Jeep Liberty Hitch
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4238
Printed Date: 16 Jun 2025 at 10:06pm
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Topic: Jeep Liberty Hitch
Posted By: strorg
Subject: Jeep Liberty Hitch
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 11:05am
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TV is a Jeep Liberty with factory towing package. My problem is that the hitch requires a couple of inches of drop in order to have enough clearance for the ball and the tongue of the trailer on my 178. This results in the tongue being about 4-6 inches below level. Any other Liberty owners out there that have solved this?
Thanks...Tom ------------- Tom and Tracy Mobile, AL 2014 RP-178 |
Replies:
Posted By: Kokopod
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 11:20am
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Go to etrailer.com and look up adjustable receiver shanks. They come in 4 6 8 10 inch drops. Our Liberty used a 4 inch, but our trailer is a Hood River Edition. You may need an 8. These can be adjusted also by tilting the ball to make up the inch differences. In other words, the shanks jump by 2 inches, but you can add or subtract the 1 inch with the tilt. Jeep requires an equalizer hitch to reach its 5,000 lb tow capacity. Otherwise it comes up short for the Rpod. ------------- 2017 Jayco Melbourne 24k 2013 Premier 19FBPR Formerly-2013 R-pod 177HRE 2011 Dodge Durango Love a good road trip |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 12:36pm
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You are wanting to RAISE the tongue when hooked up? If so use a drop ball mount and turn it over. http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Ball_Mounts-hs-Fits_2_Inch_Hitch.aspx ------------- |
Posted By: rpodcamper.com
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 12:42pm
| when I had a Jeep Liberty I had to get a longer hitch to go past the spare tire on the jeep. I had a straight bar and that was level with my 2009 R-pod 171 with no risers on it. |
Posted By: strorg
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 12:47pm
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I think this will work. The key is the longer shank, which moves the ball out past the spare tire and allows me to turn it over to get the rise i need.
http://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Hidden-Hitch/80233.html - http://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Hidden-Hitch/80233.html ------------- Tom and Tracy Mobile, AL 2014 RP-178 |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 1:05pm
I get tha you need a longer bar but why do you need a rise. The liberty Hitch should he higher than the tongue of the Trailer when the trailer is level.
------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition 
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Posted By: strorg
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 1:16pm
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My Liberty is 2002 model, and my Pod has the riser kit installed. I need 2-3" of rise to level it, and with the lack of clearance between the tire and the ball, I currently use a 3" drop. Not sure if the difference is my older model Jeep or the riser kit.
------------- Tom and Tracy Mobile, AL 2014 RP-178 |
Posted By: Capt. Irk
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2013 at 6:21pm
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I have a 2007 Liberty and a Hood River 176 (with factory risers). I do not use a drop nor riser....
------------- 2013 176HRE / 2017 Ram 1500 |
Posted By: kellyandkelly
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2015 at 7:59pm
| Hi, so any of you that are towing an r-pod with a jeep liberty have any trouble at all? I just bought one and it's swayin g all over the place. I am going to get a weight distrib. system this week, which hopefully will solve the problem. I read conflicting info so any insight is welcome! The jeep should be able to tow just fine, but would like to confirm. |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2015 at 8:43pm
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There is a lot to sway.. what's your tongue weight? Is the Pod sitting level when hooked up and on level ground, or just a bit nose down? What speed were you towing at? Tire pressure on the pod (should be 50psi)?Tanks empty?.. What hitch are you using? ------------- |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2015 at 2:03pm
I had some issues untill I got it sorted. The Liberty has a fairly short wheelbase and with only a single axle on the pod I found the pod wanted to throw the Jeep around. So this is what I did. 1. make sure that you have good positive tounge weight. I carry a 100 lbs gen set on the tounge of my Pod. 2. I have an E2 Weight Distribution hitch with build in sway control. This not only stopped most of the sway but also the bounce that you get in the rear end when you hit a bump. 3. I only travel with about 10 Gal of water in the fresh tank and try to travel with the grey and black empty. 4. Try and get your Pod Level or even better tounge slightly down on the front. Tounge up on the front is not the best Idea. Mine is slightly high but I can live with it because because it would have cost me $80 more to get a new shank for my hitch to lower it another inch. 5. Last but probobly the most important. The max speed on this rig is 70mph. I can cruise at 55-60mph but every mile per hour over 60 results in an increasingly more unstable rig. I took a white knuckle ride accross Toronto on the 401 a couple of years ago. This is a sixteen lane super highway where the slowest traffic goes 65 to 70 mph. I try to avoid that as much as possible anymore. Best trip I have taken with my trailer I traveled from Montreal Canada to my home in Fredericton Canada and I went through the backwoods of Maine. Only about 2 hours of the 8 hour trip was on interstate. Funny thing is this trip takes 7 hours on a four lane but only took me 8 on back roads because it was a much more direct route. Hope that helps some.
------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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