Can I Tow This?

[Rot 911]

I have found a 1949 Willys Pickup truck I want to buy. Problem is getting it home. It is 340 miles from my house, but all interstate. Truck weighs 2850 lbs. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the inline 6. Jeep weighs 4000 lbs. My owners manual says I can tow 5000 lbs. I have the tow package with the Class 3 hitch. According to u-haul they have a dual axle trailer with surge brakes that weighs 2000lbs. So as you can see I am close to maxed out. I don't know anyone else that has a bigger truck. I would think as long as I am careful I should be able to tow the truck home. My only concern is that I don't want a situation where the trailer is driving my Jeep! Anyone knowledgable on here that can weigh in with some useful information? I have lots of experience towing. My gut feeling is as long as I am careful and don't speed and take my time braking I will do ok.

[JSDSKI]

Why can't you tow it without the trailer? Just freewheel the hubs and remove the driveshaft. I'd probably use side roads if possible.

[Seahawk]

Kurt,

I tow a bunch...the key in the scenario you mentioned is the trailer brakes: make sure your Jeep has the proper equipment to employ the trailers surge brakes. You said it very well: without the trailer brakes working as intended, the Willy's will be drving the Jeep!
Other than that, you are good to go...nice car, BTW. I owned a Willy's station wagon with a friend of mine many years ago. Enjoy.

[928ram]

Based on past use of U-haul's trailers, they are very good rigs and tow very easily. I would do it, just slow and careful as you stated.
Plus you are still (barely) under what's rated for the tow vehicle.

[id10t]

Discussed recently on 356talk was that one guy was denied trailer rental from uhaul when they found out what he was towing and what he was towing with. Why not rent a car for the ride there, and then rent both a trailer and a truck/van to tow it with from uhaul?

[A Quiet Boom]

As long as you're careful this will be no problem. My brother and I have towed cars all over the place with Ford Rangers which weigh it at about 4500lbs. Three years ago he hauled my old 4x4 Nissan from outside Detroit to Akron, total weight about 6500lbs. He has a hopped up 5.0 V8 in his truck so pulling wasn't the issue and he said it drove fine. I pulled my wife's Explorer from upper Michigan when I bought it on a Uhaul as well with a short bed stock F150, again no problem except I had to stop at a truck stop to buy an adjustable wrench because someone had over adjusted the surge brakes and they where dragging badly. My personal trailer has electric brakes but I've always said if I was going to do it over I'd make one axle surge and the other electric. Be sure to stop every so often and check the straps, also be sure to use the safety chain around the rear axle.

[Tim Walsh]

Towed my porsche home on a uhaul trailer with a grand cherokee with the inline 6. Worked well just had to fool with it a little bit to get the weight distribution correct. on the other hand a willys weighs more than a longhood 911.