[JKNY]

Hey guys...just bought my '08 Sahara 2-dr. last week and I love it...weather's been pretty crappy so I haven't been able to take the top off just yet but this weekend looks promising....

I'm looking to get a 16 ft. boat in the next couple weeks....gross weight of the boat motor and trailer is about 1400 lb. My Jeep has the 3.21 gears and no tow hitch...I'm looking at a couple options in order to tow the boat....

1 would be to take it to the dealer and have the tow package installed with 3.73 gears to get the 2000lb tow rating

2 would be to keep 3.21 gears and throw on a HiddenHitch or other aftermarket hitch and pull the boat with only the 1000 lb max.

I understand the rating is really meant for highway use and is meant to prevent any swaying or braking emergencies with the trailer. Anybody gone through something similar or have any recommendations? Any help would be appreciated Thanks.

[igofshn]

Avoid the dealer. Look on the internet for some 4.10 gears out of a sahara or an X and have them installed by a 4x4 shop. You should be able to do all of this for $1200 or less. 4.10 is a much better gear ratio. it is what came on the 07's with the tow package.

[JKNY]

igofshn...thanks...I'll look into finding a used 4.10...any recommendations on a good aftermarket tow hitch out there...i've seen some good reviews of the one offered by quadratec

[igofshn]

The stock JK hitch is just fine. I tow a bass boat and a Samurai without any problems.

[BigJerm]

there are several out there. Hidden hitch seems to be popular. I have the Rugged Ridge hitch and it has done fine towing my 16' trailer. As far as the wire harness, if you have a normal 4 pin plug (no trailer brakes) then go order the one from Jeep and install it your self in about 5 minutes.

All I can say is when I towed the 16' trailer with my 2 door it weighed around 1500 lbs probably loaded. The only issue I had was my lane change hobbits. Normally I kinda dive into the lane and then over correct to get back center. Well I did it once with the trailer and it "pushed" the back of the jeep some. Just pay attention but if you are a veteran of towing this should not be an issue anyways

[Voyame]

A related question. I've got an 07 X with factory tow package and 4.10s. Is my tow rating 2000lbs or 3500lbs? Or, are there other factors determining the tow rating?