Upgrading the tow receiver December 06, 2019, 02:47:00 pm I’m seriously considering the 31 IB, but the 4000 lb receiver is show stopper; I need to be able to tow my Jeep and it weighs in at 5400 lbs. Has anyone changed out the receiver to one that would support 8000lbs?I know the E450 V10 is capable to tow my Jeep, just need to have a secure point to connect it up.
Re: Upgrading the tow receiver Reply #1 – December 06, 2019, 04:39:30 pm Lots has been posted about this. Yes, the hitch can be beefed up, but there are concerns. Simply upgrading thte hardware from grade 5 to grade 8 adds a bit. Welding the seams adds more. If I understood Larry's posts on this subject, to achieve a significant increase, such as to a rating of 8000 lbs., you need to add metal, and that adds weight. Before you add a thing, your wet vehicle weight (gas, propane and fresh water) is about 13,000 lbs. If you add in everything you put into the rig, including passengers, you are likely to be near the maximum of 14500 lbs. At that number, you can add a maximum of 5,500 lbs., before you exceed the GVWR, the maximum legal weight for everything. Your Jeep weighs 5400 - is that with a full tank of gas? If not, you may not have enough capacity to fill its tank, have NOTHING in it, and tow it, much less add a few hundred pounds of steel to beef up the hitch.Bottom line, there are a lot of other weight limits to consider besides the receiver 4000 lb. limit.Ken F in NM 2 Likes
Re: Upgrading the tow receiver Reply #2 – December 06, 2019, 06:25:06 pm I upgraded my 2003 MB to be able to tow 8000 lbs with welded steel (my Jeep Liberty was heavier than 4000 lbs). I also had the electrical system upgraded from the 4-pin (Toad Charge) connection to the normal 7-pin. They also fixed a wiring problem with my Jeep to make sure it worked well for towing.If you are near or can get to Riverside, CA. I can pass along the name of company that did my upgrade. 1 Likes
Re: Upgrading the tow receiver Reply #3 – December 06, 2019, 06:29:12 pm To add to what Ken F said, consider if you are going up hill or down hill because now you are adding weight to the rig different than towing on a flat road. Larry and others have talked about when you get to grades, taking the vehicle off and driving it separate for the grades.
Re: Upgrading the tow receiver Reply #4 – December 06, 2019, 08:44:21 pm Get a lighter jeep.After I gassed up, this is what I ran on the CAT Scale on 11-17-19Steer Axle 4560 (5000)Drive Axle 9620 (9600) 14180Tow'd 3800 (4000)Gross Wt 17980I usually have no more than 10 gallons fresh water, but this time I had 15 (8x5=40) which put me over.I travel alone with 3 small dogs (26# total).I am rarely under 14,000 on the rigI wouldn't mind getting a jeep, if I can find one light enough.As Joan says, YMMVJoel
Re: Upgrading the tow receiver Reply #5 – December 06, 2019, 09:12:28 pm I did a 4 corner weigh when which you can read about and see the results of here:Had my rig weighed today @ an Escapees SmartWeighI had pretty much full everything (freshwater, propane, gas in both vehicles).I travel solo, so my results may vary quite a bit from anyone else. I don't have the option of disconnecting my Jeep to drive it separately. I just go slowly uphill with flashers on if needed. :-)I'll reweigh on my way back to California as I've reorganized and removed/donated some items (including my inflatable kayak).
Re: Upgrading the tow receiver Reply #6 – December 07, 2019, 05:05:32 pm It seems, what am I able to tow is always a great topic for discussion. I’m sure any rv is able to exceed the maximum parameters of a manufacturer by some percentage with no difficulty. But these manufacturers do a lot of engineering to come up with their maximums, what ever they are. My wife and I did mobile missionary work all over the states and believe me I’ve seen my share of, our members, blown tires, broken axles, bent frames, cracked 5th wheel hitches, etc., Because of over weight issues.The common phrase was, I never had an issue before this. I’m just noting there was a reference to a14500 GVWR on the 2003 LD,s. My 2005 26 1/2 ft mb, is rated at 14050lbs.G.V.W.R. with a C.G.W.R. is 20,000 lbs. When I had my front end aligned the garage did a “Weigh coach and set tire pressures to weight.At the time of the weigh: its gas tank was approx half full (27 gals.), 20 gals. Of fresh water, 7.5 lbs. of propane, all its bathroom gear and kitchen stuff, toolbox and after market Big foot hydraulic leveling system. I’ve attached a copy of the weigh results. Hope it will be of some help regarding what’s my rig legally able to tow.Macmarty
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