hisvett

I have a possibility of buying an enclosed 24ft to pull my car in. I have a '07 Durango Limited with a 330HP HIMI and have a towing capacity just shy of 9K lbs. The numbers say it should handle it with no problem, but what is it like with a box on the back that half again as big as the car driving cross country?

The trailer ID plate says 10,400 lbs Gross with a load limit of 6,800 lbs. so it's relatively light for an enclosed trailer. Pack it with car, tools and a few parts; it should scale out around 7K to 7.5K lbs, well below my 8950 rating.

Anyone with experience in this area?

BlackRocket

I have a lot of experience towing a 24' enclosed trailer with a 1/2 ton Chevy Silverado. The truck is rated to tow 7,850#'s and does not have the HP that your Durango has. To be safe you need to purchase a good load leveling hitch from Draw-Tite or Reese. They act as a bridge between the trailer and your vehicle pushing down the front tires evenly with the back ones. They are not cheap, but will save you from losing control going down-hill in a turn. (also, I never installed the anti-sway devices since a four-tire trailer is pretty stable even in severe crosswinds). Your vehicle needs to have a transmission cooler as well to prevent the transmission from overheating.

As far as the actual towing, I have had around 7,400#'s behind my Silverado and on level ground, mild grades or downhill it towed fine. Going up steep passes it would only carry a grade at about 55 MPH. I learned a technique of charging a grade at 70+ MPH then pressing the gas just enough to add power but not allow to downshift....I would then let the speed slowly decay to around 55 then depress the gas to upshift. The truck would develop enough power to accelerate back up to 70 MPH in 3rd and would be winding out at about 4,000 RPM. I would let off the gas and allow it to upshift and then the speed would slowly decay again. This way you are not constantly downshifting/up-shifting constantly. Each time of this would be 3-4 minutes winding up to 4,000 RPM.

Overall, I didn't feel that a lighter duty truck would last too long engine/transmission wise doing this all the time so I broke down and got a heavier duty 1-ton diesel. Although I have heard of fellas getting along fine towing heavy trailers with lighter duty trucks, I didn't want to take the chance of paying for a new transmission.

Lastly, a buddy of mine has a Durango and tows a 28' travel trailer all the time with a load leveling hitch..he says it performs well and has got no issues!


Hope this helps...

Aslo, get a good brake controller like a Prodigy from Camping World.

Z06cool

I pull a 22ft open trailer with my Durango Hemi and it's fairly easy going. I think it could do enclosed but interested in the same question.

c4cruiser

Here's my $.02: DON'T even consider it!! HP is not, and should not be, the prime factor in towing a trailer that size.

While the towing capacity may be close to 9K, there are a variety of weight/load considerations you need to factor in. First, add the weight of the trailer and everything that will go inside it. Second add the weight of everything that goes in the Durango; you, gas, tools, luggage, the wife and/or GF, your buddies, the kids, the dog, and whatever else. Then add the tongue weight of the loaded trailer to the gross cargo weight of the Durango.

All of that should not be more than 80-85% of the total gross weight capacity of the Durango as configured. While you can haul the maximum advertised towed weight, the 80% is a safety factor.

What sort of tires are on the Durango? Probably a P-metric passenger car tire? What is the weight capacity of the tires? How big are the brakes? Do you have the towing package that includes a tranny cooler, trailer brake controller, HD radiator, and HD shocks and springs? Does the tranny have a tow/haul mode that will increase shift points and line pressure? (I think that the Durango Trailer Towing Group includes all of that)

As stated, a weight distribution hitch will be a requirement as is an anti-sway bar. Large box trailers will cause sway especially in side winds and when being passed by large trucks. It's not fun to have the tail wagging the dog

Most everyone I know that tows an enclosed trailer of that size uses a something like a 3/4 ton pickup Like a Chev/GMC 2500or Ford F-250 (big gas motor or diesel) or a Suburban or Ford Expedition. You can expect gas mileage in the single-digit range as it appears that the Hemi Durango isn't the best for fuel economy anyway.

I tow an open car trailer (total of 5400 lbs) with my '08 Silverado LTZ with the 6 liter motor (367HP, 390 ft-lbs of torque) and I'm not sure I would want to tow a 24' enclosed trailer with my truck if I was to travel long distances or over mountains.

AU N EGL

dodge truck products have a life time guarantee on their transmission for a reason. They break.

2500 min for towing.

I have a 1500 HD chevy. It has done OK. 55-60 on the highway, 45 up or down the mountains. Change the oil as needed. transmission and diff fluids each winter, bleed the brakes before each tow over 2 hours.

Armycop

Here's what I've learned while shopping for my trailer:

Your trailers' gross # is the maximum weight of the trailer and load it's built to handle. Load limit is what the manufacturer recommends you don't exceed. You take trailer's weight (we'll say 4,000lbs), your car(I'll be nice and say 3,200lbs) and now we're at 7,200lbs. And we haven't added tools, tires, clothes, food, chairs, etc.
Let's load the car too, add about 6-800lbs into the car. So we've got 8,000lbs, with just the car in the trailer.

I'm not liking these numbers. I'd be going with a trailer around 2,500lbs unloaded to be safe. Good Luck tho!

BlackRocket

A lot of 2 cents from people that have never done this...My truck weighs a little over 5,000# and I towed an enclosed trailer that weighed 7,400 - 7,500#'s 3x across the country and back with no problems. I even hit black ice twice got sideways and didn't loose control. Drove over the sierra Nevada Mountains, over the Rockies...No problem just a little slow at times. The windage from the flat front end of an enclosed trailer is the biggest drag not the weight. I have towed the V-nose trailers and they don't seem to do much better. Got about 11 MPG when towing down from the usual 16. My only advantage my 1500 Chevy with an extra-cab has over a Dodge Durango is the longer wheel base. I say get a good load leveling hitch with locking anti-sway bars, a good brake controller and go!!! ...you'll be fine.

hisvett

Thanks, that's the slant I was looking for. I'm more concerned over wheel base that being within the weight range (seems to be come confusion over towing capacity Vs. CGVW). The newer Durango's are basically a shortened 1/2 ton PU frame. I've already changed out the shocks to fix the mush ride, got the trans cooler and EZ lift hitch, bk controler and have been towing for many years with D3500's.

Right now the car doesn't know it when I have my open trailer, C5 and track gear behind it. In fact, it's difficult to keep it under 75MPH on the freeway . Thanks for all the input.....I think it's going to work out OK.

johns68

My only concern would be the Durango wheelbase. Most of us are more than capable enough to mod a truck (if necessary) to pull most anything comfortably, but the wheelbase is fixed ... I've towed a great variety of trailers with a great variety of vehicles and the shortwheelbase vehicles are scary in panic stop situations. Currently I pull a 36' enclosed gooseneck with a crewcab F250 ... I've had trailer brakes locked and truck ABS fully engaged (don't ask), and the rig stayed straight as an arrow without effort. Years ago, I couldn't stop my Jeep with a ski boat in tow at a stop sign without getting nervous. Load levelling hitches, swaybars, all great hardware and will make a difference, but a shorter wheelbase vehicle will always be at a disadvantage ... and my dad had an extra cab Dakota I towed with, btw, but never an enclosed ... my main memory of it was that it was almost impossible NOT to smoke the tires from a stop with a trailer behind. Lots of torque ... not much traction.

OzCop

I have a friend who towed a 26' enclosed trailer with his 06 Hemi Durango with Corvette, tools, tires, etc. aboard and had no issues. He did trade it a year or so ago for a diesel pu after buying a goose-neck 34' inclosed. He was the reason I bought my Hemi Durango for towing...While I haven't towed an enclosed trailer with it, it handles my 18' open trailer with Corvette aboard with ease...much better than my previous 1500 Suburban.

Falcon

This guy pulls a 32' goose neck camper with what appears to be an old Chevy Trailblazer. So you should be able to pull a 24' fully loaded enclosed with a Durango, no problem.

magnetic1

You need to really do MANY more calculations before you do this. Tongue weight, GAWR (rear), GVWR. You need to also go weigh your trailer too. You might be surprised if it is anything more than a bare bones model.

I have a Pace Shadow GT Daytona 24'. Pace's book says it starts at 4010lbs. I got it weighed in at 6000. It has finished interior, cabinets, 8" Ibeams, awning, rubber floor.

I was going to use a Denali. GWVR was 7000lbs with rear axle rating of 3500 if I remember right. After weighing the setup, I found the max tongue weight I could have was near 650-700lbs. That would be nearly impossible with a fully loaded trailer.

Everyone who says it CAN be done is right. It CAN be done... but at what price? Your life? Someone else's life? I cant imagine it being fun to wreck, and then your insurance denying your claim because you were over the limit, then face a nice lawsuit for your Vette and everything else you own.

Falcon

Here's another picture of a vehicle not quite at its load limit, so he's still good to go:

wallyman424

seems like a cheap way to get that low rider look everyone's so crazy about!

OCCOMSRAZOR

Human nature is that we tend to agree with people who already share the same biases that we have.

I have a 24' all aluminum enclosed trailer. I haul a C6, a small generator, spare parts, tools, spare tires. I convinced myself that my 1/2 ton chevy suburban with it's "built" 350 would do the job well.



After two 400 mile trips, I purchased a 3/4 ton Silverado with the 6.6 liter engine and Allison transmission. You just can't beat a truck that is designed to tow and comes with 650+ ft lbs of torque.

If you live in an area without any mountains or hills, you might get away with the Durango.

Either way, good luck to you!

Wayne O

I'd be hesitant to use a Durango to tow that large of a load on a long term basis....once in a while maybe.

We no longer have the Durango but I once towed my 3-horse slant trailer with my wife's Durango (largest V8, tow package, 4WD, etc.). With only 2 horses loaded in the trailer I found it akin to the 'tail wagging the dog.'

I tow my auto trailer and horse trailer with a 3/4 ton, 4WD, 8.1 liter V8 Suburban and it works well. IMO the Durango doesn't have the bulk to pull 'heavy' loads.

AU N EGL

Durango with on 18' open trailer would not be a problem.



Damn Jody that was funny. We saw a Ford Explorer Scout ( two door) towing a HUGE deep sea fishing boat on the side of I 95 this morning.

It was smoking out from under the rear axles. i wonder why ??

95jersey

Just to add my $0.02

While I do not have a Durango, I have an 08 Aspen, which I believe is the same chassis. Something that everyone needs to keep in mind is that the Durango/Aspen, had a BIG upgrade in terms of chassis, power, and transmission in the year 2007. The 2006 and previous generation was no where near as beefy as the 2007 and above. The size of the more modern version is easily apparent, when the two are side by side. My Aspen has a huge truck frame underneath...I could not even begin to get my hands around it. There are very big rear axle control bars, and in general it is WAY improved over the previous generation. It is every bit a Tahoe/Escalade grade SUV. My 08 has Hemi with 345HP and 375lbs. I only tow about 5000lbs, but it is literally like having nothing behind me. With my open trailer, car and extra tires and packed SUV, I can accelerate off the line and up hills with all traffic like I had nothing behind me. On the highway, I could let go of the wheel at 80mph and the truck doesn't move at all. Matter of fact I think it is MORE stable and rides nicer when it has a load behind it.

I can't say how it would handle with 8000lbs for an absolute fact, but this thing doesn't come close to breaking a sweat with 5000lbs. Stoping and taking turns is also nothing but great.

I think the older generation of which most are familar is definately not nearly as good, but the newer generation is definately a strong contender for towing. From my experience, this thing could easily handle a few more thousand lbs.

Also to note, towing 5000lbs, I do not even need a weight distribution hitch. The change in ride height not noticeable and does not effect the handling of the vehicle and I have been up and down the east coast.

OzCop

Yes, you are right, except the Aspen became available as a Chrysler version of the Dodge Durango in 2008.

That said, the actual 2nd gen Durango came out in 2004, built on the truck chassis, and was available with the 4.7 and 5.7 Hemi V8s, plus a 3.7 6cyl in the base model.

The 05 and newer Hemi Durangos, as well as their later Aspen counterparts, came with the multi-cylinder deactivation, allowing the V8 to act as a 4cyl at certain rpm ranges, load dependant. The change-up for 4cyl to 8 cyl and visa versa is seamless, and you can't feel it change, either up or down. You have 8 cylinders with 345hp on demand, and given their larger brakes and wheels, as well as coilspring rear/torsion bar front, heavy duty suspension, and standard tow package, they make great tow vehicles...

Nope, I don't sell'em, but I've had mine for over two years and it has been one hell of a vehicle...58K miles and going strong, never been in the shop for ANY repair. One magazine described Durango/Aspen as one of the best kept secrets in SUV land...

Too bad '09 will be the final year of production...

AU N EGL

Dont think the engine is the problem, but the dodge transmissions and diff for towing may be the challenge.