Can a Jeep Grand Cherokee Tow a Travel Trailer?

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is frequently marketed as a capable midsize SUV with solid towing numbers, making it a popular choice for small travel trailers.

But as many owners discover, the real challenge isn’t tow rating — it’s whether the setup works once payload, passengers, and tongue weight are factored in.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Tow Ratings (On Paper)

Depending on engine, drivetrain, and year, Jeep Grand Cherokee tow ratings typically range from 3,500 lb to 7,200 lb.

That upper number usually applies only to specific V6 or V8 configurations with factory tow packages.

The Overlooked Limitation: Payload

Payload is the total weight your Grand Cherokee can carry, including:

• Driver and passengers
• Pets and personal gear
• Hitch hardware
• Tongue weight from the travel trailer

Many Jeep Grand Cherokees have payload ratings in the 1,100–1,400 lb range.

Travel Trailer Tongue Weight Adds Up Fast

Travel trailers typically place 10–15% of their total weight on the hitch.

• 4,000 lb trailer → ~400–600 lb tongue weight
• 5,000 lb trailer → ~500–750 lb tongue weight

That tongue weight directly reduces the available payload for passengers and cargo.

A Realistic Grand Cherokee Towing Scenario

That’s already at — or above — the payload limit for many Grand Cherokee configurations, even though the trailer itself appears well within the tow rating.

So… Can a Jeep Grand Cherokee Tow a Travel Trailer?

Yes — but only with smaller, carefully chosen trailers.

A Grand Cherokee works best with:

• Lightweight travel trailers
• Minimal passengers and cargo
• Careful attention to tongue weight

Larger or heavily loaded travel trailers often push the vehicle past its payload limit long before reaching the advertised tow rating.

Informational only. Always verify ratings using your door sticker, owner’s manual, and real-world scale weights.