Anybody have a Jeep Cherokee?

[julecav]

Hi all I hope your Holidays were enjoyable.  DH and I are looking to replace my minivan with a SUV.  We want something that we all fit in to tow with.  It's a pain in the you know where to follow him in his pickup.  We really like the Jeep Grand Cherokee andor Cherokee but don't know anybody who has one. BTW we are looking for used not new we don't want a car payment!!

[B-flat]

Don't forget to check out the tow ratings before you buy.  Buying used is a good idea as someone else takes the new car depreciation the minute it goes off the lot.  However, there are some good deals out there on new ones with the low financing and rebates, making it difficult to pass by something that will be under warranty.

[springer02]

We have two Grand Cherokees -- a 1999 with a 6-cyl engine and a 2003 with an 8-cyl. Love them both. Great towing, reliable and comfortable. Also, never have to worry about getting where you're going.

Of the engines, the 4.0 litre 6 is fine for most towing, although if you do much mountain driving, then you'll appreciate the 8-cyl. That was what we ran into.

If you're buying used, the 6-cyl in any Grand before the '99 or any Cherokee of any year likely wouldn't be suitable for towing all but the smallest PU. With the entire rework of the Grand Cherokee (WJ) in '99, they squeezed some more horsepower from the engine -- and it made a big difference in driveability. In those models, go 8-cyl.

The after-market Mopar hitch is easy to install, as is the Mopar wiring harness. Add a Prodigy, and you're good to go.

If you have other questions, fire away. We've racked up some serious miles towing the past couple seasons.

Dave

[MtnCamper]

If I were looking for a used one, I would look for one with the tow package already in place. Much easier......

[brainpause]

I recommend you look at Trailer Life's tow ratings. Upon reviewing the Cherokee's tow ratings, there were some surprises. Here is the gist of it, but there were some footnotes that also need attention:

1999
Cherokee with I-4: 2000
Cherokee/Grand Cherokee with 4.0 I-6: 5000
Grand Cherokee with 5.2 V8: 6700 (wow)
Grand Cherokee Limited (4wd) 5.9 V8: 5000 (this is a surprise; even with the 4wd, it seems funny the a bigger V8 would go down 1700 pounds)

2000
Cherokee with I-4: 2000
Cherokee/Grand Cherokee with 4.0 I-6: 5000
Grand Cherokee with 4.7 V8: 6500
Grand Cherokee Limited (4wd) 4.7 V8: 5000

2001
Cherokee/Grand Cherokee with 4.0 I-6: 5000
Grand Cherokee with 4.7 V8: 6500
Grand Cherokee Limited (4wd) 4.0 I-6: 5000 (seems funny that the Limited Model has gotten smaller engines over the past couple of years, and thus, smaller tow ratings; the "plain" GC has remained constant!)

2002
Cherokee/Grand Cherokee with 4.0 I-6: 5000
Grand Cherokee with 4.7 V8: 6500
Liberty with 2.4 I-4: 2000
Liberty with 3.7 V6: 5000

These are the latest ratings TL has. As others have said, look at your tow ratings carefully. The Limited model has some surprises. Don't assume that the "unLimited" model has a certain tow rating, and thus the Limited model will have the same!

Again, look at TL's ratings and the footnotes.

Happy TV buying!

Larry

[labontefan]

When I bought my Utah, I had a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. It did not come with a tow package, but I had a Mopar hitch installed by the dealer shortly after I purchased it. I was using the hitch for a hitch hauler on the rear, and then to tow a small (4'x6') utility trailer while I was still tent camping. (Don't remember the engine size, but I know it was a 6-cylinder.)

I really loved my Cherokee, but it didn't seem to handle the Utah all that well. My biggest concern was not so much towing the PU as stopping it! The Utah comes with electric brakes, and the RV dealer installed the brake controller for me. However, when braking under load (with three of us in the Jeep), the brakes tended to chatter. It was especially bad if going down a hill--and since I live in the mountains, that can be a problem.

I do most of my camping at racetracks. After a trip to Martinsville, VA, last spring which involved going down a long, fairly steep (about 6+ miles of at least a 9 degree grade) windy mountain road, I decided it was time to trade! (I had just had the brakes inspected and the rotors turned prior to the trip, but it was still some white knuckle driving going down the mountain.)

I now have a 2003 Dodge Durango with a V8 and full towing package. I looked at several SUVs prior to purchasing, including the Chevy TrailBlazer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I used MSN CarPoint to compare features and specs. When it came to towing capacity, the Durango beat every other mid-size SUV I checked--and beat some of 'em by a LOT!!

The gas mileage stinks but I can pull the Utah on the Interstate at 65 to 70 mph with the AC and cruise control on, and the Durango doesn't even break a sweat! AND I can stop the Utah going down a steep grade without ME breaking a sweat!!

Like I said, I loved my Jeep Cherokee--but I love my Durango even more!

Good luck finding a TV!

[garym053]

We've towed with two Jeep's, a 2000 Jeep Cherokee and now a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, both with 6 cyl. engines.
The 2000 Cherokee did NOT come with a tow package. I had the dealer install the tow hitch, transmission cooler, and do the wiring. It seemed to go through fuses quite often! And I replaced the light converter box twice. Don't remember it's official name, but it's the box with the diodes, etc that changes the tail light/brake light/turn signal from three different lights (wires) to the two lights that most trailers have.
The 2002 Grand Cherokee came with factory towing package and tows my pop-up without any problems!
Both vehicles towed well, but I'd opt for the factory towing package if possible. Then you don't have to worry about it. If you DO go with a vehicle without a factory tow package, I would make sure to add a tranny cooler, if you get a automatic! Ask a garage to show you the life expectancy of an automatic transmission at various operating tempatures
Good Luck in your hunt!

[Used 2B PopUPTimes]

No complaints with our 97 Grand Cherokee  It has a V8 and is rated to pull 6500 lbs, which about what our pu weighs after it's loaded.  

[fintastic5]

We havea '00 Cherokee 4X4 and love it. You do how ever need the entire tow pakage and not just the hitch. We two the '95 Jayco and a 38,000 lb boat. For the boat I added a leaf spring to each side, these Jeeps are known to be a little soft in the rear. But then aren't we all? Good luck!

[Gone-Camping]

I'm pulling a 23' Hybrid around with a 6 cyl Grand Cherokee without too much problems. It does struggle in the mountains and would rather have a V8... This combination about max's out the JGC's towing capacity, and I'm in the market for a bigger truck with a V8. If you're getting a PU then the 6 Cyl will probably do fine, but like others have stated, try and get the V8 as it'll handle hills & mountains better, plus give you enough power to upgrade to a larger trailer at a later date!

[brainpause]

A 38,000 pound boat? That's a biiiiig boat, towed by a little bitty vehicle!

Larry

[julecav]

Thanks for all of your input we would definately prefer an 8 cyl.  Since we are hoping to upgrade to a larger pu soon.  We also really like Broncos and have been seeing some 93-96 models in great shape that fit into our budget but with the 3 kiddies I'm not sure how difficult only having 2 doors will be.  Luckily a dear friend has 2 Broncos (one for hunting and 1 for everyday) and swears by them so we are gonna borrow one of his for the afternoon and go to the mall etc and see how hard it is to get them in and out.  Broncos have a nice 8 and should be able to tow just about anything we would have.

[Steve-o-bud]

Thanks for all of your input we would definately prefer an 8 cyl.  Since we are hoping to upgrade to a larger pu soon.  We also really like Broncos and have been seeing some 93-96 models in great shape that fit into our budget but with the 3 kiddies I'm not sure how difficult only having 2 doors will be.  Luckily a dear friend has 2 Broncos (one for hunting and 1 for everyday) and swears by them so we are gonna borrow one of his for the afternoon and go to the mall etc and see how hard it is to get them in and out.  Broncos have a nice 8 and should be able to tow just about anything we would have.

I have a Jeep Cherokee  that I use for company business. It has 4 wheel drive, automatic trans, and the 4.0L six cylinder engine.

Although it has enough power to pull, I wouldn't recommend it. It's very short wheelbase would make it rather unstable when pulling a larger pop up. It also has poor brakes. It is also too small for a family of 5.

The Bronco may work well, if your kids are out of car seats, or can crawl into the car seats and buckle themselves in. I had a Bronco company car, and it had plety of power, pleny of cooling capacity, and quite a bit of rear cargo space.

[julecav]

We picked a Grand Cherokee laredo with a V8.  It's in great shape and I'll actually be spoiled with the keyless entry and a remote starter.  Big difference from the crank windows that I'm used to.  Plus with the V8 we can upgrade to a bigger popup next year.  Thanks again for all the input!!

[fintastic5]

A 38,000 pound boat? That's a biiiiig boat, towed by a little bitty vehicle!

Larry

OOPPS!!  3,800 lbs!!!  You need anybody to do your taxes?