What I bought my CRD to tow (picture)

usa591 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 2:17 am

I bought a CRD to tow my J/24 sailboat. I weighed the boat and trailer on a public scales and found the combo weighs 3985lbs with about a 230lb tounge weight. Well under 5000lbs.

It pulls great. You are definitely aware you are pulling a pretty high aspect ratio object, but it gets the job done. I just give myself a little extra time to break.

Fun fact: my previous daily driver was a Convertible Mini Cooper S that got 18/19 mpg driving around town. When I tow this rig between 55 and 60mph, I get 20mpg in the CRD.

What a great daily driver/weekend warrior combo. I'm really surprised there are not more diesels like this on the market.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 7:22 am

Do you have brakes on that trailer? Your close to the 300# where a weight dristributing hitch is required per jeep. So if you tow it more then short trips a WDH would make the ride much smoother.

We just returned from a 1500 mile round trip towing our 17' 3500# Casita travel trailer. With a few "tweaks" like a Euro or Suncoast torque converter and a GDE "full torque" tune really makes a big difference :BANANA:

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 1:05 pm

You may benefit from adding some either electric brakes or hydraulic surge brakes.
I upgraded the electric brakes and hubs on my tandem flat bed and it tows and stops great.
I am sure Joe can agree that the electric brake controllers we have today are light years ahead of the old hydraulic ones we used to use.
If you don't have the backing plate mounting flanges and are not into welding them on, you can always swap the axle and sell the old one.

Cheers

usa591 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 1:44 pm

Yes, there are are surge breaks on the trailer.

I have been looking at the GDE tune and the Suncoast torque converter, as well. I'm thinking about putting it the list of upgrades as well as the SEGR mod.

The previous owner had the F31 recall done, so I'm still trying to wrap my head around what that might be doing to my towing capabilites.

-p

BVCRD · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 4:08 pm

usa591 wrote:

I bought a CRD to tow my J/24 sailboat. I weighed the boat and trailer on a public scales and found the combo weighs 3985lbs with about a 230lb tounge weight. Well under 5000lbs.

It pulls great. You are definitely aware you are pulling a pretty high aspect ratio object, but it gets the job done. I just give myself a little extra time to break.

Fun fact: my previous daily driver was a Convertible Mini Cooper S that got 18/19 mpg driving around town. When I tow this rig between 55 and 60mph, I get 20mpg in the CRD.

What a great daily driver/weekend warrior combo. I'm really surprised there are not more diesels like this on the market.

What does it cost you to launch each time? Can't you leave it in the water? BTW, I once saw a stripper that had your boat's name tattooed between her legs. It was indeed slippery.

usa591 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:35 pm

I'm a member of a yacht club here in Marina Del Rey and keep my boat "on the hard" (on a trailer in the haul-out yard). They've got a two-ton hoist and it takes two people and about 15 minutes to splash the boat. You can leave it in the water, but we don't--we race it & it's much faster to dry sail it.

Ha ha--yes the name. Some consider it bad luck to change the name of a boat even if it changes owners, so I've grown to love it. At least I changed the font!

-p

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:33 am

usa591 wrote:

The previous owner had the F31 recall done, so I'm still trying to wrap my head around what that might be doing to my towing capabilites.-p

It killed your towing abilities :dead:

There's a chart somewhere on the GDE site showing torque ratings. Originally when your CRD was new and pre f-37 it had a peak of 301 foot pounds at 2k rpm's. Then F-37 neutred it to 260 max from 1400 to 3000 rpms where it then starts dropping :dizzy:

The GDE chart shows a peak of 335 foot pounds at 2k for the Echo tune but read the following quote about that being for the "full torque" version that I now have that's just fantastic with the STOCK F37 TCM TUNE towing our 3500# travel trailer :BANANA:

Here's what they say.

"The torque numbers posted on the website for the ECO tune are in "unlock" mode and this is the same torque output of the "full torque" ECO tune. With the base ECO tune we limit the torque outpout when the TC is locked to a limit around 280 ft-lb"

usa591 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:33 pm

RE: F31 vs. F37

From looking around on the Forum here, it seems like the F31 was just to upgrade the system to allow the OBDs to be read by after-market scanners... Did it affect the TCM like the F37 was designed to do?

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:45 pm

If you have to go 63MPH on the speedo to lock into 5th lock, you have been F-37ed.
If you lock up around ~59 MPH you have not been F-37ed.
If you have not been F-37ed, lock up your CRD, some one may steel your TCM :ROTFL:

If you have not been F-37ed, do not let your dealer flash (Electronic ECM/TCM Rape) your CRD.

OldSkull · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 1:08 pm

I can't believe you tow at 60 mph a high aspect ratio object with such a narrow rear end TV without a weight and sway control system! Are you a Kamikaze? You never experience the draft of 53' before? I have no right to be rude with you and it's not my intention but please for the security of everyone on the road consider my suggestion with respect.

I suggest you this system, he control sway and weight distribution
http://www.americanrvcompany.com/Reese-66076-Strait-Line-600-lbs-Round-Bar-Camper-Trailer-RV_p_2479.html

You can find similar system from Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, Valley or Curt , you just need a 600/10,000Pds sway and weight control system and because the CRD got a maximum tongue rate of 500 Pds anyway, anything more is overkill.....

usa591 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:18 pm

ummm...Gulp? :shock:

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 3:45 pm

usa591 wrote:

RE: F31 vs. F37

From looking around on the Forum here, it seems like the F31 was just to upgrade the system to allow the OBDs to be read by after-market scanners... Did it affect the TCM like the F37 was designed to do?

F31 was not an upgrade. It was to fix a screw up on their part by a bad flash :dizzy:

F31 was required when a early version of what eventually turned out to be F37 was flashed to the CRD. It would have been around June 06. That flash caused a crd not to communicate with third party obdii scanners. So if a CRD needed F31 it had already been neutered by the earlier flash. Most likely the dealer preformed the final F37 when they did the F31 to.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 4:43 pm

OldSkull wrote:

I can't believe you tow at 60 mph a high aspect ratio object with such a narrow rear end TV without a weight and sway control system! Are you a Kamikaze? You never experience the draft of 53' before? I have no right to be rude with you and it's not my intention but please for the security of everyone on the road consider my suggestion with respect.

I suggest you this system, he control sway and weight distribution
http://www.americanrvcompany.com/Reese-66076-Strait-Line-600-lbs-Round-Bar-Camper-Trailer-RV_p_2479.html

You can find similar system from Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, Valley or Curt , you just need a 600/10,000Pds sway and weight control system and because the CRD got a maximum tongue rate of 500 Pds anyway, anything more is overkill.....

Yea but it cuts through the wind like a...............SAILBOAT!

flash7210 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 4:57 pm

BVCRD wrote:

OldSkull wrote:

I can't believe you tow at 60 mph a high aspect ratio object with such a narrow rear end TV without a weight and sway control system! Are you a Kamikaze? You never experience the draft of 53' before? I have no right to be rude with you and it's not my intention but please for the security of everyone on the road consider my suggestion with respect.

I suggest you this system, he control sway and weight distribution
http://www.americanrvcompany.com/Reese-66076-Strait-Line-600-lbs-Round-Bar-Camper-Trailer-RV_p_2479.html

You can find similar system from Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, Valley or Curt , you just need a 600/10,000Pds sway and weight control system and because the CRD got a maximum tongue rate of 500 Pds anyway, anything more is overkill.....

Yea but it cuts through the wind like a...............SAILBOAT!

I wouldn't worry about it.
Its not something your gonna tow everyday. Only from the yard to the hoist.
And you might tow it home maybe once a year, if that.

If you ever plan to tow it all across the country, then definitely the better hitch setup.
Otherwise, you will be fine.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 6:43 pm

OldSkull wrote:

I can't believe you tow at 60 mph a high aspect ratio object with such a narrow rear end TV without a weight and sway control system! Are you a Kamikaze? You never experience the draft of 53' before? I have no right to be rude with you and it's not my intention but please for the security of everyone on the road consider my suggestion with respect.

I suggest you this system, he control sway and weight distribution
http://www.americanrvcompany.com/Reese-66076-Strait-Line-600-lbs-Round-Bar-Camper-Trailer-RV_p_2479.html

You can find similar system from Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch, Valley or Curt , you just need a 600/10,000Pds sway and weight control system and because the CRD got a maximum tongue rate of 500 Pds anyway, anything more is overkill.....

He has hydraulic surge brakes, weight distribution hitch will not work with out switching to electric brakes.

OldSkull · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:55 pm

warp2diesel wrote:

He has hydraulic surge brakes, weight distribution hitch will not work with out switching to electric brakes.

He never say the surge system was in function so I presume it’s not and he use a crane to put is sailboat in water, he can't use a ramp anyway.. Well maybe a very incline one and he use a very good winch to pull the boat and the Jeep! :ROTFL:

So Warp does a friction sway control bar and air leveling kits like this one make sense in your book?

http://www.car-stuff.com/carparts/jeepliberty20022007airlifta1360777416381.html

In mine it's cheap assurance for his wonderful sailboat

Don't think I'm paranoïd but working in transport for 34 years help a bit..

usa591 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:21 pm

Guys! Before a flame war erupts:

OldSkull: thanks for the pointers--this is the reason I post here, so I can get input from people who have more experience than me. I appreciate the boat compliment, too. I will look into the sway control bar--safety is paramount. But, so far, I keep the speed down and fishtailing hasn't been an issue.

To clear things up:
• Surge breaks work, I replaced cylinder two months ago.
• I do, in fact, tow this rig from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and San Diego for races. 120 miles or so each way on mostly level ground. I plan to do this about 5 times a year. I've done four "tows" so far with no issues.
• I do use a hoist, but have launched a similar boat with a ramp: you just have to put a VERRRY long extension bar from the trailer to your vehicle and do it at high tide. It's pretty exciting to watch.
• A competitor of mine has used his CRD to tow the exact same boat to Minnesota and back, no problem. That was one of the main reasons I was on the hunt for a CRD.

Oh, and I just used the "RPM's at 60mph method" (result: 1900) to discover that the F37 has been done.

Keep the comments coming, knowing is half the battle.

805gregg · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:03 pm

Nice boat I'll bet that's a fast fun boat. I learned to sail on vacation in 1964, I still own a Bristol Channel Cutter, that I built. I may go crusing yet.

OldSkull · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:07 pm

No flame war eruption on any side here, Warp is not a "Rookie" he is a respected member here and is knowledge is really appreciate by everyone! I just ask him what he thinks about my suggestion; I never test those air "Balloon" myself so maybe they are not a good bet. Well on my side I deal with things a bit bigger in the maritime industries now...

Don't worry english is not my "FORTÉ" maybe my message confuse you a bit... :mrgreen:

Ho did I mention I like sail boat? Well I love them!

usa591 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:46 am

...whew!!! I'm glad it's not getting "hot" in here!

What I bought my CRD to tow (picture)

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