mangotango Report post Posted May 24, 2015 Last year we traded our Gas motorhome for a 2015 Itasca Meridian 36M, but we kept our original toad - a 2011 Jeep Wrangler 2 door. Since towing with the new MH I notice significant wander & tail wagging. I took the unit to Hendersons Line Up in Grants Pass & we upgraded the shocks, bellcrank, added an anti sway bar & Safe-T-Plus. The machine now drives great & tracks straight when it is not towing, but we still have the issues when the Jeep is being towed. Now the steering on our (& every) Jeep is very vague- a product of the off road capability- & I wonder if the wandering of the Jeep is causing the tail to wag. Do others have this issue with a Wrangler? If this is the case I assume the only cure is to change the toad, & I am thinking of a Grand Cherokee. This would add about 1000lbs to the toad, so may make the problem worse. Does anyone else have this issue- particularly with the Wrangler, if so what was the cure? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks Nick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted May 25, 2015 If the Itasca versus the gasser, angle of the tow bar is different, it can cause a difference in the towing stability. Check with your tow bar maker for the maximum height difference between the toad and coach. If it towed well behind the gasser and not now, a simple correction may solve your problem. Good luck, and welcome to the forum, Kay Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkhartjim Report post Posted May 25, 2015 I tow either a 2005 Jeep Wrangler TJ or a 2014 Jeep Wrangler JKU with a 2008 Flletwood Bounder Pusher with no adverse effect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
campcop Report post Posted May 25, 2015 I towed a 1994 Wrangler and 2013 Wrangler behind a 35 foot gasser and now tow the 2013 Wrangler behind the Phaeton, no problem towing either....I did find that the height difference between the gasser and the DP was quite a bit and had to adjust the hitch height up considerably with the Phaeton. I have a blue Ox tow system and they are very specific about the height and angle of the tow bar...too high and the MH will take weight off the front end of the jeep on bumps etc and the Jeep will try to ride down when stopping, if the toad end of tow bar is too low, bumps will,put weight on the front end and the Toad will try to ride up the hitch on hard braking... My Brother-In-law used a hitch from a previous MH on his newer MH, connected his toad and could not get 100 feet without the front wheels of the toad turning......tow bar setup is important ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted May 26, 2015 The tow bar should be parallel to the ground. Years ago I had a Toyota wagon that flopped all over the road when towing so I hooked a couple of bungee cords to the steering wheel and then it tracked fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted May 26, 2015 mangotango, I tow a 2003 Wrangler behind our diesel, no issues what so ever, in fact I keep the camera on so I know its still back there. I did have to get a hitch riser so the tow bar would level out and the jeep is lifted with large tires, I expected it to be an issue but its not. I use a Demco Commander tow bar. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mangotango Report post Posted May 26, 2015 Thanks for all the comments. We use a Blue Ox Aventa tow bar & the hitch is pretty much level (certainly within an inch). -the gasser needed a 6in drop. I have tried clamping the hitch to remove any slack, but no difference. The Jeep does have fairly large tires - although they are standard spec from the factory. I watch the Jeep in the camera as I can hardly feel it behind the coach & it seems pretty steady, but I can't think of anything else to try as the coach drives like a dream without the toad. The 36M is a relatively short wheelbase for a pusher, but again it is fine without the tow. Nick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted May 27, 2015 Nick, Have you had the Jeeps alignment checked. Improper toe-in can cause the Jeep to wander which can cause it to push and pull the rear of the coach, aka wandering. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted May 27, 2015 Same thing if too little caster. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mangotango Report post Posted May 28, 2015 Thanks all.I have booked the jeep in to have the Jeep's alignment checked. Nick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted May 28, 2015 Ask for a "before" and "after" print out. You want caster set to the high end of factory specs. Same for toe-in. High toe-in will accelerate tire wear, but will give more stability/tracking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
