Will the Draw-Tite Hitch # DT78MR for 2019 Jeep Wrangler JL Unlimited Increase my Tongue Weight?

Updated 11/15/2021 | Published 08/14/2019

Question:

should I purchase this for my 2019 jeep unlimited? I know the jeep has a 350lb tongue capacity. Would this safely increase that? should I stick with a hitch that is rated for 350? Thanks

asked by: JOhn

Expert Reply:

The short answer to this is, no, adding this hitch will not safely increase your tongue weight capacity. Since the tongue capacity for the vehicle is 350-lbs, upgrading to a hitch like the Draw-Tite Max Frame # DT78MR won't allow you to carry more weight on your hitch because it's rated for 675-lbs. You are always limited to the lowest rated component in your towing setup, which in this case is the Jeep.

Even though this won't give you a higher tongue weight capacity, what it will do for you is provide you with much greater clearance away from your bumper and spare tire than your factory hitch. This is going to be especially helpful for carrying hitch mounted accessories like bike racks and cargo carriers. The Draw-Tite # DT78MR
has the longest tube of any hitch we offer for the Jeep JLU and leaves only 5-1/2" of space from the center of the hitch pin hole to the edge of your factory spare tire- if you have a larger tire, this length is going to be slightly more . I'm attaching 2 pictures that shows you some of the measurements on this hitch when installed on a Jeep Wrangler.

expert reply by: Erik B