2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Flat Tow Setup Procedure

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The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L has some critical things to watch out for when setting it up to flat tow behind a motorhome. Not only does the owners manual not mention these issues, but the info that is there is inaccurate and badly sequenced.
The first half of this video describes my setup procedure for flat towing the 2021 and newer GC-L and what to watch out for. The last half describes how to get it out of tow mode and the funky errors that usually occur.
As of 2/2022 I have towed this vehicle over 5000 miles encompassing about 35 tow sessions without incident using this procedure.
For detailed information about installing a baseplate on this vehicle see my blog post at wp.me/p79WX6-7H2

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1 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 74

@rdmgwinn 7 месяцев назад

Thank you very much for the explanation. Have a 2024 Overland the dealer / Jeep was little to no help. Can't believe Jeep does not produce a step by step procedure. Betting they would not honor the warranty if I did something wrong flat towing. PS Auto park brake system is a PIT-. Almost wishing I'd never got rid of my old 2004 GC Overland, was so easy tow / everything

@arlenestadler9188 2 месяца назад

Great video. Thank you. We are having problems with our 2024 Summit with the front wheels not turning to track our motor home when making turns. I read that others had this problem. Was it ever resolved?

@elizabethprochnow5443 Год назад

Like many others, I found this to be the best explanation on how to set up the Grand Cherokee for flat towing. Many, many thanks for making such a terrific video! I have a few comments for which I would appreciate any thoughts you may have. I am using the 2023 Grand Cherokee manual as a reference. Apologies for numbering these for the sake of organization! 1. I haven't been backing up to extend the towbar until after the whole procedure inside the Jeep is completed and I've exited the vehicle. The slight amount of play allows me to test that the transfer case is in NEUTRAL by shifting into Reverse or Drive briefly without the brake (steps 7,8,9 of owners manual). If you are on an incline, however, the vehicle will roll accordingly when you do. 2. When changing the settings, I've noticed that I need to be careful to use the slider on the right to avoid inadvertently touching a selection thereby changing a setting to something unwanted. 3. The 2023 Jeep manual indicates that it should be towed in Normal Ride Height. So we had the height of our hitch adjusted to work with Jeep at normal ride height rather than vice versa. 4. When unhitching, you indicated that you need to wait a minute or two after turning on the engine before taking transfer case out of NEUTRAL. The owners manual indicates that this is needed so the engine isn't in high idle. 5. Jeep must have fixed a number of the error messages you mentioned, and I am able to change my settings back. 6. Carguy on the WL Jeep Forum, Oct. 7, 2022 suggested attaching the driver seatbelt and leaving it attached until you unhitch to defeat the parking assist. Again, many thanks!

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

Thanks! Sorry for the slow response. 1) Sounds fine if that works for you. I do that as well after the tow bar arms lock, but I'm quite sure I would still be sble to tell if there was movement when shifting thru D and R. 2 & 3) Makes sense. 4) Good to know, I'm pretty sure my '21 owners manual doesn't mention that. I've observed that the coolant temp needs to be about 140F before the transfer case will switch reliably. 5) Great, good to know! I wonder if I can get those programming upgrades? 6) Can't hurt! thanks again!

@curtisrose6843 Год назад

Can't thank you enough for this thorough wall through. Amazing.

@throughmyeyes... 2 года назад

Rob, that is a great video. I found this through the posts on the irv2 forum and you should be congratulated for discovering the proper sequence for flat towing this vehicle, and then explaining it so clearly in this video. So many people were/are complaining about these issues, but you were the only one to offer what seems to be a reliable solution so kudos for that. Jeep should do something for you because honestly, up until the time I saw your explanation and video, I had basically given up on considering this vehicle as a toad, but now it is very much back in the running, thanks to you.

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Thank you! Still no problems so far using that procedure, would love to find the right person at Jeep to discuss this with.

@cherylhurley1715 2 года назад

@@robpicchione5014 I am being told no flat tow and no dolly - ONLY on a trailer :(

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

@@cherylhurley1715 exactly what model do you have? For 2021 (and I assume) 2022 Grand Cherokee L you must have an Overland or Summit 4x4. These are the only models that have the Quadra-Track II with a transfer case that can be put in Neutral. The other models are Quadra-Track I and can't be flat towed because there is no Neutral for the transfer case. None of the 2 wheel drive models can be flat towed.

@cherylhurley1715 2 года назад

@@robpicchione5014 mine is 2021 grand Cherokee L with Quadra track 1

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

@@cherylhurley1715 sorry to hear that

@DeboraModellas Год назад

Question...my 2022 with electric park brake...I currently have a brake buddy system from my old jeep. Can this be used with the electric park brake??

@walker0019 Год назад

Do you install an RVI brake? If so, would that have any affect on the Emergency Brake?

@DavidGreen-o6w 10 месяцев назад

Thank you for wonderful video. FYI I have to start the engine and wait 7 minutes before my grand cherokee will go back in gear from neutral.

@robpicchione5014 10 месяцев назад

Glad it helped! 7 minutes sounds about right. Basically, the engine needs to come up to normal running temp before you can shift out of transfer case neutral.

@jet357 Год назад

Great video....I also have a 17 Aspire and followed your guide on electrifying the cargo locks. It worked like a charm....thanks again.

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

Great! Glad you found the info helpful!

@kellyperque4443 7 месяцев назад

God bless you for this video❤

@TheCaptain-fl9ft 2 года назад

Awesome video!! We just got the G. Cherokee L to flat tow behind our RV. We use to use a dolly. Can you make a video on how to hook up the actual flat tow equipment , the brake set up process for this particular vehicle? That would help greatly. Thanks !!

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Hi, that will depend on what braking system you are using. Since we have a diesel pusher with air brakes I went with the Demco Air Force One which provides true proportional air. I have been using this system for 11 years on 3 vehicles and 3 coaches. Once installed, all that is required to setup that system is to plug in the airline between the Jeep and the coach. For coaches without air, I suggest the Demco Stay in Play Duo. Again, once it is installed there is no setup required. When we bought the GC-L I re-looked at all the braking systems I could find and these two IMO are the best fit for the GC-L and can easily accommodate the "soft" brake pedal, you simply cap off the Vacuum booster port because it isn't needed. Many of the other systems are incompatible and/or overly complex to install. I will be doing a blog post when I have time on this as well as on how to remove the front fascia and install a baseplate.

@gibby0914 11 месяцев назад

Thank you for this!

@joshuableyl5300 2 года назад

Appreciate the step by step, very helpful. Question: just lock the door and take the key with me as normal?

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Yes, that's what I do, the key is in my pocket the entire time. Upon exit I shut the door and then tap the lock touch area on one of the door handles.

@jmfixitman 2 года назад

Awesome tips thank you! I wonder if we couldn't petition Jeep to do a software update to add a flat towing app? In that app we could set all the things we want to have disabled before placing the transfer case into neutral, then hit the app when we are done, and it automatically re-enables those items... Seems like that option should be a no brainer for this vehicle.

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Agree, a setting in Uconnect for flat towing would be fantastic! There are settings for changing a tire and a transport mode but I don't really know what that does. So far Jeep has been mute on the subject as far as I know. I've asked a few dealers to escalate the issue but there has been no response, at least not to me.

@clayolson8606 2 года назад

Great Video! Very Helpful, Thank you!

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

Glad it was helpful!

@richardm.3038 Год назад

Rob: (2023 Grand Cherokee Overland) Just got my Roadmaster Baseplate and M&G braking system installed. When I tow it, the front wheels do not turn enough to track properly maneuvering in slow speed turns. Do you have any knowledge of this problem?

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

It happened to me once in 15K towing miles. I'm using a Roadmaster baseplate and a BlueOx towbar. It seems like a lot of folks lately are reporting this issue. We were leaving a campground and I think it was because both tow bar arms had not locked yet. I put a camera in the Jeep to make sure and I have so far not seen the problem again. AFAIK the steering on the GC-L cannot be locked, and while in tow mode the electric assist is always active. Maybe a software issue?

@mikemiura1289 2 года назад

Excellent tutorial! Thank you!

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

Glad it was helpful!

@JCunningham21 2 года назад

the auto parking brake is stupid. if you have it on you have to manually shut it off or you cant move but if you have it off and manually turn it on it will automatically turn off when you give it gas.

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

On mine, if the park brake is on and I put my seatbelt on before switching out of park, it automatically turns off. I will have to try the giving it gas technique, Thanks.

@danielschwerin2079 Год назад

Rob ... how far do you flat tow before taking the jeep off the coach and driving around? I've heard every 300 - 400 miles should turn the vehicle on to let the fluids relubricate the vehicle.

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

David, we rarely drive more than that in a typical traveling day, but even if we did, I don't think it would be an issue with a Jeep, or any other vehicle, with a neutral capable transfer case. I reread the flat towing section in the owners manual just now and did not notice any distance or other limits specified. With the transfer case disconnected, there isn't much getting exercised on the Jeep. However, I think what you suggested would apply to other vehicles that don't have a way to disconnect the transmission - my Honda Odyssey for example had a suggestion to start up the engine after every couple hours of driving to cool down the transmission. It also had a speed limit of 65. There is one thing with the Jeep's that have air suspension (like the Summit and Overland) where it is required to start it up every 24 hours to make up for any temperature and pressure changes in the air suspension system.

@richardm.3038 Год назад

Great review! Very well done, helpfull, answered a number of questions, and explained some things I was scratching my head about. Well worth watching if you tow a Grand Cherokee. FYI: I'm switching from a 2016 Wrangler Rubicon to a 2023 Grand Cherokee. And yes... they are most definitely different to set up to tow! (I have a roadmaster towbar and am having the baseplate, lights, and M&G Braking system installed in 2 weeks)

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

Glad it was helpful!

@lancesmith6459 2 года назад

Rob can you use the Power Distribution box that you use to jump start the Jeep to hook up the RVI Towed Battery Charger? If not how did you get the cable to the battery under the drivers seat? Still haven't figured out how to expose the battery under the seat.

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Lance, I used the jump start terminal. See my blog post at myquantumdiscovery.com/2021-jeep-grand-cherokee-l-baseplate-air-force-one-installation Near the end in the "Demco AFO Breakaway Switch and Toad Charge Wiring Notes:" section is a photo of the connection.

@dsmtycoon2070 Год назад

what brand of towing bars are you using?. customer of ours has a blue ox system and everytime they make a turn. the front wheels dont track as well and it feels like the wheels are locked up on the towing vehicke.

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

I'm using a Roadmaster baseplate and a BlueOx towbar. It seems like a lot of folks lately are reporting this issue. It happened to me only once that I know of in 15K miles of towing. We were leaving a campground and I think it was because both tow bar arms had not locked yet. I put a camera in the Jeep to make sure and I have so far not seen the problem again. AFAIK the steering on the GC-L cannot be locked, and while in tow mode the electric assist is always active. Maybe a software issue?

@acesh5606 2 года назад

So when you are flat towing does it count all the milegae you are putting on that jeep? If not you could have a jeep that has 100.000 miles in flat towing and 2.000 miles on the odometer.

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Nope, tow miles don't reflect in the odometer. I'm not aware of any vehicles that count those miles. The wear is only on the wheels/tires/brakes, on the Jeep the drive train is disconnected.

@jbtheyp 2 года назад

Great video.. can you do one with all the physical connections? And what equipment are you using? Thanks!

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Thanks, I will work on that. For now, you might find some useful info in my blog post about installing the baseplate and other equipment: myquantumdiscovery.com/2021-jeep-grand-cherokee-l-baseplate-air-force-one-installation

@fredasher8226 2 года назад

Thank you for a great video for flat towing the L. I always get the flashing Park light after putting transfer case in N and shifting transmission to P. The park brake is on so I release it. I shut the car off and back on. The brake light stays off and the P light is on solid. Is it OK to tow or is there a change that the brake will reactivate?

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

As far as I know the park brake should not reactivate in that situation. Notevthat I have found if the engine has been warmed up before you do the procedure, the P usually only flashes for a few seconds before it goes solid. In any case, I always double check after turning off the engine by pressing the start button - with foot off the brake - and verifying the NEUTRAL is lighted and the BRAKE remains off. Then shutdown again and you should be good to go.

@AnotherSimpleDayinUS 2 года назад

Thanks for making this great video! Unfortunately I have limited version which don’t have neutral button in the center console. Unsure how to do the flat tow.

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Hi, sorry the Limited and below in the 2021 L has Quadra-Track I and is NOT flat towable. The Quadra-Trac II feature with two speed transfer case, 4WD Low and Neutral button are required. However, note that the 2021 and older Limited non-L does have Quadra-Track II. Why Jeep doesn't offer this option on the 2021 Limited L is disappointing, the pricey Overland or Summit are the only trims with the Quadra-Track II.

@larrysmith3667 2 года назад

Best video for the new Jeep i have seen. My Jeep has been in the shop three times tryng to repair the warning lights at start up . i did have issues with the speed to high for transfer also, the car is to high to transfer I can't believe Jeep has not repaired this

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Thanks, glad it helped. I have observed that the "Speed too high to shift" message is more likely to occur when the engine is cold. I usually only get this message when preparing to tow and getting the shifter into Park (without it flashing) after moving the transfer case to Neutral. Bottom line, make warming up the engine part of your pre-tow preparations to minimize the problem. As for the warning lights and messages after towing, they go away after you drive a short distance - this works every time. Although, I have recently observed a certain speed has to be reached before the reset occurs. Not sure exactly yet, but I think around 35mph. Until Jeep analyzes the issue and fixes the bugs in their code, I assume no dealer will be able to fix it. It would be nice if some dealer were willing to try and re-create it (which requires the vehicle to actually be towed), but I have had no success so far with that request. I wish Jeep would respond to my attempts to get someone with the proper technical knowledge to contact me.

@spearma7 Год назад

Great video thank you. I have the same setup with the Air Force one in my GCL. Question - Did you install a brake relay so your turn signals function on the car under braking? If so do you recall what wire you tapped into for the brake switch?

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

Not sure I understand the question. Brake relay for turn signals? Something new? Can you elaborate on that? For the brake lights alone, they are active all the time, so just pressing the pedal (which the AFO does) activates the brake lights automatically, so no additional wiring needed. The turn signals are a different story and still require hard wiring as far as I know. I am looking at a way to activate the factory turn signals over the canbus, but that solution, if possible, is many miles down the road.

@spearma7 Год назад

@@robpicchione5014Roadmaster makes a brake relay kit to deactivate the brake signal from the pedal. This way the brake and turn signals function properly instead of the brake signal from the pedal overriding the signals from the RV. Problem is I’m not sure which wire in the harness is the proper one to connect the relay to.

@travismyers16 Год назад

Great vidio! Helped alot. Just can't get the front tires to steer with me while towing. They stay strait around corners even though the power steering is still active when I stop and check. Hopefully you have some input.

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

Oh wow, that's strange. Assume you are using a standard double locking arm towbar and baseplate? As far as I know, there is no way to lock the steering on this vehicle so it should just follow your turns. I think you will need to talk to Jeep about this one. Sorry I couldn't help, post back when you find the solution. Good luck!

@richardm.3038 Год назад

Did you ever resolve your issue with the front tires not steering properly and skidding in turns? My new 2023 which I just towed for the first time is doing the same thing!

@iechiefcherokee3807 2 года назад

Would you know how to put the Cherokee L in tow mode I’m trying to tow my trailer?

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

I don't think there is a specific tow mode, but see the Trailer Towing section in the owners manual, it has some towing tips.

@jamiedew2171 2 года назад

Thanks for this video, super helpful! Question: Which towing kit/package are you using in the video? From what I can tell, Roadmaster and Blue Ox having yet made their kit for the Grand Cherokee L.

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Hi, Roadmaster was first to Market and BlueOx shortly behind. Demco was allegedly working on one but I don't know the status. The Overland and Summit baseplates are different. I have an Overland and went with Roadmaster only because they were first and I needed it immediately, I have production unit #1. The Roadmaster install requires no drilling and eliminates the factory tow hooks on the Overland. The BlueOx requires drilling and retains the factory tow hooks on the Overland. Either brand will work with the competitive brands tow bar by using adapters. I have a BlueOx tow bar and it works fine. Now that both makes are in production, for the Overland I would lean towards the BlueOx to keep the factory tow hooks which also add extra support to the baseplate. For the Summit, the Roadmaster would be my choice as it uses the chassis tow hook mount points (even tho the Summit has no factory tow hooks) and may be a stronger installation and also requires no drilling. When I have time I am planning to do a blog post on the baseplate install. Good luck!

@jamiedew2171 2 года назад

@@robpicchione5014 Thanks so much for the help! Video is incredibly helpful!

@estherscanlon4501 2 года назад

Question Does your Jeep battery stay charged while you are towing?

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Yes, I take the 12v from the coach/umbilical and feed it to a Toad Charge, the output of which connects to the Jeep battery terminals. The Toad Charge regulates the voltage to prevent overcharge and prevents reverse current flow (where a low coach battery will draw down the Jeep battery). You can do it without the Toad Charge or some similar device, but it has some risks. I never tried not using a charging line, but with the Jeep brakes and steering being electric, I expect the load on the Jeep battery while towing is relatively high. Others without a charging line have complained about dead batteries.

@estherscanlon4501 2 года назад

@@robpicchione5014 thank you for your helpful video & tip for keeping the battery charged

@Bac7777. 5 месяцев назад

I use to plug in a solar pad to the cigarette lighters and put the pad on the dashboard while driving down the road and that kept my battery charge up . I have sent wired a plug to the couch which now it keeps the battery charged up

@calebenson2543 Год назад

Hello, great video. We have a grand Cherokee L Limited, do you know if we are still able to tow like this or would we need a trailer?

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

No, sorry, GC-L Limited cannot be flat towed. It must have Quadra-Track II, which has a transfer case that can be put in neutral. Only L Overland and Summit have that option.

@calebenson2543 Год назад

@@robpicchione5014 got it.. would you recommend we do a tow pulley for the front wheel or just get a full size trailer for it?

@robpicchione5014 Год назад

@Cale Benson Take a look at the manual under Recreational Towing. 4WD needs ALL wheels off the ground, so CANNOT be towed on a dolly so you would need a flatbed. 2WD can be towed on a dolly, but with only the front wheels on the ground. Hope that helps.

@calebenson2543 Год назад

@@robpicchione5014 sounds good; thanks for the help!

@mikelee223 2 года назад

Couldn't you make a new drivers profile on your uconnect to save time?

@robpicchione5014 2 года назад

Theoretically yes, BUT, I haven't had much success with profiles. Maybe it's me, but I’ve found the switching process to be slow, cumbersome and sometimes frustrating with it not retaining the desired settings. While the system setup process might seem lengthy in the video, once accustomed to it, in reality it takes less than 10 seconds to change them all. At this point, for me, having done it so many times and assuming the engine is warmed up, the entire prep to tow process inside the Jeep takes only about 30 seconds, if that. When coming out of tow mode, the post-tow errors will still exist regardless of which profile you are using. Note the errors will clear after driving more 25mph or above for about 45 seconds. Not sure if you will be able to switch profiles until the errors clear. OTOH if profiles work for you that's great, I would just suggest, at least the first few times, that you verify the settings took properly.

@mikelee223 2 года назад

@@robpicchione5014 I agree, I would double check the settings anyway for a few times just to make sure.