Can a Jeep Wrangler be Flat Towed by the Front Bumper

Published 12/20/2013

Products Featured in This Question

Roadmaster Crossbar-Style Base Plate Kit - Removable Arms

(2164)

$575.00

Blue Ox Patriot Portable Flat Tow Brake System - Proportional

(472)

$1651.86

Curt, Reese, Valley, Draw-Tite, and EazLift Tow Bar Adapter Brackets for Blue Ox Base Plates

(35)

$78.12

Roadmaster Base Plate Adapter for Tow Ready Tow Bar - Replacement Crossbar for Tracker Tow Bar

(23)

$62.88

RoadMaster 68" Single Hook, Coiled Safety Cables - 6,000 lbs

(667)

$60.90

Roadmaster Brake-Lite Relay Kit for Towed Vehicles

(731)

$48.04

Question:

Was considering using a more stout bumper than eom and mounting a Reese towbar bracket to it. It looks like this would fit the bill. Many forums say just use the oem but after studying it, it looks a little on the light side to me. Your opinion would be valued.

asked by: Rick

Expert Reply:

I have a solution for you, however, I would not recommend mounting a tow bar directly to a bumper on a Jeep, whether it is OEM or an aftermarket bumper. Jeep does not recommend towing the Wrangler with the OEM bumper because it was not designed to pull the weight of the vehicle. Also, mounting a tow bar to a bumper would require drilling. I spoke with my contact at Pavement Ends and she said drilling into this bumper would void the warranty and they do not recommend using it to tow the Jeep.

Your best option for flat towing your Wrangler is to install a set of base plates like the Roadmaster EZ4 Base Plate Kit, # RM-521424-4 that is designed to fit with an OE double tube bumper. These base plates were designed to fit your 2000 Jeep Wrangler, bolt directly to the frame and have the capacity to pull the Jeep. There are a number of base plate kits available for the Wrangler depending on your bumper style. I have attached a link to all of the base plate kits available for you to check out.

If you choose to go with the Roadmaster base plates that I referenced, you will want to pick up the Base Plate Adapter, # RM-025, to use your Reese tow bar. If you choose a Blue Ox base plate kit, then you can use the Blue Ox Base Plate Adapter, part # BX8833.

In addition to the tow bar and base plates, you will also need tow bar wiring, safety cables, and a supplemental braking system to flat tow your Jeep Wrangler. The wiring I recommend for you is the Hopkins Custom Tail Light Wiring Kit # HM56202 because it is a plug-and-play wiring harness that will not require you to cut or splice into the vehicle's factory wiring. For safety cables, the Roadmaster 68 Inch Coiled Safety Cables # RM-643 are a great option because the coiled design helps keep the cables from dragging the ground while towing.

For a braking system, I recommend the Blue Ox Patriot # BLU37TR because it is easy to set-up and remove from the vehicle. Additionally, this braking system will apply the Wrangler's brakes proportionally to the RV's brakes. A Brake-Lite Relay # RM-88400 is needed to prevent the Jeep's brake signal from overriding the RV's turn signals while flat towing.