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Drawbar dimension...

2K views 22 replies 7 participants last post by  bobholthaus 
#1 ·
2006 GC with a Class II 1.25" factory hitch. Sent the wife to a local hitch shop for a drawbar (since Jeep doesn't see fit to provide one) and the best they had was a 4" drop. I measured this against the drawbar on our Honda Odyssey and it would appear that I need 3 more inches of drop (hey, who doesn't!) for a total of 7". Does this sound right?

Sorry for the inuendo, long hours make gornoman goofy!:laugh:
 
#4 ·
I had to have 8" of drop to tow my cargo trailer level. I bought a Rapid Hitch 10" which I can adjust up or down based on the load in the trailer so that it still tows farily level. Since it is rated at 1,500# tongue weight and 10,000# GVWR, it will handle more than I will be pulling. So far, it has worked really well.
 
#6 ·
bfr said:
ideal would be to raise/lower the front of the the camper until the tongue weight is 10~15% of the camper's gross weight, and then get the right amount of drop to match that.
The ideal towing configuration is a LEVEL trailer that has had it's LOAD BALANCED to allow 10%-15% of tongue weight. Raising or lowering the tongue to alter the weight is NOT the solution. Your application of physics is lacking. You obviously have not been towing for 30 years.
 
#8 ·
Well, after much research I have determined that this setup cannot tow ANYTHING. A Class II Drawbar with a 7" drop does not exist. I have sent the following email to my dealer:

"We just love our 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo purchased from your dealership. It has one glaring fault however. It came equipped with a Class II Hitch with a 1.25" Receiver and Tow Package, and did not include a drawbar. The hitch is so far off the ground that no one makes a drawbar that will lower the trailer ball to be at a useable height off the ground. On a Class III hitch this is not an issue because 2" receivers can accept available drawbars with up to a 10" drop. We are faced with the prospect of removing the Class II hitch and replacing it with a Class III unit just so we can tow anything, at a considerable expense I might add.

In short, our tow vehicle (equipped with a factory hitch) is not capable of towing. Is there any solution?"

I will report back with the results. This is starting to get ugly.
 
#9 ·
Ah, you've got a 3.7, which explains the Class II. Yeah, the receiver does seem a bit high for many things. Now I have the same question as you. What *can* someone with this setup tow?

I'm pretty clueless about trailers, but is it possible to modify the trailer's hitch setup?
 
#10 ·
cherokee04 said:
I had to have 8" of drop to tow my cargo trailer level. I bought a Rapid Hitch 10" which I can adjust up or down based on the load in the trailer so that it still tows farily level. Since it is rated at 1,500# tongue weight and 10,000# GVWR, it will handle more than I will be pulling. So far, it has worked really well.
Cherokee04, is it safe to assume your GC is equipped with a Class III hitch? I notice you have the 5.7L V8.

I have found an adaptor that converts my 1.25" receiver to a 2" receiver. This would allow me to purchase a drawbar with a 7" drop, but I suspect that this $35 part is intended for a bike rack and not a 2,000 pound camping trailer. Need more data.....
 
#11 ·
gornoman said:
Cherokee04, is it safe to assume your GC is equipped with a Class III hitch? I notice you have the 5.7L V8.

I have found an adaptor that converts my 1.25" receiver to a 2" receiver. This would allow me to purchase a drawbar with a 7" drop, but I suspect that this $35 part is intended for a bike rack and not a 2,000 pound camping trailer. Need more data.....
It has the factory installed Class IV Receiver, which is the 2" square tube.

I'd be hesitant to put a 1.25" to 2" adapter on it -- I think a Class II has a tounge rating of 300#. If you have a 2,000 trailer, you should have 10% on the hitch, which is 200#, so that would not be a problem if you stay within that weight.
 
#12 ·
FWIW, You could switch out the 1.25" receiver for a 2" receiver, then you would be able to get the drop you need. The factory 2" receiver is $100. You have to take off the rear bumper cover, unbolt the 1.25" and bolt on the 2". IMO, the 2" is a lot more useful. You can install a D-ring for recovery and hitch bike racks are more stable, not to mention there are a lot more choices with drawbars. Here is a link for the factory 2" hitch.

http://www.justforjeeps.com/hitchreceivers2.html
 
#13 ·
This product description doesn't make any sense to me:

Designed as a one-piece welded assembly for added strength, Mopar Hitch Receivers for the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander match your vehicle's towing capacity. Covered with two-layered, E-coated paint finish to resist rust.

7,400-lb tow rating, 750-lb tongue weight rating with weight distributing equipment; otherwise 2,000-lb tow rating, 350-lb tongue weight rating; 2" opening, Hitch Ball sold separately. Also order bezel 82209527 (Commander) or 82208986 (Grand Cherokee). (Please See Below)

Fits Model Year 2005 - 2007

Item # 82208219

The 2,000 tow/350 tongue must be a typo.
 
#15 ·
Well, the dealer claims they were sent the wrong piece, and at the same time offered to get me one with a 4" drop. Seems they cannot find a proper drawbar for this vehicle either. I talked to my local hitch guy (VERY WELL KNOWN) and he claims they don't exist because of safety concerns. I emailed the dealer and told them this is a JEEP problem and it needs to be addressed.

The solution is to remove the existing Class II unit and replace it with a Class III (VERY easy switch, I could do it in my garage easily), then I can buy any dimension drawbar I need. But who pays for the switch? We shall see....

Soon they will be made aware of this thread. Or is that not allowed, or, a good idea?
 
#16 ·
Let them know. The more info they have, better. That way Jeep can see how the issue is affecting owners.
 
#17 ·
Finally resolved this issue with the dealer. Went in this past saturday, talked with my saleman, the GM, and the parts guy. Explained once again to all parties what the issue is. They tried to pawn me off on the trailer manufacturer for more help, but I held my ground and insisted that the dealer or Jeep corporate needed to do something for me or the situation was getting posted to the internet.

We agreed to remove the existing Class II Receiver and replace it with Jeep's Class III Receiver. I agreed to pay dealer cost for the part, dealer agreed to install it for free. The GM and the parts guy were worried that I was gonna go out and tow a 30 foot boat with a 3.7L drivetrain. I left there with what I wanted, and don't really care what they think. These guys just don't understand towing at all.

I got the old Class II Receiver and will try and Ebay it. This will take some of the bite out of paying for the new receiver. Thanx to all who helped out.
 
#18 ·
Glad to hear you got it all straightened out. I agree, the receiver is mounted quite high. I needed a 6" drop to hook up my trailer. Jeep has the receiver up in the bumper for off-road clearance, but it seems like they did not think the entire setup through!
 
#20 ·
Well, I just couldn't let the issue die without a little more effort, so I sent this letter to Daimler Chrysler Customer Service:

Dear Sirs,

I purchased a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4X4 Laredo in November of 2006. We are very happy with the vehicle, but it seems to have a design flaw. Allow me to explain.

The vehicle was factory equipped with a Class II Tow Package which included a 1.25" box receiver hitch and a wiring harness. No drawbar is included with this package, so it is up to the customer to source the appropriate drawbar to match the intended trailer for towing. This in itself was not a surprise. The surprise comes when the consumer cannot locate and purchase a drawbar that will work correctly with this Class II hitch. After extensive research on my part I have discovered that Class II drawbars for 1.25" box receivers are not available with more than a 4" drop for the hitch ball. Jeep has positioned the hitch so high in the rear bumper that a 6" drop (or more) is required to match up with any trailer within the Class II weight specification. I have verified this fact with the owner of Master Hitch in Palatine, Illinois, who claims to be best friends with the owner of Rigid Corporation (a national hitch manufacturer) and they claim there are no Class II drawbars with more than a 4" drop because of structural design limits. Since I cannot purchase a drawbar that will allow me to pull a trailer within the limits of my vehicle, I am essentially stuck with a tow vehicle that cannot tow.

My dealer (Frank Boucher Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Janesville, WI) has been very helpfull in trying to solve this problem. They cannot locate the correct drawbar either. The only solution we have been able to implement is to remove the Class II hitch and replace it with a Jeep Class III hitch utilizing a 2" box receiver. This configuration allows drawbars with up to a 12" drop. The dealer was hesitant to make the change as now the hitch would be rated for more weight than the 3.7L V6 engine and drivetrain are rated for. I understand this reluctance. In fact, I purchased the new part and installed it myself so the dealership could be absolved of all liabilities.

This situation cost me money that I believe should not have been spent. It is my contention that Jeep's Class II hitch should not be sold to consumers if it cannot be utilized in a safe manner. Jeep has created a bad situation for consumers. I have since spent over $100 to make this tow vehicle safe and road worthy. I would like to know Jeep's position on this issue.

I got a message on my machine a few weeks later saying the matter has been noted and the issue would be reviewed by engineering. If I wanted any more help I should call Customer Service. I was confused by this response, so I called CS and explained my issue. They simply told me that the matter had been recorded in their files, and there was NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO. I asked if the matter could be escalated. She checked with her supervisor and said the same thing, nothing can be done. Great customer service, huh?:thumbdown:

Sorry for the long post. I feel better now.:)
 
#21 · (Edited)
Gornoman- the 350/2000 was not a typo. When you use a weight distributing ("WD") hitch on your vehicle, it effectively doubles what the vehicle can tow safely (both tongue weight and trailer weight). Since I got my GC last week, I've been reading all I can on WD hitches (you actually can add a WD hitch to almost any trailer); what it does is use the principle of leverage to level out a very heavy trailer and actually raises the vehicle and trailer tongue (until they are level with one another). You crank down on some chains which levers the weight more evenly to the front of the vehicle, leveling both car and trailer. Just google it and you can read all about it. I think once you get over 2000 pounds, they suggest brakes at a minimum. And if the trailer is loaded properly and the car and tongue aren't drooping, you're fine. But if your back end is drooping, a weight distributing hitch would be the solution. While we are on the topic, does anyone know of any aftermark air "helper springs" you can add to eliminate the need for a WD hitch?

By the way, I bought an 8" drop aluminum ball mount on eBay today... it's rated for 800/8000 lbs (class IV). I'm pulling 5000 pounds next month and have been having a hard time finding an 8" drop that's rated for more than 500/5000, so I went with a solid aluminum mount. I'll let you know how it works. It's going to look ridiculous, but according to the trailering sites (www.etrailer.com), when measuring for what drop I needed for my trailer, it says I almost need a 10" drop, but I thought that the weight of the trailer would make the car droop at least 2 inches so I went with an 8". When I'm not trailering and it's on the car, it's going to look like the bumper left its fly open and its johnson is hanging out!!
 
#22 ·
gornoman said:
This product description doesn't make any sense to me:

7,400-lb tow rating, 750-lb tongue weight rating with weight distributing equipment; otherwise 2,000-lb tow rating, 350-lb tongue weight rating
It still looks like a typo. I'm very familiar with weight distributing hitches, as I own a Reese 350 WDH that we use on our Honda Odyssey's Class III Receiver. Works great, and I would move it forward to the Grand Cherokee but it will not drop low enough, even on it's lowest setting. Besides, a WDH will only help with the tongue weight, not the ability to drag the load forward (or stop it!).

7,400-lb with WDH, 2,000-lb without? I think it should read 5,000-lb without WDH.
 
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