What Jeep Can Be Flat Towed Behind an RV?
If you are taking the entire family cross-country, being cramped in a small vehicle for the entire trip may not be ideal, even if you have an amazing camper for the pit stops. If you’re worried about your family’s sanity when staying close-quarters, then an RV may be the perfect solution for you. But, you may be wondering, can I take my beloved jeep with me on this trip? After all, you may not want to lug the RV around town once you’re at each of your destinations. Never fear, this guide will explain what your options are for flat-towing a Jeep behind an RV. You are well on your way to having the best of both worlds.
What Jeeps Can Be Flat Towed Behind an RV?
Many models can be flat towed. You can flat tow some trim levels of Wranglers, Cherokees, and Grand Cherokees behind your RV or motorhome safely.
If you would like to know what trim levels of Jeeps can be flat towed, also know as “dinghy towing” or “four-down towing” as well as more information about safe flat towing, keep reading this article. We will make sure you have all the information you need to start flat towing your Jeep behind your RV safely.
Can This Jeep Be Flat Towed?
You may be wondering about a specific Jeep and what trim levels can be flat towed. Here is a comprehensive list of each Jeep with special considerations if applicable to that model.
Can You Flat Tow A Jeep Compass?
A Jeep Compass cannot be flat towed. This is not dependent upon the trim level, unfortunately. You should never flat tow a Jeep Compass, and you can refer to your owner’s manual for more information.
It is possible to tow a Jeep Compass behind your RV or motorhome if you put it on a trailer. You must ensure that all four years are on the trailer. Do not tow your Jeep Compass via dolly towing.
Can You Flat Tow A Jeep Renegade?
You cannot flat tow a Jeep Renegade behind your RV or motorhome. This is applicable for all trim levels. Do not attempt to flat tow your Jeep Renegade
If all four wheels are on a trailer, you may be able to tow your Jeep Renegade depending upon the towing capacity of your RV or motorhome.
Can You Flat Tow A Jeep Cherokee?
You can flat tow a Jeep Cherokee behind your RV or motorhome dependent upon trim level. If your Jeep Cherokee has a single-speed Power Unit, it cannot be flat towed. You can tow it on a trailer, as long as all four wheels are on a trailer.
If your Jeep Cherokee has ActiveDrive II or 2-speed PTU, it is possible to flat tow your Jeep Cherokee behind an RV. For some trim levels, you must use the Mopar towing kit in order to not void the warranty on your tow vehicle. If you have more questions about flat towing your Jeep Cherokee, you can consult your owner’s manual or speak with your dealership.
Can You Flat Tow A Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Grand Cherokee’s can be flat towed depending upon trim level. If your Grand Cherokee does not have 4-LO cannot be flat towed. As well, SRT models cannot be flat towed.
Jeep Grand Cherokee trim levels that have 4-LO can, in fact, be flat towed.
It is also important to note that 4×4 models should never be dolly-towed in order to not void the warranty on your Jeep Grand Cherokee.
You can reference your owner’s manual as well as contact your Jeep dealership in order to find more information about flat towing your Jeep Grand Cherokee and if there are any specific tow kits that you may need.
Can You Flat Tow A Jeep Wrangler?
The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most popular vehicles to flat-tow behind an RV in the country.
The Wrangler is a classic vehicle that is great in all types of environments and off-road situations, so it makes sense that families wouldn’t want to leave home without it.
4×4 models of the Jeep Wrangler JL can be flat towed. Please refer to your owner’s manual to ensure that you are following the proper instructions to flat tow your specific Jeep Wrangler.
The Jeep Wrangler JK models that are 4×4 are able to be flat towed as well. There is information in your owner’s manual or at your local Jeep dealership to figure out how to flat tow your Jeep Wrangler JK safely.
Non-4×4 models of Jeep Wrangler may be able to be towed with all four wheels on a trailer depending upon your RV’s maximum towing capacity. Please be sure to consult both the owner’s manual of your Jeep Wrangler as well as your RV to ensure towing capacity and proper trailer towing methods.
Can You Flat Tow A Jeep Gladiator
Good news! Any model of Jeep Gladiator can be flat towed behind your RV or motorhome. Please be sure to consult the owner’s manual for your Jeep Gladiator to ensure that you are flat towing it properly and with the appropriate equipment as to not void your manufacturer’s warranty.
The Importance of Your Vehicle’s Owner’s Manual
Now that you have more information about each specific model of Jeep, and have determined if your Jeep can be flat towed behind your RV or Motorhome, it is important to realize that the specifications behind flat towing each vehicle will not be consistent from model to model.
Some models will have specific towing kits that will need to be purchased in order to flat tow, and others may have recommendations or vehicle settings that need to be enacted before you begin flat towing your Jeep.
Why Flat Tow Instead of Trailer?
While you can see from the information above that you can tow almost any vehicle, given your RV’s towing capacity, on a four-wheel trailer, there are many reasons why that is not the most popular option.
For one, there is the expense of buying a proper trailer and maintaining it. Not to mention, you will also need to find additional space to store a trailer for your vehicle. If you already own an RV or motorhome, your storage space is probably becoming pretty limited, understandably.
Another thing to consider: you also will need to have extra space at your campsite, hotel, or other lodgings in order to store your trailer. An RV or Motorhome is already going to take up more space than your typical parking space, so this can prove to be rather difficult.
When it comes to ease of use, there is no competition for flat towing. You essentially can unhitch your vehicle and go, which is crucial when time is of the essence. When you are using a trailer, you are going to have to load and unload your vehicle during every stop of your trip. This can prove to be too tedious for the average user. Why put a damper on your trip with un-needed work?
More Information on Flat Towing
Flat towing, otherwise known as four-down or dingy towing, is the best alternative to using a trailer when your vehicle allows for it. You attach a tow bar to your vehicle and let your vehicle roll behind your RV or motorhome as you drive.
The only issue is if your Jeep is suitable for flat towing or not. In earlier days when most vehicles were manual, this wasn’t an issue. All you had to worry about was the towing capacity of your RV or motorhome. Now with automatic transmission being the norm, flat towing can do a lot of damage to your vehicle, and can even void your warranty.
This is the reason you have seen so many towing companies move towards tow trucks that only put all four wheels on the trailer. They were often getting successfully sued by car owners who had damage done to their vehicles due to flat towing or dolly towing.
Thankfully, many four-wheel drive vehicles can be flat towed successfully with a bit of planning, and consulting your owner’s manual, and Jeep in that regard offers plenty of 4×4 options.
Lubrication is Important
Whether or not a vehicle with automatic transmission can be flat towed depends on the transmission lubrication. Many off-roading vehicles made by other manufacturers other than Jeep still cannot be towed because they do not have a well-lubricated transmission. Toyota, Lexus, and Scion all fall into this category.
Why is this? Well, it is because these vehicles require constant lubrication via a pump in the engine in order to keep the wheels spinning. In a four-down situation, which requires constant rotation of the tires, you can see why this could result in disaster once the lubrication has gone dry.
Jeeps that can be towed dinghy style have a manual transmission case that will allow for constant lubrication when the vehicle is placed into neutral. This is why so many Jeep models and trims can be flat towed.
Once again, the best way to ensure that your vehicle can be flat towed is to check the owner’s manual. This will give you the short answer as well as making sure you are putting your car into the appropriate settings, like shifting it into neutral, before you begin towing.