Want to tow your Jeep to the trail or behind your RV for a weekend of camping? Jeeps are one of the few vehicles that are actually designed to be flat towed. Which is one of the key reasons you see them being towed behind RVs and trucks all over the country. Flat towing a Jeep is easy but there are a few things to do to make sure you do not damage your rig.
Preparation:
Making sure your Jeep and your tow rig are properly equipped is essential to making sure things run smoothly. Here’s where to start.
1. Proper Maintenance: Make sure both the tow rig and your Jeep are up on their maintenance. Fresh oil and transmission fluid. Make sure your coolant is topped off on and all electrical and braking systems are working properly. Last but not least check to make sure your alignment and air pressures are set and you should be good to go.
2. Grab a Tow Bar:
There are a lot of tow bars on the market ranging from just over one hundred dollars to well into the thousands. Simply put, the tow bar mounts onto the front bumper of your Jeep and can be folded down to hook onto the hitch of your tow rig. We recommend getting a tow bar that comes with chains equipped. You will need safety chains and buying a tow bar that comes equipped with them will save you time and ensure they are the right length for your setup.
Most tow bars are designed to work with the factory mounts on a stock Jeep bumper. However if you have an aftermarket bumper there are several companies that offer adapters and universal mounting plates. Note that some of the universal mounts on the market may require that you drill into your bumper to secure the mount. Not a big deal but just keep that in mind when dong your research.
3. Supplemental Braking System: If you do a lot of towing we highly recommend setting up your vehicle with a supplemental brake system. Some studies have shown it can reduce braking distance by up to 50%. Additionally some states require supplemental electric braking systems when towing. Make sure you are familiar with your states laws. We have used and like the brake buddy system. Check current pricing on Amazon.
4. Towing Lights: You need to have towing lights to keep your rig and other drivers safe when flat towing a Jeep. There are two primary approaches you can take.
A. Portable trailer lights. Portable lights magnetically mount to your Jeep giving you brake and turn signals. We have used a set for several years, and the only downside is ours our wireless which means they use batteries and the batteries have to be replaced. Once these die we will get wired lights. We like this approach because we can transfer the lights to other trailers or vehicles if needed.
B. Tapping into your Jeeps lights: If plan to do a lot of flat towing a more permanent solution is probably a better option. With a simple kit you can connect to your Jeeps built in lights using a flat 4 light assembly. This system lets you connect your RV light controls to your Jeep without allowing power feedback that could hurt your Jeeps electrical and lighting systems. Once installed all you have to do is plug in the flat 4 connector and your jeep lights will indicate when you are braking, stopping or turning. See current pricing on Amazon.
How to Flat Tow a Jeep Wrangler Behind an RV
On a flat surface with the parking brake on or using a wheel chock get into your Jeep Wrangler and take the following steps to flat tow your Jeep.
1. Put the key in the ignition and move it to the accessory position.
2. Step on the brake pedal and shift the transmission into Neutral (N), or if you have a manual Jeep depress the clutch and brake pedal and shift into Neutral.
3. Shift the transfer case into Neutral (this is the lever you use to shift from 2 to 4 wheel drive)
4. Start the engine.
5. Shift into drive on an automatic or put the manual transmission into gear (most people recommend 2nd or 3rd gear)
6. Let off of the brake pedal make sure that the vehicle does not move.
7. Shut the engine off and leave the key in the unlocked off position.
8. Shift the automatic transmission into Park (P)
9. Hook the Jeep up to the tow vehicle and check lights and safety chain functionality.
10. Release the parking brake.
Special Considerations:
Do not shift an automatic transmission into park with the transfer case in neutral with your engine running, doing so could cause transmission issues.
How to Unhook Your Flat Towed Jeep
Once you have made it to the trail or your destination you will need to unhook. The following steps should be followed to keep from damaging your Jeep.
1. Start your Jeep
2. Shift the transmission into neutral or depress the clutch pedal and put the manual transmission into neutral.
3. Shift the transfer case lever into either 2 or 4 wheel drive.
4. Shift the transfer automatic transmission into Drive or move the manual transmission into gear and then release the clutch pedal.
5. Unhook the from the tow rig and secure your tow bar.
Note: Do not use a bumper mounted clamp-on tow bar on the Jeep Wrangler or Wrangler Unlimited JK. The bumper face bar can be damaged. You can shop all the bumpers we sell here
Notes:
ALWAYS refer to your owners manual to follow those procedures as they occasionally change from model year to model year.
Make sure your bumper and tow bar are compatible.
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Have a tip that has helped you when flat towing your Jeep? Share it with us by leaving a comment!
