by lfhoward » Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:26 pm
I don’t have a new Cherokee but I can speak from experience with the 2008 Liberty, which was its predecessor. You may want to take what I say with a grain of salt, considering that the Cherokee has a 9 speed transmission, which is very different than the 4 speed in my V6 Liberty. I have a 5000 lb row rating with the tow package (would be 2000 lb max without it).
I have towed double axle 6x12 u-haul trailers with my Liberty in the past and it wasn’t the most fun towing experience. However, it is doable. In the Liberty that means pressing the Tow/Haul button which locks out 4th gear. On the interstate it would cruise at 3000 rpm and still lose speed up hills because the V6 is underpowered to begin with. It is a big difference from a V8 pickup truck for sure.
My trailer now is somewhere around 2000-2500 lbs (estimated, still have to weigh it), and it’s a 6x8 built on a military platform. It tows better than the 6x12 but I am still considering gearing my Jeep lower to increase the power (and compensate for the slightly larger tires that i have on it). It tows fine on the flat, but is a bit of a dog in the mountains. With a lighter trailer it would probably be fine.