I test drove one of the newer Jeeps and did not like them better than the one I own so I decided to update mine. I found a 6 cylinder engine from a wrecked 2000 Cherokee that had only 19,000 miles. I used it to replace the engine I had and now, with a fuel injected engine, have almost 200 horse power and get over 19 miles per gallon when towing the Casita. I also replaced the rear springs with the stronger 5 leaf set. I can now travel the speed limit on most highways and on the interstate highway if I have to. I would prefer to keep the speed under 65MPH on any highway, if I am pulling the Casita or not. The Wrangler is not the best high-speed vehicle.
The Casita is a 1999, 16 foot, Freedom Deluxe. I got all the options except the
wiring for the TV set. I ended up wanting that too and wired it in
myself.
So far, we have traveled in the following states:
In 2008 I went on a trip to Yosemite and when passing through Green River stayed at this place again. The price has gone up and little or no maintenance has been done on the park. Also, I no longer keep a KOA or a Good Sam card. It turned out that they were not worth it (for me) to keep. I get a lot less junk mail trying to sell me insurance too.
Note: I don't often plan the trips any more. I sold the '53 MG and built a '47 CJ2A Willys. Things change.
A little further down the road from here is a tunnel in the rock. They must stop traffic and make the highway into a one-way road to let large vehicles pass. The tunnel has a rounded roof and the large vehicles must travel down the center of the road to keep from hitting the top edges. Large vehicles include busses, trucks, class A motor homes, fifth wheel RVs', and most towed and even class C motor homes. Not me though! Have you ever been to Zion?
I even fit the Casita into my garage and store it on the side with the Jeep and MG. I have an 8' overhead garage door on a 25' x 25' garage so I can wheel the Casita, by hand, until it is in the side of the garage away from the door. It is plugged into an electrical outlet there and, since my other cars are small, there is room for them and the Casita (and a lathe, milling machine, band saw, work bench, etc.).
I get a lot of questions about pulling the Casita with the Jeep. Here is a letter I have been sending out to folks who ask those questions. (I promised I would put it on the web page)
I will tell you about my experiences. I will tell you that I have had more experience than most; I am on my seventh Jeep now so I know about Jeeps but I have only had one Casita, a 16 foot. I do a fair amount of other towing with a utility trailer. I live in the Colorado Rockies at over 7,000 ft. and about 20 miles from the Continental Divide so I have experience with the mountains; I have been as far as New Orleans so I know back roads, main roads, interstate highways, and sea level. I can tell you of my experiences but I will not be your parent! You must make up your own mind, make your own decisions, and be responsible for your own choices. I suppose that is more than you get from most macho “tell you exactly what to do” ill considered advice you get. I used to be a Highway Patrolman and that may impress you, but trust me, it means little.
YOUR OWN BRAIN IS YOUR BEST ASSET. USE IT!
I use the Jeep to pull the Casita because I really do not want a larger vehicle than a Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep is a 1990 YF and that was the last year they used a carburetor on the engine. They tried to operate it with a kind of computer but that didn’t work well. After about 130K miles I hit a rock and punched a hole in the oil pan. It is a long story but in the end comes out that I put in a four liter, fuel injected engine from a wrecked 2000 Jeep Cherokee that only had 19K miles on it. A lot of work and it didn’t make a lot of difference in towing but you ought to know what I am using. It helped a lot on gas mileage.
The 1990 Wrangler still used leaf springs so I put a heavier spring on the back. I got them from J.C. Whitney, they were not that expensive, and they helped a lot. (I had tried towing the Casita with the lighter springs so I know it made a difference.) A friend down the street had a later Jeep and towed a 16 foot Casita, like mine, and later, a 17 foot Casita. He upgraded his coil springs by putting air bags inside the coils and said that worked fine. The air bags can be found on the net. After he got the 17 foot Casita he soon changed to a Jeep Grand Cherokee and felt better about towing. Make up your own mind on this. He changes vehicles like most people change underwear. (Right Charlie?)
I made one modification to my Casita. I changed from the 13” wheels that came with it, to the 14” wheels that are used by Casita now. That helped a lot too.
Hint: Keep close watch on tire pressure on both vehicles when towing.
The springs on the Jeep and the tires on the Casita helped a bunch. When I bought the Casita I got the sway control bar. I think you need that. People have long discussions about load sharing hitches. The Idea with the load sharing hitches is that they take some of the strain off the rear vehicle wheels and transfer that weight forward so that the tow vehicle is level and has front end control. That may or may not be a good idea for you. The Jeep Wrangler is heavy compared to many tow vehicles but it is a short wheel base vehicle and that makes a difference. I used stronger rear springs and the right height tow ball to get both vehicles level. You make up your own mind.
Hint: Do not keep friction on the sway bar when the road is slippery. Do not keep much tension on it anyway. It is easier to overdo it than you may think. Use it for stability when going DOWN HILL and when going FAST. Fast is a relative term and is actually not very fast when using this towing combination.
The Jeep Wrangler is listed at 2000lb towing weight IN THIS COUNTRY. That is not the LAW but it is the manufacturers recommendation and restriction for warranty purposes. Even if it is not the law, it is a good idea to keep the total down there.
The 16 foot Casita is listed at about 1500lb dry weight. That is a LEGAL description and it means little. Go look at the tag on the outside of the Casita and you will get it’s real weight. (Surprise!) It would be better if you visited a truck scales.
If you are going to tow one of these you better be very conscious of what you are going to tow. Be very careful about how much you load inside, especially heavy H2O.
At last. Here is my experience in a nutshell. You can do this if you can drive well and pay attention. You can’t relax while driving. It would be more fun if you used a larger tow vehicle. The odds on damaging your equipment or hurting yourself OR OTHERS USING THE HIGHWAY, are greater than if you had a more substantial tow vehicle. The short wheelbase of the Jeep is what makes it tough, not the weight or the engine size. Any small loss of control will be multiplied. It is a bitch to back up.
Do you want to try it but are not sure? Go rent a U-haul that is about the same length and load it up to the weight you want to pull. There is a truck scales somewhere near you that you can use to get it right. Try the local gravel pit to find one. Try it on a back road first. Up hills is not much of a problem. WATCH OUT going down a long, steep hill. If you think it is OK, try it on the interstate, but don’t expect to do the speed limit. That’s too dangerous. Don’t talk yourself into something because you WANT it to work. Use your head, not your emotions but , I have to admit, after you have some experience it is not so bad.
Whatever you do, good luck.
Augie
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