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 Towing 2500 klg Caravan 
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Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2014 9:43 pm
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Post Towing 2500 klg Caravan
I have taken delivery of a 2014 Grand Jeep Cherokee Laredo 3 litre diesel. It will be towing a full height, tandem caravan which when loaded weighs 2500 klg. Do I use a Reece Hitch system and do I select a lower gear than 8 or just leave it in drive to make its own gear selection ? My prevous tug was a Pajero and towing the same van I used the Reece Hitch system and held the gear in 4th rather than use overdrive 5th.

Thanks Cam


Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:13 pm
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Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:23 pm
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Location: Mornington Peninsula - Vic
Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
The choice is yours, but for myself I'd drop it back 1 gear and use a WDH.
OJ

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Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:19 am
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Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2008 1:23 pm
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Location: Melbourne
Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
Cam, I've never driven an auto with more than 6 ratios but I would put money on an 8-speeder hunting even when not towing. When towing it may be rare to get into 8th except down a mine shaft.

Firstly consult the owner manual. If no useful advice there then play it by ear. The last thing I would do is leave it in full auto. I suspect even held in 7th won't suffice and 6th may be required to avoid hunting.

Just keep an eye on the tacho and try locking different ratios till you feel happy that it is not up/down-changing or torque convertor locking/unlocking too often.

With my Prado 5-speeder I rarely leave in auto for long even when not towing. Frequently I select 4th, 3rd and even 2nd when climbing/descending hills and much more so when towing.

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Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:31 am
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Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 5:06 pm
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Location: Doveton vic
Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
Hi cam and welcome, Guess you will know by what the engine does, and the terrain, but many do hold a lower gear. I would say that vehicle will be at its limit of overdrive with hilly conditions.
In my set up I drop down on steep climbs as it just lopes along and changes down freely. But my truck
is chipped and goes well and is a 250 kg less load . :)

A couple of pages on the Jeep here,
http://caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... hilit=Jeep

Please feel free to go to the top left of page and go to User control to insert a state into your profile. It helps us to help you as regards advice and parts shopping etc. :)

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Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:38 am
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Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 2:21 pm
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Location: Ex Adelaide
Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
Just let the jeep make its own mind up but select sports mode, just completed 6000ks towing and the jeep handled it with ease :D

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Charlie
Crusader Excalibur, MY14 Grand Cherokee


Mon Jul 14, 2014 9:00 am
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Location: Doveton vic
Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
Hi CK56

That's a great looking Jeep in your sig pic...... :)

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Sorry but if you can't give a state, no answer from me folks.
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Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:37 pm
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Location: Mornington Peninsula - Vic
Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
I said in my earlier post I would drop it back 1 gear, but upon checking the gear ratios 7 & 8 are both reasonably tall overdrives, 084 & 067 respectively.
But 6 is a 1:1 ratio, so that's the gear I would select.
Ozjohn.

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Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:32 am
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:51 am
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Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
Gooday . IMHO the best thing to do would be to get on the Jeep owners forum or the other caravan forum & ask the question of Jeep owners. The awnsers you get from none Jeep owners would only be supposition . Mick

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Tue Jul 15, 2014 8:20 pm
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Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 2:21 pm
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Location: Ex Adelaide
Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
mickd wrote:
Gooday . IMHO the best thing to do would be to get on the Jeep owners forum or the other caravan forum & ask the question of Jeep owners. The awnsers you get from none Jeep owners would only be supposition . Mick


I am a Jeep GC owner and it is a great tow vehicle :mrgreen:

And sorry I haven't changed my avita....

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Charlie
Crusader Excalibur, MY14 Grand Cherokee


Wed Jul 16, 2014 12:35 pm
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Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 9:10 pm
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Post Re: Towing 2500 klg Caravan
I have just returned from a 3500 km, 5 weeks trip towing a 3000kg Silverline behind a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have never prescribed to the train of thought of driving in lower gears with autos so I just put it in drive, not sport, and let it do it's thing.

Remember the Jeep has a massive amount of torque and therefore won't hunt through the gears like a lot of the other under powered tugs around ;-) . Cruising on the highway the auto will determine what the best ratio and will typically sit in 7 or 8, when you hit a hill it will change back if needed. The other thing to remember with the Jeep it is not possible to select anything other than Drive or Sports from the gear lever, if you require lower gears it is only done from the paddles and if the speed changes too much will just drop back into auto mode anyway.

Even cruising at the speed limit I was getting between 13.2 and 14.7 l/100km towing. It is not hard to get the economy without the van down into the mid 6's, which is excellent for a big wagon.

I have the Hayman Reese on mine, would have liked to look at the Anderson WDH with the chains but no local dealers.

Peter


Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:22 pm
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