Ok. I’m jumping in. Please, don’t attack me for what you’re about to read: I have been pulling various cars behind my various RVs since 1998. I have purchased but never installed any brake assistance on any of the towed vehicles and here’s why: I have not felt (literally “felt”, not emotionally “felt”) the need. From my first 25,000lb RV, to my last 50,000lb Coach, and back to my current 38,000lb coach, the towed car, typically at around 4000lbs is nothing behind the rig, and after an untold number of hard stops and a few panic stops, I’ve never had a problem. Not even close. It just didn’t seem worth the added complexity. Am I fooling myself? Have I just been lucky these 27 years of RVing all over America? Is our new Jeep 4xE different?
If I do nothing with the brakes will the battery still drain? What if I disconnect the battery before towing? Will that disable my brake lighte and turning signals, or at they being fed directly from my tow vehicle? Does anyone want to buy a brand new, never been out of the box Brake Buddy? Remember, be nice! 😊

 

I have a 2023 4XE and this just happened to me. Brand new setup with Blue Ox Towing and Air Force One braking. Arrived at destination after 2 days of Towing and had a completely dead Jeep battery. Got it jumped once but then went into limp mode before I got to an auto parts store and got it replaced.

I have a brand new battery and headed home this weekend so wondering if pulling the fuse and disconnecting Air Force One will preserve the battery? I suspect I need to get a 12 volt Circle charge on the battery once I get home.

Towing with a AllegroBus 40IP, with engine braking so will likely not need breaking for mostly Highway driving. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I have a charge coming from out MH to our Jeep.I think that should be a standard part of the brake system installation.

 

I did not weigh our wrangler myself. I've just gone with the weight in their specifications. We have a Tiffin Open Road Allegro 32SA. We got an average of 7.5 gph when we towed a older model Honda Civic and surprisingly got about the same last year when we towed the Jeep back from Arizona to Washington state. We have the battery charge hooked up as well.

If you can, please let me know how the barking system works for you when the installation is done.

Thanks!
Bill

 

Has anyone actually flat towed their Jeep4xe behind their RV? Plan to?
‘What brake controller are you using?
I am looking at the BlueOx 3 controller Because of ease of installation and simplicity.
‘The BlueOx 3 manual reads
“Installation Notes
When installing the Patriot 3® on hybrids/vehicles with continuous power assist brakes you must do the following:
1. With the brake plugged in and turned on, use the remote to access the “FORCE” adjustment screen. 2. Use left button to lower the Force setting all the way past 0 until you see “H” for Hybrid mode.”

The Jeep Hybrid supplement does not address flat towing the 4xe or continuous power assist brakes.

Does anyone know if the 4xe has “continuous power assist brakes”? This system provides boost power to the brake, even when the car is in the OFF position. So you still have power brakes, even with the car not running. Apparently some hybrid vehicles have this Feature.

Does anyone have a phone number for a Jeep Technical Rep, that they can share? You can send me a private message.

Thank you.

I have a 2023 Jeep Sahara 4xe. I moved my Demco Stay-N-Play from an older Honda Civic, where it worked perfectly, to my new Jeep and have been struggling to get it to brake properly. At first it was braking very hard with the Jeep actually skidding. On the advice of Demco I turned the one-way valve on the vacuum hose around (this plugs the hose) and it improved but still brakes too hard. Demco techs wanted to know what the pressure going to the Air cylinder is so I bought their test kit for $16. The pressure should be right around 80 - 85 PSI and mine is exactly that. According to the Demco techs this is exactly what it should be and that there is nothing that can be done with their equipment that can fix the problem. They say their Stay-N-Play is on numerous Jeep Hybrids and this is the first they have heard of this and that I need to contact Jeep.

I want to be clear that I've been very impressed with the Demco support I've gotten. I've worked with 3 different techs and they have all been knowledgeable and very helpful.

My first request is that I would like to hear from anyone that has a 2023 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4xe that has a Demco Stay-N-Play and whether it works properly OR not. Have you set it up to begin applying the brakes at around 20 MPH and it progressively applies. at any speed, the brakes to bring you to a smooth stop.

Second, does anyone have a good contact or a way to get good support from Jeep? I have tried to use them once via an online request. We exchanged a few emails but for whatever reason we just could not get on the same page. I don't think my issue was ever understood and I gave up.

I'm leaving for a short trip this weekend and will set the G Force setting all the way up so I at least have the safety of the emergency braking should the Jeep come loose.

Thanks All for any assistance!

Bill

 

Question regarding the 4xe brake lights not working after about 15 minutes.
Background: I have a Blue Ox Patriot 3 brake controller. To give me confidence that the brakes are actually getting applied in my 2022 4xe Wrangler Rubicon, I ran a wire from the existing brake light fuses with diodes to an LED in the RV. When the brake lights go on, the LED in the RV comes on. Works great for about 15 minutes.
Problem: It seems that after about 15 minutes the 4xe will no longer turn on the brake lights hence no RV LED indicator. Driveway testing shows the brakes are in fact getting applied but no brake lights. If I open a door or something, the 15 minute timeout starts again.
Question: Has anybody else run into this? Ideas as to how to get a good indication in the RV that brakes are applied? My old TJ, I spliced into the switch on the actual brake pedal. Can’t find that on the 4xe.
Thanks for the help.

 

I have pretty much just completed my TOAD setup but not much real trips. Early testing showed CEL's: C0061 (Faulty Lateral Acceleration Sensor), C0063 (Faulty Yaw Rate Sensor). CEL went away after a couple of startups. Also reference: Jeep DTC C0061 and C0063

 

Check engine light comes on without a breaking system.(2023 rubicon 4xe )Also we've Towed our's s with And without the breaking system to try and find the cause.. Jeep dealer doesn't know much other than what he found on forums. Check engine goes away after we have started it 2 or 3 times. We have a factory 4'" lift with thirty seven inch tires so reaching up there to un plud 34 f is a hassle

 

Hi Fyman
I have a 40’ Tiffin Phaeton diesel pusher. I tow a grand Cherokee 4xe

 

I have a 2023 4xe with a Demco Stay-Play DUO. This braking system was installed on my previous TOAD. Previously is adjusted the G-Force controller as described in their manual. With the RV brake depresses and moved the knob UP until it chattered and then 1/8" further UP. Is there specific information out there the the 4Xe should set the G-Force setting all the way up which is the lowest level? With it set at the lowest setting do the supplemental brakes still kick-in at 20 moh or slightly above?

 

D'oh. I thought this was 4xe forum. Didn't realize it was wrangler specific. You are right. I should be looking for grand cherokee specific. Thx

 

Garbonzo, You seem to have a pretty close setup to what I am shopping. I am considering the encore 325ss, which is basically the same as your mirada except more cargo carrying capacity (5300LB CCC and 4k LB diff between gvwr and gcwr) I am also considering grand cherokee 4xe trailhawk. So I think probably towing at around 5700, so 1700 cutting into CCC. Maybe asking alot of Rv in that regard, but that is not why I am pinging you. Seems there is alot of setup to tow a jeep 4xe, and you have thoroughly covered that. So at least I know there are resources to figure that part of the setup. However, has jeep finally resolved the "death wobble" for flat towing? That is my biggest concern at the moment. Id hate to spend 70k on a tow vehicle only to discover it is dangerous to flat tow. My alternative is an F150 4x4 hybrid. Pros and cons to each, and the truck is about 1k lighter, but I like the GC better as a daily driver and for trails. RV purchase is a couple years down the road, but Toad purchase could be before the end of this year and will become my toad for the next 10-12 years, so I need to get this part right long before RV purchase. Long story short, are you aware of the death wobble, have you experienced it and if you do not experience it, did you take extra steps to eliminate or avoid it? Thanks

 

I've flat towed two different Wrangler JLs (2018 Sport and 2021 4xe) and haven't ever had a death wobble problem while towing (or driving, for that matter). Both Wranglers pulled perfectly behind the RV and followed along with no problems. That being said, I've never towed a Grand Cherokee and wouldn't be able to provide any info on how well they pull. You might ask around in a Grand Cherokee forum to see if anyone is towing a current generation GC that could provide some info on their experience. The 4xe model will have almost the same drive train and suspension and any experience that someone has with a "normal" GC should translate into the same towing experience for the 4xe model.

 

Just finished a 1000 mile trip. No battery issues but used the Jeep every day. However, it is back in today for check engine light 6 and 7. Ill see what it says this time and report. I think I may have figured why I am getting so many lights (it has to do with the procedure in the manual) but wont know for sure till I see the codes....

 

Any follow up?

 

I spoke with my service advisor. He said there is nothing in the braking system that would drain the battery. He seemed to know what he was talking about but....im not convinced. We are heading from Florida to Texas in a few weeks so that will be a good test. I'm not going to pull any fuses or hook up a separate 12v charging line or do anything other than what the manual says to do. We will see how it goes.

 

I would assume the booster is electric as there is no vacuum when engine isn't running. Just guessing... But even the A/C and power steering would have to be electric as there's no accessory belt moving when vehicle is stopped at a red light (engine off).

 

I installed the blue ox base plate, curt wiring, and M&G Braking system on my 4xE this past weekend. I think I'll pull F34 and find out how it goes later this week. I will note that the Curt wiring harness has a pigtail off the side for towing as well.

 

Just a suggestion, instead of having to pull F34, why don’t you hook up one of your auxiliary switches to the F34 and bypass it???

 

I flat towed mine about 30 miles for the first time yesterday. Patriot 3 brake, Bully wireless tail lights, Blue Ox ascent tow bar. Unfortunately when I started it up to unhook, the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. I've got a CEL with service 4wd, ABS, and ESC messages. I have no idea what's up with it. Started the Jeep (in electric), put the trans in neutral, transfer case in neutral, trans in park, and turned it off.

 

Hey everyone,

I flat tow my 4xe all the time. It tows exactly like any other jeep. The hybrid system in the 4xe has the standard 2.0T power train and the only difference is that the torque converter is replaced by the electric motor-generator. That's literally it. Thus, putting theJeep in T-Case Neutral, transmission Park, and towing the car in "OFF" is the correct method.

I do not use a brake assist and rely on my RVs braking power and tow bars to handle the load. In my case, that works perfectly well because my RV is more than able to handle the load. The brake system on the 4xe works like any other power brake system and your brake assist will need to take it into account.

I'd love to see Jeep build a TOW setting into the jeep that would allow a simple cable to hook up to the Jeep and take brake and lights signals directly from the RV along with a setting that would tow-charge the 4xe batteries until they're topped off as an option, but that doesn't exist.

 

Hey everyone,

I flat tow my 4xe all the time. It tows exactly like any other jeep. The hybrid system in the 4xe has the standard 2.0T power train and the only difference is that the torque converter is replaced by the electric motor-generator. That's literally it. Thus, putting theJeep in T-Case Neutral, transmission Park, and towing the car in "OFF" is the correct method.

I do not use a brake assist and rely on my RVs braking power and tow bars to handle the load. In my case, that works perfectly well because my RV is more than able to handle the load. The brake system on the 4xe works like any other power brake system and your brake assist will need to take it into account.

I'd love to see Jeep build a TOW setting into the jeep that would allow a simple cable to hook up to the Jeep and take brake and lights signals directly from the RV along with a setting that would tow-charge the 4xe batteries until they're topped off as an option, but that doesn't exist.

My motorhome can handle stopping the jeep as well, but the jeep is 5100 lbs, and in most states the law requires brakes. I would rather not have that liability, perhaps you should discuss this with your setup with your insurance agent and see if they are going to pay if you ever have an accident.

 

OK. From what I'm reading, some are pulling the F34 fuse to eliminate the brake booster and power steering while the Jeep is in the "off" position, and some are not. But, it appears that those that aren't pulling the F34 fuse aren't having any real battery drain issues - they just need to adjust their brake buddy (or similar) to a lighter pressure to compensate for the added "push" the brake booster gives when under breaking and the brake buddy is engaged. I use a brake buddy connected to a battery jump start pack with a 12v plug (I put it on the passenger floorboard) so I don't have to worry about battery drain. Works well.

I traded in a '21 Rubi v6 for the 4Xe. Towed that Rubi thousands of miles without any battery drain issues, and never messed with the active braking system.

 

Hey Gang! first post here... I set my 4xe up for flat towing over the week end. I went with the NSA Ready Brute Elite 2. If you are not familiar with that, in short, This unit has has a cable that attaches to the brake pedal arm and this cable is pulled by a small lever on the tow bar that is moved when the towing vehicle's brake are applied, which in turn, applies braking to the towed vehicle. I went this direction- thinking that I wouldn't have to use battery power while towing. Sounds like that is not entirely true, based on what I read in this thread. I don't have an issue with throwing another $100 at a battery tender so that- A) I don't have to worry about losing any power steering mobility from the Jeep while towing (assuming I pulled the F34 fuse). B) I don't have to be concerned about the battery charge level, when I get to my destination. Am I missing anything? Thanks everyone, Randy

 

I towed my 4xe on a 45 day trip, the only time I had a problem was when we towed 3 straight days without driving the Jeep. The 12v battery was DEAD. Would not even work the electric locks. Needed a jump.

 

I got this yesterday from Jeep C/S
See Instructions:

I did look more to see if the active braking can be disabled while flat towing and it can by going into the settings on the Uconnect screen of the Jeep 4xe and selecting the Safety & Driving Assistance and then selecting the Forward Collision Sensitivity — Located In Automatic Emergency Braking Submenu. Once that is selected, the Active Braking should not happen when applying the brakes while driving your RV.

 

‘I tried doing this today and here is what happened.
I went to my nearby steep hill, with little traffic. With the Jeep running, I went into Settings on the screen and my Collision Warning was ON and ACTIVE. Then set the trans to N, pulled back on the transfer case to Neutral. And the Active Braking went from ON to OFF, without me selecting it, the Jeep was programmed to do it when I put the transfer case into Neutral. So I went ahead and tested it. Pumped the brakes five times at the top of the hill, then let the Jeep roll down. Braked over ten times going down the hill, no change, Active Braking was still working and pedal force to stop was still low. Tried it a couple more times, with the same results.

So apparently switching the Active Braking OFF in the Settings screen Disables the Front Collision Warning and the Automatic “Active” Braking, in case of a collision, but it does not disable/turn off, whatever pump keeps the brakes powered. So, still looking.

Here is the screen, immediately after I set the Jeep to Neutral for towing, without me making the change. As soon as I took the Transfer case out of Neutral, it went to my previous setting.

 

I have a Jeep JK that I have towed over 100k miles but want to replace it with the hybrid Wrangler. I've never used a brake with the old one...is the Hybrid that much heavier that a brake is required? I have a tag axle 44,000 lb bus. Thanks! (my province doesn't require a brake on vehicle tow.

 

Just finished a 7000+ mile, 45 days, trip from Arizona to Boston and back towing my 4xe behind a Renegade Valencia.
i Am using the Blue Ox Avail 10k tow bar, with the Blue Ox Patriot 3 brake controller.
‘Some observations:
1. I used the same procedure as a standard Jeep to set up my 4xe for towing. Start the engine, transmission to Neutral, transfer case to Neutral, check dash for ”N” on transfer case, place trans in Reverse, if Jeep does not move, place trans in Park, kill the engine. Check dash for “N” and “P”. PS make sure the driver’s door is closed during this procedures or the tranny will set itself to Park.
2. I ended up setting the Patriot 3 to Level 5 braking, even though it has a “Hybrid” setting.
3. If I towed for one or two days straight, without dropping the Jeep and running around town, no problem. First time I towed three days, halfway through the third day, my 12V battery discharged completely, flat no charge. Had to jump the Jeep to get it started. Everything worked fine after that. BTW, the High Voltage battery was completely charged when the 12V battery discharged.
4. If you use the Patriot brake controller, make sure it is adjusted per the instructions, so the brake light does not stay on all the time. Seat not touching the back of the controller, screw pads all the way in,

So #3 above appears to confirms the 4xe has active braking while towing.
Next time I am looking at two or more days of towing, without dropping the Jeep, I will pull fuse F34 and see what happens.

 

The curt kit works great and was super easy to install

 

4000+ miles towing our 4xe with Demco Duo brake system set at lowest setting. No problems from Ohio thru Colorado, Wyoming and Montana towing with our Thor Hurricane 29 M in Tow Mode to use engine to slow on down grades. 4000 foot downgrades at between 50 and 55 mph.
Connect Jeep, back it up to lock the tow extension bars, put in neutral, shift transfer case to N, place in Park, parking brake off, Demco Duo switch ON and shut off Jeep. Five weeks of travel and all is good. Even forgot toswitch off Demco one night. No issues.

 

4000+ miles towing our 4xe with Demco Duo brake system set at lowest setting. No problems from Ohio thru Colorado, Wyoming and Montana towing with our Thor Hurricane 29 M in Tow Mode to use engine to slow on down grades. 4000 foot downgrades at between 50 and 55 mph.
Connect Jeep, back it up to lock the tow extension bars, put in neutral, shift transfer case to N, place in Park, parking brake off, Demco Duo switch ON and shut off Jeep. Five weeks of travel and all is good. Even forgot toswitch off Demco one night. No issues.

Which brake light wiring harness did you use? My BX88368 EZ Light Wiring Kit for Jeep Wrangler JL is not working?

 

Does the Patriot apply the brakes lightly every time the coach brakes? Or just during a hard stop?

 

It does proportional braking.

 

I towed for the first time from from the foothills near Sacramento, CA to Malibu Beach over the grapevine (I-5). A few things:

1. The 12V outlet that stays hot is in the rear storage behind the back seats (what genius made that call?). A simple 12V extension cord gets your break controller back there. Shout out to my 78 y/o father who tows a 2019 Wrangler Rubicon for being able to help me figure that out when my Jeep dealer couldn’t.
2. I’m using the BlueOx Patriot 3 brake controller:
   1. Change the forces all the way down. Past 1 gets you to “H” for hybrid
   2. The default sensitivity is 9. That’s too high. First time it kicked in was down the backup side of the grapevine when 4 jack offs cut in front of me when traffic was slowing. I braked moderately and it locked up my Jeep.
   3. I’ve dropped to 6 after that and may still back down to 5 or 4.
3. I did fine going over the grapevine. I would have probably held 55 mph with my 2019 V8 Ford 53 chassis if not for an idiot cutting me off requiring me to slow down on the uphill grade, and then I couldn’t get back to that speed.

N1ghtfox
2021 Fleetwood Bounder 33C
2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe

 

[QUOTE="N1ghtfox, post: 8203, member: 1484"

1. I’m using the BlueOx Patriot 3 brake controller:
   1. Change the forces all the way down. Past 1 gets you to “H” for hybrid
   2. The default sensitivity is 9. That’s too high. First time it kicked in was down the backup side of the grapevine when 4 jack offs cut in front of me when traffic was slowing. I braked moderately and it locked up my Jeep.
   3. I’ve dropped to 6 after that and may still back down to 5 or 4

[/QUOTE]
I took a three day shakedown trip to Sedona.
‘I also have a Patriot 3 Brake controller.
Started Out with the controller on ”H”. Jeep seemed to be braking, but not enough.
Upped the power to 6, locked up the Jeep on the first exit. Backed off to 5 and seems to be working fine.
We leave on an eight week trip tomorrow, from Arizona to Cape Cod to visit family. Lots of detours along the way, so I will get to fine tune the setting Will Post results and any problems with the battery drawing down.
‘Great find on the hot 12v outlet. Unfortunately, I already modified my front 12V plug to be hot all the time.