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