There is a long thread about getting the Flat Tow Harness installed by the dealer - but if you own a new Cherokee the odds are you'll pay for it. Here's how I went about doing it in the Tacoma, WA, area.
I priced around for the Flat Tow Harness that is listed in other threads. Part No: 68321424AB
Description: Wiring Kit - Recreational Flat Tow (H/T to @Array). All the dealers around here quoted $124.00.
I also priced the installation. The TB indicates 1.2 hours for the installation and about .3 hours for inspection. The best I could find in the Tacoma, WA, area was out at Enumclaw Jeep. (Thanks for the tip, Kori!) They quoted $470 for parts and labor. They have one experienced tech who can do it - other dealerships were less certain of time and quoted nearly $700 as the high quote.
I dropped the Cherokee off Thursday night, the tech did the work on Friday, and we returned this morning to retrieve it. It took a few minutes to find the harness under the hood, but it's there, and the switch in the console is securely mounted. There is a card in the harness kit that gives you information on use, but doesn't tell where the harness is hidden under the hood. In our case, the harness is just behind the battery, running behind the engine. (edit: I added pictures, below)
View under the hood:
Switch inside the console:
Since the Jeep is my wife's I haven't had much time in it, and am unsure how to remove the console to run the cable and mount the switch. If needed, I think one could reverse engineer the work and duplicate it fairly easily. If I get another one, I'll give it a try myself.
I recall reading someone put an inline switch to the cable so you can leave the 10AMP fuse in the harness. It looks to be a major PITA to push in and pull out everytime you want to tow, or drive it afterwards. I don't recall what type of switch was used, but the wire is pretty close to the engine, so I suspect whatever is used would need to be able to handle the engine heat.
Now, it's time to start prepping it for flat towing!
--jj_WA--
I priced around for the Flat Tow Harness that is listed in other threads. Part No: 68321424AB
Description: Wiring Kit - Recreational Flat Tow (H/T to @Array). All the dealers around here quoted $124.00.
I also priced the installation. The TB indicates 1.2 hours for the installation and about .3 hours for inspection. The best I could find in the Tacoma, WA, area was out at Enumclaw Jeep. (Thanks for the tip, Kori!) They quoted $470 for parts and labor. They have one experienced tech who can do it - other dealerships were less certain of time and quoted nearly $700 as the high quote.
I dropped the Cherokee off Thursday night, the tech did the work on Friday, and we returned this morning to retrieve it. It took a few minutes to find the harness under the hood, but it's there, and the switch in the console is securely mounted. There is a card in the harness kit that gives you information on use, but doesn't tell where the harness is hidden under the hood. In our case, the harness is just behind the battery, running behind the engine. (edit: I added pictures, below)
View under the hood:
Switch inside the console:
Since the Jeep is my wife's I haven't had much time in it, and am unsure how to remove the console to run the cable and mount the switch. If needed, I think one could reverse engineer the work and duplicate it fairly easily. If I get another one, I'll give it a try myself.
I recall reading someone put an inline switch to the cable so you can leave the 10AMP fuse in the harness. It looks to be a major PITA to push in and pull out everytime you want to tow, or drive it afterwards. I don't recall what type of switch was used, but the wire is pretty close to the engine, so I suspect whatever is used would need to be able to handle the engine heat.
Now, it's time to start prepping it for flat towing!
--jj_WA--