Flat tow a YJ

[fhjonesjr]

A freind of mine is considering buying a YJ to tow behind his motorhome. He was wondering how to do it safely. I have never done it so I thought that someone would know the correct way. It will be towed by his deisel pusher so power isn't a problem, but he won't be able to see it back there so he wants to be sure to do it right. :confused: :)

[Jdemonto@Airpark Jeep Sales]

Just get a hitch and wiring..as far as how to tow one...if auto park and Nuetral on the t-case.

jason

[lancetkenyon]

Buy a trailer

[treeofliberty]

I've been surfing the RV forums for a few months now, studying up for a purchase some day. The most common toad (towed vehicle) is the Wrangler. It is perfect for this purpose due to it's light weight and ability to set the t-case to neutral. Most of the motorhome crowd leans toward towing 4-down because of this relative ease.

Here's why you don't want a trailer:

1) Extra weight (tow weight and tongue weight). The extra tongue weight reduces the CCC (cargo capacity of the motohome).
2) You have to stow the trailer someplace when you camp or park
3) In extreme downhill cases, you can disconnect the toad and have the spouse drive it, reducing the GCVW (gross combined vehicle weight) of the motorhome, making the downhill easier and safer.

Your best bet is to tow four-down, with a brake assist package and a good hitch. Some states require the brake assist, and Canada certainly does.

Your friend can certainly do this safely, as long as he/she takes the turns wide, and keeps the speed reasonable. Have your friend check http://www.rv.net/forums for more info.

[lancetkenyon]

But you don't put milage, wear and tear, tire wear etc on the Jeep. And you can have a trail rig, not a DD and not have to worry as much about breakage. Just load and go to the repair shop.

[fhjonesjr]

Thanks for the help. As far as the trailer goes that defeats the purposes because the you have to find a place to put the trailer once you get there. I thought that I heard somewhere that you have to set the key in the first on position so that the steering wheel is unlocked? Does anyone know about that?

[fhjonesjr]

This also isn't gonna be a trail rig only a DD for camping. IT's also got 130k on it so mileage isn't a factor.

[twstdtj]

Thanks for the help. As far as the trailer goes that defeats the purposes because the you have to find a place to put the trailer once you get there. I thought that I heard somewhere that you have to set the key in the first on position so that the steering wheel is unlocked? Does anyone know about that?

Yes that is correct. The steering wheel must remain unlocked for flat towing.

[2gnarly]

Don't flat tow it if there is a front locker in it.
YJ NP231s are locked in 4WD when in T-case neutral.
Driveline bind up and t-case destruction will occur.
If there is a locker, remove the front DS before towing.

[wedge]

or pull the rear driveshaft and leave in 2wd

[Jdemonto@Airpark Jeep Sales]

Yes you do need the keys in the ign. for a YJ..the newer jeeps don't have a steering wheel lock anymore...


Jason

[kend]

I towed my old TJ over 20K miles behind a motorhome and didn't have any major issues. A few things to keep in mind though.

- The owners manual said to tow with transmission in gear (1 or 2) and the t-case in neutral. Don't know why transmission should be in gear, but this works fine.

- Key had to be in ignition and on enough to release the steering lock. Position is one notch short of full ignition on. Accessory position isn't enough.

- I got into the habit of driving away and crossing side-to-side once to see the Jeep wheels turn both directions in my rear-view mirrors. Just to be sure the wheels are really unlocked before getting on the road.

- Make sure your tow bar is within a couple inches of level. I did fine until I lifted my Jeep a few inches. Then the tow bar sloped down to the motorhome, and after a couple thousand miles my front tires cupped pretty badly.

- This may not apply to a YJ (don't know) but the TJ odometer is electronic and doesn't register miles when towing.

Even with the negatives of flat-towing, trailers are a super pain (and almost non-existant) in RV parks, so most motorhome drivers prefer flat-towing.

[Griz]

Glad to hear the new Wranglers don't have a steering lock.
Bad thing about leaving key in ignition is some have learned how 'easy' to rip off the vehicle if unattended (Wally Mart).
If you have computer chip key, it is easy to make a copy of non chip key and use that. Don't now if any Wranglers come that way.
Good reason for an external/additional lock out.

[Mike McGreevy]

If your friend is towing more than a few hundred miles, have him remove the drive shafts. I know it is a pain, but......... It is alot better for the trans and t-case. Just putting in nutural and out of gear still puts "miles" on the drive line and could be bad for both trans. and t-case due to unproper "oiling".