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The Jeep Wrangler has been around since 1941. The current day Wrangler is a rugged, purpose built vehicle that can go almost anywhere. Because of this, many people consider the Jeep Wrangler one of the worst choices for people who never plan to take it off-road. The vehicle has the aerodynamics of a brick, gets about 17mpg and doesn’t have a smooth ride. That said, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is one of the best cars to tow behind a motorhome.
We purchased a 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Hard Top with Tow Package (includes 3.73 gear ratio).
The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited met our requirements for a “toad” (a car to towed behind RV).
- four wheel drive
- automatic transmission
- four doors to accommodate RV living with dogs
- under 5,000 pounds so not to exceed the max tow capacity of our 29′ motorhome.
There are a limited number of cars that can be flat towed behind an RV with all four wheels on the ground without extensive (and expensive) alterations. If you’re looking for the best flat tow vehicles, read our Jeep Wrangler Unlimited review to see if it’s the right fit for you.
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Review – One of the Best Cars to Tow Behind a Motorhome
Table of Contents
Reasons We Bought a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
1. Ability to be Flat Towed
The ability to flat tow a Jeep Wrangler was the main reason we considered it for RV living. Because of the vast number of aftermarket Jeep accessories, there are various options to choose from when setting up a Jeep Wrangler to be flat towed. Read How to Flat Tow a Jeep Wrangler.
On the road, we had no problems towing the Jeep Wrangler with a 29′ gas powered motorhome. It tracked well with the RV and went around corners smoothly. Most of the time we had no idea it was back there, which made it helpful to have a rear view camera so we can monitor the vehicle while driving.
The Jeep Wrangler was easy to connect and disconnect from the RV as well as getting it in and out of tow mode. The ease of disconnecting the Jeep was great because the only downside of flat towing a vehicle is that you cannot back up with it attached. While this wasn’t typically an issue for us, we did get stuck on a dead end street once and had to disconnect the vehicle before we could turn around.
2. The 4×4 Capability
We love to explore the backcountry and being able to go on off-road trails like Broken Arrow Trail in Sedona, Arizona is one of the main reasons to have a capable four wheel drive vehicle. The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, even in its stock form, is able to tackle roads and obstacles that most vehicles can’t.
The Jeep Wrangler can do this because of its high ground clearance, 4 wheel drive system with a 4hi and 4lo setting. 4lo setting allows the Jeep to climb obstacles and steep grades without needing to apply much, if any, throttle. The Hill Assist feature holds the Jeep steady if we stop on a steep incline and release the brake to begin moving forward. Hill Decent feature prevents the Jeep from picking up speed while going down steep dirt trails.
Also doesn’t hurt to have a rear mounted full size spare tire so we don’t have to worry about trying to get home on a “donut” (we’ve needed the spare twice now).
3. Plenty of Room
The rear seats in the Jeep Wrangler can be folded flat, which allows for plenty of room for two large dogs and cargo. There is an additional storage under a flap in the rear bed which includes a place to hold the screws removed when the top is off so they don’t get lost.
The interior is designed to get wet so the carpeting can be easily removed along with plugs in the floor to let water drain. Leo’s favorite spot is the rear bench where he can walk from side to side and put his head out the windows.
Watch Life with a Siberian Husky.
4. Automatic Transmission
When we bought the Jeep Wrangler, I was using it to drive in gridlock traffic 60 miles every day and Kait’s not comfortable driving manual transmission cars. As a result, we decided that an automatic transmission was a requirement. This ruled out many manual vehicles on the best cars to tow behind a motorhome list.
Fortunately, the Wrangler can be flat towed with an automatic or manual transmission.
Read How to Flat Tow a Jeep Wrangler.
5. Rugged
The Jeep is designed for off-road trails with its plastic fenders, skid plates along the bottom, etc…When we do get a scratch, it’s more of a badge of honor. After all, it’s a Jeep!
6. Brings out the Adventurous Side
On a nice day, you can remove the front portion or the entire roof to enjoy the sunshine and cool air on your head. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can even remove the front and rear doors.
Taking the doors off our Jeep Wrangler is a fairly easy process. Remove two screws on each door, unclip the electrical connection and remove the door strap (which is used in place of typical door stops). All of the window controls are in the center console so the front doors can be removed and still give the driver control of the rear windows. The side view mirrors however are attached the the doors so in order to be legal and see better, we fabricated a side view mirror for the driver’s side which mounted to the upper door hinge.
Watch How I take the doors off our Jeep Wrangler.
7. Accessories and Modifications
Thanks to the overwhelming support Jeep Wranglers have in the aftermarket, there is an unlimited number of accessories and modifications. Each Wrangler becomes a reflection of its owner.
Many of the vehicle’s shortcomings can easily be overcome through aftermarket solutions. What we’ve found is that with a Jeep Wrangler, you’re only limited by how much monty you want to spend.
One of the first things I bought were cargo nets for the back area. This way we could remove the hard top and take the dogs with us. Like most Jeep accessories, there are many companies that make cargo nets. Look for one made from durable material that’s easy to put on and take off.
The Jammock is about one of the coolest Jeep Accessories available.
What is a Jammock? Well, it’s a hammock for your Jeep! When I saw this thing online I knew Kait would love it (she loves lounging in hammocks) and even more so if we could lounge on top of our Jeep.
Once we were ready to setup the car to be flat towed, we upgraded to an aluminum front bumper for the Jeep.
The Cons of a Jeep Wrangler
1. Terrible Gas Mileage
We track our MPG on a regular basis and typically get between 16-18 mpg regardless of the style of driving. If we had added accessories like a roof rack, larger tires and a lift kit, this number would only go down.
With a 22 gallon gas tank, we typically had to fill up every 340-360 miles, which was quite often for the amount of driving we do.
2. Hard Top Gets Extremely Hot
When the Jeep was parked in the sun or it was 90 degrees out, our black hard top got very hot. On a hot, sunny day all we could feel was heat radiating from the roof onto our heads. There is almost no insulation with the hardtop and it got so hot so days that even with the AC on full blast, we could feel the heat on our heads.
There are aftermarket solutions to help combat this, however it wasn’t something we purchased.
3. Road Noise
The lack of insulation also means that there is more road noise when we’re driving. It’s almost pointless to try and make a bluetooth call when we were on the highway going over 60 mph.
4. Limited Towing Capacity
With the tow package, the Jeep Wrangler is limited to a 3,500 lb towing capacity. Standard towing capacity is 2,000 lb. This is fine when all we want to tow are a few motorcycles, but it greatly limits the camper trailers we can tow.
5. On-Road Manners
While the Jeep has been made to work well off-road, there are a few other things about it which make on-road driving a bit unenjoyable. For example, the Jeep has solid axles rather than independent suspension so when we hit a bump, we really feel it. The brakes tend to squeak when they are cold and the speakers would need to be upgraded for any audiophile.
As many other Wrangler owners will tell you, “it’s a Jeep thing.”
Towing a Camper Behind the Jeep
While the Jeep Wrangler is a great vehicle to tow behind a motorhome, it’s also a popular vehicle for towing small travel trailers.
We briefly considered towing a camper behind the Jeep when we decided to downsize from a Class A RV to a Class B RV.
One of the first questions we had to answer was “what is the towing capacity of the Jeep Wrangler?”
During our research we found out that Jeep Wranglers have a towing capacity that ranges from 1,000 pounds to 3,500 pounds. Typically the two-door Jeeps can tow up to 2,000 pounds while the four-door Jeeps can tow up to 3,500 pounds.
The specific options for an individual Jeep like year, model, engine, transmission and gear ratio will determine the maximum towing capacity for that Jeep. For example, Jeep Wranglers that came with 3.21 gears prior to the 2013 model year are limited to a tow capacity of 1,000 pounds while model year 2013 and newer Jeep Wranglers can tow 2,000 pounds.
If you’re looking to tow a camper behind your Jeep, be sure to check the owner’s manual to confirm the towing capacity of that specific Jeep.
Are you searching for the best RV tow bar? Check out our review of the Ready Brute Elite Tow Bar.
Overall
The Jeep Wrangler was the perfect vehicle for us. We could go anywhere and do anything we wanted to with it. When we sold our Jeep, it had over 40k miles (not counting how many miles it was flat towed which were not counted on the odometer) and we never had any problems with it.
Although we had our dislikes, the only thing we couldn’t fix using aftermarket parts was the gas mileage – which we could live with. It’s one of those vehicles that makes you look for the road less traveled. Embraced the saying “it’s a Jeep thing.”
We have a 2019 bay star 3014. In your experience is it able to tow a Jeep Wrangler and maintain acceleration. How did you set up your Jeep for towing
We towed a Jeep with no problems in our 2903. You’ll certainly notice the Jeep when you’re going uphill and you’ll see a decrease in MPG but aside from that, you may have to drive slower at times but your rig will keep on chugging!
Here’s our article on how we set up our Jeep: https://weretherussos.com/how-to-flat-tow-a-jeep-wrangler/
What kind of braking equipment do you use also are you diesel or gas dose it stop good with just the coach brakes, driving responsible thank you in advance, and happy trails
We used the standard brakes on the motorhome and the ReadyBrute tow bar which would activate the Jeeps brakes when we stopped.
Joe, great article. We’re just readying our 17 Wrangler to tow for the first time out to Maine this summer. I put on the base plate vs the bumper mounted but other than that will be similar. The question I have is how is it driving to drive with it behind you? I’m 38 long and have no problems with driving the MH today, but will there be things I need to watch for other than things you’d see towing a trailer?
Aside from the extra length, we never really noticed much of a difference when we were towing the Jeep…it just follows along. The biggest thing to remember is that you can’t back up with the Jeep in tow. This means that there will be times, like pulling into a gas station, that you have to have a plan of how you will get in/out as you pull up rather than just driving in. I’d also suggest having a check list of things to double check before you drive off with the Jeep in tow. Enjoy!
Hi Joe,
Lots of questions that I had were answered, thanks. My wife and I just started looking for a Jeep Wrangler Sport to tow behind our class c winni. We rented one last summer in Silverton CO and did the alpine loop. We were hooked. We usually trailer our Goldwing but have decided that the off roading is so abundant out west, that we will have to choose what we take with us according to where we are headed (we live in TX , lots of open spaces all is private/fenced). My one question is weather your jeeps odometer accumulated miles while being towed?
Hey Mike – the Jeep (as well as most modern vehicles) do not accumulate miles while being towed. We’re actually going to be selling our Jeep with all of the towing equipment – we’re in Los Angeles and if you’re interested shoot us an email: weretherussos[at]gmail[dot]com
Hi Joe and Kait, great to meet you two in Quartzite last weekend (Xscapers). I Googled “best toad tow jeep” and this article is ranking #1 in Google! Is this comment about selling your Jeep from this Jan 6th? We need to buy one! Thank you, Deanna Hunt
Hey Deanna,
Great to meet you as well and yes, we sold the Jeep but that was last year before we ever got the van. Good luck with your search!
Hi Joe,
Enjoyed reading your article. The “don’t likes” about the Wrangler are in my view rather major and not sure if I could like with some of the shortcomings. Any reason why you didn’t consider the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk?
At this stage I have the Trailhawk on the top of my list.
Regards
Ben
Hey Ben,
For us, the shortcomings of the Jeep are minor compared to positives. There’s a reason for the saying “Its a Jeep thing”…because its just so different than any other vehicle. If we scratch or dent it off-road it only makes it better! We absolutely love the Jeep. We had the Grand Cherokee and it was a great vehicle and we’ve seen the Trailhawk but they don’t offer what we’re looking for. The Wrangler is also the easiest vehicle to flat tow and there are also more aftermarket parts for the Jeep than any other vehicle and we can customize it to suit our exact wants/needs. Looking back, our only regret would be that we didn’t get one sooner. That said, its a niche vehicle and you have to be willing to put up with the quirks, well because…”Its a Jeep thing!”
Great blog and post! Just discovered your blog and it is very informative! Keep up the great work! Just test drove both the 2 door and 4 door. We are going with the Unlimited (4 door). One question: Where do you store the hardtops and rear side/back windows when you remove them? It seems the rear side/back windows are too big to store (or get into and RV). Thanks!
Thank you and you’ll love the Jeep! For the front hard tops, it comes with a bag you can put them in and they fit in the back of the Jeep. We’ve taken the doors off and cable locked them to the back of the RV. The rear windows aren’t removable – but you can remove the entire rear hard top. I believe its about 110 lbs and not something that one person can remove. Its way too big to fit in the RV and there isn’t any place to run a cable lock through, so we haven’t removed the hard top while we’ve been traveling. If you have a garage, they have special carts you can put the top in and store it.
Very good information here Joe. You did a good job explaining everything in detail and getting to the pros and cons. My husband and I have been eyeing this very vehicle so it’s good to know we were right on with our assumptions. Thank you for helping us to make the decision. It’s also good to know that my husband and I aren’t the only ones who like a little adventure. This is perfect for us! Appreciate this post!
You’re very welcome and if you do buy the Jeep we hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
Good review of the Jeep, Joe. Having lived in Montana and Colorado, I’ve owned 4×4 vehicles for years, and couldn’t get along without one. In Minnesota, it was generally only in four wheel drive to get in and out of the driveway after a foot or two of snow.
We tow a 2002 Chevrolet Tracker XR2, an automatic transmission equipped with larger 6 cylinder engine, and it has all of the skid plates underneath, and a much heavier suspension than the standard Tracker. It tows easily (transmission in Park, which always throws people) and transfer case in neutral, and we have a Brake Buddy system that works very well. We’ll be heading back to Montana and Colorado in the next few months, and look forward to taking my favorite 4×4 trip up the Boulder River at Big Timber, Montana. You should put it on your to-do list:
The Map: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.2002913,-110.2127632,526m/data=!3m1!1e3
The Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI1ugln0xss
Ron and Hazel Howes
http://www.mytripjournal.com/ronandhazel
Hello!
We have a similar set up….Class A motorhome, (33′ Winnebago Adventurer) towing a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. We want to add a hitch bike rack, but most of them say “do NOT use on a vehicle that is towed”. What do you use, or how do you transport your bikes?
Thanks!
We ended up selling the bikes but were using a rack from Performance Bicycle. I think it’s silly that there’s a warning that you can’t use them on a car that’s being towed because why is that different than driving the Jeep with the rack on? Perhaps they’re thinking vehicles towed on a dolly are angled upwards and the rack might drag in the ground. Our suggestion would be to ask the manufacturer and get clarification.
Thanks for the info! We’re guessing that Thule and other brands warn against bike racks on a towed vehicle because you can’t see them? (Even with the backup camera, we can only see the front half of the Jeep.)
I don’t know….but we see lots of rigs set up with them.
We appreciate this post and the related posts and for the information you shared. You were certainly reading our minds as we have been struggling with many of these questions. I want to tow 4 down and would like to get a jeep. We have a paid-off vehicle that would require a dolly. Many decisions have to be made and this post answered a lot of questions for me. We are traveling west in two weeks and have to rent cars when needed. Not a great option.Thanks again and safe travels!
You’re very welcome and glad the post was able to answer so many of your questions.