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Old 01-28-2021, 04:37 PM   #1
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Just bought a 2017 FourWinds 35SD and slowly learning the coach. Thinking about flat towing my Jeep Wrangler. As the Ford 550 is equipped with electronic brakes for the tow I am wondering about the best way to move forward with the tow bar and what is needed to attach to my Jeep.

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Old 01-28-2021, 04:47 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by rongoade View Post
Just bought a 2017 FourWinds 35SD and slowly learning the coach. Thinking about flat towing my Jeep Wrangler. As the Ford 550 is equipped with electronic brakes for the tow I am wondering about the best way to move forward with the tow bar and what is needed to attach to my Jeep.
Your rig does not have brakes for the toad. You will need a supplemental braking system for the toad.

Do a search on flat towing and you can find all the info you need.

Towbar
baseplate
harness for lights
supplemental braking system
depending on the year Jeep you may need the death wobble harness from Jeep.

Recommend a dedicated charging line be installed.
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Old 01-28-2021, 05:04 PM   #3
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Dave is right. The Brake Controller is for towing a trailer with electric brakes. I'm sure your Jeep is not equipped with electric brakes.
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Old 01-28-2021, 05:10 PM   #4
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Yup! What they said...
And welcome to the forum also!
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Old 01-28-2021, 05:18 PM   #5
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Your rig does not have brakes for the toad. You will need a supplemental braking system for the toad.

Do a search on flat towing and you can find all the info you need.

Towbar
baseplate
harness for lights
supplemental braking system
depending on the year Jeep you may need the death wobble harness from Jeep.

Recommend a dedicated charging line be installed.
Great, thanks for the info!
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Old 01-29-2021, 02:31 AM   #6
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Congratulations and what they said
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Old 01-29-2021, 02:50 AM   #7
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I think that a Jeep Wrangler is one of the if not the best tow vehicle out there. What year model?

You will need a tow bar, base plates, supplemental braking system, a wiring harness to activate the tail, turn and brake lights on the toad. You will need a breakaway switch on the toad that will activate your supplemental braking system.
Lots of supplemental braking systems on the market from surge to high end electronic.
I purchase most of my towing "stuff" from Etrailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/
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Old 01-29-2021, 03:13 AM   #8
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Depending on the year Jeep you may need the death wobble harness from Jeep.

Recommend a dedicated charging line be installed.
I thought the death wobble was limited to the Jeep Cherokee?
An I second the charge line though some may disagree.
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Old 01-29-2021, 03:38 AM   #9
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The need for a charge line depends on the braking system you choose. The "death wobble" is mostly an issue with the Grand Cherokee with electric power steering. Wranglers are one of the easiest rigs to set up to tow, and the choices of equipment are abundant.
Mike
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Old 01-29-2021, 11:34 AM   #10
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Welcome to the forum
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Old 01-29-2021, 10:00 PM   #11
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Wranglers are easy to set up and tow. But they’re not for everyone. The newer ones have more creature comforts but they are all pretty crude by modern standards. I think that’s part of their charm, personally. Mine has manual windows, locks and mirrors and needs...wait for it....an actual key to unlock the doors. They’re also surprisingly expensive.
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Old 01-29-2021, 10:38 PM   #12
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Wranglers are easy to set up and tow. But they’re not for everyone. The newer ones have more creature comforts but they are all pretty crude by modern standards. I think that’s part of their charm, personally. Mine has manual windows, locks and mirrors and needs...wait for it....an actual key to unlock the doors. They’re also surprisingly expensive.
And retain their resale value much better than most.
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Old 01-30-2021, 05:42 PM   #13
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And retain their resale value much better than most.


Congratulations on your new adventures. I have a 2017 Four winds 35sk f550 also. We tow 4 down a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. You will need everything mentioned earlier. I have never experienced the death wobble. I did just in case had the wiring harness installed at the dealership’s dollars. I think I was lucky in that respect. Have fun and be safe.

Tom
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Old 02-03-2021, 07:30 PM   #14
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I bought the lighting harness from Mopar for my 2007 JK Jeep Rubicon. It plugs into the factory harness, uses 12v from the tow vehicle to operate the tail and turn lights. That way you don’t use the towed vehicle battery to operate the lights. The MOPAR part number is 82211156AB and on Amazon for $124. Pretty easy install. Only one hole drilled into the firewall behind the glove box. Uses the tow vehicles 12 volts and nothing to do to the Jeep except plug it in to the tow vehicles trailer power plug.

The toughest part was accessing the Jeep’s wiring harness behind the glove box. Once that was done...well, it’s worth every penny.
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Old 02-04-2021, 01:16 AM   #15
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I bought the lighting harness from Mopar for my 2007 JK Jeep Rubicon. It plugs into the factory harness, uses 12v from the tow vehicle to operate the tail and turn lights. That way you don’t use the towed vehicle battery to operate the lights. The MOPAR part number is 82211156AB and on Amazon for $124. Pretty easy install. Only one hole drilled into the firewall behind the glove box. Uses the tow vehicles 12 volts and nothing to do to the Jeep except plug it in to the tow vehicles trailer power plug.

The toughest part was accessing the Jeep’s wiring harness behind the glove box. Once that was done...well, it’s worth every penny.
Dang Lefty, I wish that I could have done that and maybe I could have. Maybe I didn't do enough research?
Just splicing into the factory harness would have been much easier than what I did.
I dunno, your Jeep was a 2007. Mine is a 2020. According to my research, I needed diodes to splice into the harness to prevent back feeding of either system, the toad to the RV and the RV to the toad.
Maybe the electronics have changed a lot and are more computerized compared to earlier models?
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Old 02-04-2021, 01:40 AM   #16
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Don’t know if it’s available for all Jeep’s but there’s a nifty Hopkins harness (brand) from etrailer that plugs into the Jeep wiring harness at the tail lights and you’re good to go. Prewired diodes and factory connectors. At least for my TJ. Seems like it was about $60. Super simple and works a treat.
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Old 02-04-2021, 03:39 AM   #17
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Dang Lefty, I wish that I could have done that and maybe I could have. Maybe I didn't do enough research?
Just splicing into the factory harness would have been much easier than what I did.
I dunno, your Jeep was a 2007. Mine is a 2020. According to my research, I needed diodes to splice into the harness to prevent back feeding of either system, the toad to the RV and the RV to the toad.
Maybe the electronics have changed a lot and are more computerized compared to earlier models?
The diodes are already wired in to the MOPAR harness and its plug-n-play. Only problem is it’s for 07-17 JK Wranglers only. Anyway, I also use the Blue Ox tow bar with their surge brake setup. No need for the overpriced Brake Buddy. I don’t think Blue Ox makes it anymore, but checkout NSA RV Products (RB-9050 Ready Brute Elite Tow Bar on Amazon. $1K which is less than just a Brake Buddy and you get the tow bar and braking system. My Blue Ox surge brake works great But the tow bar is pretty worn out. I might spring for the Ready Brute myself.
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Old 02-06-2021, 08:12 PM   #18
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I set up a 2008 Wrangler with the Ready Brute Elite II this past spring. Pretty easy if you’re a DIY’er. Something to think about is that if you have an aftermarket front bumper with D rings, you can connect directly to the bumper without using a baseplate. In fact, some good, sturdy bumpers are about the same cost as a baseplate and look better than stock IMHO.
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