Parts Needed to Flat Tow a 2009 Jeep Liberty with a 1999 Lazy Daze 26 ft Motorhome V10

Question:

Are there products available to flat tow a 2009 Jeep Liberty with a 1999 Lazy Daze 26 foot motorhome or would I need to have a custom bracket made for the Jeep? I like the Blue Ox brand with the adjustable arms. I have no problem with cutting away some of the plastic bumper material to make it fit. Also, does anything else need to be done to the Jeep Liberty for towing besides the tow bar?

asked by: Gerald B

Expert Reply:

Yes, there are parts available that will allow you to flat tow your 2009 Jeep Liberty. The first thing to check is the vehicle owners manual for specific information on flat towing the Liberty.

The first thing you are going to need are base plates. The base plates, # BX1976, will provide the proper and safe attachment point on your Liberty for the tow bar.

For a compatible tow bar I recommend the Alpha, # BX7365. It comes with safety cables and it is rated for 6,500 pounds. If you are looking for a more economical option you can use the Adventurer, # BX7322, but it does not come with safety cables and it is only rated for 5,000 pounds.

If you go with the Adventurer and need safety cables you can use # BX88196.

Next you will need lighting. If you do not plan on towing the Liberty often I recommend a simple magnetic kit # RM-2120. For a more permanent lighting solution you can use the diode kit # 154-792-118158. In either case it looks like the battery on the Liberty will either have to be disconnected or there is some feature that will drain the battery while it is being towed.

And finally, most states now require supplemental braking on the vehicle being flat towed. One of the easiest systems to set up and use is the Even Brake proportional system # RM-9400. It will apply the Liberty brakes in proportion to how much the tow vehicle is braking. This is the easiest way to stop and it reduces wear and tear on both vehicles.

To allow the braking system to function properly you will also need a 12 volt outlet kit, # RM-9332, and a stop light switch kit, # RM-751430. The switch kit alerts you that the Liberty brake pedal is actually moving so you know the braking system is working properly.

I have also included some helpful links to our series of help articles on flat towing for you.