2010 Jeep Liberty w/towing pkg?

[kdingo]

We just got a 16' Scamp and decided to upgrade our 2009 Hyundai Sante Fe. We saw a nice Jeep Liberty w/towing pkg. that says it will tow 5,000lbs. Any thoughts? Seems I read somewhere that due to short wheel base it is not as good for hauling campers.

[Mike Magee]

I test drove a V6 Libby one time, thinking a diesel model might be in my future some time. I didn't care for the firm ride and the gas engine didn't seem to have much acceleration. But everyone's different. Yes, the short wheelbase can be a factor, but the Liberty is quite heavy for its size and would probably handle a 16'er ok.

[Spencer97TJ]

kdingo, I towed with my 2010 Liberty, I thought it would be perfect for an 18 foot travel trailer with two axles. It was not great. Even with the sway bar things at the hitch. Underpowered for hills, and the worst part was the bouncing feeling on the highway. The whole jeep was like a see saw after going over a little bump at 60 or so MPH. I hated towing with it on the highway. It might be perfect for a smaller travel trailer like a pop up, or a tear drop.

This is our travel trailer: Used 2008 Cruiser RV Fun Finder X

I got out of the payments on that Jeep and picked up a 2012 Toyota Tacoma, 4 Door with Short Bed. Etrailer has a great harness for the brake controller too. It's just enough longer, and much more steady with the rear leaf springs. I think that makes a huge difference. You might be OK with your scamp (cool camper BTW!) But I enjoy my Tacoma. The 4doors are just like SUVs, but you can do nice stuff like home depot trips with the small bed. It's a nice truck. Best of Luck! Spencer

Originally Posted by kdingo

We just got a 16' Scamp and decided to upgrade our 2009 Hyundai Sante Fe. We saw a nice Jeep Liberty w/towing pkg. that says it will tow 5,000lbs. Any thoughts? Seems I read somewhere that due to short wheel base it is not as good for hauling campers.

[Spencer97TJ]

I think I was pushing the weight limit with my setup. Especially with a packed trailer. Jeep will have a wrangler style pickup out in the next couple of years if you are Jeep loyal!

[Franswa]

about pushing it....an 18 foot Fun Finder with a slide...what's that weigh??? 4500 to 5000 I bet....hence the dual axle set-up....

the Jeep Liberty used that same platform as the Jeep Commander and Dodge Nitro....it is a "truck based SUV" in the sense that it is built on a frame and has a solid rear axle....it is heavy at almost 5000lbs...part of that is the fact that the platform is built...and then different body panels are added on top of that...it's really like two vehicles built on the same frame!!!

I have owned an 07 Nitro since 2013 and I very happy with it....no, make that extremely happy with it....I like the way it rides and all the small interior touches/ideas that were incorporated in the vehicle's design.

the mileage is not very good but you don't buy one of these for the mileage (never intended to be an every day commuter)....you buy it to tow something and the platform does this extremely well IMO.....my BF weighs 3500 fullly loaded....your trailer will weigh probably 700-800lbs less than that (I'm guessing)

driving this thing off road it never spins a wheel ! and it must have one of the shortest turning radius on the planet (stopped in a paved parking lot, turn the wheel all the way over and drive off...the front tires will actually squeal as the tires are cranked ove so far)....you will amaze yourself at how tight a turning radius you have with a single axle trailer like yours (you will raise eyebrows in tight spaces/campgrounds! happens to me all the time)

I have been thinking of a new (to me) TV and the search has been dissapointing...not much out there that you can tow 3500 comfortably and drive as a daily driver.....the Commander and Liberty are my choices...just looking to find the right one...last year of production was 2012 or thereabouts....the only comparables now from the company are the long wrangler (it's a veritable fortune and has a solid front axle as well making a little too off-road for me)....and the Grand Cherokee (no frame construction, 9 speed transmission(?)....and again a fortune)

Read the instuction manual...Jeep/Dodge says to ALWAYS use the tow/haul mode when towing anything....transmissions are the weakest link in ALL SUVs....take good care of yours....

Congrats on your purchase I think it will serve you very well and you'll be happy with it...cheers

[Franswa]

maybe what you "heard" on that score was about a different Liberty....up until 2004 or 5....Libertys were a completely different vehicle....a lot smaller/shorter

[kdingo]

Thanks everyone for the great information you provided. We are so excited about our future camping experiences. We figured we would wait til Fall to actually get serious but just happened to do my weekly check on Craigslist and there was exactly what we wanted and within an 1-1/2hr drive. Can't beat that as we were prepared to travel to get what we wanted. And so the fun will begins.

[Mike Magee]

Yeah, actually the Liberty I test drove was one of those earlier, short models. I forgot you might be talking about a newer version.

[Franswa]

Thanks Brian for correcting me....I went looking and indeed the frame is not seperate...it is built-in as part of the overall structure .....the term "truck based SUV" is something I got from the automotive press when describing these heavier vehicles as compared to the more "crossover-ish" SUVs (hope that makes sense)...when you go shopping and compare tow ratings the difference between the two camps "jumps off the page" even though from the outside they can look very similar

I include a couple of pics....

[Gina D.]

I tow 3400 lbs of Leocraft with an 06 Liberty. I purchased it new for that 5k tow limit. They made a few as "tow models" with a different rear end and the usual stuff for a tow package.

I started out with it towing a 17 1/2 foot Burro which was quite heavy at 3600 lbs (For me anyway) It did not like big grades, but otherwise did fine with wdh and sway control.

It does better with the Leocraft, which is a smidge shorter and at only 200 lbs lighter.

The mileage..well, I actually got better mileage with my 32 ft motorhome towing the Jeep!

The Libby has 154k on it now, with about 50k of it with a trailer of some sort attached to it. My tranny went down at 75k, but it was due to a failed sensor and not from towing stress. Jeep replaced it after I made a big stink about it, but it was a struggle to get them to do so.

[stevebaz]

My girlfriend has a 2006 Jeep liberty. We used it last year towing our 13 foot Scamp. It got the job done. The Liberty has enough room inside to carry your extra stuff and keep it somewhat secure. The Liberty is just the right size to go exploring and easy to park. It excels if you have any dirt roads or desert travel in your plans. I don't think the Liberty is the best at anything but it gets the job done. I can't think of anything that can replace it, in its own niche. There are better 4 wheelers, bigger and better suv's at much greater costs. Smaller suv's don't have the power and towing capacity and are too small. There have been repair costs for us such as upgrading all the power window regulators. A water pump, all the power steering hoses. A new radiator, a clutch for the air conditioner and 2 air conditioner hoses. We also replaced the 2 headlight assemblies due to yellowing. The Liberty is easy to work on and cheep to buy parts for in the aftermarket. Local repair shops can handle the repairs keeping you out of the dreaded dealerships. It's not a Honda or a Toyota but doesn't come with their high price or inflated resale value. It just gets the job done just like an old donkey in the barn.