towing with 3rd gen durango

[4LowNGo]

We have a 14 durango R/T and I have done my research and have my eye on a couple units that I think works for us. Just curious what others with this suv is towing.

[Dave_Monica]

You're not saying anything about what you're towing which is the biggest factor in trying to answer. The listed max towing is listed at 7400 for RWD and 7200 for AWD. I don't know what the payload capacity but SUV's aren't known for having a large amount of payload...you'd have to check the doorpost sticker. The short wheelbase of 120" isn't very favorable if towing a long trailer. The 1/2 Ram would be much more capable.


Dave

[bikendan]

yep, payload will be the weakness in your vehicle, not towing capacity.

you need to post what the payload amount is from the door sticker.
and also post what trailer models you're thinking about.

aren't many here towing with such a new vehicle and it being a Durango.

[Jopar]

I have a 2012 durango with AWD and 5.7. Payload is 1200 pounds. Mine toes my 23ss no problem


2012 dodge durango hemi awd with tow package.
2015 Rockwood roo 23ss

[4LowNGo]

That's what I was looking for. Like I said I've done my research, just curious what others with durango's are towing. I know it's not a 3/4 ton or bigger and that's not what I was asking......thanks though

[Jopar]

Just make sure that the tires are pumped up to what the tires say is max psi and a good WDH. Happy camping


2012 dodge durango hemi awd with tow package.
2015 Rockwood roo 23ss

[williej32]

I also have a Durango R/T, 2013 model. My mini light 2504s should be coming off the assembly line tomorrow. Like you I also researched it and did not find a lot k f people using the Durango for towing. My camper comes in at 5000 pounds and living in the mountains of VA I really don't want to go any heavier. I will post about the towing when I pick it up but that might be a month away. Their is one person on the forum towing the same camper with a Durango. Maybe he will chime in and give us more feed back...

[thebrakeman]

You can see my rig in the sig line. 7000 lbs max tow rating, truck frame. My 27' hybrid is about 5200 lbs loaded.
If my Mountaineer got totaled, the replacement would likely be a recent gen unibody Durango with V8 and HD towing package. I can't think of anything else that would be a direct replacement (mid-sized SUV, fits in garage, 7000+ rating, isn't an expensive luxury brand).

And yes, around 5000 lbs loaded is about as much as you want to tow with around 7000 lbs max tow rating. You need to leave some capacity for passengers & cargo in the truck.

[bwt74]

I have a 2013 Durango R/T and will be towing a Cherokee 28A across Kansas and just into the rockies next month, about 650 miles. I'll will let you know how it goes. to date, I've only towed locally with it so far and seemed to do fine, this will be a true test.

I have the standard tranny cooler, of course the dealer service guy said it "should" be fine, but I have a Derale Series 8000 Cooler that I was thinking about installing. Any opinions on that?


https://www.etrailer.com/p-D13504.html

[thebrakeman]

Cherokee 28A = 5340 lbs dry weight. Should be well over 6000 lbs loaded to go. Certainly doable by the numbers, as long as you aren't over TW limit, and you have a good WDH. But pack light, especially going into the Rockies!

[slonaker]

2014 Durango 3.6L with towing package. Rated at 6200 lbs.

[bwt74]

Yeah, that's a bit much for the V6, but the R/T has the V8 Hemi (7200 lbs).

[tspin818]

I have a 2011 Durango with the 5.7L hemi and the factory tow package. This is the first year of the new generation Durango's. I tow a Cruise Lite T252RLXL. The weight of my trailer is around 6100 pounds when we are loaded for travel. We very rarely boondock, so I never carry fresh water in my tank and that saves me 500 pounds right there.

Just my swmbo and I in the truck with our dog Clyde. The GVWR on the Durango is rated at 7160 pounds, and we rarely exceed 6000 in it. We do travel fairly light. My tongue weight on the trailer is 600 pounds, so my GVWR on the Durango is still well under the 7160, and the trailer weight of 6100 pounds is also well under the 7400 pound towing capacity of the truck.

The trailer is 31' long, which is a little long for the wheelbase of the truck, but that being said I have experienced very few problems towing it. I have a good WD hitch with dual sway control bars installed. It can feel a little squirrely when being passed by a large truck or in windy conditions, but nothing dangerous.

Overall I am quite happy towing with the Durango. Even towing with the 5.7L we still get decent fuel mileage.

Hope this helps.

[MeepMeep]

Wise one once told me that you can TOW a lot (ala the Toyota Tundra towing the space shuttle) - the big problem is STOPPING power....so be wary of towing at the margins, especially wit an SUV

[tspin818]

I agree with Meep Meep, stopping is important. I am not one of those a-holes you see towing my trailer at 85-90mph on a collision with disaster. Slow and steady, watch what your doing and be aware of your situation. There is always the chance of an accident, but I have had to stop in a hurry a couple of times, and although I probably had to change my britches afterward I was able to get er done.

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by MeepMeep

Wise one once told me that you can TOW a lot (ala the Toyota Tundra towing the space shuttle) - the big problem is STOPPING power....so be wary of towing at the margins, especially wit an SUV

You can say that about any tow vehicle, even a 1-ton pickup. In all cases, the TV brakes are designed to stop the TV, and the trailer brakes are designed to stop the trailer. Get a good controller like the Tekonsha P2 or P3, in order to take advantage of the full tow ratings.

[taken]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

You can say that about any tow vehicle, even a 1-ton pickup. In all cases, the TV brakes are designed to stop the TV, and the trailer brakes are designed to stop the trailer. Get a good controller like the Tekonsha P2 or P3, in order to take advantage of the full tow ratings.

Exactly! The trailer stops the trailer...

As to the Durango, my wife has a 2012 with the 5.7. We've used it to tow our enclosed 25 foot sled trailer weighing close to 5k and the boat we just sold that was 30 foot of boat and trailer weighing around 6k. Both towed like it wasn't back there. We towed the same loads with a Grand Cherokee 5.7 prior to this and can say the Durango feels much more stable in a towing situation. IMHO, it's a fine tow vehicle.

[MeepMeep]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

You can say that about any tow vehicle, even a 1-ton pickup. In all cases, the TV brakes are designed to stop the TV, and the trailer brakes are designed to stop the trailer. Get a good controller like the Tekonsha P2 or P3, in order to take advantage of the full tow ratings.

I completely agree with the trailer brakes stopping the trailer and the tow vehicle stopping the tow vehicle - until the trailer brakes fail and the tow vehicle has to stop the whole package. It does happen.....why not allow yourself that margin of safety, all things being equal? Just sayin'.....

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by tspin818

...My tongue weight on the trailer is 600 pounds, so my GVWR on the Durango is still well under the 7160, and the trailer weight of 6100 pounds is also well under the 7400 pound towing capacity of the truck...
...It can feel a little squirrely when being passed by a large truck or in windy conditions, but nothing dangerous...Hope this helps.

With proper TW, and properly set-up WDH, you should not feel squirrelly. I think the wheelbase on my Mounty is shorter than a Durango, and my rig is rock-solid.

I think you feel a bit squirrelly at times because you barely have enough TW (9.8%). Move some things forward, add a 2nd LP tank, etc, to get TW up over 650, and your stability issues should go away completely. You should have at least 700 lbs of TW capacity.

If that doesn't work, be sure you have the WDH set correctly. You want to have the front wheel well height when WDH is engaged to be the same as before the trailer was attached.

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by MeepMeep

I completely agree with the trailer brakes stopping the trailer and the tow vehicle stopping the tow vehicle - until the trailer brakes fail and the tow vehicle has to stop the whole package. It does happen.....why not allow yourself that margin of safety, all things being equal? Just sayin'.....

Bringing up arbitrary margins of safety is pointless. Nobody will ever agree on what a good margin is. Fact is, we engineers have already added safety factors into our designs, as well as the test specs we use. The ratings are what the parts and systems have been tested to meet, with safety factors included.

And when it comes to the remote chance of a failed trailer brake system failing:
a. That would not happen without advanced notice. Good controllers have diagnostics to tell you in advance off a problem. If you have a poor ground or a lost connection, you don't leave the house. Some even have audible warnings. Get a problem code, and you pull over and investigate.
b. If you are saying that we must have enough margin to completely protect for a failed brake system, then nobody should tow anything that puts the combined weight greater than the max GVWR of the truck. That would mean my 12,000 GCVWR Mounty could only tow 1400 lbs (6400 GVWR - 5000 curb). Essentially, tow rating = payload capacity. That just not practical, or necessary.

The tow vehicle's brake system could fail, too. That does not mean that we should artificially reduce our GVWR, just in case it happens.