Launching/Retrieving with a Jeep?

[raythompson]

I believe it's illegal to tow above the vehicle's weight rating.

My understanding is that it is not against the law. You can tow a 10K boat with a '64 VW bug if you want. The legal limit only applies to commercial vehicles which are taxed according to their limits. Personal use has no such rules. You will of course void any warranties on the vehicle if you are caught. The police may stop you from driving on the road as it would be an unsafe situation.

I'm pretty sure an insurance company can deny a claim if you were breaking the law, but maybe I'm wrong.

Insurance companies will only deny coverage if the vehicle is used in a felony. People get in accidents all the time because the run stop signs, speeding, failure to yield, illegal lane change (which got me nailed) which are all against the law. Yet insurance pays those claims. Most accidents are from "illegal" activity. The line is usually drawn at felony commission of a crime. If you robbed a bank, are speeding away, get into an accident, your insurance will not pay. If you are just speeding your insurance will pay.

But if you have cheap insurance, as the Mayham guy would say, all bets are off. What I am providing is based on the insurance coverage that I have with Travelers and in TN. I see people many times exceeding capacities of vehicles while on the road. Maybe it's the redneck way.

[IDBoating]

Also ask yourself this question: "If I were having a car accident, how big a check would I be willing to write to reverse time and avoid/minimize it?"

Someone on here raised the question of a towing vehicle, and one idea was to simply buy an old beater truck off Craigslist. For $1000-2000 you should be able to solve every aspect of this problem. That might seem pretty cheap in certain circumstances. Just a thought....

[Coop]

I agree with the concerns about towing on the open road with it -- definitely wouldn't do it. As Adam said, tail wagging the dog.

I'm just talking about launching, pulling it out, and taking it less than a 1/4 mile on private roads to store it. Sounds like everyone agrees that the 4.0 will have the power to do that.

The beater truck idea would work, but I'm hoping to also use it for some off-roading in the winter.

Thanks again for all the replies. If I do it, I'll let you know how it goes.

[Timmy!]

Good luck Coop!

[raythompson]

I'm just talking about launching, pulling it out, and taking it less than a 1/4 mile on private roads to store it. Sounds like everyone agrees that the 4.0 will have the power to do that.

I see no problems with that type of towing. I have seen my dealer moving much larger boats in, and out of the flush tank, and moving boats around the yard with nothing more than a medium Kabota tracter. They just had a bar across the three point hitch to connect to the ball socket on the boat trailer. They would back under the trailer, lift the hitch and take off. This was a tractor with only 32 horsepower. It is all about gearing and 4WDL on your Jeep will have more than enough torgue to do the towing job that you describe.

[Joeprunc]

Get the 4.0, throw a rear locker on it with some 35s and re-gear you will be able to go anywhere offroad. Towing on private roads for 1/4 mile is nothing, I bet you probably have had people riding in the boat down that drive too.

[Dave S]

He did say "just up/down a hill and across the road to the storage unit." Is this across a public road? we talking miles or feet? I can relate as I tow my boat about 2500 feet round trip when going from my storage unit, down the drive to the ramp and never leave the property that the ramp is on.

With a "Jeep Wrangler" my conern would be is it heavy enough assuming it is an older CJ "older, inexpensive Jeep Wrangler", even with 4x4 if it is not heavy enough, then all 4 tires will just sit there and spin on the ramp, I have seen it happen at our boat ramp with a 4x4 4.0 Ranger. How good is the ramp you use?

[Coop]

The ramp is in pretty good shape -- concrete with good grooves and not too steep.

I do go across a public two-lane highway, but I'm on it for no more than 100 feet.

As far as the Jeep, if I can find one for the right price, I'm hoping for a Wrangler "Unlimited", which has a longer wheelbase and a higher tow rating (and, I'm assuming, is heavier).

[rensink]

The insurer has the right to deny the claim depending on the circumstances of the accident. So in a way yes they could deny the claim to be correct is it likely? depends on many factors of the accident and how "stupid" the driver of the vehicle with the trailer over the rated tow limit was.