I made my New Car decision and went a lookin. Found a nice '06 Jeep Liberty at a nice price, and the proper color (Red) so I went for it.

It has a 2k towing ability as is, 5k with cooler, but no hitch etc.. yet. I am not sure.. it's too new!

I still have the Element, can't bare to part with it. Think I will use that as the Tug and dog mobile, but what experiences has anyone had towing with a Liberty?

It's a 6 banger, 3.7l, 2wd. Automatic.. cause I am lazy in my old age.

I don't want to beat it up. This will be my "People" car, for commuting and taking passengers in without saying.. "Sorry, there are no back seats, just brush the dog hair away"

As long as you're buying new, get a tow package...

I already bought it, and it was "used" with a whole whopping 4700 miles on it. Whoopie. It smells new to me. Looks new. Has the Jeep new warranty.. it is new as far as I am concerned.

Someone else took the hit.

Manual says its a bumper pull, or capable of such

tow rating of 2k on the bumper, or without cooler, 5k with hitch and cooler.

I don't know from bumper pull to bumper cars.

If Jeep is anything like Honda, factory tow package is an expensive joke.

Sounds like if you duplicate what you did with the Element with the Jeep you will have a 5K tow rating. That would minimally be be adding a transmission cooler and installing a hitch.

Bumper pull means you screw the tow ball into your bumper; back up to your trailer; drop the trailer coupler onto the bumper ball; secure the coupler and drive off. Works for some tug/toad combinations. Doesn't for others. Since you are expert at keeping your towing load low and pulling through various conditions I think you can handle the arrangement easily. My 2200 pound 16fter was towed all over the SE on the bumper of an ancient Toyota 4Runner.

Since the resident gurus have lots of opinions about towing and such, I'll be quiet now.

Congrats on the new vehicle.
At the Boler meet in May,(lower mainland BC) there was a lady there that towed her Trillium with a diesel Liberty and LOVED it....

Sounds like a real good tow rating...
We hope to keep our car for another 5 years, but the Liberty has crossed my mind too...

Gina,
Congratulations on your new "bus". I was thinking maybe you got an appropriate color to correspond with particular flag colors but ain't nothin' wrong with more red!
Parking space at home is getting more cozy, I imagine
Lookin' forward to seeing you soon towing with which ever!
Kurt & Ann K.

Since it doesn't have the towing package, you'll probably need to have it wired for the trailer

Gina...check with U-Haul to have the hitched installed.

Gina,
I've got an '02 Liberty, 3.7 liter that I have had since new and tow a 13' Scamp. It has the tow package(larger radiator, wiring, extra fan on radiator, larger alternator, hitch, etx.....) on it and is rated at 5,000 pounds. It is a very capable tug and is quite comfortable too. The problem with the Liberty is that the spare tire is centered on the rear and makes it a bit difficult to hook up the trailer. To tow level my hitch bar was only a couple inches below the spare tire, so to resolve that, I had added a hitch extender to ease the hookup. Also, if you travel at (or reasonably above) freeway speed the fuel economy is not that great. Towing I average about 15 mpg with the a/c on and traveling at the speed limit. Otherwise though it is a great tow vehicle and I wish you many years of happy, trouble free towing!

Gina.. congrats on your new vehicle! with a tow package and tranny cooler you should be just fine.. I towed my 13 with my Suzuki Grand Vitarga easily with no problems... it had a 2.4. V 6 in it...

A tow bumper is just that... you stick a tow ball onto the bumper itself. Hence the lower tow rating. If I were you I would definately get a real hitch installed! It is much better because you can then adjust your ball height. (Not possible with a bumper tow ball, I don't think.)

Plus, just look around and you will see a TON of mangled bumpers from people who tried to tow with them. It just isn't worth the hassle.

Have fun with the new tug!

The hitch I can actually do myself with the help of a burly friend. I am taking the car over to Phoenix for and inspection by my friend that is a Jeep specialist. We may do it then if he approves the car.

*not an endorsement* I got it from Carmax and they have a 5 day no questions asked return policy. I am not considering this a "keeper" until I have it inspected, tho at those low a miles, it is probably a done deal. Carfax came out OK. It was a repo or turn in from someone who couldn't make the payments.

I have to look into the wiring. I want to use my Prodigy, so I will have to get another harness for it. I can see no reason to have two controllers. I can move it from one car to another.

The tire situation is a bit sticky, yes. I noted that right away.

The odds are once you've experienced towing with a more powerful vehicle, especially one that you already own, the Element will loose some of its appeal as a TV. Maybe a super detailer can put that new shine and smell back in the Element for ya?

I love the Element, even if it does stink..

It actually looks and drives as nice as the day I drove it off the lot. It's a Honda. The interior shows some wear.. no big deal.

I want to preserve it. I am emotionally attached to it. I felt a pang of guilt when I had to park the Jeep next to it this morning.

I may have to drive up to Tacoma in the next couple months. I may just take the Element instead of the new one.. We'll see.

OK, I am wierd.

Weird! Take it back!

Some people will do ANYTHING to get an insurance (mulit-vehicle) discount.

Yeah... thats even more wierd.. and I don't even begin to understand how insurance works.

I took the full coverage off the Element, and added the Jeep, full coverage. My monthly bil went up.. 4 bucks.

Hmmm.

My daily driver is a Camry with full coverage. The tow vehicle is a rust bucket with onlly liability - $35 amonth. For this area, that's a deal.

well, I, er, have that little incident with the Element and a posted speed limit that was exceeded just a little to overcome.

have you noticed the fuel miliage isnt that great yet?? you will probaly get about 16mpg and 14 pulling the trailer..it has the same motor my dakota had and it was rotten on gas towing..but congrats on your new toy..

Dan

Gina, what kind of mileage do you get on your Element running without a trailer? Discussion came up over coffee this morning......Thanks, Benny

Benny, I have seen as high as 29 mpg, but that was driving to Phoenix. Across the desert. The Long, hot, flat, boring, desert (I gotta do that Saturday.. eek!)

Now, for reality.. on my daily commute, freeway, city streets and a LONG climb up the hiway with my elevation gain, about 22-23.

Towing on my long trip to Oregon last year, I got as high as 19. I forgot exactly, but I am going to say I averaged 17 or so.

Dan, I haven't gone through a tank yet! I have commuted 2 1/2 days in it, (100 mile RT) and it is at 1/4 now. I suspect that tomorrow I will have to fill. I am running the tank down so I can see how many miles I get on the trip meter before I start to think about filling.

I know I could fill and calculate now, but I want to see if the gage is one of those that sticks on full forever then suddenly drops to "E" when it is low. So far, the gage seems linear enough.

I finally got the Element home today! (Had to wait for my friend to be available to drive it) My parking area is full, but with just a minor adjustment to the trailer position, I have plenty of room for all 3 rigs, and am nowhere near approaching the nieghbors line.

Yay!

(Yeah, wait til it snows )

How about a minor adjustment to the car(s) position?

Gina,
I can you may need some boat fenders in the winter to prevent any accidental contact. Some which are sized for about a 25'-35' yacht should prevent most damage. FGTT's are tough like fiberglass boats, but automotive sheetmetal is much more fragile. Continuing in a marine vein, since additional parking for guests at your home is now non-existant, you actually are in need of a ferry.
Keep the side up, so contending with snow will be a ways off...
Kurt & Ann K.

Thats what they make streets for

I pay the county for them, feel free to park there! My treat!

WAY TO GO GINA.

So, as Kurt says, it's a bit crowded if I want guests to park. Maybe.. if they have a motorcycle.......

Thanks Gina, that`s about 35 MPG or so on a Imperial gallon on flat land....Benny

Hi: Why is it that Californians Park in a Driveway and Drive on a Parkway??? Canadians on the other hand leave two multy thousand dollar vehicles outside 'cause the garage has a few hundred bucks of junk in it???

If it's an AIRport, how come it's on the ground????

I forgot to build a garage. If I had one, the trailer would be in it.

Gina you should check and see that recall repairs have been made to that vehicle. Jepp recalled over 800,000 Libertys. I think it was every year and every liberty. Its a lower ball-joint issue. A few other recalls are out for that vehicle this is one a remember in that it was on the news a few weeks ago.

I just found a link.
http://www.lemonauto.com/complaints/daimle...eep_liberty.htm

gina did you get a mpg done yet ?? i did my new truck since i bought it i am getting a 22 mpg hwy 19 city 20.5 combined thats about 6 mpg more than i got with the dakota 6cyl the dakota never more than 16 hwy 13 city 14 combined

Dan, yes.

On my daily commute, I get between 18 and 19. Tank calculations match what the computer on the console says.

I just did a round trip to Phoenix this weekend and got 21 average. Thats cheating tho.. I-10 between here and there is not exactly a challenge for any vehicle when it come to power requirements.

I was not towing. (I felt so.... naked! )

not to bad i would be happy with that...

Andy,

Already noted that, but thanks. It's lower Ball Joints.

The notices are not even out yet, They will start in Sept.

Every brand new car I have ever owned has had a recall or TSB...

Oh c'mon Gina... you've GOTTA do better than THAT! <bragging mode on> I got 17 mpg round-trip out of my Excursion V10 on my last trip to Chicago! <bragging mode off> <juvenile mode on> (tongue out) na na na na na na! <juvenile mode off>

Roger

isn"t the terrain across the Mojave more hilly than Iowa???



And how many scorpions did you get to schmoosh???

Roger, Gina, et al:

"17mpg" - "18 and 19 mpg" - "21mpg" !!!!!

"Oh the humanity!!"


(1999 Ody 29.7/15.7mpg, 35,000lb towing cap.)

Yeah? Oh Yeah???

I, uh,.. I am gonna drive MY Honda today.. just cause..

the tank is full.



That'll show ya.

Were you using your fisherman's scale again, Per?

eh hem..

a properly equipped Liberty has a 5k towing capacity.

*sniff sniff*

I think I smell a Bigfoot 17..

*sniff sniff*

don't smell any more money...

Gina,
It won't smell without salad dressing.
Kurt & Ann K.

Click to view attachment

(1999 Ody 29.7/15.7mpg, 35,000lb towing cap.)

I think this must be a picture of that Ody (the yellow one). But, I really doubt the mileage figure given.

Byron:

I don't suppose you'd believe that was a typo, would you? In 1999 Honda was anxious to prove that they could build a big car, so they offered a low-cost tow option which meant something. See picture below.

One of the many faults I have been correctly accused of having is that I treat zeroes as if they mean nothing. Maybe that's it.

29.7 mpg: I didn't believe it either, but I have checked many times on the Portland to Seattle run and it usually hovers around 28.4 mpg. This time I had the living traveling scared out of me by the high gas prices and I determined to stay at the speed limit and limit my running around to the ethnic food stores in Ballard. Checked and double checked, came out the same. I have another run tomorrow to try it again. The 15.7 mpg was towing the Burro back and forth across the country, an accurate average.

Roger:

I should think the Excursion would be a very fine tow vehicle, but I had another consideration: When going to fiberglass meets or other gatherings I usually practice my singing ("Cumbaya" etc.) on the road. I needed something with truly cathedral-like size. As Gina knows, there is no substitute for a REALLY LARGE interior for excellent acoustics. With a 3 to 4 second reverb time with the middle seats out the Ody is clearly on top of the list.

"ethnic food stores in Ballard."






STOP!!!!

I am leaking!!!!!!!

Yeah I know most cars have issues. This is a pretty major one thats all. They are recalling all of them from what Ive read. They have had ball joint issues for years. It is a recall, TSB's are nothing, recalls are something. I used to sell Jeeps and like Libertys. But I love the old Cherokees and the 4.0 6cyls. They are well known for rear end problems, but the engine is rock solid. The Cherookee is the bests 4x4 for the money in mho. Its a shame they stopped making them.

Here is a link on the ball joint issue:

http://www.ilovejeeps.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16907

It shows how to check - PLUS one person (in the above thread) who had the earlier recall
done stated than when the replacement ball joints are done by Jeep,
they will have a LIFE TIME warranty - "IF" that is true, that is an
excellent deal - thus MAKE SURE you ask about that when you take your
Liberty in for the recall to verify.

Byron:

Made my promised run today, to Steilacoom (nice name) near Tacoma and back. Since you doubted the mileage that seemed too optimistic I decided to try again: had "my gas man" fill the tank and top it off, drove 275.4 miles and had him cram everything he could into it again. 8.515 gallons.

Being concerned that I had gloated about something not repeatable I took extra care with this one. I kept at or slightly under the speed limit, quit jerking the accelerator in town traffic, etc. Adds up to 32.34 mpg and I think it means that small changes in driving habits can pay surprising dividends. Enough of that.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to doubt your mileage figures as it relates to Ody. I have no reason to doubt. I was poking fun at the 35,000 lb tow capacity as that would relate to mileage. That big yellow thing don't get double digit mileage.

I agree that small changes in driving habits pay can pay off. The first trip, up the Gorge, I took with the trailer I was very disapointed with the mileage. Cruse control was set close to 65. Slowed down to 56-57 and gained almost 5 mpg. Now I'm finding it kind of fun to sit back take it easy and watch the traffic go by.

Me too!
No more 7000 mile cross country 2 week trips for me.