[Geo Jeep]

Morning all.

I have a 2011 JK CRD Auto 4 door and it has recently taken on the additional task of towing a 1.8 t pop-top caravan. I realise that whilst this is well under the max towing capacity of the truck it is still not ideal as JKs weren't really designed with towing in mind.

Anyway so whilst it has the power/torque to tow really well to the extent that it is easy to forget that you have the van on the back the main issue as I'm sure you will already have guessed is overheating of the transmission and engine.

Reading through these forums a lot of people recommend a transmission cooler, mine already has a stock one but I still get issues with the transmission getting too hot. Are the standard ones just rubbish or am I just asking too much of it? Are there better after market ones out there and can they be safely positioned elsewhere i.e. not in front of the radiator?

Speaking of radiator the water temp also gets hot, if I move the transmission cooler elsewhere will this solve any overheating problems completely or will it still be an issue for the CRD? Is one of those MOPAR bonnets with the vent on top any use to reduce engine bay temps or does it just look good? Would a heavy duty fan solve both the water and transmission heat issues?

I am running stock suspension and whilst I haven't noticed any issues as yet people have complained about suspension sag over time so is this something else that needs to be addressed?

At the end of the day I love my Jeep and have been on some great adventures with it - it has been to every mainland state and capital city (bar Syd) but as my life has changed so has it's role, there is now less camping and off-roading and more towing a caravan. Is it worth making a stack of mods to a truck that is over six years old to assist it in a role that was way down the list of considerations when it was designed or is it time to change vehicles?

You advice on this please. Thanks in advance.