Can my 1997 minivan tow this 2007 Flagstaff 625D?

[laferg69]

I have a 1997 Chrysler Town & Country LXI with the Heavy Duty towing package. It's rated for 3500 pound towing.

I read the manual and intend to follow all recommendations to the T.

It says that the minivan with 5 passengers and luggage can tow 3000 pounds.

It also says get a load balancing hitch.

I intend to get a sway bar, transmission cooler and brake control

The UVW of the pop-up I'm about to buy is 2226.

Is this a safe choice? Do I really need the transmission cooler? I understand that I'll be gearing down for the grades...

Thanks,

Mark

[yvesm]

Originally Posted by laferg69

I have a 1997 Chrysler Town & Country LXI with the Heavy Duty towing package. It's rated for 3500 pound towing.

I read the manual and intend to follow all recommendations to the T.

It says that the minivan with 5 passengers and luggage can tow 3000 pounds.

It also says get a load balancing hitch.

I intend to get a sway bar, transmission cooler and brake control

The UVW of the pop-up I'm about to buy is 2226.

Is this a safe choice? Do I really need the transmission cooler? I understand that I'll be gearing down for the grades...

Thanks,

Mark

Most towing ratings are based with 1 occupant and the vehicle full of gas, but it may be different for your van. I would definitively have a heavy duty transmission cooler and engine cooler installed, I would also travel as light as possible. You should also have your transmission flushed before you start to tow and I would avoid any mountain passes while towing.

[jaxfl]

As long as you keep it on flat land and don't slow down driving over an overpass on the highway.....short answer....NO!

[laferg69]

Thanks for all of your input,

The 3000 pound figure was with a minivan plus 3-5 passengers and luggage.

yvesm, when you say avoid the mountain grades are you referring to the CA 5 North going up the grade?

jaxfl,

It sounds like you've had problems towing anything with a minivan. I have no experience towing and I'm expecting a very slow ride to my site up and down any hill.

Is this an unrealistic expectation with the load mentioned above or would you recommend that I not expect to tow anything with my van?

What UVW would you suggest that my van CAN handle if any?

Thanks,

mark

[capucine]

You should be okay. Keep 55 miles per hour on highways and flat terrains or mostly would be a big saver on your transmission. Get a cooler on the trans and enjoy. If other vehicles are tailgating close to you remember that you pay your taxes like everybody else. It is my case for me. It looks like nobody likes trailers travelling at this speed on highways but I dont care! and dont pull in overdrive because it is a killer on the transmission.

[MtnGuy]

I think this borderline, but it could work. A lot depends on how heavy you load the minivan. The 3000 lb. figure with 5 passengers and luggage, does not take into account the variables with those 5 passengers or luggage weight. 2 small adults with 3 small children is different than 2 big adults with 3 teenagers. It could be 500 lbs. or 1000 lbs. Shame on Chrysler for being to vague.

If the minivan has a heavy duty tow package, it may already have (and should have) an auxiliary transmission cooler.

A light duty WDH would be a good idea. Make sure the factory hitch has the stats to handle the weight.

Terrain makes a big difference. An occasional trip into the mountains might be OK, but if that is the main travel area, then the minivan may not be a good choice for a TV. I pulled my 1000 lb. pop-up over the Blue Ridge here, and I was down to 2nd gear in my Jeep, doing about 25 miles per hour......it was embarrassing.

If you decide to go this route, I suggest you load up for camping with the family in tow, and get everything weighed, to see if you are within the limits of the Town and Country.

[bikendan]

your factory tow package should have included a tranny cooler. you can always add an auxiliary tranny cooler. a Chrysler dealer should be able to tell you if you have one.
you should definitely get at least an anti-sway bar but since you didn't mention the model popup or its hitch weight, you might need a WDH.
you only need a brake controller if it has electric brakes. our two popups didn't have them so we didn't need one.

because you haven't listed where you're from, we can't speak to what local mountains you have.
i'm assuming Calif., since you mentioned I5 but I5 goes from Mexico to Canada, so not sure which grade you're referring to. the only bad grades in Calif., on I5, are the Grapevine and going over the Siskiyous into Oregon.

[HomeGrown]

I don't understand why jax would so adamantly say NO when you're well within your rated towing capacity. Believe it or not, you don't need a 3/4 ton turbodiesel to tow light trailers.

Curious though, you say your van is equipped with the "Heavy Duty Towing Package". Seems to me that should include a trans cooler already, that's part of any decent towing package. If not, what exactly does a Heavy Duty towing package include?

[MtnGuy]

I am usually the nay-sayer on these threads, but the OPer is sticking to a pop-up, and that is a good thing. A heavier conventional camper I would be saying "no way". But if the weights work, then give it a try. 1 concern is the age of the minivan. The Chryslers last forever, but over time engines lose power. A 1997 is probably going to have some mileage on the odometer.

[laferg69]

Thanks again for all of the posts!

It's a Chrysler Town & Country LXI 97. It has 80K on it. Not driven a ton. We've done all recommended maintenance since its purchase. The manual states: "Heavy Duty Trailer Tow Package", but I do not know if it has a transmission cooler already installed. How do I find out?

Definitely planning on the combo load equalizing hitch/ anti sway bar.

I'm from California so I was referring to interstate 5 N heading north from Los Angeles. Will I have trouble pulling up that grade in lower gear? That's the worse unless I take a mountain road.

Mark

[F and E Damp]

As long as you don't run into a dim-bulb weight policeman you'll probably be OK. My '03 Kia Sedona is also rated at 3500 pounds towing weight in the US. The identical vehicle in Europe is rated for 6600 pounds! Even my (sold) 4x4 Chevy S-10, with the 4.3L V6 engine was only rated at 3500 pounds.

US weight ratings are driven by chicken s**t legal departments who are scared of the lack of competence of US drivers and the ridiculously high damage awards people get in the event of accidents.

My aunt and uncle in the UK towed what I think was about a 2800-pound TT all over Europe for 15 years with a 45-horespower family sedan with drum brakes. Never had a wreck, loved every minute of it. I think they must have had some interesting downhill adventures in the Swiss Alps and the German Black Forest, since their TT only had surge brakes.

Before we emigrated in 1968, I ran across a couple who had towed a 34-foot single-wide house trailer from the north coast of Scotland all the way down to Southampton behind a 950 cc L-head Morris Minor (maybe 35 hp on a good day).

Just after we emigrated, we rented a 16' TT and towed it behind a 65 Falcon wagon with the 200 cubic inch 6-cylinder engine. We went all the way from south Seattle to Big Sur and back. It wasn't until much later I heard that that engine only developed 77 hp, not much more than Uncle's Austin. We had a good trip - the only problem being a lack of brake capacity on long downhill grades. Didn't know about the technique of heavy braking to get the speed down followed by a stretch where you let the brakes cool.

I also had a '58 DKW at the time, a small (950cc) three-cylider 2-stroke engine car. It had four times the braking capability of the Falcon (bigger diameter, twin leading shoes and twice the drum width). I should've towed the trailer with that, except putting a pint of oil down the gas filler and only being able to put 5 gallons to follow was a chore. Imagine in 1968 asking a gas station attendant for "5 gallons and wait until I pour the oil in"!

Unfortunately, liability laws don't allow that kind of flexibility nowadays in the Land of the Free!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by laferg69

The manual states: "Heavy Duty Trailer Tow Package", but I do not know if it has a transmission cooler already installed. How do I find out?

Definitely planning on the combo load equalizing hitch/ anti sway bar.

I'm from California so I was referring to interstate 5 N heading north from Los Angeles. Will I have trouble pulling up that grade in lower gear? That's the worse unless I take a mountain road.

Mark

like i said in my other post here, a Chrysler dealer should be able to tell you from your VIN.
the manual isn't what says you have the factory tow package, it's your VIN or if you still have the window sticker, it'll state whether it has it or not.

north-bound I5 from L.A. isn't that bad, just stay in the slow lane doing 55. the south-bound side is steeper but shorter.

[youroo]

My buddy wanted to pull my (2) place enclosed snowmobile trailer on a snowmobile trip in the winter (20) degreesF. Weight of total towing package was (1600)lbs. This was a very low mileage Town&Country , we lost the radiator & transmission! Two guys in the van,rented a (REAL) truck to finish the trip! Good luck with your travels. Youroo!!

[bikendan]

c'mon, people, the OP has a minivan, that he says has the factory tow package.
if he does, he should be able to tow a popup, that's about the only RV a minivan can really tow well.

again, your manual isn't the source to say whether or not you have the factory tow package. it's an option and an owners manual doesn't know whether or not your T&C came with it or not.

[prof_fate]

Have $3000 in the bank for a transmission replacement...they are very very very very common on that vintage chrysler minivan. I had a 96 and a pin blew out of the diff at 82k - 2500 miles after a dealer trans service (trying to avoid the trans issues on that model van) - the pin blew a hole in the trannie case dumping all the fluid on the road.

This isn't the most common failure of those transmissions, so be prepared. You're right at about the mileage where the failures seem to occur. ON a good note the replacement/rebuilt trans (and new vans) don't have the issues.

Otherwise your numbers seem to work. We towed a popup (admittedly, a small light one) with our windstar (tow rating of 2000lbs since it had no tow package) all over the place, up and down the alleghenies, the smokies, etc and never had a moments problem, never even knew it was back there, never slowed up hills, did 70-75, towed in OD, etc.

Being closer to your limits will tax the van more of course, but go slow until you build experience with how the combo works and you should be fine.

[thebrakeman]

We towed our 3000 lbs (loaded) Coleman Mesa popup for 8 seasons with Chrysler minivans. Never had a problem because I did the research just like the OP is doing:

1997 Chrysler Town & Country LX 3.8L V6 (tow vehicle from 2003-2007, purchased with 35,000 miles, totalled Dec 2007 with 119,000 miles):
Did not have the towing package. Had the dealer add an aux trans cooler, and I installed a Reese 400 Single Bar WDH kit and a friction sway controller. Had a hitch shop install a Class 3 "Hidden Hitch", Prodigy electric brake controller, and all wiring for brakes, lights, and 12V charge line. I had the trans coolant changed every other year (pan drop with filter change).

Used my dad's pickup for 1-2 trips in 2008.

2000 Chrysler Grand Voyager SE 3.3L V6 (tow vehicle from 2009-2010, purchased with 80,000 miles, sold with 105,000 miles):
Did not have the towing package, but it did have the factory aux trans cooler as part of the rear A/C package. I was laid off for 2 weeks that summer, so I purchased and installed myself a new Class 3 Hidden Hitch, the same Prodigy, and the complete wiring (hood to hitch) for brakes, lights, and 12V charge line. Used the same WDH and sway control. I had the trans fluid changed once after I did all the other work (pan drop and filter change).

You do not need a trans cooler if it already has the factory tow package. The package in '97 replaced the shared radiator/cooler with a dedicated engine radiator and huge dedicated trans cooler. Add another if you really want to, but you're already good to go.

Per your owner's manual, if the loaded trailer is greater than 1000 lbs, they recommend a WDH and brakes. If more than 2000 lbs, WDH and brakes are required.

As far as the weights, I recommend you ignore that chart that estimates weight based on # passengers and cargo. Instead, you will find your actual GCVWR (combined rating) at 8300 lbs (with tow package). Subtract the empty weight of van (~4400 lbs?) and popup (~2250 lbs?) and you are left with approx 1600 lbs. This is the combined weight available for passengers and cargo in both vehicles (camper never to exceed 3500). Subtract the weight of you family, and you are left with cargo capacity.

The '97 3.8L, we kept on pretty much flat Michigan, Ohio, and a little bit of Canada (not far). The 3.8L is a nice torquey motor, and felt very comfortable off the line. Likewise, it kept up on the highway just fine. With the WDH and sway controller, it was rock solid up to 75mph, though I tried to stick to 65mph.

The '00 3.3L, we took thru Chicago (never do THAT again!), to Wisconsin Dells, down and up the Mississippi valley, and most of the way across Minnesota to Walnut Grove (yes, Little House on the Prairie). This was in the summer with the A/C on full. Kept it in OD for the entire trip except for the run coming up from the Mississippi River (held 3rd). The manual says OD is fine unless it's "hunting".

In short, as long as the vehicle has been well-maintained, I highly recommend Chrysler minivans as popup tow vehicles. As I said, I was always in the 2900-3100 lbs range (8000-8200 lbs combined). As you can see, depending on your family size, you may or may not be able to take the trailer to the 3500 lbs limit and still be within the 8300 combined limit.

As far as the transmission, the failure rates are not like what you hear. Just remember, for every bad experience, there is probably 100 good experiences. I can personally testify to 2 good Chrysler minivan transmission from that vintage. The '96 vans (3rd gen) were much improved from what I understand, over the 2nd gen.

[prof_fate]

Mine was a 96 with the mitsubishi enging (3.3? don't recall, been a long time) that had the trans issue. Bought new, sold with 105k on it.
Got a 97 used in 01 (85k) and the previous owner had the trans replaced the year before we got it. Perhaps with the bigger trans cooler the 97 and up are better, I can't say. Sold with 113k on it.
Didn't tow with either one.
Have known many friends with similar vans and just about everyone has had a trans replaced. But her in western PA we have hills and snow - perhaps these are issues that add to the wear and tear on a trans?

[trudinator]

You can get a Build Sheet directly from Chrysler/Dodge by putting in your VIN number. This will tell you EXACTLY what your vehicle is equipped with. Just put "Please send me a build sheet for this vehicle." in the "Please enter additional information....." box. Mine showed up in my e-mail inbox the very next day.

Here is the website link:

Contact Dodge

[wvcampincpl]

Several years ago we had a pop-up and towed it to the mountains here in WV several times with our Plymouth minivan and never had any problems.

[Dodge Guy]

The issue with the pin going through the case is due to the spinning of tires. whether intentional or not. Chrysler came out with a redesigned differential with a differnt way to hold the pin in that eliminated the problem. not all the older rebuilds got the updated diff.

to the OP if you see a small trans cooler behind the grille then it has the tow pkg. if you can`t tell there then the oil filter housing will have a small canister attached to it with 2 coolant hoses running into it. Oil to water oil cooler. also the towpkg will have the load leveling shocks in the rear. they are fat and will have a yellow sticker on them!