First post and about to start our long dreamed journey around Oz. Property in south west of WA settles on Friday. Unfortunately bought caravan first ( saw the design we wanted Royal Flair 23 ft before buying car) . Caravan is currently stored. Now ready to buy car to tow. Looking at a brand new Grand Jeep Cherokee Limited. Mixed reviews even though it has won 4x4 for the last 2years. Is there anyone out there who is using the above car to tow a caravan and if so have you had any issues. Advice would would be good. Want 3.5 tonne towing capacity?
Lizzy Lou and KT.
-- Edited by Avalon on Sunday 9th of March 2014 11:38:42 PM
mongrel said
01:39 AM Mar 10, 2014
Welcome Avalon. Be patient the answers will come thick and fast..Alan..
Zoomtopz said
07:38 AM Mar 10, 2014
Welcome to GN forum LL & KT.
As much as I like Jeep . I would consider - where are all th Jeep dealers .
yes I know there are no other brand dealers on th nullabor & other remote places ,
we like to go . In Darwin in 98 , I had to wait 6 days for some bits to come up from Melb ,
for old Inter , didn't mind as we were staying for 10days . But because of an error by th
'tyre fitter' , it could have been worse. YEAH , seeing ya got th cart 1st(I don't see anything wrong with that)
Make SURE you get a Big enough Horse to Pull it . Not one that will wear out after a lap or two.
chaslib said
08:09 AM Mar 10, 2014
We thoroughly investigated earlier version of the same model 2 years ago - came to the conclusion that, whilst great on the road and moving, too many issues involving cost of parts, service, location of authorised repairers/dealers etc. Changed direction and bought a Ford Territory AWD and feel we have won the jackpot with it. We got rather strong opinions which generated some heated discussion on this forum - almost started WW3! All well and good to have the bright new Jeep in the garage and pulling your van, but look carefully into the cost to keep it.
Cheers
PJK said
08:29 AM Mar 10, 2014
Have never owned one myself, but the 4WD club I am in has had 3 members with Jeeps. (Not the upmarket one you are looking at).
All sold in less than 2 years of buying, and all stated reliability as the reason.
Massive arguments for warranty if you actually use it as a 4WD.
All bought various other makes after the Jeeps.
I would be very nervous.
Just my opinions after seeing what has happened to acquaintances.
PK
Dougwe said
08:30 AM Mar 10, 2014
Welcome to the gang Avalon, enjoy here and out in the playground.
As to the Jeep, not sure about the van you mentioned but if it is 3.5t you will need a tug with more IMO to have some breathing room. My question would be, does the Jeep have that? I personally think, as an example, if the van is 3.5t fully loaded I would like to have around 300kg spare, otherwise that Jeep will be on the scrap heap very soon. The other thing I would say is that in my travels I have not seen many Jeeps towing vans, maybe I have blinkers on. My opinion only and I willingly stand corrected.
Whatever you decide on enjoy but make sure you,
Avalon said
09:07 AM Mar 10, 2014
Thank you for your welcome and advice. Lovely to know you are all out "there" enjoying your journeys. The caravan when full is quoted as 2.6 tonne. I just thought bigger towing capacity from the car didn't force the car into mechanical issues. That's the only reason I was looking at 3.5 tonne. The original owners had a Mazda BT 50 ute but I understand the suspension of utes is "hard" on sore backs or is that just an old tale.
More research I think.
LL and KT
Wirroff said
09:29 AM Mar 10, 2014
Love the Jeep Grand Cherokee, best looking car by a country mile. However.......I do tend to agree with most posters on here. The availability of parts and overall reliability would concern me (especially on The Big Lap!). Safer to go with either Japanese (Toyota, Nissan, Mazda) or home grown (for now!) Ford or Holden. Personally? Japanese everytime for me!
Plendo said
10:10 AM Mar 10, 2014
Hi Avalon, welcome to the forum.
I went through the same process you are going through now about a year ago, we also ordered our van before we bought a tow vehicle, and by doing so we commited ourselves to a 3.5t towing capacity. All teh advice I have said indicates it is the right way to do it.
I was initially convinced that the jeep was the right vehicle for the job, and out of the contenders it is certainly the best value.
I am still working, and often land up parking in tight spots, so length mattered to me, I drew a line at the 5m mark, and said that is as long as I want to go, thus we excluded all teh twin cab utes, even although we believe some of them are fine tow vehicles (particulatly the Ranger BT50 pair).
We then looked and said what is left that is capable, and that we would want to get into every day. We narrowed the field to four vehicles: Jeep Grand Cherokee, VW Toureg, Land Rover Discovery, and Toyota 200 Series.
The first to go was the Toyota, it feels huge compared with the rest, it has poor fuel consumption, and a real problem with payload if you have a reasonably heavy van. And it is the most expensive of the four.
Next the Jeep went, purely on a cost of ownership, and reliability concerns. However I now believe Fiat are addressing both (Fiat now Own Jeep).
This brought it down to the Toureg or the Discovery, both are nice vehicles, but the Disco feels as if it would be more capable with a heavy trailer. And also when you look back on its history it was developed as a tow vehicle from the start.
We settled on the Discovery, and our van is due to arrive in the next two weeks, so in a few months we will know how good a decision we made.
In this process we heard a lot of people say you should buy this vehicle because you can get parts anywhere, or people in the bush know how to work on them. After a bit of research I discounted this, as no one caries parts for any of the four vehicles I was looking at, they all have to be shipped in from one of the major capitals. And the days of being able to fix a vehicle with fencing wire and a pair of pliers are gone as well, they are all enormously complex, and you fix them by replacing major parts.
If it breaks down, you are at the mercy of the road side assist, and warranty if you have one. Interesting to look at where the roadside assist will actually come to you, how far off the bitumen, if you intend to go off the bitumen.
BTW, I know there are other vehicles out there, this was just the thought process this little black duck went through.
Good luck with your decision.
blaze said
10:15 AM Mar 10, 2014
Met a fellow in perth while we were there that towed a 21 foot van with a jeep and he was more than happy with it. I drive a landrover discovery and cop the same misinformation as do jeep drivers. My mate runs a jeep friendly repair workshop in midland perth so I have seen the good and bad of them and they are no different to any other vehicle on the road. Same as all vehicles you can get the service items items in most remote places, filters, brakes ect but if you need any thing more than that it will have to be flown in. So whatever you buy just do it with an open mind because there are more vehicles than the common jappers, jeeps are like landrovers, they have a soul
cheers
blaze
deverall11 said
11:22 AM Mar 10, 2014
Avalon, you can't go past a 200 series Landcruiser.
Larry
signwilson said
01:26 PM Mar 10, 2014
Jeep I had one cost me over $30,000 dollars loss. Warranty is a joke. Parts take forever to get and no service outside capital cities. That is just the start I could go on for hours why not to buy one. I replaced mine with a Toyota landcruiser 100 series 4.2 turbo diesel and have not looked back a great tow vehicle.
BasilBruhaha said
02:54 PM Mar 10, 2014
After considerable research on other sites we have purchased a 2014 Grand Cherokee Laredo Diesel.
There are other alternatives and we looked at the Territory (what is happening to Ford), the Colorado 7 and MuX, more suitable to off road, Pajero now showing age, all dual cab utes too long to fit in our garage and all Toyotas, Touaregs and Discoverys too dear etc etc.
What may cost more for servicing (according to a lot of non Jeep owners) is more than made up by economy equal to our Santa Fe, the best offered changeover price and the bang for buck.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Diesel is the quietest, smoothest and most comfortable vehicle we have ever owned and I would suggest they are well worth your looking at them. Cricks at Mt Gravatt have provided a great car at a great price.
Regards
Gary
-- Edited by Webmaster on Tuesday 11th of March 2014 08:31:43 AM
Avalon said
10:01 PM Mar 10, 2014
Thank you all for your advice. We have got a grand Cherokee Jeep Limited on hold and will make a final decision tomorrow. I think we will probably go with that Jeep. Demo model and has done 4000 Kim's so we are getting it cheaper. If there were any issues I am sure they would show at that mileage. It is Red so maybe that will help!!!!! If wrong then we will change it later.
Will let you know and again thank you everyone for your input. So scary but I do like spending the kids inheritance.
Safe travels everyone.
LL and KT
Bryan said
10:09 PM Mar 10, 2014
I'm on my 6th or 7th Jeep. So far no regrets.
Tim thetruckie said
10:16 PM Mar 10, 2014
Avalon wrote:
Thank you for your welcome and advice. Lovely to know you are all out "there" enjoying your journeys. The caravan when full is quoted as 2.6 tonne. I just thought bigger towing capacity from the car didn't force the car into mechanical issues. That's the only reason I was looking at 3.5 tonne. The original owners had a Mazda BT 50 ute but I understand the suspension of utes is "hard" on sore backs or is that just an old tale.
More research I think.
LL and KT
A couple of years ago I took a current model BT50 single back tray top for a test drive and was really surprised with the ride , wasnt the least bit rough , no kick from the back at all . A mate from Sydney called in for lunch today with his 3 months old BT50 twin cab which had replaced a 100 series LC and I asked what the ride was like . His answer was that it rode better than the LC on the trip over , he wasnt towing .
GrumpyOldMan said
08:40 PM Aug 17, 2015
We have a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel. Took 14 months doing the big loop towing a 17'6" van. In that time the Jeep got a flat tyre... and that was the only problem. Since then have upgraded to a 21'6" van (with a few extra niceties) Apart from the expected higher fuel consumption with the larger, heavier van, the Jeep is still going strong.
As has been mentioned, obtaining more obscure parts for the Jeep in remote parts of Oz may be an issue but I think that applies to most brands in those areas.
Contrary to an earlier post, the number of Jeeps travelling, towing vans is growing.
I'm sure others have good and bad stories about all makes of vehicles but I, for one, will back the GC diesel at any time.
Hi All
First post and about to start our long dreamed journey around Oz. Property in south west of WA settles on Friday. Unfortunately bought caravan first ( saw the design we wanted Royal Flair 23 ft before buying car) . Caravan is currently stored. Now ready to buy car to tow. Looking at a brand new Grand Jeep Cherokee Limited. Mixed reviews even though it has won 4x4 for the last 2years. Is there anyone out there who is using the above car to tow a caravan and if so have you had any issues. Advice would would be good. Want 3.5 tonne towing capacity?
Lizzy Lou and KT.
-- Edited by Avalon on Sunday 9th of March 2014 11:38:42 PM
Welcome to GN forum LL & KT.
As much as I like Jeep . I would consider - where are all th Jeep dealers .
yes I know there are no other brand dealers on th nullabor & other remote places ,
we like to go . In Darwin in 98 , I had to wait 6 days for some bits to come up from Melb ,
for old Inter , didn't mind as we were staying for 10days . But because of an error by th
'tyre fitter' , it could have been worse. YEAH , seeing ya got th cart 1st(I don't see anything wrong with that)
Make SURE you get a Big enough Horse to Pull it . Not one that will wear out after a lap or two.
We thoroughly investigated earlier version of the same model 2 years ago - came to the conclusion that, whilst great on the road and moving, too many issues involving cost of parts, service, location of authorised repairers/dealers etc. Changed direction and bought a Ford Territory AWD and feel we have won the jackpot with it. We got rather strong opinions which generated some heated discussion on this forum - almost started WW3! All well and good to have the bright new Jeep in the garage and pulling your van, but look carefully into the cost to keep it.
Cheers
All sold in less than 2 years of buying, and all stated reliability as the reason.
Massive arguments for warranty if you actually use it as a 4WD.
All bought various other makes after the Jeeps.
I would be very nervous.
Just my opinions after seeing what has happened to acquaintances.
PK
As to the Jeep, not sure about the van you mentioned but if it is 3.5t you will need a tug with more IMO to have some breathing room. My question would be, does the Jeep have that? I personally think, as an example, if the van is 3.5t fully loaded I would like to have around 300kg spare, otherwise that Jeep will be on the scrap heap very soon. The other thing I would say is that in my travels I have not seen many Jeeps towing vans, maybe I have blinkers on. My opinion only and I willingly stand corrected.
Whatever you decide on enjoy but make sure you,
More research I think.
LL and KT
Love the Jeep Grand Cherokee, best looking car by a country mile. However.......I do tend to agree with most posters on here. The availability of parts and overall reliability would concern me (especially on The Big Lap!). Safer to go with either Japanese (Toyota, Nissan, Mazda) or home grown (for now!) Ford or Holden. Personally? Japanese everytime for me!
Hi Avalon, welcome to the forum.
I went through the same process you are going through now about a year ago, we also ordered our van before we bought a tow vehicle, and by doing so we commited ourselves to a 3.5t towing capacity. All teh advice I have said indicates it is the right way to do it.
I was initially convinced that the jeep was the right vehicle for the job, and out of the contenders it is certainly the best value.
I am still working, and often land up parking in tight spots, so length mattered to me, I drew a line at the 5m mark, and said that is as long as I want to go, thus we excluded all teh twin cab utes, even although we believe some of them are fine tow vehicles (particulatly the Ranger BT50 pair).
We then looked and said what is left that is capable, and that we would want to get into every day. We narrowed the field to four vehicles: Jeep Grand Cherokee, VW Toureg, Land Rover Discovery, and Toyota 200 Series.
The first to go was the Toyota, it feels huge compared with the rest, it has poor fuel consumption, and a real problem with payload if you have a reasonably heavy van. And it is the most expensive of the four.
Next the Jeep went, purely on a cost of ownership, and reliability concerns. However I now believe Fiat are addressing both (Fiat now Own Jeep).
This brought it down to the Toureg or the Discovery, both are nice vehicles, but the Disco feels as if it would be more capable with a heavy trailer. And also when you look back on its history it was developed as a tow vehicle from the start.
We settled on the Discovery, and our van is due to arrive in the next two weeks, so in a few months we will know how good a decision we made.
In this process we heard a lot of people say you should buy this vehicle because you can get parts anywhere, or people in the bush know how to work on them. After a bit of research I discounted this, as no one caries parts for any of the four vehicles I was looking at, they all have to be shipped in from one of the major capitals. And the days of being able to fix a vehicle with fencing wire and a pair of pliers are gone as well, they are all enormously complex, and you fix them by replacing major parts.
If it breaks down, you are at the mercy of the road side assist, and warranty if you have one. Interesting to look at where the roadside assist will actually come to you, how far off the bitumen, if you intend to go off the bitumen.
BTW, I know there are other vehicles out there, this was just the thought process this little black duck went through.
Good luck with your decision.
cheers
blaze
Larry
After considerable research on other sites we have purchased a 2014 Grand Cherokee Laredo Diesel.
There are other alternatives and we looked at the Territory (what is happening to Ford), the Colorado 7 and MuX, more suitable to off road, Pajero now showing age, all dual cab utes too long to fit in our garage and all Toyotas, Touaregs and Discoverys too dear etc etc.
What may cost more for servicing (according to a lot of non Jeep owners) is more than made up by economy equal to our Santa Fe, the best offered changeover price and the bang for buck.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Diesel is the quietest, smoothest and most comfortable vehicle we have ever owned and I would suggest they are well worth your looking at them. Cricks at Mt Gravatt have provided a great car at a great price.
Regards
Gary
-- Edited by Webmaster on Tuesday 11th of March 2014 08:31:43 AM
Will let you know and again thank you everyone for your input. So scary but I do like spending the kids inheritance.
Safe travels everyone.
LL and KT
A couple of years ago I took a current model BT50 single back tray top for a test drive and was really surprised with the ride , wasnt the least bit rough , no kick from the back at all . A mate from Sydney called in for lunch today with his 3 months old BT50 twin cab which had replaced a 100 series LC and I asked what the ride was like . His answer was that it rode better than the LC on the trip over , he wasnt towing .
As has been mentioned, obtaining more obscure parts for the Jeep in remote parts of Oz may be an issue but I think that applies to most brands in those areas.
Contrary to an earlier post, the number of Jeeps travelling, towing vans is growing.
I'm sure others have good and bad stories about all makes of vehicles but I, for one, will back the GC diesel at any time.