Hitch/Tow question

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2007 6:41 pm

So my story so far; I have to move my parents’ furniture and a good load of boxes about 1800 kms some of that through mtn passes. Stuff like, a stand-up freezer, couple large dressers, washer/dryer, and 10 or so moving boxes. Doing some research has told me the most "economical” way, I think, will be to finally get my hitch installed and rent a u-haul trailer, 5x9 ramp style, 5x10 or 6x12 covered trailers my choices at this point. I ideally had wanted to buy my own trailer but that looks like it’s outside my budget. I’m trying to find friends with a trailer I could borrow that would work for me, no leads so far. I know I may have to do two trips if I can only peg down a smaller trailer.

Now from what I have read, the tow pkg/trailer tow group includes a class III hitch, wiring harness, power steering cooler and h.d. cooling for the tranny. I have none of that on my Jeep presently. I got a quote 2 years ago from a dealership for a hitch installation w/ labour at $500 us. Got two new quotes now, one over the phone for $600 w/ labour another in writing for $2400 from the dealership I got my 2 yr old quote from. Yeah, includes; wiring pkg $190, fan kit $434, brake controller $130, hitch $172, tranny/steering coolers $ 390, 7 hrs labour for all that. There’s a bunch of other stealership charges in there but $2400 was total cost. I told both places I wanted to tow the max 5k lbs so I figured both included all the needed equipment. I told the place with the $600 price the other quote and what it included and asked if there’s had all that as well, that was Wednesday. Well they said they would look into and potentially a higher price. At the high price, I’m back to thinking renting a truck is the good idea b/c that will be $2700 for me plus fuel for one of those beasts. My Jeep will be bad but hopefully not that bad, right?

I have neither the mechanical knowledge nor the facilities to try to install any of this stuff myself so I need the groups advice here. What do I really need, what are the rough costs for the parts, and what are all your thought for a trailer set-up for my brief description of needs? Like I said, I would like the ability to tow as much as possible.

Thanks guys for your input.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:32 pm

If it were me I would just get the wire harness and hitch and go for it. You should be able to install those yourself as there is no drilling or anything I don't believe, just wrenching. You might need a floor jack or a friend to lift the hitch in place to get things started. If you find you need the other stuff you can always add it later. I think there are lots of folks here pulling close to the max now and then without anything more.

LostEddie · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:12 pm

First, if you will not be pulling a trailer a lot, skip the brake hookup and rent a smaller trailer or one from u-haul that has the hydraulic brake built into the tongue.

Second, Google the net or just check out www.etrailer.com http://www.etrailer.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT they are hard to beat –class III hitch around $150 and T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness less than $50. Note: the Draw-Tite sticks out further to make it easer to hitch up and not have the spare tire in the way, but that thing sticking out looks odd to me. Hidden Hitch is like the factory one.

Third, self install is easy. Wiring plugs into tail lights harnesses and the hitch bolts into frame where Jeep already has threaded nuts affixed (if you have the gas tank skid, the hitch uses the same bolts).

Hitch: With the back of the jeep on stands you will need a jack ($20 floor jack works fine) to lift and hold the jack in place while you insert the provided bolts. Start bolts in one side then use the holes on the other side in the frame and the hitch where you can use something like a pry-bar to shift the hitch right or left to align those bolt holes. A socket and long extensions handled all bolts but the one half behind the exhaust pipe. I pulled the Right wheel and tightened that bolt with a wrench.

Wiring: If you have never removed your tail lights there are thorax screws inside the back gate then the light assembly pulls straight back popping out a couple of fasteners on its front. I was squeamish about pulling on the first one, finally used a plastic putty knife on the outside front edge and me pulling, to get it to pop back.

All in all – less than two hours.

LostEddie · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:21 pm

I see from your sig that you already have a hitch isn't the factory hitch a Class III?

Also the tranny cooler can also be bought from eTrailer for about $50 bucks and should also be easy to install. I doubt that the steering cooler is needed unless you are spending a lot of time trying to back into a tight space -- well just take a few brakes.

Lastly -- find a "used" RV dealer and ask who does their hitch work and get a quote from them.

moose · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2007 10:50 pm

agreed, and you can even get a quote from Uhaul too.

jeepskate · **Posted:** Sat Jun 23, 2007 11:42 pm

Here's some food for thought. I'd rent a truck.

http://www.latimes.com/uhaul

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:04 am

Well that last article has got me wondering even more now :shock:

...but really, u-haul trucks have had a spotty record to. I think it really comes down to the driver, driving for the conditions, and correctly loading your trailer, right?

LostEddie - no, don't have a hitch yet. Figured at first buying a trailer and doing the hitch for total $1500-2k, $5-600 for hitch/installation and the difference for the trailer. Vs. like $2700+ for a rental truck and the added fuel expense. Plus I would have trailer/hitch after. A bit of shopping for a trailer around my kneck of woods, puts prices around $2k and up. So that's why I'm thinking u-haul or some sort of rental outfit.

The break control seems like a good idea but only if I end up using a trailer with it. Like I said before, going thru the moutains for a large chunck of the trip.

Now if I go with just the hitch and tranny cooler, wait on the brake control, have the KJ loaded w/ 700-800lbs added cargo/people, so total veh weight of what? Close to 5000lbs? Pulling a 5x10 trailer loaded to 2800-3k lbs should be fine? I also guess the total vehicle weight will have to include the trailer tongue weight. Can't see the tongue weight for that sized trailer on u-hauls site but I doubt it would exceed the 750lb max for the KJ?

corwyyn · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 2:16 am

I purchased a class III hitch from U-haul for $125 and installed it myself in about an hour - I've got a thick middle so I was able to use it to hold the hitch up while I got a couple of bolts started on each side

When I went to rent a trailer for the first time I bought one of their wiring harnesses for $17 and they installed it for free. I've hauled a 6x12' covered U-haul trailer with about 1000lbs in it on a 450 mile trip with no problems. I don't have the additional cooling installed for the tranny but didn't have any problems. Since you will be going up mountain passes (I'm guessing the Canadian Rockies) the trans cooler might not be a bad idea, particularly with the load you are looking at. If I remember the 6x12' trailer I rented had a brake control but I don't think it was hooked up, unless it worked off of a relay from the brake light system.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 11:30 am

While I would generally encourage the brake control if you owned your own larger trailer, I have never seen a rental with anything but surge brakes. If you rent then I think the brake control would be a waste of time and money for this haul.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 11:59 am

$2400?!?! Be sure that you never look at the dealer again!! :shock:

I would just put the hitch and wiring on the Jeep. The 05 libertys already have the tranny cooler so you are good to go there. The fan is mostly for low speed situations such as offroad. Its also good since the stock electric fan tends to quick when alot of mud gets on it. The electric fan is fully capable of keeping everything cool unless it decides to quit on ya. If you get in alot of heavy traffic or start up a big mountain, it may not be a bad idea to kick the A/C off till you start down the other side.

The power steering cooler could come in handy if you do alot of low speed turning which you usually do when backing up with a trailer.

I say you should be find with just the hitch and wiring. Get a trailer with hydraulic brakes like everyone said... That will save some hassle and money.

Good luck and be sure to drive slower than you normally would. Allow more time to stop and if you have full time 4wd, it wouldnt hurt to use that if it rains.

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:27 pm

Jeepjeepster - I want to be clear on this - from what I can tell the tranny cooler is the unit that sits directly in front of the rad? Looks like a mini-rad itself?

These thorax screws that need to be removed, they are along the very inside of the tailgate, tucked away sorta, right? I should be able to pick up a set of thorax screws/keys at an auto parts shop?

Thanks for advice all so far. I think I'm going to try this one myself. We'll see

.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:38 pm

Mike,

Here is a great and complete "How To" from another Jeep forum. It is real good!

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26895

If you are pulling to Vancouver isn't the route along highway 3 a little less challenging with respect to changes in elevation?

Rusty the Scoob · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 3:06 pm

Here are my thoughts... I have towed a lot with my TJ but just got the hitch installed on the KJ.

- the hitch install is very easy. I did the mopar hitch with a little help from my GF (it's her KJ so it's only fair) - a floor jack would have worked fine, too. It's only 6 bolts and the jeep is already threaded for them. A gear-wrench helps a lot for the one by the exhaust:

you won't get good final torque on it without a real box-end wrench but it'll save you a lot of time. Total time was well under an hour.

- I would just do the hitch and wiring. The other tow package stuff is nice if you plan to tow every weekend, but just for two trips, even through mountain passes (I tow a lot in Vermont) I feel it is unnecessary. Plus it is very unlikely that you will be towing anywhere near 5k pounds of furniture. Your whole KJ doesn't weigh 5k pounds. Furniture is bulky but not really that heavy. The same goes for most appliances.

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 3:45 pm

Cowcatcher - I'm actually travelling the southern interior of BC, the Okanagan Valley, near the Washington border. Best point of reference on the US side might be Omak, if you look on a map and go directly north from there in a town called Penticton is my finally destination.

There is couple mountain passes as I will be disecting the rockies on whats called the Yellowhead hwy. Once in BC there's a hwy that goes along the top of mtns and brings me right into the valley. It isn't too bad for big hills as another older route to go. So I should be ok as long I take it slow.

Cowcatcher wrote:

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26895

Edit - I was reading the above article, which is great, thanks; just so I got this. If I use a trailer that has brakes on it , I'll need a 7 pin vs. a 4 pin? Installing a 7 pin harness sounds a bit more challenging with the interior trim removal. Or is the just the 4 pin alright? ....never mind I ansewered that one myself :oops:

.

Want to be sure I'm getting this.

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 6:03 pm

Ok I ws reading the below;
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthre ... ght=cooler
Best I see from inspecting front end with the hood up is I do have two seperate coolers or mini-rads in front of the actually radiator. There is a small one that runs the bottom length of the rad (the tranny cooler, correct?) and a larger one in front of that (power steering?) then the rad in behind. If that's the case, I feel a lot better.

Back to the breaking. Are surge breaks different then regular trailer brakes? If so, they can just work witht he regular 4 pin harness?

I'll figure this out yet

.

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:17 pm

Penticton is a great place as is the whole Okanogan on both sides of the border.

Perhaps they do something different in Canada but down here I have never seen a major trailer rental store that rents a trailer with electric brakes since there are too many variables in brake controllers and trailer plug combinations. They almost always have surge brakes if they have brakes at all. Generally I don't think you would find brakes on a trailer as small as you are planning but I suppose you might. If you do they would probably be "surge" brakes which "sense" the vehicle braking and allpy the trailers brakes in return. Surge brakes are easy to see since all of the sensing gear is on the hitch and make it look a lot bigger than a regular hitch. Here is a typical surge brake picture:

The reason they are typically on utility rental trailers is that they don't require any special equipment on the tow rig.

Good luck. You will find this whole thing a piece of cake. Just drive conservatively, triple your following distance, be careful of idiots pulling out in front of you or passing toward you, anticipate curves and steep downhills. Most trailer relater issues are the result of people who drive as aggressively with the trailer in tow as they do when they are not towing.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:41 pm

Just pulled an 6X10 foot covered trailer for over 1500 miles. half of those fully loaded to the roof and more stuff in the back of the Liberty. No problems at all. I had everything that my wife had in her apartment in Boston, so clothes (LOTS AND LOTS ) bed, table/ chairs, microwave etc etc you can imagine. Plus I used to work for North American van lines back 20 years ago so know how to pack. What I am getting at I had a load in there! Came out of Boston into PA and ran 65 plus, no braking problems, nothing. I have 3 trailers that I pull and load them all to the gills and dont have a problem with pulling them, just like someone else said give your self some room stopping and watch for stupid 4 wheelers (cars)

mikekj_cda · **Posted:** Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:14 pm

Just wanted to say thanks and up-date folks. Hours ago I installed my hitch and wiring. Went with E-Trailer per LostEddie's recommendation. Picked up hitch, wiring, ball/mount, and hitch cover... all shipped for under $350 US. Saved at least $400 off the the lowest stealership qoute.

Thanks again for all the advice, that's why I love this site.

Mike

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:39 pm

mikekj_cda wrote:

Just wanted to say thanks and up-date folks. Hours ago I installed my hitch and wiring. Went with E-Trailer per LostEddie's recommendation. Picked up hitch, wiring, ball/mount, and hitch cover... all shipped for under $350 US. Saved at least $400 off the the lowest stealership qoute.

Thanks again for all the advice, that why I love this site.

Mike

And it wasn't as hard as you thought it would be was it!! :lol:

hardhittinz · **Joined:** Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:44 pm **Posts:** 195

i got a class 3 hitch and installed for just 219 no wiring though cause i just use it for bikes

Hitch/Tow question

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