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mcarter View Drop Down
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Joined: 07 Apr 2016
Location: Greenbrier, TN
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Another tow vehicle question
    Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 4:48pm
+1
Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."
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Leo B View Drop Down
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Joined: 13 Jan 2012
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Posts: 4518 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 4:53pm
+2
Leo & Melissa Bachand
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 4:58pm
Originally posted by SEW83

I am really getting concerned after reading so many different opinions. Go with a WDH, don't need one, go with a sway bar, upgrade suspension..... OMGosh .. I'm starting to wonder am I getting in over my head. 

It seems daunting but we've all been there and somehow figured it out. There is a lot of personal opinion/preference surrounding WDH and sway control but IMO you should definitely use WDH/sway control with the short wheelbase Jeep. When the trailer puts weight on the hitch behind the Jeep's rear axle the front axle tends to get lighter and rise. This adversely affects steering and braking. The WDH will correct this. The WDH will also lock the trailer and Jeep bodies together into one longer body, reducing porpoising and bouncing when going over dips and bumps. With the the short, stiff Jeep that will beat you to death on a long trip. A combination hitch like the E2 or Equalizer provides both WD and SC which need not be disconnected when backing up. The separate friction type sway controllers must be disconnected when you back up. Forget to do that and you bend/destroy the device. I don't see a need to modify the Jeep suspension but you should have a auxiliary transmission cooler and frame mounted class III or IV hitch. You'll also need an electric brake controller such as the Tekonsha P3. 
Charlie
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OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Joined: 07 Apr 2016
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 5:09pm
+1 to CharlieM.
Mike Carter
2015 178
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SEW83 View Drop Down
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Joined: 16 Apr 2017
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Posts: 7 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 5:17pm
3500 with a hitch rate of 350#
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mcarter View Drop Down
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Joined: 07 Apr 2016
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 5:23pm
IMO, you need a WDH. You are at the max for your vehicle. On my 178 the tongue weight is 377 lbs. Ready to roll. I have done suspension enhancements all my life, everything to springs to bags to lifts, for drag racing and towing. You can't make up for capacity and wheelbase issues. You need an assist.
Mike Carter
2015 178
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SEW83 View Drop Down
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Joined: 16 Apr 2017
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Posts: 7 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Apr 2017 at 7:27pm
Thanks guys.. I will get the WDH and sway. Appreciate the input. I'm 56 yrs old and this is my FIRST major purchase all by myself. I've always had a husband to figure this kind of stuff. But that's ok, I'm learning and growing and can't wait to get my 179. 
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Posts: 70 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Apr 2017 at 11:34am
Hello,
     I tow my 179 with a 2016 Santa Fe, same 290HP engine and trans if same year.  I'm pretty sure my 5000lb tow rating is based on use of WD, honestly it works so well to distribute the weight that I would not tow without it, I have done so for 1/2 block just to move it and it was obvious I had much less control than with the WD. The WD dramatically reduces the bouncing from bumps and uneven terrain which contributes to greater control. My Santa Fe pulls the 179 almost effortlessly, I do not tow faster than 65mph, usually about 60mph but was able to maintain 65mph up a very steep 1/2 mile hill on I80. There is no overdrive lock out so I shift usually manually.

     I passed up a 2017 Sorrento which would have been cheaper but I was told by the hitch guy that the hitches were not rated for use with WD. The hitches on Etrailer show "Not rated for use with weight distribution systems" in their specs. I thought I saw a post on this forum that addressed that but cannot find it. I would check with a hitch shop, and Kia on that one.

     I see a lot of posts on this forum saying that a 1/2 ton pickup/SUV is a minimum but I'm convinced that mid size SUVs like my Santa Fe are a good option that can be equipped to tow safely. In my case, a pickup does not fit our lifestyle at this time. In any case, the first piece of safety equipment needed is a good head on your shoulders.

Good luck
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john in idaho View Drop Down
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Posts: 613 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Apr 2017 at 5:49pm
A  cross wind in Wyoming or Idaho will make you a believer is sway control.  If it really is blowing it is far wiser to stop somewhere , especially with a light weight TV.  If you drive at 60 or 62 you will never have to pass anyone and try to get back in the lane  in a reasonable distance.
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
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Posts: 6418 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Apr 2017 at 8:33pm
Originally posted by john in idaho

A  cross wind in Wyoming or Idaho will make you a believer is sway control.  If it really is blowing it is far wiser to stop somewhere , especially with a light weight TV.  If you drive at 60 or 62 you will never have to pass anyone and try to get back in the lane  in a reasonable distance.

Double that if you encounter ice like we did. In our case, even sway control was not enough.
StephenH
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