Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Dang it's almost toon time !! Just got a new jeep wrangler ..... Was using a dodge ram any thoughts on towing or do I need to store it at the lake ??

I bet your right at towing capacity with trailer and full load, trailer brakes would be nice. you may have a problem pulling it out of water with steep or slippery ramp.

Been thinking of this myself. Have a 14 JK 2D Sport and the boat stays at the lake so don't have many highway miles to get it to the ramp. Which JK do you have?

As for pulling it out, I think you'll be good. I had a 84 Bronco II and it had no issues at all pulling my 19' bay boat or the 20' Mon Ark up the ramp and didn't even need 4WD to do it. Neither does my wife's FX35. Little harder to see around the boat than my Sierra 1500.

I used to pull my bass boat with my Wrangler. I had to be careful to avoid the boat fishtailing on the highway. The short wheelbase Jeep was just too small and too light. It was like the tail wagging the dog. I wouldn't think about trying to pull my big pontoon on the highway with a Jeep.

Have launched and recovered my 22' DLX with my 2001 Wrangler Sport(6 cyl - auto). Fairly level ramp with good traction. Used 4x4 just to be on the safe side.

Be careful towing on the road. I'm only about 2 miles from the ramp and keep it below 35 MPH there and back. The short wheel base of the Jeep makes anything faster a little squirrely

My 20 footer is a bit lighter but I've been using my TJ for the last 4 years with no problems. Mine is a six speed and never had a problem on the ramp but braking takes a bit longer. Not sure, but I'm guessing I'm close to the 2000lb towing limit.

Me thinks a different tow vehicle is in order, I would be most worried about stopping it in a hurry. Please be careful.

"New Jeep Wrangler"

Need more info...

My '12 JKU with Max Tow package is rated to 3500#. That doesn't mean hook it up and go no problems...with heavy loads trailer brakes are a must. Pontoons, even light ones, catch a LOT of air at highway speeds. Driver experience is a factor. There is a lot more to consider other than "can my vehicle pull it". Be safe out there

Jeeps with a trailer hitch are just a tragedy that hasn't happened yet. Especially the 2dr ones. It has nothing to do with power. Its about weight, brakes and wheelbase. A 2dr Wrangler is rated for 2000 lbs. and that's ONLY if you get the heavy duty option. http://www.jeep.com/en/wrangler/capability/#towing. To put that in perspective, lets look at your boat, the SunTracker 22DLX with a 60 horse 4-stroke and a single axle trailer. The package weight is 3447 pounds BEFORE you add fuel and gear. http://www.suntrackerboats.com/boat/specs.cfm?boat=3622. The 4dr wrangler is better. It cant tow 3500 with the extra heavy duty option. http://www.jeep.com/en/wrangler-unlimit ... ty/#towing which means that if you have more than 6 gallons of fuel in the boat, you are over the limit.

Now, before you flame me with with stories of what you tow with your Jeep, understand this... Its all about margin for error. I have seen a 6000# rated 1/2 ton pickup tow 11000# of rock. It did it, and nobody died. However, the margin for error was non-existent. A simple thing as a blowout, or a bad gust of wind could have created a situation where they didn't have enough truck, brakes or ass to recover from. Just because it can, doesn't mean you should.

If you do tow close (or over) the recommended limit, please remember, every pound and every MPH takes away that much more room for error. I'm not one of these hand wringing safety-nazis who put my kids in helmets just to ride a bike. I'm just a guy who was a volunteer fireman for 15 years, and I have seen what can happen when things go bad towing trailers. If things go really into the shitter towing with a Jeep, the best you can hope for is to have a little bit of say in what you crash into.

Tim

Honestly new jeeps are nothing more than a small truck anymore. They have a much wider and longer wheel base than previous generations .

Now I did this once against my better judgment ,62 cj5 2440 lbs with my fat hind quarter in it

I did forget to mention that my local boat ramp is 1.5 miles away and I rarely reach 30mph on a carefully planned route that I always take. I would never trust that long a trailer behind a Jeep at highway speeds. And even braking in my Jeep with my wider tires is faster than my wife's F150.

Store your boat at the lake if you're pulling very far. Atlanta city traffic is nothing to sneeze about, and towing a 4K lb. pontoon boat feels like and tows like it's another 1,500 lbs. heavier than it is due to their being so unaerodynamic. Very long trailers also put other forces on tow vehicles. It's not just enough to pull a pontoon boat/trailer, as you've got to handle well and have the ability to stop fast.