Trailer And Tongue Weight; Towing Requirements - Jeep Grand Cherokee 2020 Owner's Manual

264 STARTING AND OPERATING
To reinstall the hitch receiver cover after towing
repeat the procedure in reverse order.
NOTE:
Be sure to engage all tabs of the hitch receiver
cover in the bumper fascia prior to installation.

Trailer And Tongue Weight

Never exceed the maximum tongue weight
stamped on your bumper or trailer hitch.
Weight Distribution
CAUTION!
Always load a trailer with 60% of the weight in
the front of the trailer. This places 10% of the
GTW on the tow hitch of your vehicle. Loads
balanced over the wheels or heavier in the
rear can cause the trailer to sway severely
side to side which will cause loss of control of
the vehicle and trailer. Failure to load trailers
heavier in front is the cause of many trailer
collisions.
Consider the following items when computing
the weight on the rear axle of the vehicle:
The tongue weight of the trailer.

The weight of any other type of cargo or

equipment put in or on your vehicle.
The weight of the driver and all passengers.

NOTE:
Remember that everything put into or on the
trailer adds to the load on your vehicle. Also,
additional factory-installed options or
dealer-installed options must be considered as
part of the total load on your vehicle. Refer to
the "Tire And Loading Information" in this
chapter for the maximum combined weight of
occupants and cargo placard for your vehicle.

Towing Requirements

To promote proper break-in of your new vehicle
drivetrain components, the following guidelines
are recommended.
CAUTION!
Do not tow a trailer at all during the first

500 miles (805 km) the new vehicle is
driven. The engine, axle or other parts could
be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (805 km)

that a trailer is towed, do not drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and do not make starts
at full throttle. This helps the engine and
other parts of the vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Perform the maintenance listed in the
"Scheduled Servicing". Refer to "Scheduled
Servicing" in "Servicing And Maintenance" for
the proper maintenance intervals. When towing
a trailer, never exceed the GAWR or GCWR
ratings.