towing

Pod a terre you are correct. Legal is fine, civil is a different story.

Sorry I'm coming late to this party. Yes, I towed my 181G short a distance with a 2002 Jeep TJ (3300#), I was in a bind and had to bring it home, a distance of 80 miles. I Planned to travel on secondary roads, travel at about 30 mph and depend on my towing experience, not my best decision. I installed an old brake controller (turned all the way up, nonadjustable from the driver's seat) that had worked fine with an even heavier trailer towed by a 1973 Jeep CJ with a V8. (but that's another story)

No fun, two "white knuckle" stops, you see, I didn't plan on dealing with careless drivers that day. Started off in a light rain, the TJ pulled OK for 190 hp, we were going slow, but it felt "uncomfortable" during a medium to hard stop, seemed to "wander" slightly. The r.pod was new so it was completely empty, at about 2750#, and it still "manhandled" my TJ. On the two hard stops, it didn't "overwhelm" the brakes, but the front tires. The tires were Goodyear Wranglers, one size oversize and they had plenty of tread, so that wasn't the problem. The Jeep's front wheels would lock up just a split second after if I applied them, if I was too "aggressive". I guess as the trailer brakes were applied it shifted additional tongue weight on the Jeep's hitch. The additional tongue weight would then unload the front axle allowing the wheels to lock up, obviously a marginal condition existed even without the brakes applied. I think it would have been worse if the Jeep wasn't a manual transmission or had a longer ball mount. I have come to the conclusion that it's not just the trailer weight or tongue weight we need to be concerned about, but how our particular vehicle handles the change in tongue weight during a stop without a WDH.

Newer Jeep two doors, JKs, weigh about 500# more, have a longer wheelbase, and disc brakes on the rear too, but are still rated at the same 2000#. After my experience with "short wheelbase" vehicles, I'm not sure I would feel entirely comfortable towing my 181G with the even the longer wheelbase, Wrangler Unlimited 4 door.    

Most small boat, snowmobile, and utility trailers don't have brakes here. There must be a weight limit.

I must be blind. I went through this thread post by post and can't find any reference except Michigan. Can you point me to it please? I want to make sure I am kosher.

Originally posted by Sleepless don't even think about taking your pod to your neighboring state of Wisconsin.

What are those rules?

Originally posted by wingnut2312 So you've missed the section on we're going to rent a vehicle instead of using the Jeep? I stated that I believe the Jeep isn't going to work and we will be looking for a proper TV. I also stated that it's not worth risking it with the kids. The brake controller would not be necessary when towing it with a full size F-150 is what the dealer said. In the future, please read the entire thread before questioning a persons intelligence. It's probably easier to realize that there is a lot of bad informationn out there clouding up the good. Asking questions is the way people wade through the b.s. and make the best decision. Thanks for the help everyone!

  I have read the entire thread, but did not realize it was a done deal that you will only pull the pod with an F-150, and when you said the dealer said brakes weren't necessary you didn't indicate which dealer or on what. 

  An F-150 vs a Wrangler makes a difference regarding brakes, but I think most people would still recommend a brake controller, even with an F-150, regardless of the legal requirement.

  Also, I did not question anyone's intelligence.  You can have an IQ of 187 and still not know the difference between towing capacity and tongue weight.  These are very basic and important concepts to understand when choosing a trailer and tow vehicle combination.  I'm sure you understand them now, but first indications were that maybe you didn't.  I went on to infer that you are somewhat new to towing in general. 

  Sorry if I offended.  Congrats on the 182G if you go through with it.

  TT