Travel Trailer and Towing

Hi All,

the family and I are avid campers, mostly tent camping, we my wife and I have been looking at a purchasing a new travel trailer, specific one is the Coleman CT171. it is weighing in at about 3200lbs with a tongue weight of 325lbs. I think I would be fine, but have a few questions that hopefully some of you have had and got answered.

1. is that too much weight to start?
2. the trailer is 18.9 feet nose to tail, is that too long for the wheel base of the jeep?
3. recommended transmission cooler if any and what size I should get?
4. I have a 3.73 rear axle ratio, would that support the load?
5. Any particular electronic brake control and locations I should look at?

my Jeep:
2013 JKU Sahara
5 Speed Automatic
Hill Descent Control
Electronic Stability control
Trailer Sway Damping
4 inch Icon lift with 20" XD Rockstars with 35" Toyo Back Country.
I added the trailer receiver myself last summer, aftermarket, which had the 4 wire connector for smaller trailers.

thanks in advance to all that help out.

Also any other engine/exhaust changes.

Thx again

Sent from my SGH-M919 using WAYALIFE mobile app

A lot depends on your gearing. We tow a 2000 pound tent trailer with our 2012 2 door on 35" tires and 4:10 gears and it works OK. On some steeper hills the Jeep gear down to 3 rd gear to maintain speed. If you are still on stock gears and do hilly roads, then you will struggle. The legal limit for a JKU is 3500 pounds. Just make sure that you ad a brake controller too to the Jeep and that the trailer has brakes as well.

Hope this helps you.

I've towed my 17' boat all summer long for several years now. Probably at least 20' with the trailer. Works just fine. I wouldn't complain if it had trailer brakes but it stops ok without them. Mine has 3.73's as well.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using WAYALIFE mobile app

I tow various trailers up to 3500# with my 2010 4speed with OD locked out the majority of the time. I lock it out as soon as I feel a drop in speed instead of waiting for the transmission to shift down. If it does shift down, I lock out OD until I feel I can maintain speed again - I just don't want to let it hunt for gears or lug in OD while it's deciding when to shift down. I'm at 92k+ miles and no issues (knocking on the transmission wood)

Your 5 speed should be fine, just keep in mind how your speed is staying maintained. locking out OD instead of letting the transmission shift in and out will make your transmission last longer. it'll actually help keep your transmission stay cooler since there is no chance of it lugging/slipping generating heat before it decides to shift.

There are 2 types of coolers, one is plate-fin cooler and the other is a tube-fin cooler - I think the plate-fin coolers are better and offer better cooling. I also prefer to mount it on it's own brackets not with the pins through the radiator. Go talk to U-Haul near you and see what they would charge to install, it's not too difficult just need to make sure you cut the correct lines and your fittings don't leak.

Also, make sure you have the proper differential oil for towing. If it hasn't been changed since you bought it probably has the non-tow weighted oil, get it changed to the heavier tow-rated oil.

my rig, 2010 auto, 35's with 4.88's

Heres the cooler I installed before trip last year up to the Sierras towing 12' enclosed trailer full of camping gear. Picked it up at kragen and seems to work really well. The desert temps were in 110's and it helped definitly helped. I also ran the traildash for the tranny temp guage and tow setting.
As others have mentioned in other tranny related posts, its important to turn off the od.

thanks guys, great advice and things for me to think of...cheers :beer:

i know for me when i was trailering on 2011 (3.8 motor, 3.73 gears, auto, 35's) i found my tranny searching for gears a lot and i was only doing two jet skis and a golf cart. i have since regeared. i havent trailered yet but i will tonight as im bringing ym one jet ski back to the beach. im sure there will be one hell of a difference and not be an issue at all. i would look into regearing if i were you especially if you plan on running bigger tires at somepoint. it will be a great investment for both.