Towing question

[Whitaker717]

Hi guys, just curious to see if my Comanche will tow my 6x10 trailer with my 4 wheeler for deer season. I am a bit worried with the size of the truck if it will pull it. Or stop. Also looking for a hood hitch recommendation. Thanks in advance. My brakes have all been re-done but it still makes me nervous. 

[DirtyComanche]

Does the trailer have brakes?  You have a brake controller?  It should be well within tow capacity, make sure it's loaded correctly and you have a proper receiver and hitch, but you should figure out the weight to make sure.

[pizzaman09]

I've towed up around 6000 lbs total with mine, way over recommendation.  6x15 trailer, single axle no brakes.  Just going slow and easy, made the journey no problem.  Used the bumper mount ball on my Fey Westin bumper.

 

That said, an ATV on a 6x10 trailer will be fine, you'll know it's back there but I would tow it on the highway all day.

 

 

[watchamakalit]

It will absolutely handle it. I have a 5x10 that gets loaded to the brim with green wood and the MJ handles that just fine.

[Whitaker717]

Thanks guys. It doesn’t have electric brakes. Anyone recommend a good hitch to have installed? I will probably just call around. 

[88towmanche]

Towing 3,000 on a regular basis has been ok - boat/motor/single axle trailer cross the scales loaded out at ~3,100 (depends on how much bait I'm taking)

 

No trailer brakes - tongue wt is only 150 ish and it still sagged the @$$ of the truck - got a helper air bag kit to level that out.  Got a frame mounted receiver hitch (not using bumper)

 

Biggest issue for my 88 is the weak-sauce 3.07 gearing - can't hardly drag it up steep launches, no grunt.

 

Got a parts '86 with 4.10's & a dana 44 that are going to get transplanted into the 88 one of these days - figure that will make a hella difference in how it functions as a tow rig - which wsa the original intent.

 

[88towmanche]

[Whitaker717]

1 hour ago, 88towmanche said:

That’s a helluva boat. I have a 16 foot bass tracker I would like to tie as well. The dry weight of the boat is 729 lbs. hoping I can tow it. Short distance at least. 

[89 MJ]

Just now, Whitaker717 said:

That’s a helluva boat. I have a 16 foot bass tracker I would like to tie as well. The dry weight of the boat is 729 lbs. hoping I can tow it. Short distance at least. 

Shouldn’t be an issue at all. I had 700lbs worth of garden tractor in the bed of mine. 

[Pete M]

4 hours ago, Whitaker717 said:

Thanks guys. It doesn’t have electric brakes. Anyone recommend a good hitch to have installed? I will probably just call around. 

 

one of your fellow members makes MJ hitches.  check the Vendors section.  

[Whitaker717]

Just now, Pete M said:

 

one of your fellow members makes MJ hitches.  check the Vendors section.  

Already on that one. Lol. I’m hopeful!

[gogmorgo]

What the owner’s manual has to say about towing limits:

 

If it’s a normal sized quad on a utility trailer it shouldn’t be an issue.
I wouldn’t recommend towing with the factory bumper. They like to trap rust and break in half in the middle. But they do count as a class I hitch. 
The top row of the table is your class I hitch. The second row is the fully specced HD everything pack. Most MJs with a frame-mounted hitch are going to be somewhere between those two. But there’s no info about how a smaller engine or a manual trans affects things with regards to tow ratings… but I will say that my ax15 ZJ was only rated to tow 2,000lbs. 
Also of note, your jurisdiction may require brakes at a lower weight than the manufacturer specifies. In my case it’s half tow vehicle weight, so my shortbed would need trailer brakes on anything over 1500lbs, even though Jeep said 2k is fine. 

[88towmanche]

2 hours ago, Whitaker717 said:

That’s a helluva boat. I have a 16 foot bass tracker I would like to tie as well. The dry weight of the boat is 729 lbs. hoping I can tow it. Short distance at least. 

That Crestliner hull weighs like 1700 - motor(s) clock in at another 300, trailer probably 700 throw in 25 gal of fuel, 3 marine deep cycle batteries a couple of electric down riggers, coolers, kill bags & Ice start getting up around 3000 loaded out.

 

It handles it fine, but not running races - brakes are top shape (always) and have had to jump on them a couple times with no scares but I stick to the slow lanes and if it is a long freeway haul to the launch I use the Sierra.

 

The nice thing about the towmanche is getting in out of tight gravel launches - really shines on those slicker than snot ramps.

 

First vehicle I had was an old CJ and soon as I got it I towed a 1970 14 foot Chrysler Hydrasport runabout overpowered with a massive '60's Merc outboard all over the state chasing salmon, at the time seemed like a good idea.....in hindsight am lucky never had any close calls - that set up probably clocked in under 2000 lbs but these days I wouldn't tow 500lbs with an old CJ

[88towmanche]

2 hours ago, 89 MJ said:

Shouldn’t be an issue at all. I had 700lbs worth of garden tractor in the bed of mine. 

Whoa....You running that old Bolens up/down a ramp to get it in there?  I tried that on an old Ford and bit the dirt with Sears garden tractor - ramp was a pos and should have known better but I always tend to leap before I look....

[Whitaker717]

Thanks for the info guys. I am working on getting the hitch. It’s just a Honda trx350 lol with an all metal 6x10 trailer with 15” tires. I’m hooking the Comanche handles it well. 

[88towmanche]

37 minutes ago, gogmorgo said:

What the owner’s manual has to say about towing limits:

 

If it’s a normal sized quad on a utility trailer it shouldn’t be an issue.
I wouldn’t recommend towing with the factory bumper. They like to trap rust and break in half in the middle. But they do count as a class I hitch. 
The top row of the table is your class I hitch. The second row is the fully specced HD everything pack. Most MJs with a frame-mounted hitch are going to be somewhere between those two. But there’s no info about how a smaller engine or a manual trans affects things with regards to tow ratings… but I will say that my ax15 ZJ was only rated to tow 2,000lbs. 
Also of note, your jurisdiction may require brakes at a lower weight than the manufacturer specifies. In my case it’s half tow vehicle weight, so my shortbed would need trailer brakes on anything over 1500lbs, even though Jeep said 2k is fine. 

Boats tow different than trailers - low CG and better aero dynamics, I spent years towing a 7000 lbs boat with the Sierra without issue but a 4500 lb travel trailer was a whole different bag of worms.

 

My tongue weight is 250 not 150 (and it might be more than that) - but I think I'm right at the max of where the Comanche feels sufficient to get the job done - stopping is the biggest concern for me (well that and wagging the dog at speed - but that has never been an issue) so have been thinking about swapping out the trailer with one with surge brakes on it - usually don't need them for single axle (and can't use electric on a boat) but I got a lead on one for swap so we'll see how that goes.

[89 MJ]

2 hours ago, 88towmanche said:

Whoa....You running that old Bolens up/down a ramp to get it in there?  I tried that on an old Ford and bit the dirt with Sears garden tractor - ramp was a pos and should have known better but I always tend to leap before I look....

No sir, it was loaded with a forklift as it had no wheels and tires on it at the time. That was the only time I had that in the back of the truck. I would’ve used a trailer, but I didn’t have time to go home and get it. I know @jpnjake hauls garden tractors with his truck too. Not sure how he loads them though. 

[jpnjake]

26 minutes ago, 89 MJ said:

No sir, it was loaded with a forklift as it had no wheels and tires on it at the time. That was the only time I had that in the back of the truck. I would’ve used a trailer, but I didn’t have time to go home and get it. I know @jpnjake hauls garden tractors with his truck too. Not sure how he loads them though. 

I typically load mine into my truck with a couple 2x10x8 boards I bought at Home Depot, they rest on the factory bumper and can sometimes walk inwards twards the license plate, but I screwed a couple cut 2x4’s that index the boards in place. The only problem I’ve ever had with them was when they were brand new one of my tractors wouldn’t drive up then because of how smooth they are so I sanded them for grip. I also have metric ton leafs in my truck

 

[watchamakalit]

Metric tonnes for the win.

 

 

[pizzaman09]

2 hours ago, watchamakalit said:

Metric tonnes for the win.

 

 

I occasionally wish I had the metric ton springs.  Have a factory Dana 44 but standard springs.  Put enough rocks in the bed the other day to be just 3/4" off the bump stops.

[jpnjake]

12 minutes ago, pizzaman09 said:

I occasionally wish I had the metric ton springs.  Have a factory Dana 44 but standard springs.  Put enough rocks in the bed the other day to be just 3/4" off the bump stops.

Lol well that goes great, between us we have a metric ton, my truck has the springs but a Dana 35

[watchamakalit]

I swapped a 44 into mine with the metric tons. No need for bumpstops. don't think the chassis would hold the weight it would take to load them that heavy.