Hey forum. I read an old thread I couldn’t reply to. Reviving it here.
Hey, buddy. I see this is your first post - welcome! The forum is a great place to get answers to specific questions, gain all kinds of knowledge, and run smack into the opinions of a wide variety of Rockwood enthusiasts. Glad you're here! You CAN revive old posts! When you attempt to reply, there's a paragraph of THIS IS REALLY OLD, ARE YOU SURE? along with a little checkbox that says "yeah, I'm sure, go ahead and reply to this necrothread." That being said, tow setups are a super regular question, and - as you can guess - there are a variety of opinions around each.
I have a 2022 Roo 19. And my TV is a 2020 Grand Cherokee V8.It has the air bags stock so the suspension does adjust. Tow spec is 7200 lbs in this model. GVWR 6500.
I've got the big brother to your 19 (a 22 '235S) and have a similar philosopy to loading (to balance my numbers and trade some tow weight to preserve payload). I also tow with an air-bag equipped SUV with plenty of power, and am being very conscious with my numbers - I'm right at the limits for payload and hitch weight, but am fine with tow rating. That being said, my tow experience is that my ride is marginal for what I'm doing (mostly in flatland), and *I'd* be much better off going to a truck (like a modern F150 with Max Tow). I did drag this thing with a 94 vintage Ram, and didn't like that experience either, so I'm looking at a different dedicated tow beast.
Tongue weight should be 650lbs. I have a WDH from Equalizer (rated to 10k). When I travel we load everything in the TT so it doesn’t eat on my payload. So nothing goes in the back of the Jeep. It ranges also from 2 adults and a kid to 4 adults and a kid. I live in Utah and going up and down mountains is different than a flat surface. The V8 can definitely perform and no issues there. After reading old post it concerns me because I thought I was fine with my specs.
Your 19 should have a FACTORY FICTION unloaded vehicle weight of 4355# (plus any accessories, propane, water, and all your stuff). I find it helpful to simply use the max allowable weight for cargo and work from there. So, an UVW of 4,355 + a cargo carrying capacity of 1,447 yields a gross weight of 5,832. 10-15% of 5,832 is 583-874. Let's average that at 728 lbs (which I find is actually in line/a little above with what owners are seeing for these style trailers, fully loaded, considering they have some additional weight in the form of the bunk ends at the polar ends). Running the same calculation for my trailer yields a theoretical hitch weight of 862. I've taken some weight off the tongue and moved it further back towards the axles, and see a real world hitch weight of 800# (measured with my weigh-safe hitch).
Similarly, I'd predict a tongue weight for you of 700 lbs. Check that against the yellow payload sticker on your driver's side doorframe, and then look at what you're stuffing into the car. I see wildly varying payloads being reported for the 2020 Grand Cherokee, so you'll need to see what YOUR car is showing (they are custom per car, based on how they are outfitted. For instance, if you've got the duded out floor model with every option, all those options have eaten into your payload, and you will have a lower payload rating than a stripper model of the same car). Check that against what you're loading up with. I've seen some complaints that '20 Grand Cherokees are being hit with really LOW payloads. Take heed of this - the closer you are to your limits, the more of a handful you'll have to tow. This can be made worse by setup, speed, loading, hills and wind.
With your comparatively short wheel base SUV, your WDH will help migrate some of this weight forward and rearward, returning weight to your SUV's front axle increasing steering control and traction, and reducing driver effort and fatigue, so long as it's installed and applied properly. Your SUV's airbags, when engaged, will mask trailer sag (meaning you'll appear level, even without the WDH engaged), so let's not worry about that just yet (note, airbag use actually increases weight on the rear axle by a small degree, not that we need to concern ourselves with it, but if you're at the limit, you're at the limit).
I do notice that I do get some vehicle sway (not the trailer as far as I can see) when I towed the last two times.
Your jeep has a little anti-sway baked into the ABS system, but it's not very effective at eliminating sway (especially considering the lever arm of the trailer, and the effect of - say - bow wave from semi's). Your sway is likely exacerbated by the short wheel base of your SUV, the relative weight of the trailer (esp compared to your tow vehicle), and the lightening of the front end. If you can get to a CAT scale, you can really dial in your WDH (especially if there's no way to turn off your airbags).
Maybe I was loading my cargo upfront and should have put it in the back of the Roo or middle? What are your thoughts on my set up? Ps: I don’t get any sag when hooked. The TV and TT look even. Thank you
IDEALLY, to reduce sway, cargo loading for a travel trailer should be directly over the axles. This puts the weight in the place with the most support (directly over the axles) the most immediate side-to-side control (the tandem wheels), and gets it out of the ends (decreasing polar moment of inertial). However, travel trailers aren't really built like this (with all their storage right over the axles), but you can be careful if you're adding anything particularly heavy (like loading up a water tank). I like to travel with dry tanks, in order to not stress my system or have to fret about ~480 lbs of poorly suspended tankage. Weight, properly applied, might help sooth some of your trailer's road manners for smoothness, but adding weight to the TT increasing its weight in relation to the TV reduces overall stability and makes the entire rig more susceptible to sway (Heavier TV/lighter TT = better/more stable than Lighter TV/heavier TT). Don't rear load to lighten the tongue. You will impact the tongue weight, but are increasing weight further from the hitch, increasing pendulum effect and making your setup more susceptible to sway.
I like to roll out these videos (which make some excellent points)
and this one
Of course, this is all just my opinion. Hope it helps. I could be - and often am - wrong.
