Trailoring 170?

[Blue Goose]

Will be trailing my 170 for the first time on a 4 to 5 hour road trip. I will be using a v6 jeep grand cherokee 4wd.  Any suggestions.  I have heard that I should put it in 4wd while trailoring?  Is that accurate?

Thanks

[slvrlng]

Not needed! The only time you need it would be pulling it out of the water and that depends on how slick and steep the ramp is. If your driving in snow or sand it would help there as well. One thing to remember don't pull your hull in overdrive as this puts a lot of strain on transmission. Drive in 3 or like my truck if you have a trailering setting, use it.

[MarshMarlowe196]

It depends on what year and what type of 4wd you have in that Jeep.  If it's Quadratrac II (which is likely), it will always be in 4hi.  Like Slvrlng said, if it's not Quadratrac, there's no need to put it in 4wd at all, except for maybe on a slick ramp.  Definitely take it out of Overdrive.

I'm assuming it has the 4.0 In-Line 6, which is great torquey little motor.  That engine coupled with the 4wd suspension should be a pleasure to tow with.  I used to tow my 19-6 with a V6 2wd Dakota with the mushy street suspension, and it did fine, so I'd bet your Jeep will have no problem towing the 170.  One thing that you might be concerned with is that Jeeps have a relatively short wheelbase which can lead to increased swaying of your trailer while towing, especially at higher speeds.  Being that the boat is a 170 and lightweight, you probably wont run into that problem, but if you do, SLOW DOWN!  It can get dangerous quick.  I almost lost control a 2 door Tahoe while pulling a large W/A boat at high speeds due to this swaying phenomenon.  Once it starts, it's hard to stop.  

Since you're going on a long trip, you'll want to make sure the hubs on your trailer are adequately greased up, and of course, check your tire pressure and check to see that your trailer lights are working correctly.  

Other than that... Go slow and steady!

[wingtime]

You didn't say what year your Jeep is.  You said V-6 which the newer Grands have, however the older models had the 4.0 inline six (great motor).  Regardless of what year you have unless your jeep is full time 4wd or has a  transfer case shift position for "full time 4wd" never operate it on dry pavement.  If your selector says "part time 4wd" that should never be used on dry pavement for an extended period of time.  The reason is in a part time transfer case there is no differential in the transfer case that allows the front wheels to turn at a different rate than the rear wheels.  On loose or slippery surfaces this is not a problem since the tires can slip when you make a turn.  Not so on dry pavement.  When you try to make a sharp turn your steering wheel will jerk around a bit as the front tire try to slip.  This puts HUGE stress on the transfer case and something will eventually break.  A transfer case that has a "full time" position does have a center differential allowing you to turn.

So as already mentioned tow in 2WD and reserve the 4WD of 4wd low for the boat ramp.  Besides driving around town in 4wd will result in horrible gas mileage since there is TWICE the gear drag.  YIKES!


Either way your jeep should have no trouble pulling that 170!