The Jeep Liberty is a symbol of power and adventure. The fact that with the right modifications. The Jeep Liberty can tow up to 5000 pounds is the icing to the perfection of the vehicle. 

If you have a knack for adventure, then getting yourself a Jeep Liberty is a great idea. The vehicle is powerful and offers a great experience for regular driving and especially towing. 

Add to that the comfort and the luxury feel that the vehicle has and you have a masterstroke of a series.  The only sad part about the Jeep Liberty series is the fact that it was discontinued in 2012. 

Regardless of this though, the models that came out as part of the series are a lot to chew about and we are going to be talking about them in this article. In the towing perspective of course.

Liberty Towing Capacity According To Model Year

Model Year	Trim	Engine Capacity	Maximum Towing Capacity	Tow Package Requirement
2002	4WD	3.7L V-6	5000 lbs.	Tow Package required
2003	4WD	3.7L V-6	5000 lbs.	Tow package required
2004	4WD	3.7L V-6	5000 lbs.	Tow package required
2005	4WD	3.7L V-6	5000 lbs.	Tow Package required
2006	4WD	3.7L V-6	5000 lbs.	Tow Package required
2007	2WD	3.7L V-6	3500 lbs.	Tow package not required
2008	2WD	3.7L V-6	3500 lbs.	Tow Package not required
2009	2WD	3.7L V-6	3,500 lbs.	Tow package not required
2009	2WD	3.7L V-6	5,000 lbs.	Tow Package Required
2009	4WD	3.7L V-6	3,500 lbs.	Tow Package Required
2009	4WD	3.7L V-6	5,000 lbs.	Tow Package Required
2010	2WD	3.7L V-6	5,000 lbs.	Tow Package Required
2010	4WD	3.7L V-6	5,000 lbs.	Tow Package Required
2011	2WD	3.7L V-6	5,000 lbs.	Tow Package Required
2011	4WD	3.7L V-6	5,000 lbs.	Tow Package Required
2012	2WD	3.7L V-6	5,000 lbs.	Tow Package Required
2012	4WD	3.7L V-6	5,000 lbs.	Tow Package Required

As a general guideline we can say that liberty with automatic transmission and included the required towing package have a maximum towing capacity of 5000 pounds while liberty with manual transmission and towing package have a maximum towing capacity of 3500 pounds.

If your liberty don’t have a towing package, your towing capacity can be limited to 2000 pounds. So the best practice is cross checking with your owners manual and know the exact towing limit before towing. You can download those owners manuals easily by a quick google search if you don’t have them.

Jeep Liberty Fuel Efficiency When Towing

One thing that towing does is it tends to push your vehicles to the edge. In most cases, more performance means more fuel. 

As we have already highlighted that towing is a high-performance task especially if you are pulling boats, trailers, or campers with over 3000 pounds. What does this mean for your vehicle’s fuel efficiency? 

One clear thing is that towing will result in a decrease in your fuel efficiency. Compared to other trucks on the market, the decrease in fuel efficiency that you experience with Jeep Liberty is quite marginal.

For some trucks, for every 100 pounds of extra weight, being towed the fuel efficiency of the truck decreases by about two percent. 

One of the main reasons for the decrease is the fact that there is a need for more power to be able to pull the extra weight. This means the truck will have to burn more fuel to produce the much required power. 

That is not the only reason though for the decrease in fuel efficiency. Remember once you have a trailer “hitched” on your vehicle the wind will affect the trailer as well as the vehicle. 

This will result in drag increasing, thanks to the wind resistance. The ultimate effect of both of these factors is that they both decrease the fuel economy. 

If you are using a Jeep Liberty though, the decrease although present it is quite marginal. The Jeep Liberty is a “beast” when it comes to performance. 

The base model of the Jeep Liberty series comes with a 3.7-liter V6 engine with 210-horsepower. This means even if you have the base model you are still going to get a great deal of performance. 

If your vehicle already provides over-the-top performance like the Jeep Liberty series, does it mean it will not have to go notches higher when it is towing? 

In turn, Jeep Liberty will not need to increase its fuel uptake significantly when towing. As much as your fuel efficiency is going to decrease whilst you are towing, that will not be a huge issue if you are using your Jeep Liberty for towing. 

There are also several tips that you can put in place to help you avoid wasting fuel as you tow. 

One of the most important ones is reducing the number of stopovers. Keeping in motion will help you avoid losing a lot of fuel for your towing adventure. 

Constantly stopping and starting up will drastically reduce your Jeep Liberty’s towing efficiency. 

How To Maximize Your Jeep Liberty’s  Towing Capacity

If you are not satisfied with the 3500 Jeep liberty towing capacity, you can do something about it. 

Thanks to engineering, you can give your Jeep Liberty an upgrade that will allow it to two over 1000 pounds more. 

How do you go about it? There is more than one way to go around it and we are going to be walking you through the entire process. 

The first thing that we have to put into perspective is the reason why the factory towing capacities are set at 3500 pounds.

Wheelbase 

One of the main reasons why the maximum you can tow with your Jeep Liberty before modification is 3500 pounds, is because of the size of the Jeep Liberty’s wheelbase. 

Remember when you are towing anything can happen and anything includes your trailer losing control. 

If you lose control of your trailer and it starts swaying, getting back control can be difficult when you are using a vehicle with a short wheelbase. 

It is even more difficult if the trailer you are towing is heavy. For this reason, the engineers at Jeep cemented the vehicle you are towing with has a longer wheelbase so you can easily gain control and get things working normally again.

The best way to increase your liberty towing capacity is installing the tow package.

What Is Tow Package (For the Jeep Liberty Series)?

Just like the name suggests a tow package is a set of accessories that make towing with your Jeep Liberty more efficient. 

Besides making the towing experience seamless and overall amazing, a tow package can go as far as increasing the actual towing capacity of your Jeep Liberty. 

There is a strong misconception when it comes to a tow package, especially the Jeep Liberty tow package. Most people think that a tow package is only a hitch. 

Although a hitch is one of the principal elements of the tow package, it is not everything. Here are the elements of a tow package.

Drivetrain 

For vehicles to easily tow and make the towing experience exceptional they need a tow package. 

As part of the tow package there are drivetrain modifications. Having drivetrain modifications will result in your Jeep Liberty having a higher gear ratio on the rear end/differential end.  

The modifications will give your vehicle more torque, which is something you need for your towing operations. 

Having more torque means wear and tear on the engine are reduced. 

Besides getting more towing power, you also get durability. In terms of overall performance, your fuel efficiency will also increase. Why do you drive your Jeep Liberty without towing assignments? It is a huge win overall. 

The Radiator Modification

If your Jeep Liberty comes with automatic transmission like most of the models in the Liberty series, you need to modify your cooling system and part of the tow package installation.  

For vehicles with automatic transmission towing means that temperatures will increase more significantly. 

This means that as part of the towing package the radiator of your Jeep Liberty has to be fitted with a larger heat exchanger to enable more efficient cooling and prevent overheating during towing. 

Brakes 

If you are accustomed to the scientific principle of your Jeep Liberty, then you already know that the weight you are carrying or towing has a significant impact on your braking system. 

To be able to tow trailers, boats, or campers, you need to upgrade the factory braking system. 

The upgrade includes the installation of larger braking discs. This upgrade will make the vehicle’s braking system more robust and will prevent to an extent common towing problems like jack-knifing. 

If you have a tow package installed, a brake upgrade is necessary since your towing capacity will increase significantly.

Another area that has to be looked at as part of the upgrades that come with a tow package is the suspension.  

The suspension of your Jeep Liberty is not the most rigid. Because of this, you need to upgrade the suspension as part of the tow package. 

The package upgrade includes heavier springs and stronger shocks.  These enable the vehicle to withstand shock and increase the control during towing. 

Remember, the heavier the load you are towing the harder it is to control the vehicle. Upgrading your suspension will help with this aspect of towing. 

The Hitch

Now, this is the principal component of the tow package. A hitch allows the vehicle to connect to the load being hauled. 

The hitch on its own does not significantly increase the amount of weight you can tow with your Jeep Liberty.But as part of the tow package, the difference is quite significant. 

The hitch can come as a simple hardball or can come in the shape of a receiver hitch. In other instances, the hitch is bolted directly to the vehicle frame. 

Hitches come in different sizes and the bigger the hitch the heavier the load it can tow.

How Do I Know If My Jeep Liberty Has a Tow Package?

If your Jeep comes with a build sheet that might be the best way to find out whether your vehicle comes with a tow package. 

If you do not have that information though you can always ask your dealer to run a VIN for you. 

Checking on your own can be a bit tricky, remember some people believe that if your vehicle comes with a tow hitch it has a tow package Of which this is wrong. It is a good idea to always get a professional involved. 

Liberty Tow Package Installation Cost

Having a tow package installed on your Jeep Liberty can be quite costly. 

For the complete tow package, you might need to part with amounts that range between $1000 up to $1500. 

It might seem a bit costly but trust me the experience you get after installing the tow package is worth every penny you spent. 

Many benefits come with installing a tow package that in the end, the financial burden will not be that much of a pain.  Over the years car dealers have been selling vehicles that come with a tow package pre-installed. 

Based on the information we have, we believe buying a Jeep Liberty that comes with a pre installed tow package is a great idea. 

Boat Towing With  A Jeep Liberty 

The Jeep Liberty with the right modifications can tow almost all the available towable boats on the market right now. 

You can tow a whole catalog of boats with the amazing Jeep Liberty even if you do not install a tow package. 

Thanks to the Jeep Liberty’s ability to take up a tow package you can tow to 5000 pounds of boat weight. This means that you are spoiled for choice when it comes to boat towing. 

It does not get better than this, it does not. Here are some of the best boats that you should be looking at towing with your amazing Jeep Liberty.

Boat Type	Average (dry) Weight	Examples of Boats in The Category
Ski Boat	3,500 lbs.	Ski Nautique, Malibu Response 21
Small Fishing Boat	1,700 lbs.	2017 Tracker Pro Team 175 TF, Charger 210 Elite
Deck Boat or Pontoon	3,100 lbs.	Hampton 2680 DC · Manitou 25 Legacy SL
*PWCs	850 lbs.	Yamaha Superjet, Yamaha FX SVHO

Jeep Liberty Towing Accessories 

The most important accessory that you are going to need if you decide to take your Jeep Liberty on a towing trip is extra tires. 

Chances of having tire problems increase significantly if you are towing something. Extra tires become an essential accessory for anyone looking to go out and tow with their Jeep Liberty. 

The extra tires should not be only for your Jeep, but you should also have some for your trailers. The last thing you would want is to leave your trailer on the side of the road because of a flat tire.

If you do not have one already installed, you might also need to be looking at getting a tow package installed on your Jeep Liberty.  

The tow package is the ultimate towing “towing accessory”. The tow package will not only increase your Liberty’s towing capacity but will go beyond in making sure that you can securely connect your trailer to your vehicle. 

The modifications to the transmission and the suspension also ensure that you get maximum performance from your Jeep Liberty. We have to concur with the popular notion that the tow package is the ultimate towing accessory.  

If you are looking at towing boats and Jet skis, you might also need to look at getting accessories like boat tie-downs. You can read my Ultimate Jeep Wrangler Towing Guide to know more information for towing with your jeep safely.

Best Campers To Tow With a Jeep Liberty

There is nothing that says adventure more than camping. Nothing elevates the camping experience better than a fully equipped camping trailer. 

The biggest problem that you are most likely going to encounter when it comes to camping trailers is the fact that camping trailers weigh a lot. 

This can be quite a problem, especially now when we have trailers that weigh up to 7000 pounds. The good news though is that there are camping trailers that are equally as good but weigh just enough to fit in the category of trailers you can tow with your Jeep Liberty. 

The best part about trailer towing with a Jeep Liberty is that you can equip your Jeep Liberty with a tow package and tow up to 5000 pounds worth of trailer weight. Amazing, right?

Here are some of the best camping trailers that you can tow with your Jeep Liberty.

Keystone Passport Travel Trailer

Talk about class and everyone will know that you are talking about the Keystone Passport Travel Trailer. 

The trailer brings to the fort comfort and does all that whilst weighing just below 5000 pounds. With the trailer, you get air conditioning, heating, outdoor storage locker, a retractable awning and a solar kit, and a well-engineered chassis. 

It’s not only the weight that is low when it comes to this vehicle, the price point pretty much follows suit. 

StarCraft Satellite 18MK

The StarCraft Satellite 18MK might not look like the most polished camper but trust us it is a star in every sense. 

The camper comes with a prepped-up solar system. This means that even if you are off the grid for weeks on end you will not have to worry about electrical power. 

In terms of space, you can fit up to four people in the trailer and you get a lot of room for storage. 

The best part is the StarCraft Satellite 18MK weighs less than 4000 pounds. 

It is a great bargain and you will not have to worry about this camper running down your engine.

Can You Put A Trailer Hitch On a Jeep Liberty?

The best part about owning a Jeep Liberty is the fact that it allows you to tow. 

One thing that makes it better is the fact that the Jeep Liberty comes with the capability to install towing accessories that make the towing experience not only seamless but also quite efficient. 

If you have a bit of knowledge, when it comes to towing trailers then you would agree with us that a trailer hitch is one of the most important towing accessories available. 

The fact that you can fit a trailer hitch to your Jeep Liberty, makes the vehicle the perfect towing Jeep available on the market right now. 

There are several types of trailer hitches on the market. Most of them work pretty well with the Jeep Liberty, but consulting a mechanic first before making a purchase can save you money and time.  

One trailer hitch that we would recommend for anyone trying using his or her Jeep Liberty for trailer towing is the Reese Trailer hitch. 

The hitch is easy to install and according to most customer reviews, the performance is unrivalled. 

The best part is that compared to other trailer hitches on the market that work well, with the Jeep Liberty, the Reese trailer hitch is one of the most affordable. 

If towing is part of the reasons why you are looking to get an SUV then getting the Jeep Liberty is the perfect idea to follow. 

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Have a safe towing!!