calvinator

There is a tow bar mounting bracket. Demco or Blue Ox make them, also called baseplates. They have many bolt locations to the front bumper mount, underside and side of the front frame area, and then to the sway bar mount locations. You are left with towing tabs you can connect a towbar to.









Towbars can be wild to mild. From the $75 A arm towbar that hooks to a ball hitch on your tow vehicle, or what I have, an adjustable towbar with quick release.

After you figure out the towbar, what about brakes and turn/stop signal lighting? If you are going to do a lot of towing, you need those things -- pretty much required in most states.

For brakes, I use ReadyBrake. You can see the Readybrake wire mounted in the middle of my front bumper. When the motorhome brakes, the Cherokee pushes on the ReadyBrake, which in turn pull the cable on the bumper which is connected to my Cherokee's brake pedal.

For lights, I use magnetic lights hooked up to my motorhome trailer lighting.

This tow setup is not unique to motorhomes, I use the same setup on my Astro to flat tow the XJ.

My94XJ

Some usefule info in this thread.

One question: Does anyone have any issues with installing/using the mounting plates with a Cherokee that has fromt tow hooks?

ck1

as far as tow hooks goes I put them on the plate when not being towed. I figure that is the strongest point in the front...i just take them off when i tow. take a look at my photos and you can see the plate on the front...I have no hooks on in the pictures but you will get the idea once you see the plate mounted...
cameron

PotterXJ_01

Awesome!! Thanks for the helpful info and pictures!!

calvinator

I have the Demco baseplates, they install in all the locations front tow hooks do (bumper mounts, sway bar, etc). Good news is the base plate will leave you with 4 tow attachment areas --- you can also use D-Rings on two of the tow tabs.

My94XJ

ck1 - Thanksfor the reply. I was hoping to leave the tow hooks in place. It's looking like this may not be an option.


calvinator - Have you ever had to be extracted/snatched using those tow points? Will the Demco mounts hold up to a hard pull that might be needed during a recovery?

TheMayer

Pretty sure the odometer would count up if the tranny is in neutral and it wouldn't in park.

ck1

1991 and newer Xjs the speedo will not turn when flat towing. Cant speak for the older Xjs.
Cameron

ck1

that is what I do is use d rings..i just leave them off when not wheelin so little thievin fingers dont help them walk away from my Heep when it is parked
My base plate is also curved down at the bottom and it has saved the bottom of my bumper many times.
Cameron

dmmhelton

The Blue Ox base plate cost as much as a new bumper. I didn't like the idea of having the base plate hanging below the bump due to clearance issues and I've heard of some xj oweners getting cracks in their unibodgy channels from the blue ox base plate.

So I was able to rationalize buying a Custom 4x4 Fab. winch bumper for sligthly more than the base plate and had a local machine shop fabricate new tow bar adapters to fit the D-rings. I also had them drill and tap the adapters so I could just use the D-ring pins to attach the tow bar. There are a couple of extra tabs welded on the under side of the bumper with holes for safety cables.

Here's a pics of the old and new tow bar adapters with close up of threads.