Dodge Durango Forum - Forums and Owners Club! banner

Anyone tow heavy with their 3rd gen Durango?

33K views 27 replies 18 participants last post by  Gregs RT 
#1 ·
I'm planning on towing a 5500 pound boat with my 2012 Durango R/T. I was wondering if anyone here tows heavy with their 3rd gen Hemi Durangos.
 
#6 ·
Towing.

I just pulled my Calabria out of storage last Friday. It is a direct drive waterski boat with tower, etc. it is on a double axle trailer. It towed better than my '05 Ram diesel. Backing up the trailer into my driveway is usually a chore. I have a 120' driveway that has a steep first section that the Ram usually spins the tires a bit and I have to be careful. The Durango with it's traction control effortlessly moved the boat into position. The only downside is that with the D all I see behind me is boat, where with the Ram I can see over and around the boat. I have a '12 R/T with tow package. But don't expect any good mileage. I was on a short trip, 35 miles, with a bit of a grade. I saw 8-10 mpg.
 
#13 ·
So David248, how was it towing a 30' TT. I had done some reading on this in other places, and the consensus was that the wheel base on the Durango might be too short. How was it when being passed by semi's? Did you have any crosswinds? Are you using a weight distributing hitch? I am looking into getting a TT, and right now have set a limit of 29' for myself. However, it hard to find a trailer I really want in the 26-29' range.
 
#14 ·
As promised!



The trailer empty is about 3,500 lbs + Pony who is about 1,200 lbs. The load leveling is awesome! It really tows very nicely, I took it really easy and we didn't go far because my horse hasn't been in a trailer in almost 5 years. I was expecting that I was really going to feel that weight, but I didn't. The only thing I could feel was my horse shifting his weight. My husband was even surprised at how easy it was to manage such a large trailer. Two thumbs up for the Durango!
 
#23 ·
So I read the thread for this link. You are not giving correct information.
You mentioned that your SRT8 weights 5,128lbs.
I believe that is the total max combined weight (car+payload).
The SRT8 Chargers only weight 4100 lb.
So your total weight would be about 1000lb lower.

However, I do believe there is a built in safety factor built into towing capacities.
So Im sure going up to 1000lb over the recommended towing weight will not be an issue. As long as you tow smartly and conservatively, with a max load.
 
#27 ·
Any updates on the towing experience? All I read is what people was thinking about towing but not updates on how thier experience was after towing heavy loads. I am curious to know what people has to say after towing heavy loads, like the person towing the 30 ft trailer that was close to the towing limits of the Durango. I tow a Trailmanor 3023, when loaded is between 4,500 - 5000, sometimes I forget that the thing is still there. I have been up and down the east coast with no problems.
 
#28 · (Edited)
To answer your question quickly, I do not recommend towing a camper larger than 5000 lbs, or longer than 23ft. My camper is 32ft, and the first few times I pulled it I was nervous because the back end was dipping pretty low. After doing further research I bought air bags, which help level things out and make it feel more comfortable to drive. Although in the back of my mind I knew I needed to do more research.

Since I had all winter to think about this, the research began. The biggest thing to look at is how much you plan to bring with you when camping. I realised I was right at my towing capacity when fully loaded of 7200 lbs. I could not add much when camping. I also found out that the newer frame of 3rd gen Durango is more of a car frame and not heavy duty. The wheel base also is a little too short for towing something as long as I have. In short, I was not feeling very safe with my family in the vehicle while towing such a large camper.

So, last week I just purchased a new Toyota Tundra CrewMax that is well capable of towing my camper anywhere I want to go and then some. Talk about a night and day difference. I did keep the Durango because it just one badass looking truck and if I happen buy a boat, I am all set to pull that with the Durango.

Another thing to keep in mind, if you intend to go in a hilly or mountainous region, you will have difficulty pulling up hills and controlling down declines. The Durango is much lighter and smaller than the Tundra and that will also make the difference towing in wind and storms.

Hope this helps you make a wise decision.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top