Hauling Cars with CRD.

mungewell · **Joined:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 6:04 pm **Posts:** 48

Hi all,
My wife still doesn't know the real reason we bought a CRD :-)

She says we need a trailer for collecting firewood, but I'm thinking of hauling cars on a flatbed. Does anyone have advice/hints/comments?

If we stick with 5000lbs (factory) rating and get a budget trailer with ~2000lbs curb weight that wouldn't leave much for hauling.... you're welcome to tell me I'm crazy (I'm just thinking out loud at this point).

Simon

papaindigo · **Posted:** Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:57 pm

As I recall Sir Sam has hauled other CRDs cross country with his CRD so you might drop him a PM or email.

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 379

if I can tow 5800# hanging off the back of my gasser and not have problems, you shouldn't have too many problems.

ibedonc · **Joined:** Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:40 pm **Posts:** 236

I have a 18' big tex car hauler and hauled my 2011 32hp Kubuta tractor / backhoe with my 05

but I have a GDE Turbo tune , that tractor is heavier then most cars

not a problem doing that

and also a 2000 ford focus

no problem either

black dog · **Joined:** Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:31 pm **Posts:** 46

I hauled my buddy's crd wk after he wrecked it by going in a swamp and it was all waterlogged... No problems what so ever.

imclumzy · **Joined:** Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:30 am **Posts:** 48

How far do you plan to haul the car? Do you live in a very hilly or mountainous area?

I thought about these questions as I recently purchased a CRD Libby for similar duties. If you plan on towing some distance the general consensus around here is to get the GDE tune. I also recommend suspension airbags.

mungewell · **Joined:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 6:04 pm **Posts:** 48

I live in the Canadian Rockies, but wouldn't think that I'd be doing a lot of towing....

I'm getting more into the mechanical side of cars and with a kid who's into it too (OK he's only 5 now, but has already helped out on a few jobs). Figure the investment of 'decent' trailer will pay off in future years.

Re hauling firewood; we've been collecting a couple of cords each year in the back of a beat up SUV (over a few journeys). The trailer would reduce the number of trips, if we can actual tow it into a decent spot to cut.

So it seems the 5000lbs factory rating is 'way pessimistic', which is good to hear. Thanks for the comments/tips.
Simon.

Roostre · **Joined:** Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:57 pm **Posts:** 195

mungewell wrote:

Hi all,
I'm thinking of hauling cars on a flatbed. Does anyone have advice/hints/comments?

Simon

I do it all the time.
Advice- get a good trailer brake controller and be very methodical about maintaining the trailers brake system. The CRD can pull it NO problem. Stopping in a straight line quickly will require good trailer brakes.

Hints- I use a Tandem Axle trailer. It puts less weight on the rear suspension of the Jeep. Always load your cars so that you have the correct tongue weight. Too much and it makes the front end/steering light; too little tongue weight makes the trailer sway and is a recipe for disaster with a short wheelbase vehicle like the CRD.

Make sure your tires are inflated to the max cold psi rating. (Especially the backs.) I also try to keep the trailer tires up-to date. If they have any dry rot get new ones. Its cheaper to buy new trailer tires than deal with the aftermath of a blow out at highway speeds.

A sway reducing hitch wouldn't hurt. I have been in a few cross wind situations that it would have made less stressful/ mo safer.

Good luck!

mungewell · **Joined:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 6:04 pm **Posts:** 48

Apologies if I sound like a newbie here...

Quote:

Advice- get a good trailer brake controller

Our CRD has the factory tow package, so would this already be in place (it has 7pin hookup)? If not, are there recommendations/price guides?
Simon

ChooChooman74 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 1:13 pm

Our CRDs don't have built in controllers. There should be most of the wiring by the steering column.

I like the old school tekonsha.

http://instagr.am/p/K8CqoSGWmN/

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

Roostre · **Joined:** Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:57 pm **Posts:** 195

mungewell wrote:

Apologies if I sound like a newbie here...

Quote:

Advice- get a good trailer brake controller

Our CRD has the factory tow package, so would this already be in place (it has 7pin hookup)? If not, are there recommendations/price guides?
Simon

There are some great threads here on Lost expalining how to hook one up. The hardest part in our Jeeps is finding a place to put it.

Put mine in the pocket under the controls:

This trailer with its big frontal area is more difficult to tow with than any cars i have hauled:

jinstall · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 7:00 pm

I towed a race car (2001 Focus ZX3) all over Germany to many tracks, flats and mountains, no issues. I have towed a car (2001 WS6 w/ extra race slicks and gear stuffed in it) 100 miles up to 7% grades without an issue and got 19mpg doing it(6200lbs). So I have no issue with pulling those types of loads with my CRD. I am about to tow a 2004 ST170 Focus 2000 miles from VA to TX in about 2 weeks when I move there. I am more worried about the Uhaul trailer making it not the CRD.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:50 pm

uhhh.....I guess I am focused on your statement " Trailer with a 2000lb curb weight". Most double axle 16' 7K trailers will haul most things and should have a curb weight of around 1500. I needed a trailer to haul cars and old farm equipment for recycle and I wanted to be able to pull it with either the CRD or my pickup. Since I figured I wanted to tow mostly with the Jeep I opted for the 7K trailer over the 10K since I would be giving up 500 or more pounds of hauling for capacity that I would seldom need. I figured I could always rent a larger trailer for those occasions.

BlackLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:57 pm

I towed my wife's CTS 120 miles on a trailer with curb weight of 1,500 lbs and max loaded weight of 5,500 lbs. It done OK up to 70 MPH then started to feel funny so I slowed down to about 60 to be safe.

jinstall · **Posted:** Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:18 pm

What sway bars are you speaking of on the European versions?

naturist · **Posted:** Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:17 pm

I tow a 5,000 lb travel trailer (fully loaded weight) with 64 square feet of frontal surface, and I can tell you that the wind resistance is more the problem than the weight. Still, I did tow that rig at 55 mph into a 50 mph headwind once. Not fun, and that was about top speed, but the Jeep did it. I also towed a 3,000 lb car on a 500 lb dolly once, and could hardly tell it was there. Got 18 mpg over the 400 mile trip.

A car on a flat-bed trailer at 5,000 lbs should be quite doable and certainly more aerodynamic than my TT. But you will indeed have to get a brake controller, as even with the hitch, 7-pin connector, and tow package, you still don't have the controller. I'd suggest visiting an RV dealer, where they should have a range of controllers available, and can even install it for you. While you can get gold-plated ones, quite serviceable units are reasonably priced.

GaryC · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:59 pm **Posts:** 21

mungewell wrote:

Apologies if I sound like a newbie here...

Quote:

Advice- get a good trailer brake controller

Our CRD has the factory tow package, so would this already be in place (it has 7pin hookup)? If not, are there recommendations/price guides?
Simon

Tekonsha P3, it's the top of the line brake controller. I've got one on my 99 dodge 2500 that I pull my gooseneck and tractor with. It's SO much nicer than the cheaper controller I had on there before. Don't go cheap here, it's not worth it if you're going to be towing much at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Tekonsha-90195-El ... prodigy+p3

Roostre · **Joined:** Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:57 pm **Posts:** 195

Like this:

These make an amazing difference in safety and handling. I've used them on much larger trailers, but I sold mine before the CRD came along... Will be buying another one for pulling the enclosed trailer!

zrtwooo · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2012 2:49 pm

Bone stock I regularly tow my 15' toyhauler with 2 dirtbikes a generator and 60 gallons of water. Get a good weight distribution hitch with a sway control device and quality brake controller ...

sota · **Joined:** Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:44 pm **Posts:** 379

Roostre wrote:

mungewell wrote:

Apologies if I sound like a newbie here...

Quote:

Advice- get a good trailer brake controller

Our CRD has the factory tow package, so would this already be in place (it has 7pin hookup)? If not, are there recommendations/price guides?
Simon

There are some great threads here on Lost expalining how to hook one up. The hardest part in our Jeeps is finding a place to put it.

Put mine in the pocket under the controls:

This trailer with its big frontal area is more difficult to tow with than any cars i have hauled:

Ditto on the pocket...

but I went a different route on the brake controller. MaxBrake hydraulic over electric. Ironically it fits exactly into the pocket. And I agree, the frontal area of what your towing will make far more of a difference than anything else.

Hauling Cars with CRD.

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