my girlfriend and myself are looking into getting a camper and tour the states all winter. will her jeep handle that load for that long? and if so, what weight should we keep around to limit stress on the engine and transmission? its a 99(i think) Cherokee.

-thank you

 

Look in the manual, I think it says 5000lbs max towing capacity if you have a Cherokee with a 4.0 and auto transmission with a class 3 hitch. I would suggest getting a transmission cooler.....and I would not go longer than an 18', and even then XJ's are not the best for towing. They have some ultra lights like this one that are under 3k dry weight. Not much room in them. Just consider length AND weight, not just weight. Also spend the money on a good hitch and load leveler. It makes a difference. And don't let the dealer tell you that your XJ will handle a 23' 4700lb camper.

http://www.lancecamper.com/travel-trailers/1575/

 

thank you.
then i guess we have nothing to worry about. we wernt thinking anything over 16 or so. haha

 

I tow a Jayco 16' slx.... I added a large trans oil cooler, air shocks, have a weight distribution hitch. Also added trans oil temp gauge. Drive with the transmission in the "3" position as recommended in the Jeep Manual. I find that 55 mph is the ideal speed for engine and trans temps. I live in Florida and the biggest hills are some of the bridges over ocean port areas. The Jeep has to work real hard on the bridges. I don't know how it would do in constant mountain areas. I get 11 mpg when towing the RV at 55mph mostly on flat ground. Also it will depend on the maintenance that has been done on your Jeep. It needs to be in the very top of condition and running order.
hope this helps

**as an edit, you may want to consider a pop-up camper, less wind resistance and lighter..just a thought