can pull itself (4300 lbs) and 7k of whatever easily (wind loading permitting, b/c THAT drags down the big box)... What about a Cummins V-8 or a Powerstroke V8 diesel? 5k of truck, and probably as much as 40k of trailer? I'm not saying I would do that (or that it would be legal to pull that extreme weight without a CDL) but I believe that the big V8 Powerstroke engine could probably do it, and be loaded to about the same level as my little I4 with 11k of GCW. The point is, the manufacturers do NOT test these to their actual capabilities. They let marketing and legal decide what liability they want to allow, and THAT determines the rating on that sticker.
People make noises about the length of the tractor versus the length of the trailer. In theory this sounds plausible, BUT has anyone ever seen one of those mobile home tractors? Those are all bumper-pull styles, and the length of the truck doing the pulling is the same as ours - SHORT. When hooked to the front of one of those 70' homes, that is a wheelbase that nobody compares to.
I realize that is an extreme example, but there are plenty of ways to tow safely with any vehicle... And plenty of ways to NOT tow safely with a big fat truck. It isn't about the tool, it is the experience level of the most important component: The nut behind the wheel.

Tow safe out there.