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Adding the Tow Package after purchase?

140K views 93 replies 42 participants last post by  XJ99  
#1 ·
Is this possible? I just got a 2015 Trailhawk, and it didn't come with the tow package, I wanted it, but I got a good deal on the one they had in the showroom.

Is it a pain to add it? or not worth it? Just wondering if there are any concerns.
 
#2 ·
It's possible and DIY in a couple of forms.

There are a lot of posts on this site with suggestions, pictures, and wiring harness info. If adding wiring the dealer needs to do flash to activate. Does not change 2000 lb tow rating.
 
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#3 ·
You can add it, but it's involved... Probably cost about 900 including parts/labor.

I believe this is what you need for parts:

trailer hitch 82213349AB
receiver plug 82213706
harness kit 82213938AB
 
#8 · (Edited)
I just had this done on my TH, It involves 3 parts as stated above

trailer hitch 82213349AB
receiver plug 82213706
harness kit 82213938AB

However you don't need the harness & receiver plug if your going to be using the hitch for baskets & bike racks etc.. mainly as I am. Every dealer you talk to will tell you something different, one dealer actually told me (there wasent yet a OEM hitch for my TH)..... its amazing the differences you get. Another dealer told me it would be 5+ HOURS of labor aka upwards of $1000 just for labor alone. Finally my local dealer (I spoke to the parts manager) Id suggest you do the same actually knew what he was talking about. Told me if I didn't need wiring & just wanted the hitch & install it would be $270 for the hitch and only an hour of labor. I said sign me up and got it installed last week (aswell as my first oil change) All totaled under $500 i think it was around $420. Already used the bike rack on it this weekend :D Couldn't be happier!
Heres a few photos
 
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#11 ·
Like TractorAK states, the main reason why I went back to the dealer and got it done rather than after market. Didn't even consider the departure angles etc until I did research on hitches & this fourm! Great place with knowledgeable people!
 
#12 ·
Do you guys think it would be prohibitively expensive to have the axles that come with the factory tow package installed after the fact? I'm sure that in addition to the parts swap, new programming would be needed for both the transmission, speedometer, As well as the TCM and "torque transfer device" in the rear.

I'm pretty sure the answe is yes, and nobody has had this done, but I would love to get the lower ratio axles so I would have a better crawl ratio in 1st gear, and a useable 9th gear...
 
#14 ·
As far as I am aware the V6 Trailhawk already has the lower gearing with or with without tow package? Sonit would only be the non trailhawk variants?
 
#18 ·
I have posted up my MPGs and history. I wonder what others who do NOT have the factory tow package are getting? This is for another thread, obviously, just thinking out loud at this point.

I ordered mine because I knew exactly what I wanted, and what I did not. The tow package was mandatory. And I am happy I did it. The Jeep tows great, and my custom trailer behind it works wonderfully. I would strongly suggest that if you are going to have the OEM hitch installed, get the wiring too. If the zombies come and you find a trailer to cram everything you own in, you might just wish you had those two plugs...
 
#21 ·
I'm in the same boat. I bought a Trailhawk last December. Didn't come with a tow package from the factory. Which I wanted but it was the only one I could find with color combo and certain options I wanted/needed. When you build and price it says it adds the auxiliary transmission oil cooler but doesn't the Trailhawk model already come with one? If I add one, can I tow up to 4600 lbs or am I still stuck with 2000 lb towing rating? How can I fix it? I'm really disappointed I couldt find the exact model I wanted but the only Trailhawk model I could find with a tow hitch had a bunch of more crap on it that bumped the price up another $2,500.
 
#22 ·
You still dont have the Tow ratio gears, your rated limit is 2000 lbs, will it tow 4600 Sure , how long ???? lots of hills?
 
#23 ·
Not a lot of hills I'm in Florida. But I would like to tow a pop up camper or a boat in the near future. Both can get close to 2800 lbs. I have an 06 ram 1500 truck that can certainly tow but it has139000 miles on it now and I'm wanting to get rid of it. Too much gas. Plus it's only 2wd. Is the gearing in the axles? My buddy changed his gears out in his truck not that long ago. Couldn't be that hard.
 
#24 · (Edited)
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#25 ·
Not sure what my build sheet is. I'll look at it later. Hard to believe that a little bit of gearing goes from 2000 lbs to 4600 lbs of towing. Are the gears in the axle or the tranny? I would think with my V6 I could get it up to at least 3000 lbs if the 4 cylinder that doesn't add gearing with a tow package can tow up to 2000 lbs. The extra cooling is already there in the Trailhawk model.
 
#26 ·
Not sure what you are trying to argue here. If you are looking at doing this stuff to a vehicle, and you do not know how to do it yourself, take it to the dealer. Open your check book and tell them what you want done. The other option is to buy a vehicle already built to do what you want. This last option is what myself and many others did.

We are not randomly making up the towing specs. These are what Jeep says applies to various situations. You can drag around a flat bed with a Bobcat on it for all we care. It is your conscience that has to rest easy.
 
#27 · (Edited)
With 4 of the top gears all overdrive I would say it's okay to pull 4500# on relatively flat ground. The engine cooling capacity (trail hawk) is there so heat rejection shouldn't be an issue.

The real concern I have is at very low speeds like pulling a trailer/boat/camper around where the torque converter is in stall at lot. The trans oil will get hot faster with the taller gearing. To get around this just use 4lo whenever maneuvering a heavy load at really low speed for more then a few minutes.

Also keep,the frontal area of your trailer at or below what is specified in the owners manual.

Watch your trans oil temp and you will be fine (under 230 deg f). The trailer towing capacity is specified at very high ambient temperatures (110deg F) usually so if it hot outside back off on towing loads.

Most people on this forums have no engineering background to support there opinions.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#28 ·
The question is what can I tow with no factory installed parts. The parts to include wiring harness to plug into (no effect on tow rating), 2" receiver same with 2,000 lbs and 4,500 (same) if using a class 3 add on still good for all ratings. Engine 2.4 limited to 2,000 lbs in all situations. 3.2 is needed for it to pull 4,500 but with limitations. Aux cooler part of the factory tow package, this is need to handle the extra heat. Now is where factory or dealer comes into an issue with out the cooler you could still pull the 4,500 lbs but you would be responsible for the transmission temps and would possible to void the warranty as your vehicle was not rated for that load. Same is true for the gearing a lower gearing is to take some strain off the transmission so it you pull and break it could void the warranty. So would a Dealer installed tow package work yes, would it be covered by warranty? probably not. Get it in writing from the dealer that they would cover anything the manufacturer would not (bet they won't) the difference is what the manufacturer will cover not what the vehicle can do. The old rule is your max tow is the rating of the weakest part. On a v6 trailhawk with the tow package it is the max vehicle weight 4,500 lbs if you go down in hitch or even the ball then it would be whatever the weakest part is. I hope this breaks it down to the basics.
 
#30 ·
I wouldn't worry about it. Just watch the gauges and don't enter any tractor pull contests!