paul
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Hi all Does the MOPAR bar meet rear end crash test ?? Does the bar fitted by jeep after towbar has been removed on the n46 recall meet the crash test for rear inpact ????? May be these questions need to be answered by jeep more so the replacement towing bar, Cheers Paul
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Hi All Well having returned from small vacation with my caravan i see that nothink new has really come out from Jeep.The Statement from them saying they do not endorseany after market tow bar for the jeep is there choice.How ever they are aslo saying that they are looking into a alternative towbar.My question is this how are they going to tell you of any other towbar given the state they do not endorse any after market towbar????.I have said before that they are not going to go to all the cost of testing etc for a out of production vehicle.They have by checking fitted towbars and giving the owner the choice of whether to retain or have there bar fitted met the legal requirements .The TOW TRUST bar as stated above no only meets the test set by jeep but exceedes it .The bar has been tested by tow trust and meets all saftey requirements needed for the uk market.and has been issue with the certification labels on the bar.Thanks to MIKEK for the breakdown above(postings)and aslo to Jantet Brown for her imput.Nothink has really changed only time . Cheers Paul
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Hi moses I forgot to mention that the al-ko anti snake unit are only available as a pre set up at manufacture of chassis as the unit is intergrated with the axle and chassis.the complete unit comes with the chassis and axle on a new trailer.you are not able to purchase the set up as a after market add on .All new caravan s here if using a al-ko chassis have the set up on from new (like mine)I am not sure who in the states uses the al-ko chassis on there trailers this might be worth looking at. Cheers Paul
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hi Moses I have spoken to al-ko at the show and they have given me this site in north america http://al-kousa.com/811.htm .There is also a video on on the page regarding al-ko , just click the view peoduct at bottom of page.I also visited Tom at his tow-trust stand at the show and he was very busy and informed me that kj bars we selling well. I also went to the jeep stand and mentioned my concerns regarding there after sales sevice and the N46 recall.The rep did take down my concerns and said he would pass them on .Again now real answer to the problem from chrysler/fiat.I also met 2 Kj owners during the show and they were heading to tow trust to place orders for tow bars having read the topic on the forum so the word is getting out slowley. All in all a very nice day at the show with plenty of general information available. I will be off end of week for vacation with my new towing set up and will report back on my return Cheers Paul
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Hi Moses I will go to europe via ferry crossing depending on which part i wish to go to .I will enqire at the show on the al-ko stand if they are showing no problem .I am loking for touring aboard infomation also and this is where to find the information .I will also need to update my europe needs for travelling (new requirements if any) to keep with in the law,certain things have to be carried (like full set of bulbs etc) Have made a list of what i need to follow up on so i just wait for show now (17th feb) Cheers Paul
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Hi Moses The lenght of my caravan....20ft 9inches and 7ft 6ins wide.The caravan is a 2 berth unit with a end bathroom fitted with shower etc.The interior space is well arranged and allows us enough space to move arround in.The van is fully fitted to run with a hook up provided the batery (115amp )holds out along with the gas bottles.We have stayed on site like this for 5days but normally go on hook ups and hard standing sites.We are intending to travel to europe this year hopefully.This might take us away for moth to 6weeks dependaent on what we wish to do.We will both be retired then so time is of no concern I have this week had a electric mover fitte to the van to make it easier for us to park or move arround on site ...........https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFVQqzlJgzE.... This will be under test on first run this year. I will enquire as to the cost of the al-ko system when i visit the caravan show in feb and hopefully they will be there. I did not install the system the caravan came fully fitted at time of purchase as does most new van if not all now The system is powered via the towing vehicle ,when the connection on the van is connected to the vehicle tension is applied onto the rear axles to check and monitor the vans brakes from start up .A green light appears on the A frame cover of the van to inform you alls well and ready to go.The time taken to complete the check(done by on board cpu unit) is seconds and does not stop you from going about other connections ,you just check the light is green before moving off.should the van uncouple ,then provided the snap saftey wire line has been put in place(this should always be in place arround the tow ball hitch) then the van would have the brakes applied automatically ( I hope this never happens to me) .Care at all times when towing has to taken and keeping with in the legal speed limits should keep all safe .Maintain of the car and van are also of high concern to reduce posible problems on the journey. I will report on new mover after first trial on site Cheers Paul
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Hi moses I have taken note of the questions raised in your last post i will now look into trying to answer them from uk point of view ,thanks for inviting us over to this forum to continue with a new topic and i look forward to adding to it Cheer Paul
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Hi Moses, the anti snake you use in the U S A is like some of the stablisers used here. This is a friction pad on bar unit attached to the van and vehicle by brackets: http://www.bulldogsecure.com/view/bulldog-200q-anti-snake-stabiliser/9. Today all new caravans have a AL-KO unit fitted as standard which uses friction pads in the head (no grease on tow ball head) and a sensing unit fitted to the van to adjust either wheel brakes to bring the van back into line. My van is fitted with the AL-KO system and i have yet to experience a snake action when travelling. I have driven at the legal trailer speeds here on the motorway (60 mph) and the trailer(van) has remained solid , side winds are controlled (large vehicles passing) making the towing feel safe at all times. The alko stabliser set up is excellent and provided you mantain the head friction pads gives you safe anti snake towing within the legal speed limits. I have to say i have never towed above the legal limits but feel sure the set up would cope with it. Towing since 1978 first car a Lada 1200 with Ci cadet caravan drove to jona groats (SCOTLAND) and back what a first tow experience! http://www.visitjohnogroats.com/ Cheers Paul
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Hi all I will being towing shortly with my new tow bar and will give a response to how i get on. I will also look at my 2.5 crd specifications and place them on here. When the 2.8L CRD came here it was offered with a 6-speed manual box (kj) and also higher in road tax pricing. At the time I was considering to buy one but was put off by the high road tax against my 2.5 road tax at the time. I remember a face lift model with front and rear bumpers altered along with the indictors. Most of the changes were only minor with the 2.8 engine being the big difference. The market forces changed not long after that with the recession coming and the last cherokee here was the next model which was a bigger vehicle and did not really sell in big numbers as the market here was changing. The jeep range today is not large and has a new baby jeep in the line up called the Renegade which is powered by 1.4 ,1.6 and 2.0 units. We still have the cherokee and grand cherokee models with the proper jeep wrangler i think on special order. Here are my Jeep KJ Cherokee details: Make and Model: Jeep KJ Cherokee Sport 2.5L CRD Engine Year: 2005 Kerbweight(Kg): 1977 85% (Kg): 1680.45 Towing Capacity (Kg): 2688 Towing Capacity (Lbs): 5925 Today i towed for the first time on the new tow trust bar and found it to be slightly different than my old witter bar .The caravan hitch head was easier to fit on to the tow ball as the length of the bar holding the ball attachment was longer than old tow bar (rear wheel carrier overhang),thus allowing the placement of the caravan head to ball easier. I also noticed on the road that the overall weight at the rear was better due to the bar being positioned outside of the bumper (the older bar was under and inside the bumper(fender). I will do a complete test on a road run when i go on vacation later as I will be traveling on motorways, which throw up all sorts of issues when towing... I don`t use any weight distributing equipment and only load my vehicles to manufacturer's recommendations. I do have a anti snaking device fitted (incorporated in van) and the caravan has brakes fitted (braked trailer). The weight of the caravan uploaded is 1200kg, which is a good balance with the Jeep. Cheers, Paul
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Hi Moses The anti snake you use in the U S A is like some of the stablisers used here http://www.bulldogsecure.com/view/bulldog-200q-anti-snake-stabiliser/9 .(friction pad on bar) unit is attached to van and vehicle by brackets. Today all new caravans have a AL-KO unit fitted as standard which uses friction pads in the head(no grease on tow ball head) and a sensing unit fitted to the van to adjust either wheel brakes to bring the van back into line My van is fitted with the AL-KO system and i have yet to experience a snake action when travelling .I have driven at the legal trailer speeds here on the motorhway (60mph) and the trailer(van) has remained solid , side winds are controlled (large vehciles passing) making the towing feel safe at all times.The alko stabliser set up is excellent and provided you mantain the head friction pads gives you safe anti snake towing with in the legal speed limits.I have to say i have never towed above the legal linits but feel sure the set up would cope with it. Towing since 1978 first car a Lada 1200 with Ci cadet caravan drove to jona groats (SCOTLAND) and back what a first tow experience ........ http://www.visitjohnogroats.com/ Cheers Paul
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Hi Moses I don`t use any weight distributing only to load my vehicles in manufactures reccommendations ,I do have a anti snaking device fitted (incorparated in van) and the caravan has brakes fitted (braked trailer).The weight of the caravan uploaded is 1200klg ,which is a good balance with the Jeep. Cheers Paul
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Hi Moses I have found a few suppliers of tunning stuff fot the 2.5 crd cherokee here prices range from a few pound upwards to a couple of hundreds.I am looking for reviews regarding who who in the tuning world here .all offer better mpg and torque etc .They either offer a plug in box( uses remap in box not cars) or a total remap of vehiclesmapping .As far as i can see at present nothing like what you used there on the video I will contiue to look and read and report back .Today i towed for the first time on the new tow trust bar and found it to be slightley different than my old witter bar .The caravan hitch head was easier to fit on to the tow ball as the lenght of the bar holding the ball attachment was longer than old tow bar (rear wheel carrier overhang) ,thus allowing the placement of the caravan head to ball easier.I also noticed on the road that the overal wieght at the rear was better due to the bar being positioned outside of the bumper (the older bar was under and inside the bumper(fender)) I will do a complete test on a road run when i go on vacaition later as I will be travellering on motorways which throw up all sorts of issues when towing.. Cheers Paul
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Hi moses The Hypertech Max Energy Power Programmers for Jeep look impressive and easy to use do they do one for kj series diesel here in the uk and if so what is the cost??? i would like to see some comparisons from standard to upgrade mode.If the engine is made to run more effient than fuel mpg will rise along with bhp There are tunning kits here but I have never seen any figures (actual) on what the benifits would be.I will look into the units here in the UK and see what they offer in terms of preformance and cost etc. Cheers Paul
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Hi Moses I think the US gallon is less the the uk hence the difference in mpg.I have to be honest in my case the extra payement for a diesel vehicle when new and also the fuel price along with the road tax overal are not in my interests set against a pertrol powered vehicle.My jeep has to date only done under41,000 miles and is now 10yrs old .How ever i did not buy it to have and sell its was and still is a long term purchase which i am still hoping will do the job i purchased it for Towing my caravan even more so now that i am retired. I do own a second vehicle again diesel and only 1600cc which returns 60+ to the gallon and only £30 pound a year to tax,this one i use more and do not tow with it.I get the best of both worlds really .i have to say also that even the modern diesels engines 2200cc really do not do more to the gallon than my jeep ,so when anyone says to me that 33mpg in this day and age is a bit heavy then look at a 2200 cc towing and see what you get from them (they also rev higher to get max toque etc) and rely on revs against the jeep engine torque at lower revs which is really what you need for pulling weight.Yes they tow but fuel figures I have been given from owners of these units tell a differnt story and we are giving them 300cc.But at the end of the day its personal choice and i am happy with my choice.I only speak as i find this Jeep of mine . Cheers Paul
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Hi Laney Yes you are correct regarding the present road tax (have got to do mine end of feb) and i remember at the time the tax was higher on first puchase yr against mine at that time.I have towed various caravans here in the uk for a number of years and 3 differnt types since owning the jeep.My present van is not a heavy van having down sized for retirement and comes in with a max of 1265kgs ,which present no problem to my 2.5 jeep.I have to date found the Jeep to be a great vehicle to tow with and returning 30mpg when working hard .I normally get between 28 -33 mpg (british gallon) solo dependant on conditions .I have been towing since 1978 and have done so with various vehices over this time span.I find my jeep to without doubt the best towing vehicle to date that i have towed with,the bottom end torgue is right and takes hills in its stride,motorway driving is effortless and it is rare to drop out of top gear.I normally tow at 2,000 revs with ease with plenty in reserve to get me out of any problems.It may not have all the bells and whisles of todays vehicles but it does the job with no fuss, and keeps going.and thats all i want .All 4x4 have there problems no matter what the make and Jeep is no exception but i speak as i find and mine has done me proud todate Make Model Year Kerbweight (Kg) 85% (Kg) Towing Capacity (Kg) Towing Capacity (Lbs) Cherokee Sport 2005 1977 1680.45 2688 5925 2.5 CRD Cheers Paul..........
