{"id":32987,"date":"2024-07-12T09:20:10","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T13:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=32987"},"modified":"2024-07-12T09:28:58","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T13:28:58","slug":"payne-towing-across-the-canadian-wilderness-in-the-jeep-grand-wagoneer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/payne-towing-across-the-canadian-wilderness-in-the-jeep-grand-wagoneer","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Towing across the Canadian wilderness in the Jeep Grand Wagoneer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Waubaushene, Ontario<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 When I arrived at Quiet Waters Sailboats on Georgian Bay from Detroit, owner Rick and I met each other with exclamations.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, you poor guys are paying $6 a gallon for premium gas!\u201d I blurted.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, that Jeep Grand Wagoneer is the biggest thing I\u2019ve ever seen!\u201d Rick said.<\/p>\n

I had just filled up the Grand\u2019s 30.5-gallon fuel tank (91 octane recommended) at a cost of $2.05 Canadian per liter \u2014 a total of $183 American. Ouch. But Jeep\u2019s mega-ute was the perfect mule to deliver a Precision sailboat from Quiet Waters to a friend\u2019s boat club in Charlevoix, Michigan.<\/p>\n

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The yuge, 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is built on the same ladder frame as the Ram truck and can tow up to 9,450 pounds. The best part? A 30.5 gallon tank for long-distance towing. <\/em>Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Jeep\u2019s massive tanks and corresponding 610-mile range could complete the 447-mile trip across the top of remote Georgian Bay\u2019s wilderness without stopping for gas. Its 9,450-pound towing capacity could easily shoulder the boat-and-trailer\u2019s 1,350 pounds and high aerodynamic drag. And the Jeep\u2019s palatial interior could easily swallow the boat\u2019s accessories while comfortably hosting me (and passengers, if necessary) for 7.5 hours.<\/p>\n

I opened the Grand Wagoneer\u2019s automatic hatchback and dropped the third-row bench seat. Then Rick fed the 9.5-foot-long boom into the interior. And fed, and fed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, we can get the entire boom through this thing with room to spare,\u201d said Rick as the boom slithered between the second-row captain\u2019s chairs, coming to rest on the back of the front center console. \u201cI think we can get\u00a0everything<\/em>\u00a0in the Jeep and nothing will be rattling around in the boat for your trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t say that about a pickup.<\/p>\n

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Detroit News Auto Critic Henry Payne used a 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer to tow a Precision sailboat 500 miles through Ontario around Georgian Bay. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Pickups move the world, but even the longest-available eight-foot box on Rick\u2019s Chevy Silverado pickup couldn\u2019t fit the Precision\u2019s boom without dropping the gate and sticking a red flag on it. Detroit automakers figured out years ago that they could take the rugged ladder-frame chassis of their trucks, bolt on a SUV top hat and offer customers pickup-like capabilities with the convenience of a sheltered cargo bay and three-row family comfort.<\/p>\n

The Jeep Wagoneer and my (more luxurious) Grand Wagoneer tester were late arrivals to this universe, following hugely successful fleets of Chevy Tahoe\/Suburbans, GMC Yukons, Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators. Like its luxury peers from Lincoln and GMC Denali, Grand Wagoneer is posh, available in a long version, and can quickly eclipse 100 grand.<\/p>\n

My $120K Jeep was loaded to the gunwales with the latest tech and features. That\u2019s a lot of coin, but if the bank repossesses your house, you can just move into The Grand. Standard features include trip essentials like tow hook, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Google and I talked a lot.<\/p>\n

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The 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer let the sunlight in through a panoramic roof. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hey, Google, navigate to Waubaushene, Ontario.<\/em><\/p>\n

Without missing a beat, or stumbling over my West Virginia accent, she mapped the way. If you\u2019re a frequent road-tripper (guilty), I recommend the L for its added cargo room behind the roomy third row. The base all-wheel-drive Wagoneer L starts at $75K.<\/p>\n