Parts Needed to Tow 1999 Jeep Cherokee With School Bus  

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Expert Reply:

We do have some hitch solutions for you, but they'll need to be welded in place in order to install them, as none of the universal fit hitches we offer can be bolted on.

What you'll need to go with is a universal-fit hitch designed for a service body truck, and in order to choose the correct one, you'll need to measure the needed drop, which is the vertical distance between the underside of the frame member and the lowest point of the rear bumper. You'd then choose the hitch with a drop greater than the measurement you took so the receiver tube clears the back bumper.

For instance, for a 3 inch drop, use # C97CR which fits frame members from 18-43.88 inches apart. For a 7 inch drop and frame members up to 60 inches apart, use # 41991-07. For a 9 inch drop and frames up to about 42 inches wide, use # C47CR. Or for a 16 inch drop, use # 41991-16 which is for frames up to 60 inches wide.

To flat tow the Cherokee, you'll need a tow bar, base plates, safety cables, a taillight wiring harness, a supplemental braking system and possibly a high/low adapter if the installed height of the base plates has greater than a 3 inch height difference from the height of the hitch on your school bus.

For a tow bar, I'd recommend the Roadmaster Falcon All Terrain, part # RM-522. The Falcon All Terrain tow bar is non binding and will self center so you don't need to have the Cherokee perfectly lined up behind the tow vehicle when you're hooking up. For base plates, use # 1418-1 and # RM-643 for safety cables.

For a wiring harness, use # RM-15267. For a braking system, I really like a portable system like the Blue Ox Patriot # BLU37TR. Once you know the height difference between the base plates and the hitch, you'll need a high/low adapter if the height difference is +/- 3 inches. I'll link you to our selection of adapters as well as to some product videos for some of the parts I recommended.

expert reply by: Mike L

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