I have a 2001 Jeep cherokee sport, it has a 5000lbs hitch on it. I have a rather large problem. I need to go and get it from my old home in NY. I live in montreal nad need to drive over 6 hours to get there and another 6 back here... The eclipse is no longer registered nor plated so I have to have it attached to my vehicle to get it back here...I have been in contact with Uhaul and they have told me that the minumum weight of a towing vehicle has to be 3500lbs...the cherokee is only a little over 3200. They refuse to rent me the means to tow my car back here....What else can I do? can I do something like having my car on the ground and just pulling it with something attached to my jeep? I am out of ideas...and I have to go and get it as soon as possible!!!!

Thanks for any help you can give!

Did you weigh your Jeep, my '98 SE weighs 3600
it is a 4x4 with 4.0L , 5-speed trans and A/C
other than that it is a striped down model.
I wouldn't rent from U-Haul if my life depended on it.
They are notorious for not maintaining their equipment and sending you on your way with unsafe junk. I rented a truck from them last year (although I said I never would) and it was in such bad shape I was afraid to drive it and brought it back, they charged me 1/2 day rental and mileage (4 miles) anyway. I had to drive 25 miles to a private rental place in the next town to get a truck. I needed to rent a car trailer from them about 10 years back, they hooked up the trailer, told me all was well. I did a walk around inspection of my own to discover the tail lights didn't work and the trailer brakes were non-functional, one tire was bald beyond being legal and another had a nail in it. I was going to haul my 88 Dodge Shadow about 200 miles through a mountainous area with steep grades and drop offs. I do not trust them at all.

Flat bed it. just a thought.

I have a 2001 Jeep cherokee sport, it has a 5000lbs hitch on it. I have a rather large problem. I need to go and get it from my old home in NY. I live in montreal nad need to drive over 6 hours to get there and another 6 back here... The eclipse is no longer registered nor plated so I have to have it attached to my vehicle to get it back here...I have been in contact with Uhaul and they have told me that the minumum weight of a towing vehicle has to be 3500lbs...the cherokee is only a little over 3200. They refuse to rent me the means to tow my car back here....What else can I do? can I do something like having my car on the ground and just pulling it with something attached to my jeep? I am out of ideas...and I have to go and get it as soon as possible!!!!

!
Although U-Haul equipment sucks, they are doing you a favour.

Just because your hitch says Class III or IV, 5000 lbs does NOT mean that a Cherokee can actually safely tow this weight It cannot safely do so.

The engine can easlily get a 4000 lb load moving, but the chassis cannot control it well. The Cherokee is too light in the rear and the wheelbase is too short for good control. A heavy trailer will push it around too much, with the worst case being when you go into a corner; the trailer will go straight, the Jeep will turn, slide the back tires and you will jack knife.

Also, Jeep brakes are notoriously weak, and cannot stop a heavy trailer in any kind of emergency

I have towed many cars etc with my jeep, years ago when I was young and foolish. I never had an accident, but then I ALWAYS towed in rural areas and deliberatly chose quiet back roads at odd hours (ie 6 am Sunday morn) to be sure there was no other traffic on the road.

As I am older and wiser, I would never tow anything more than 1500 lbs with it. In fact, I deliberatly bought a full size Chevy van just to tow my boat because my XJ was incapable of doing so safely, and my boat only weighs 2200 lbs.,

IMO beg or borrow a better tow vehicle, some kind of full size SUV, pick up or van.

I'd echo what MagicRat said. Another consideration is the route you're going to take. A coastal road (primarily flat) is one thing, but you'll be driving up and down mountain ranges where it's likely still cold and snowy this time of year.

FYI: If you check your owner's manual, you'll see the limits in total weight and tongue weight. Those are your real limits, not the hitch's rating.