Towing Grady with Jeep

[quantase]

I have a 2018 Hemi V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee trailhawk. I’m planning to purchase a 2022 GW 235 on a aluminum load rite trailer. Jeep has 7200 max towing capacity. What are your thoughts about safely towing the boat with the Jeep? I will be going mostly on highway about 7-10 times a year and some we’ll managed secondary roads about 7-10 times a year. There are no major inclines besides my gravel drive way which is steep in one area. Thanks.

 

[SkunkBoat]

4000 boat +600 motor + 600 gas = 5200 + 1100 trailer = 6300 plus gear.... add 600 for another motor
Looks like the math works. The V8 Jeep should handle it

8'6" beam may require permit depending on state(s) you travel in.

 

[Ted R]

The Hemi is a powerful package and the Jeep is well positioned to tow your vessel.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I would definitely disagree on it being enough... If you're only going a few miles or so on the highway while taking it very, very slow, with a flat drive the entire time, a country mile to slow down or stop in and a decent ramp/launch then I think you'll be "ok". That being said, I definitely think you will be over the 7,200lbs with your current setup. Your boat on the GW website says it weighs 4,050lbs dry, which means without the engines, fuel or anything else. But more importantly is that in their "Performance Data" section for your boat with your motor it says the weight of the boat as tested to get all of their fuel economy numbers was at "6,040lbs. (including persons, fuel, water, gear, engines & accessories)". And I'm assuming that to get the best fuel economy numbers possible that they likely didn't have a full tank of fuel or have the boat loaded down with weight, accessories or other gear.

I'm assuming you have a single 300 Yamaha on the boat? That's 600lbs right there and probably at least another 1,000lbs for your trailer weight, if not more. That's almost 6,000lbs and without fuel, of which a GW 235 Freedom has a standard 115 gallon fuel tank and a gallon of fuel is 6.3lbs/gallon. Which will add yet another 725lbs to the weight of the boat before fishing, safety gear or anything else. I'd be willing to bet that your boat on the trailer fully loaded with fuel and moderately loaded with other items will very much be over your 7,200lb maximum towing capacity. On a straight, level, dry road where you aren't driving very far and you have a country mile to slow down or stop in optimal driving conditions is one thing. But if not, that's when it starts getting a little dicey.

 

[Lt.Mike]

I have a 2018 Hemi V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee trailhawk. I’m planning to purchase a 2022 GW 235 on a aluminum load rite trailer. Jeep has 7200 max towing capacity. What are your thoughts about safely towing the boat with the Jeep? I will be going mostly on highway about 7-10 times a year and some we’ll managed secondary roads about 7-10 times a year. There are no major inclines besides my gravel drive way which is steep in one area. Thanks.

Don’t think it’ll be a problem.
Here’s my Jeep Commander with a 4.7 6,500 tow rating with my Overnighter on an aluminum I-beam loadrite elite. Dual axle brakes on both, radial tires.
Handles great and stops like it’s not there.
A lot of how well your vehicle tows is how good of a trailer you have behind it. Don’t skimp
Just one thing, brakes on both axles was an optional thing and most only come on one axle.
In NJ the law says if you’ve got 2 axles you must have brakes on both yet I’d say 90% of the dual axle boat trailers in this state only have them on one and it’s a law that’s not enforced.
I ordered my trailer that way and slept on it. The next morning I called the dealer and said put them on both. I’m dam glad I did as this is the best trailer I’ve ever pulled. I have made near panic stops with idiots pulling out in front of me and I’ve got to say it worked beautifully. I’ve pulled other trailers that wanted too or actually did push the tow vehicle when stopping. Not with this one !

 

[family affair]

How far are you towing it on those trips?
What is the payload capacity of the Jeep? You can usually find it on your door sticker.
Are you the only passenger or will the jeep be loaded?
Towing capacity is one thing, but payload is another. Going beyond your payload can make for a miserable and unstable ride.
Trailer set-up is also critical, especially when the load starts weighing more than the tow vehicle. Frequently I see trailers that are set up terribly. Clueless owners often opt for trading in perfectly capable tow vehicles for tow vehicles with capacities far exceeding their needs to make up for a poorly set up trailer.
Your jeep might get the job done, but how well it gets it done will depend on getting the details right because you are close to your upper limit.

 

[TommyGirl225]

These boats and trailers always end up a bit heavier than you think. I have a Freedom 225 and have put her on a scale with the trailer to check tongue weight. 6800 lbs overall. Unsure if you have the 235 center console or the dual console Freedom, but I would expect a Freedom to be well over 7200 lbs with gear and trailer.

 

[oldrusty]

204C 3000 LBS 82 GALS OF FUEL @6.3 PER GAL = 516 GEAR MAYBE 200 LBS (QUICK GUESS) OLDER 1996 5 STARR ROLLER TRAILER ALL REBUILT,
4 WHEEL DISC BRAKES (ALL NEW) TOTAL = 4916LB tow it with a silverado, 4.3 6 CYL 320,000 MILES . moderate steep ramp app 10 miles from home. Just towed up to Boston ,Ma. to have bottom soda blasted , 55miles there and 55 back, mostly all highway . no problems yet , towed it to ramp last season 11 times .

 

[oldrusty]

have a picture here somewhere lol

 

[Mustang65fbk]

These boats and trailers always end up a bit heavier than you think.

Couldn't agree more.

Unsure if you have the 235 center console or the dual console Freedom, but I would expect a Freedom to be well over 7200 lbs with gear and trailer.

The 235 Freedom is a dual console whereas the 236 Fisherman is a center console. The OP said he's looking at a "GW 235" which I have to assume is a 235 Freedom.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

204C 3000 LBS 82 GALS OF FUEL @6.3 PER GAL = 516 GEAR MAYBE 200 LBS (QUICK GUESS) OLDER 1996 5 STARR ROLLER TRAILER ALL REBUILT,
4 WHEEL DISC BRAKES (ALL NEW) TOTAL = 4916LB tow it with a silverado, 4.3 6 CYL 320,000 MILES . moderate steep ramp app 10 miles from home. Just towed up to Boston ,Ma. to have bottom soda blasted , 55miles there and 55 back, mostly all highway . no problems yet , towed it to ramp last season 11 times .

I'm sorry but how is this at all relative to the OP's original question about the weight of a brand new GW 235 Freedom with regards to the towing capacity of his jeep? I personally have a 2004 GW 228 Seafarer that at least is somewhat similar in terms of weight as it weighed 5,300lbs on the scale, without the trailer, when I launched her to go fishing just after purchasing her back in early October. That was with less than a half a tank of fuel, 4 fishing poles and 2 downriggers but without any coolers, ice, extra gear, bait or really much of anything else. My trailer is an aluminum I-beam dual axle trailer and on the registration, it says that it weighs just under 1,000lbs. If my boat/trailer weigh just under 6,500lbs without a full tank of fuel and not loaded with gear to go fishing in, then I can all but guarantee the boat that the OP is considering purchasing will be considerably more than that as well as more than the 7,200lb towing capacity of his Jeep. I'm not sure how comparing a 30+ year old 204 Overnighter that ceased production after the 1993 season to a 235 Freedom is beneficial to the OP at all considering the two are vastly different boats in every way, shape and form.

 

[oldrusty]

Hi Mustang,, My point was that sometimes things can work out for some people without having to adhere to certain conditions. We all want to be safe on the road but there are always other ways of doing things . My post was just to show different comparisons. I did underestimate my weight
though because i did forget the motor weight of about 600 lbs. That jeep will handle that 235 everyday of the week. I just wanted to show that sometimes you can make do with what you have.
Thank you for the comeback and for straightening me out.





















w

 

[quantase]

Thanks for the continue thoughts. I guess I am missing something. See the following:

1) the furthest I would travel is a 120 miles one way (mostly highway). The closest and majority of the time, I would travel 30 miles one way (secondary road).
2) Payload of my Jeep with V-8 HEMI is 1,150lbs; Jeep GVWR is 6800; Jeep Tow Capacity: 7,200lbs
3) Jeep would have 2 adults and one child, coolers, etc. approximate weight (~500 lbs)
4) Looking at a GW235 with a F300 Yamaha (~600lbs)
5) loadrite trailer (~1100 lbs)
6)GW 235 dry - (~ 4050lbs)
7) Gas - (600lbs)

Looks like my JEEP would be able to tow, but it may be borderline at around 6,350lbs, then add a 200lbs for cushion. This seems possible in the JEEP. What am I missing?

 

[PointedRose]

Make sure you have good brakes on your Jeep as well. You could rent a truck for the long haul days if you are uncomfortable. Keep it slow on the highway and provide plenty of room for braking especially on downhills. If you have 4x4 low gear that might help. No doubt it’ll move the boat, but 120 miles isn’t a short trip, so get a few short runs in first to get a feel for the handle. Fill your boat gas tank close to the destination. Maybe get yourself some wheel chocks for pulling the boat out - saw a video where a guy had a rope tied from the rear view mirrors to the chocks under the front tires, so when he pulled forward, the chocks came with his car and didn’t get in the way of the rear tires.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Hi Mustang,, My point was that sometimes things can work out for some people without having to adhere to certain conditions. We all want to be safe on the road but there are always other ways of doing things . My post was just to show different comparisons. I did underestimate my weight
though because i did forget the motor weight of about 600 lbs. That jeep will handle that 235 everyday of the week. I just wanted to show that sometimes you can make do with what you have.
Thank you for the comeback and for straightening me out.

Still... even if your entire setup weighs over 5,000lbs you'd still be looking at a weight difference of over 2,000lbs between your boat and a GW 235 Freedom as they are two very different boats. If someone asked what the weight of a brand new Ford F-150 was, I surely wouldn't tell them that my 1965 fastback mustang weighs 2,800lbs. I would again disagree that the Jeep would be able to safely handle a boat of that size, especially on an "everyday of the week" type basis. And based off what the Grady White website says about the weight of their test boat, I'd very much say it's going to be over the 7,200lb towing capacity for the OP's Jeep when you factor in the weight of the trailer. As stated above, if you wanted to use it occasionally to drive short distances while driving in optimal conditions then I'm sure it would work "ok" but it's also not very wise and/or safe to tow more weight than your vehicle is rated for. A good rule of thumb is to never exceed more than 80% of the towing capacity of your vehicle as again, it's not really wise or safe to tow more than what the manufacturer of the vehicle recommends. Lastly, it's not a "comeback" or "straightening" you out... it's a safety issue and just trying to keep people safe while they're towing and to not tow more than what is safe as well as recommended by the manufacturer for their particular vehicle.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Thanks for the continue thoughts. I guess I am missing something. See the following:

1) the furthest I would travel is a 120 miles one way (mostly highway). The closest and majority of the time, I would travel 30 miles one way (secondary road).
2) Payload of my Jeep with V-8 HEMI is 1,150lbs; Jeep GVWR is 6800; Jeep Tow Capacity: 7,200lbs
3) Jeep would have 2 adults and one child, coolers, etc. approximate weight (~500 lbs)
4) Looking at a GW235 with a F300 Yamaha (~600lbs)
5) loadrite trailer (~1100 lbs)
6)GW 235 dry - (~ 4050lbs)
7) Gas - (600lbs)

Looks like my JEEP would be able to tow, but it may be borderline at around 6,350lbs, then add a 200lbs for cushion. This seems possible in the JEEP. What am I missing?

120 miles each way is a long distance to go for a vehicle that's not rated for that kind of towing use. Check out the link to the Grady White website below because your figure of 6,350lbs is very shy of what the total weight will be. On the GW website they've got your same boat with the same motor that they used to test for fuel economy and the weight of the boat itself that they tested was 6,040lbs, and that's not even including the weight of the trailer. You're going to be over 7,200lbs, if not closer to I'm thinking 7,500lbs and regardless... I wouldn't ever want to go over say 6,000lbs for a vehicle that only has a 7,200lb towing capacity. As stated above, I don't think it's very safe or smart to meet or even exceed the manufacturers recommendations for towing capacity... especially with an almost 250 mile round trip tow.

Grady-White | Freedom 235 Dual Console

Grady-White 23-foot dual console Freedom 235 has premium seating, roomy enclosed head, swim platforms and stern anchor storage.

www.gradywhite.com

 

[TopsulTime]

Thanks for the continue thoughts. I guess I am missing something. See the following:

1) the furthest I would travel is a 120 miles one way (mostly highway). The closest and majority of the time, I would travel 30 miles one way (secondary road).
2) Payload of my Jeep with V-8 HEMI is 1,150lbs; Jeep GVWR is 6800; Jeep Tow Capacity: 7,200lbs
3) Jeep would have 2 adults and one child, coolers, etc. approximate weight (~500 lbs)
4) Looking at a GW235 with a F300 Yamaha (~600lbs)
5) loadrite trailer (~1100 lbs)
6)GW 235 dry - (~ 4050lbs)
7) Gas - (600lbs)

Looks like my JEEP would be able to tow, but it may be borderline at around 6,350lbs, then add a 200lbs for cushion. This seems possible in the JEEP. What am I missing?

Nothing. You'll be fine. If the rig weighed 7199 I wouldn't worry. The 7200 lb rating has a lot of safety built in. I towed my recently bought 282 Sailfish from N Maryland to coastal NC (400ish miles) with the truck I just sold, a 2012 GMC 2500 with 6.0 gas rated around 10,000 lbs. It did absolutely fine and felt like it could handle much more. Now that it's home the typical tow is 1 mile to the ramp so I'm pretty sure I'll be ok with my Ram 2500 with 6.4 hemi.

 

[DennisG01]

I don't know if it's still the case, but it used to be that the max trailer weight rating... you had to subtract the payload in the vehicle to get the real max trailer weight. Just an FYI.

It was mentioned above, but deserves repeating. Regardless of "pulling power" (and, yes, you're certainly going to feel the weight of the boat behind you... and yes, it WILL end up being heavier than you're accounting for... easily 500lbs more)... the MOST important thing is whether or not you can STOP the vehicle safely. This becomes a combination of the trailers brakes (better have brakes on both axles!) and the vehicle's brakes. You MAY want to consider ordering the trailer with EOH brakes - those are much better than standard, surge brakes.

Here's another, sometimes overlooked factor... it tends to get overlooked because many new (and some old!) only look at the "numbers". A LARGE factor is how well the vehicle will handle in an emergency brake/swerve maneuver. You really NEED to do this test to find out. Find a clear road and start at about 30MPH and brake HARD and swerve. You might want to work your way up to that and to the intensity of the swerve. Proceed up to about 50MPH and do the same thing. You MUST brake hard enough to activate the antilocks. ONLY by doing this will you get a more "real" sense of how it handles. NOT doing this test because you don't anticipate this happening or because you don't want to admit the car won't handle the load is naive.

NOTE: I'm not saying the Jeep will/will not handle things. I'm only offering advice from a lifetime of trailering (including working in the industry) to help you make a better decision.

Topsul, comparing a 3/4 ton full size truck to a Jeep is apples and oranges. A 3/4 truck is MUCH more stable. The Jeep is a good car, but it's in a completely different class than a full size truck, let alone a 3/4 ton.

 

[seasick]

There are aftermarket transmission temperature displays that are very helpful when towing. The issue with overloading is overheating the transmission ( well, overstressing the brakes too I suppose).
Tranny temps may be fine until you have an incline to climb. With the monitor, you take a break to cool off the tranny if temps get into the warning range.. There are monitors that plug into the OBD port but you have to check that a specific product is compatible with your vehicle.

 

[SkunkBoat]

so the consensus is "You're on the edge." News flash...a lot of 23fters out there are on the edge.
Do you have $50k+ for a superduty crew cab?

Keep it light. buy gas & ice when you get there.
Dunno what kind of boating you will do but guessing probably you don't need full tanks and 200 pounds of ice.
Maybe you could dock it for a lot less and only tow it a few times a year. Enjoy boating.


turn off overdrive and drive 45 -50mph max. Get an added transmission cooler.(your Hemi Jeep might already have a trailer package with that) Get the best trailer brakes they make.