CJ towing a pop up?

[Petescj]

If Vicki and I decide to get all uppity and move up from tent camping to a pop up can a CJ7 safely tow it ? Loaded up it'll weigh in around 1800 lbs. I dont know much about towing at all and would love some input.

Thanks
Pete

 

[Old Dog]

I have no personal experance with towing anything down the road with my cj.
But I would say things could get real exclting if anything went wrong or you had to make any fast moves to avoid something. I've had some exciting times towing my jeep with my truck, seems people on the road like to do stupid things sometimes.
IMO I say stay alive and down to earth with the tent.

 

[IOPort51]

does it have brakes on it?

too much tongue weight on a CJ makes it "interesting " at any speed.


they pull pretty well but stopping can be exciting, too light and too short.

not extensive experience just Limited observations.

 

[mtnwhlr]

I have never tried towing anything with a CJ but my brother had a big popup he towed with a Explorer and one time we all met up for a week of camping and by the time he towed it up and over the pass to where we were camping he pulled in and the trans was so hot that when he went to back it up a small hill into his camp site the trans was slipping so bad all it did was puke trans fluid on the ground so he unhook it and I hooked it up to my truck that had a 9 1/2 foot Camper in it and backed it up into his site. I was in the same boat as you and what I went with is a truck with a slide in camper that will also tow the Jeep behind.

 

[CJ007]

I have a (Pro comp) rock crawler hitch bumper rated for 2500lbs. The highest legal for the CJ7 is 3500 (class 3). Those prob require drilling and bolt to the frame. Not difficult to install but I think the larger one will affect clearance a little. Prob $150 for a hitch. My bumper was $140 or less and has d rings.

You can add a weight distribution and anti sway control to help it stabilize and you would not feel much of that 1800lbs. There is a company that makes a combo that runs $3-400 if I recall, but it is worth the safety. It actually increases the amount you can safely carry as it pushes the weight off the bumper and further back on the tongue. I would definitely consider the WD and anti sway.

I don't think you will find that light of a pop up with electric brakes or you could install a brake controller as well to reduce the trailer from pushing you when you stop. You may be able to add, but not sure how cost effective.

One last thing, if you have an auto trans and don't have a transmission cooler (I don't think CJ's have but mine is manual) I woud install (especially if you are up and down hills). They run about $60 or less and are easy to do. They go right in front of the radiator.

I ran the largest UHaul hitch center in Phoenix for a while. You would not believe how many Honda cars get hitches and tranny coolers installed and move smaller but loaded trailers across country.

 

[powdertwoplanker]

I haven't pulled a pop-up, but I have pulled 3 dirt bikes, my guess on weight is around 900 lbs. Give or take. I have the basic hitch that's bolts to the bumperetts. 6 an auto tranny with cooler

In and around town no problems. Stopping takes a little longer for sure, so plan on that.

I also won't plan on being fast, seems to get a little squirrelly. I pretty much stay under 55.

Like the previous reply if brakes can be added and your going to tow it a lot they would be a good investment.

Once I hit hills its a slower speed, I take it easy an I haven't had any problems yet. I don't have to tow the dirt bikes that much or that far. If I had to I would probably get another vehicle for it.

That being said, there is a great feeling when you are in the CJ pulling something an the tops off.

Hope that helps a bit
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

 

[norville]

I've towed my popup with my LJ, the 6 had plenty of power to do it just make sure the brakes and shocks are up to snuff. Sway bars on the jeep would be wise also.

Mine ironically is for sale right now.. 1999 palomino. I bought an avalanche and eventually we'll move up to a tin side. I will say this the move from tent to popup was a giant leap. It is so nice to "walk" into a something. If you've never "moved up" it's hard to imagine how you ever did it. We still tent camp with the boy scouts.. so I still live in both worlds. Our camper is always packed. It only takes me about an hour to have it on the road. Most of the items in it are our camping stuff. We just add food, clothes and sleeping bags.

 

[Rollie]

I have no opinion on this particular setup. Back in the 80s I had a friend who pulled a 16' fiberglass speedboat with a CJ5. He only pulled it about twenty miles to the lake, but he did pull it. My personal experience is with a 14' 1972 Forester Camper. I pulled it from Iowa to the Burning Man in Nevada behind a six cylinder Dodge Dakota and back. Two things killed me. The first was winds. The winds pushed me around a lot, especially on the interstate with semis passing me all the time. The second was the mountain passes. I would drop to 40 miles per hour with the throttle on the floor on most of them. So I'm thinking that if you just pull it down to the lake for the weekend, you might get away with it, but I think it would be a chore on a long trip. That said, I've seen some pretty strange rigs out there on the highways. The one thing that I might add is that coming home from Burning Man I came through the pass between Laramie and Cheyenne with my Dodge giving it everything it had to hold thirty five miles an hour up that grade. I made it to the top. A brand new Dodge Ram diesel pulling a thirty foot trailer threw a rod out the side of the block on the same climb, so I guess it is all relative.

 

[Petescj]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I have a tire carrier rear bumper that ties into the frame I would use. Most of the places we go camping are all over the Appalachian Mountains here in Pa. Im also trying to plan a longer distance trip this year to meet up with some guy from Ohio.

Im thinking for my intent and purpose something like the below pic would be the smarter route. I dont want to buy a truck. I want something to tow with my Cj and give me more cargo capacity while getting me off the ground when camping.

I have a (Pro comp) rock crawler hitch bumper rated for 2500lbs. The highest legal for the CJ7 is 3500 (class 3). Those prob require drilling and bolt to the frame. Not difficult to install but I think the larger one will affect clearance a little. Prob $150 for a hitch. My bumper was $140 or less and has d rings.

You can add a weight distribution and anti sway control to help it stabilize and you would not feel much of that 1800lbs. There is a company that makes a combo that runs $3-400 if I recall, but it is worth the safety. It actually increases the amount you can safely carry as it pushes the weight off the bumper and further back on the tongue. I would definitely consider the WD and anti sway.

I don't think you will find that light of a pop up with electric brakes or you could install a brake controller as well to reduce the trailer from pushing you when you stop. You may be able to add, but not sure how cost effective.

One last thing, if you have an auto trans and don't have a transmission cooler (I don't think CJ's have but mine is manual) I woud install (especially if you are up and down hills). They run about $60 or less and are easy to do. They go right in front of the radiator.

I ran the largest UHaul hitch center in Phoenix for a while. You would not believe how many Honda cars get hitches and tranny coolers installed and move smaller but loaded trailers across country.

 

[Old Dog]

Pete, that's pretty cool look'n.

 

[mtnwhlr]

With that you are still in a tent it's just up off the ground.

 

[CJ007]

Yea that does look like a tent, looks cool but not much of a comfort upgrade although it has storage. I also say stick with the pop up. Or those cool tear drops.

I can't say I've towed either with a CJ but you can drive just to see how it goes. I would imagine being flat you won't get much wind resistance.

Tranny cooler can be added when you get time or before a long trip. Weight distribution doesn't necessarily have to be done. It helps, but you can add sway control only if it's moving side to side. Sway without weight distribution can be found for like $50. You would need a hitch ball mount that has the hook up for the sway though, or if you can weld you can add the mount yourself.

 

[gert]

well I cannot add to the experience in towing part, I do however intend to pull a pop up with mine and to that end I did the 3550 and AMC 360 and Dana 44 Dodge 9.25 swap to make sure it has the weaties to pull a small trailer I do have a question though. If Mopar went so far as to make their own pop up are they not saying that they think we can tow one? I spotted a trailer i really liked on the web as well similar to the one you show :drool:

 

[Petescj]

Neither of us really minds the tent camping. The real problem is storage space in the Cj. I really do like the idea of an off road trailer keeping the tent off the ground.

I think those Cj style trailers are pretty cool. The guy that designed the one I pictured actually sold off the fiberglass molds for them to a company who now sells them. They come as a D.I.Y. kit and use a small harbor freight trailer.

Dinoot Trailers - Dinoot Jeep Trailers



I kinda like the bigger one he made for my needs.

 

[hagar]

How it was done in the old days, ca 1966.
Two factory V6 Jeeps, pulling house trailers to Yellowstone.
Family of 5 in the red Jeep; family of four in the blue Jeep.
I was in the red Jeep.
Tow without worry if you're up to it.

 

[Petescj]

Love the vintage photo. Most of my travel is in mountains. I think its smarter for me to err on the side of caution.

 

[poppatello]

I've towed a pop up with my Cj. It wasn't fun. It has a 4" lift and running 33's @ the time. I'm running 35's now so I would not attempt to tow anything with it...

 

[Cheepjeep85]

i used to pull a 15ft 1500lb fiberglass runabout down the interstate with my CJ7 at 65 easy. the jeep should be plenty capable, but if the driver isnt comfortable, or is nervous then it can be dangerous. i'm a truck driver so im kinda used to pulling trailers.