Question Will This Setup Work?

[B52Bombardier1]

In addition to the concerns above about stopping, I'd be concerned about the durability of your tow vehicle transmission. Does it even have a "tow / haul" button to keep it out of overdrive?

Rick

 

[Fueco]

That 1999 van would have weighed significantly more unless it was an empty cargo model, had ~5 fewer transmission gears, suspension designed during the Gerald Ford administration and at least 70 less horsepower. Apples to oranges.

Everything is getting bigger and faster, especially in the past ten years or so. I should park my ‘23 Suburban next to my neighbor’s ‘03 and see what the difference is.

A current V8 will tow better than a current V6 (all else being equal), but that doesn’t mean the V6 can’t take it.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Thanks for the input. I'm essentially asking if I'm missing anything in my initial analysis. The durango has a tow capacity of 6,200 lbs and the trailer I'm asking about will have a weight of about 4,600 once loaded. I know there are other factors. I'm not sure what your van was rated for, but it sounds like you had a rough go. Thanks again for the input.

Yes you are! Seems it is never discussed in many locations. Don't know why no one is mentioning frontal area. Including frontal area when we talk torque and hp is paramount. You may be able to find this data on the Dodge website, or the owners manual.
Torque is what it takes to overcome resistance (wind), and hp is how fast you can do it. Gearing is how we increase torque, it also reduces how fast you can go, or get it done.

What I am trying to say is, if time is not an issue, then lower gears will provide the answer. Life is full of compromise, engineering is the art of matching desired outcomes. Most times financial considerations trump everything.

 

[A-Texan]

Hello! I'm new to this forum and RVing in general. I'm currently looking to purchase a travel trailer, scheduled to pickup next Saturday. Since looking a couple weeks ago, I've been spending a lot of time focusing on the numbers to ensure I can safely tow.

Travel Trailer
Cherokee Wolf Pup 17JG
Dry Weight - 3,879 lbs
Dry Hitch Weight - 430 lbs
GVWR - 4,999 lbs
Payload Capacity - 1,120 lbs
Length - 23ft 4in

Tow Vehicle
2022 Dodge Durango GT Plus
Engine - 3.6L V6
Dry Weight - 5,060 lbs, recently weighed at CAT scale at 5,040 but made some adjustments for fuel and a couple other things I had in the vehicle at the time
GVWR - 6,500 lbs
Payload Capacity - 1,440 lbs (GVWR - Dry Weight)
Cargo Capacity per door placard - 1,200 lbs
Max Hitch Weight - 620 lbs
Max Tow Capacity - 6,200 lbs
GCWR - 11,600
Wheel Base - 119.8 inches

I'm feeling pretty good about the TV capability to tow this TT. I am purchasing a Sway Pro 750 Sway control/WDH. I am cognizant of the payload capacity of the TV. I'm aiming to put a max of 700 lbs of gear into the trailer, which will give a Hitch Weight of around 600 lbs. One of the things I'm most worried about at this point is the wheel base of the TV vs length of the TT. I'm also aware of the wind drag I'll be experiencing with this trailer vs a pop-up.

I live in the upper Midwest and don't have any plans at this point to be going into any mountainous areas with this setup.

Being new to the game here, is there anything I'm missing? Should I be re-considering a different trailer? Or am I OK thinking I'm within my limits and go have a good time?

Thanks!

I think you will be fine, my Lexus GX460 has just a little more horsepower (small v8) with 6600 lbs towing capacity and my trailer is 22 feet long and loaded is around 4100 lbs or so on most trips and it does well. I use a WDH with Anti-Sway control made by Curt (#17500), but I also added Timbren rear suspension springs (add on rubber springs for rear that bolt in easily, took 10 minutes to install) to help while driving because even though I had the WDH the ride wasn't quite good enough for me (I used to have a truck which felt better towing, but after adding the springs it took care of the soft suspension issue I felt when towing so now it feels just like the pickup pretty much unless the winds get over 25 mph then I have to slow down some when driving). After adding the Timbren Kit it felt a lot better in my opinion. You may want to look into a similar type spring to aid the rear of the vehicle considering its a small SUV because for myself the WDH alone didn't seem sufficient although it did help and I had it adjusted perfect (maintained an equal drop in suspension at all 4 corners of the vehicle - my truck and trailer sits perfectly level) with the trailer loaded before adding the springs. Also keep in mind with the short wheelbase when the wind is around 25 miles per hour I have to typically drive around 60 mph to maintain the feel I did with my pick up truck at 70 (most of the time on my travels wind has not been an issue). The more windy it is the slower I drive and if winds are over +25 mph I am most likely going to stop and camp somewhere or only maintain 50 mph.

 

[preussj00]

I think you will be fine, my Lexus GX460 has just a little more horsepower (small v8) with 6600 lbs towing capacity and my trailer is 22 feet long and loaded is around 4100 lbs or so on most trips and it does well. I use a WDH with Anti-Sway control made by Curt (#17500), but I also added Timbren rear suspension springs (add on rubber springs for rear that bolt in easily, took 10 minutes to install) to help while driving because even though I had the WDH the ride wasn't quite good enough for me (I used to have a truck which felt better towing, but after adding the springs it took care of the soft suspension issue I felt when towing so now it feels just like the pickup pretty much unless the winds get over 25 mph then I have to slow down some when driving). After adding the Timbren Kit it felt a lot better in my opinion. You may want to look into a similar type spring to aid the rear of the vehicle considering its a small SUV because for myself the WDH alone didn't seem sufficient although it did help and I had it adjusted perfect (maintained an equal drop in suspension at all 4 corners of the vehicle - my truck and trailer sits perfectly level) with the trailer loaded before adding the springs. Also keep in mind with the short wheelbase when the wind is around 25 miles per hour I have to typically drive around 60 mph to maintain the feel I did with my pick up truck at 70 (most of the time on my travels wind has not been an issue). The more windy it is the slower I drive and if winds are over +25 mph I am most likely going to stop and camp somewhere or only maintain 50 mph.

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Thanks for the tips. Someone else had suggested timbrens. Turns out those aren't compatible with my vehicle, but I did find and air ride system that is. Basically, you throw an air bag into the spring coil and it's supposed to provide 1,000 lbs of load support. I also was reminded that the durango has load-leveling suspension. There isn't anything in the owners manual on this, but what I gather is that the suspension levels itself out after driving 1-2 miles.

The WDH im looking at is the sway pro 750. It has pretty good reviews and I'm hopeful that it'll do the job.

 

[preussj00]

Yes you are! Seems it is never discussed in many locations. Don't know why no one is mentioning frontal area. Including frontal area when we talk torque and hp is paramount. You may be able to find this data on the Dodge website, or the owners manual.
Torque is what it takes to overcome resistance (wind), and hp is how fast you can do it. Gearing is how we increase torque, it also reduces how fast you can go, or get it done.

What I am trying to say is, if time is not an issue, then lower gears will provide the answer. Life is full of compromise, engineering is the art of matching desired outcomes. Most times financial considerations trump everything.

Thanks, Kevin! I didn't add this to my OP, but I have done some reading about frontal area. Essentially, I'm expecting to stay in the 55-60mph range when towing with this durango. Unfortunately, the owners manual for the durango only mentions frontal area as a definition and does not indicate a maximum limit for towing. I saw some older durango owners who said they were able to find a limit for their model, but again I could not find anything on the 2022 that I have.

 

[preussj00]

In addition to the concerns above about stopping, I'd be concerned about the durability of your tow vehicle transmission. Does it even have a "tow / haul" button to keep it out of overdrive?

Rick

I'm not sure about a tow/haul button to address your concern. The durango I have does include a trailer tow group package, with heavy duty cooling, load-leveling suspension, class IV receiver hitch, and trailer brake controller. There's an eco and a sport mode, but I don't think I would want to use either of those while towing.

 

[fluffywhitedogs]

Unfortunately, the owners manual for the durango only mentions frontal area as a definition and does not indicate a maximum limit for towing.

That's odd, my 2017 manual has this. But the 2022 manual has much less info!

 

[preussj00]

That's odd, my 2017 manual has this. But the 2022 manual has much less info!

40 Sq ft is what I saw others mention for their older models. Given that nothing else in that chart is different for the AWD 3.6L, I'd assume the 40sqft is the same as well. If you look at frontal area of any non-popup trailer I think they'd all be eliminated.

 

[preussj00]

That's odd, my 2017 manual has this. But the 2022 manual has much less info!

To add to my post just a moment ago. I am looking at a smaller 2016 Spree Escape e200s tonight. The frontal area is slightly smaller than the wolf pup but still exceeds the 40sqft. The weight of the Escape is a lot less, but so is the cargo capacity, and it's an older model trailer (although not that old) with less features. I think it would be a better fit.