02 Jeep Liberty Towing question.

[marronea]

I have a 2002 Jeep liberty sport 3.7L 4x4, Automatic ******. I have a hidden hitch installed.
(http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...009930/N-111+2002+200728821+600002360/c-10101). I want to pull travel trailer that weighs approx 3000lbs. The question I have is do i need some kind of transmission cooler to pull this or is it light enough that I don't need it?

 

[jimheem]

Check your owners manual, I believe the tow capacity of your vehicle is near 5000 pounds.

That said, I would certainly consider the terrain in which you are going to be towing. If you are going to be going up alot of hills, or any really big hills, you might want to add a transmission cooler.

I've never towed with our liberty, and don't plan to, since I have a 3/4 ton Pickup truck for that job. I did however tow my 3000 pound boat a few times with my wrangler, and I'll say that the short wheelbase, similar to that of the liberty, made towing an interesting experience. Take it real easy, especially during braking and cornering.

 

[Dave]

I regularly tow about 4,000lbs with no problem. The trailer has brakes and they help stopping. The terrain around here is hilly and i usually lock out o/d. The KJ really tows the weight easily. If you do not have a ****** cooler you should look into installing one as they are not that expensive and will keep the ****** cooler. (too much heat can be detrimental to the ******).

As an aside, I have another trailer that is just under the legal limit to require brakes. It will hold about a cord of cut and split wood. I don't know how much it weighs loaded but I can feel the difference without brakes when stopping. I hauled about 5 cords (5 trips) recently with no problems. I had to back it into the woods empty where there was no road and load it and then pull it out of the woods loaded in 4lo and it did it easily. It was fairly flat but I thought I was going to have a problem and both of us were surprised. The next 4 loads I really loaded it up.

Dave

 

[CRD4Liberty]

Remember to factor in the load in the trailer when you make your decision. A trailer that heavy already has trailer brakes. A good brake controller like a Prodigy will be a real asset. A brake light wire is already ran in the loom, its in the drivers side kick plate and is blue and tagged. At the factory the only difference, I believe, on the tow package is an electric and engine cooling fan. I'd go with an additional ****** cooler, the biggest that will fit and mount your elctric fan or an aftermarket fan if your having clearance problems. The drivetrain will easily pull the load all day.

 

[tgh117]

Im with the rest of them. I also tow regularly with the lib, I would add the trans cooler and you will be good to go. Depending on what your trailer is actually rated for will depend if it has brakes already installed or not. If it has the brakes then be sure to install the 7 pin wiring along wiht the brake controller. Good luck

 

[BBKRISH]

I have a 2002 Jeep liberty sport 3.7L 4x4, Automatic ******. I have a hidden hitch installed.
(http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...009930/N-111+2002+200728821+600002360/c-10101). I want to pull travel trailer that weighs approx 3000lbs. The question I have is do i need some kind of transmission cooler to pull this or is it light enough that I don't need it?

The following site may hellp you in your towing quest.
Suggest you never run more than 75 % of maximum towing capacity... As you still need to leave room in the vehcile for that weight carried as well. That would be people, stuff and fluids... Most tow capacities are measured against empty vehicle weight, so when you figure tow capacities, add in everything and everyone in the tow vehicle. Do the math on the GTW, GVW and GVTW.

BTW- It never hurts to have a trans cooler, unless you are in sub zero temps; then it will only take a bit longer to heat up the trans to optimal operating temperatures.

With your kj and a well balanced trailer. Depending on length and height you may consider Weight distribution and/or sway control for the trailer, in addition to the braking unit.

We like Prodigy ... it thinks for itself, adjusts on the fly and displays connection information . Best and safest.

http://www.sherline.com/lmbook.htm

http://www.etrailer.com/faq/aboutwd.asp

happy/safe towing

Bob