Towing Vehicle for a TrailManor

Hi: This website is great, can get so much information here. We are still deciding whether we should get a TM or not. Because of answers we got here last month about our towing vehicle, we traded our 2005 Town and Country for a 2008 V6 Dodge Dakota with towing package, hitch towing capacity is 5000lbs and if we add a WDH we are suppose to be able to tow 8000lbs. So of course the dealer said no problem towing a 3000lb trailer. But having read many of your replys to prospective owners questions (us included) about towing weight, I know the most important fact to consider is the GVTW. But I have not been able to find this information anywhere for our Dakota, not even on the Dodge website which is where the owner's manual tells you to look. So my question is: Does anyone on this website tow their TM with a Dodge Dakota with V6 engine and what size is your TM? What can we do to make our Dakota ready for towing other than what we have already? And the only TMs we seem to find for sale that are in our price range are 30/23 size, that weight may be pushing our luck. We plan to go to mountain areas but would try to find campground at lower elevation and unhook the TM before checking out the mountains themselves. But figure some climbing is going to happen while towing so just don't know if Dakota will be able to handle it. Any help with this delima would be greatly appreciated but especially would like to hear from any Dakota owner's if there are any. Thanks, Roni

I don't think you want to confuse Hitch weight capability with tow vehicle capability. You can get a hitch system capable of supporting 12000 lbs but that does not mean your TV can do the same.

Just Goggling a "2008 Dodge Dakota V6 Spec" came up with...
One site provided the following;

2008 Dodge Dakota ST Extended Cab Pickup Exterior & Aerodynamics Standard Features;

Trailer towing preparation
- Weights: gross vehicle weight rating (lbs) 6,010, curb weight (lbs) 4,296, gross trailer weight braked (lbs) 3,250 and max payload (lbs) 1,710

Elsewhere I found ranges for tow capability of 3250 - 4850 lbs. for 3.7L V6

I hope this helps.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by larroni

Hi: This website is great, can get so much information here. We are still deciding whether we should get a TM or not. Because of answers we got here last month about our towing vehicle, we traded our 2005 Town and Country for a 2008 V6 Dodge Dakota with towing package, hitch towing capacity is 5000lbs and if we add a WDH we are suppose to be able to tow 8000lbs. So of course the dealer said no problem towing a 3000lb trailer. But having read many of your replys to prospective owners questions (us included) about towing weight, I know the most important fact to consider is the GVTW. But I have not been able to find this information anywhere for our Dakota, not even on the Dodge website which is where the owner's manual tells you to look. So my question is: Does anyone on this website tow their TM with a Dodge Dakota with V6 engine and what size is your TM? What can we do to make our Dakota ready for towing other than what we have already? And the only TMs we seem to find for sale that are in our price range are 30/23 size, that weight may be pushing our luck. We plan to go to mountain areas but would try to find campground at lower elevation and unhook the TM before checking out the mountains themselves. But figure some climbing is going to happen while towing so just don't know if Dakota will be able to handle it. Any help with this delima would be greatly appreciated but especially would like to hear from any Dakota owner's if there are any. Thanks, Roni

I'm not sure what "GVTW" is. What you need to find is "GCWR" (Gross Combined Weight Rating). This will tell you what the vehicle is rated for the combination of Tow Vehicle, loaded trailer, passengers and cargo.

Roni...looking at the Dodge site, it says that you can tow 7200 lbs if properly equipped. It sounds like you are properly equipped, so you should be fine towing any TM. You need to look at the tow rating of your VEHICLE, not the hitch or WD system. Sounds like you just have to watch how much more you load into the truck and camper. Thats's where the GCWR comes into play.

We camped next to a 3024 TM last night that was being towed by a '04 Highlander ! A vehicle rated at 3500 lbs. Not recommended of course, but they were happy campers and said it all does fine. I wouldn't be comfortable...but....

I was worried about towing in the mtns with my '08 Highlander rated at 5000 lbs, but with the WDH, our 2619 tows great. Yes, there are some long climbs that you just have to be patient, but we make it. I never go over the 65MPH rating of the tires, and that is hard at times due to how easily the TM follows behind.

Good luck with your search....it's worth it!

Until a year ago we had a 1997 Dodge Dakota v6 manual along with the 2002 Chevy 1500HD crew cab truck. The Chevy towed the TM and the Dakota towed an 18 foot ATV trailer with a loaded weight of about 2,000 pounds. The Dakota also had two motorcycles (dirt bikes) in the bed.

The Dakota was able to pull it and stop it, but it sagged a lot. For various reasons, we bout a 2008 GMC 2500HD long bed and got rid of the Dakota.

I am a big fan of towing with a truck that is big enough taht I do not need a WD hitch. My guess is that you will likely find out that the Dakota can tow the TM, but you will likely need a WD hitch.

Maybe someone else has more specific information than my guess.

Thank you for your replies to my question about our Dakota. They were all a big help and yes, I got GVTW mixed up with GCWR, but you figured out what I was trying to say. haha The first thing we probably should do if we purchase a TM is get a WDH, expensive but well worth it. Right now we have towing package that came with the truck, hitch pulls 5000lbs. I have read here that some TM owners did not use WDH at first but later added for better control, so probably best to start out right than to end up being sorry. The fellow at the hitch place said we didn't need one but I would rather listen to you TM owners since I feel you know better what it's like towing a TM with and without the WDH. I was hoping I would find someone here with the same Dakota we have but think harveyrv's V6 Chevy S10 might be similiar, not 100% sure though. Looks like harveyrv tows a 2420 and Redhawk tows a 2619 so I am still concerned about the 3023 but Redhawk did say a TM owner camped next to them had a 3024 and pulled with a Highlander so guess our Dakota might do ok towing that size. If we go look at the 3023 we have an interest in we will have to hook it up and take for a drive and see how it feels, I guess the only way we are going to be able to get some idea how the Dakota performs while towing it. Thank you again Nature Recorder, harvyrv, Redhawk and PopBeavers for your replies. I love this sight and if and when we buy a TM I plan to become a member. I just hope my guest priviledges don't run too soon, I will miss checking this sight for information and looking for used TMs for sale. Thanks again, Roni

When we started towing the TM 2720 behind the Chevy 1500HD, it would only sag about 5/8 inch. When I added two motorcycles to the back of the truck it sagged so much that I could no longer get the front wheel off of the TM.

That was darn near about where I would want a WD hitch.

But we upgraded the truck to a 2500HD and sag is no longer a problem.

If the Dakota was lightly loaded you might squeak by. But to be able to actually haul stuff in the bed of the Dakota I am reasonably sure you will be making the right move to get a WD hitch.

You should not need sway control, just weight distribution.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by larroni

Thank you for your replies to my question about our Dakota. They were all a big help and yes, I got GVTW mixed up with GCWR, but you figured out what I was trying to say. haha The first thing we probably should do if we purchase a TM is get a WDH, expensive but well worth it. Right now we have towing package that came with the truck, hitch pulls 5000lbs. I have read here that some TM owners did not use WDH at first but later added for better control, so probably best to start out right than to end up being sorry. The fellow at the hitch place said we didn't need one but I would rather listen to you TM owners since I feel you know better what it's like towing a TM with and without the WDH. I was hoping I would find someone here with the same Dakota we have but think harveyrv's V6 Chevy S10 might be similiar, not 100% sure though. Looks like harveyrv tows a 2420 and Redhawk tows a 2619 so I am still concerned about the 3023 but Redhawk did say a TM owner camped next to them had a 3024 and pulled with a Highlander so guess our Dakota might do ok towing that size. If we go look at the 3023 we have an interest in we will have to hook it up and take for a drive and see how it feels, I guess the only way we are going to be able to get some idea how the Dakota performs while towing it. Thank you again Nature Recorder, harvyrv, Redhawk and PopBeavers for your replies. I love this sight and if and when we buy a TM I plan to become a member. I just hope my guest priviledges don't run too soon, I will miss checking this sight for information and looking for used TMs for sale. Thanks again, Roni

larroni,

The "2420" in my signature line is a little tongue-in-cheek humor. I have a 2720 (they actually measure to 24" fully opened).

Anyway.....as you may or may not have read. We just bought a Chevy Silverado V8. I just want to clarify that the S10 (Similar to your Durango only lighter) does a good job of towing the TM 2720. I wouldn't go any bigger, that's for sure and we had to watch what we brought.

Our biggest reason for buying the new truck was so that the grandkids would have a place to ride in our TV and we wouldn't have to bring 2 cars when they came with us.

I think that I would feel comfortable towing a 2720 with your Durango. However, I live and tow (Mostly) on flatland. If I lived in the mountains, I may feel differently.

Be patient and maybe a 2619 or 2720,SL,or SD might come up for sale. Then you might feel more comfortable with the weight. I tow with a 98 Dodge Ram 1500, a 2720SL and I wouldn't want to tow anything bigger. I wouldn't want to tow it with my wifes 2007 Highlander unless I was really forced to. Towing within manufacturer limits is legal but your margin of safety is reduced and you'll be going up the big hills right behind the big rigs, 20mph. I used to have a fire truck as a hobby vehicle and it weighed 39,000 pnds on two axles. I've driven big vehicles before so it's not like I'm some person who is scared of driving loaded vehicles. You have to be comfortable or you won't enjoy it. Towing one first will really let you know if you are comfortable with your choice. Of course verify your tow rating before towing any trailer to find out exactly what YOUR vehicle can tow and the loads it can handle legally and safely. Take your time and good luck Robert

Before my F-150 I towed with an Explorer Sport Trac, and it did just fine except going up steep grades in the Rockies, where I worried a bit about the transmission (just worried, never had a problem) getting overheated. Actually, it pulled fine at about 30 mph and 4,000 RPM in first gear, even up Rabbit Ears Pass, but I wasn't happy about that. So I got the F-150 for my peace of mind (and to haul a few extra things in the truck bed).

I know a couple who have used a Dakota for towing for quite some time, and it seems to work well for them, even in the Rockies. I'm not certain you'll even need a WDH, though a lot depends on the particular vehicle equippage and the way you load it.

So IMHO you'll be OK getting that TM.