[CRJ Pilot]

Hi all!

I have an 04 Liberty Ltd., and will be hauling a horse trailer with it. Without getting into whether or not this is a good idea, I would appreciate any suggestions wrt technique etc.

So far, I have been turning the O/D on and off as required so as not to labour the engine. My intuition tells me that I really shouldn't let the RPM's drop much below 2000 and I find with the O/D off I have more control over this. The vehicle doesn't seem to have the sense to know when it should be in a lower gear, so when I turn off the O/D, it jumps to a lower gear giving me higher RPM's and of course more power.

Unfortunately, when I do this, I also burn a heck of a lot more gas.

I have two questions!

1. Is it O.K for me to turn the O/D on and off as required when I feel that the vehicle is working too hard, or should I simply leave it turned off? ( For example: I'm towing at about 65 mph, (trailer empty), and as I come to a hill and the vehicle starts to work and also slow down, I simply turn the O/D off untill I'm back on the level, or going down hill.)

2. How far below 2000 RPMs can I go before I turn the O/D off? (I've been using 2000 so far and it seems to work o.k., but it's costing me a lot more gas).

I used to pull very heavy loads with my 86 CJ7, and using the same rule, after 11 years I was still on the original clutch. Eventually somebody stole it, but that's another story!

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Regards

[wrl]

I have an 04 Liberty Rocky Mountain ED with tow pkg and off road group.

I use a weight dist. hitch w/ anti-sway and pull a 25 foot travel trailer with GVWR of 4850 and dry weight of 4270. Usual weight with fluids / gear is about 4500#.

It pulls nicely and I rarely ever use OD except long downhills. The point is not to keep the RPM's low but to avoid the trans from having to shift.

The more times you switch OD on and off the more times the trans is using the internal clutches.

Why not slow to 60 and leave OD off and have no worries. Once you get below 2k RPM you are stressing the trans.

my .02

To all the non-believers that the 5000# / 64^2 feet capacity is marketing hype. NOT.

She hauls and is sturdy. Looks tiny compared to my travel trailer.

[xfactor]

That is great to hear. I have the exact vehicle you do and am getting ready for my first towing this weekend....glad to hear you have found it to be more than capable.

Originally Posted by wrl

I have an 04 Liberty Rocky Mountain ED with tow pkg and off road group.

I use a weight dist. hitch w/ anti-sway and pull a 25 foot travel trailer with GVWR of 4850 and dry weight of 4270. Usual weight with fluids / gear is about 4500#.

It pulls nicely and I rarely ever use OD except long downhills. The point is not to keep the RPM's low but to avoid the trans from having to shift.

The more times you switch OD on and off the more times the trans is using the internal clutches.

Why not slow to 60 and leave OD off and have no worries. Once you get below 2k RPM you are stressing the trans.

my .02

To all the non-believers that the 5000# / 64^2 feet capacity is marketing hype. NOT.

She hauls and is sturdy. Looks tiny compared to my travel trailer.

[rustyhusky]

I would leave the OD off when towin heavier things, The amount you spend on the gas will still be cheaper than the tranny repairs later.
I have had no trouble towin my father in laws boat which weighs about 4300lbs and is about 30 feet long on trailer, in and out of some pretty steep boat ramps, only had to use 4 low on one real sandy launch. When on the highway it tows real nice. Almost forget its back there, until you try to pass some body it will take a little longer.

[wrl]

One more piece of advice: GET a BRAKE Controller!! You will need it. The Lib can pull, but stopping is another matter. I hope your horse trailer has electric brakes.

Originally Posted by CRJ Pilot

Hi all!

I have an 04 Liberty Ltd., and will be hauling a horse trailer with it. Without getting into whether or not this is a good idea, I would appreciate any suggestions wrt technique etc.

So far, I have been turning the O/D on and off as required so as not to labour the engine. My intuition tells me that I really shouldn't let the RPM's drop much below 2000 and I find with the O/D off I have more control over this. The vehicle doesn't seem to have the sense to know when it should be in a lower gear, so when I turn off the O/D, it jumps to a lower gear giving me higher RPM's and of course more power.

Unfortunately, when I do this, I also burn a heck of a lot more gas.

I have two questions!

1. Is it O.K for me to turn the O/D on and off as required when I feel that the vehicle is working too hard, or should I simply leave it turned off? ( For example: I'm towing at about 65 mph, (trailer empty), and as I come to a hill and the vehicle starts to work and also slow down, I simply turn the O/D off untill I'm back on the level, or going down hill.)

2. How far below 2000 RPMs can I go before I turn the O/D off? (I've been using 2000 so far and it seems to work o.k., but it's costing me a lot more gas).

I used to pull very heavy loads with my 86 CJ7, and using the same rule, after 11 years I was still on the original clutch. Eventually somebody stole it, but that's another story!

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Regards