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v6 with towing pkg HELP

13597 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Rec 26
:confused:I am considering the purchase of a crew v6 with towing...this weekend.. but have a question first..
I have a 6x12 tandum axle haulmark (transport) cargo trailer..I live on the coast and IF need be,(praying for no hurricanes) would have to pull it 50-100 miles with needed items from my house..
Will it handle that? If so, is there anything special I need to do when pulling?
Thanks!!
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That all depends on what weight you think you would be pulling. I don't think it would have an issue unless you overload it.
MAX towing for the V6 according to the Dodge website:

http://www.dodge.com/en/towing_payload/2011/

is 6,200lbs. As long as it's not over that, then you are good to go. That's one of the reasons why I too am thinking about getting the Heat. Either that or the R/T.
Max towing without tow package is 3500lbs

Be aware that there is a discrepancy between the Dodge website and the owners manual re the towing capacity on a 2011 Durango crew 4wd 6 cylinder without the towing package. The Dodge "build your own" page shows standard towing at 5000 lbs w/o the tow package and 6200lbs with. I bought one without the tow package based on that information only to find out that the owners manual says 3500 lbs and the tech rep from Dodge says max is 3800 lbs. I have opened a case with Dodge to get this resolved. Either the website is wrong or the owners manual is wrong. I need 5000lbs towing (on occasion) and am concerned about the long term impact on the vehicle (as well as the warranty). Dodge is reviewing my case now and I'll keep everyone posted.
I am in the same boat, pls let us all know!
Be aware that there is a discrepancy between the Dodge website and the owners manual re the towing capacity on a 2011 Durango crew 4wd 6 cylinder without the towing package. The Dodge "build your own" page shows standard towing at 5000 lbs w/o the tow package and 6200lbs with. I bought one without the tow package based on that information only to find out that the owners manual says 3500 lbs and the tech rep from Dodge says max is 3800 lbs. I have opened a case with Dodge to get this resolved. Either the website is wrong or the owners manual is wrong. I need 5000lbs towing (on occasion) and am concerned about the long term impact on the vehicle (as well as the warranty). Dodge is reviewing my case now and I'll keep everyone posted.
Any word on this yet? I am in the same boat. I bought a V6 Crew and asked the dealer what the tow capacity was. I was told 5000 lbs. I figured I would just have a hitch installed later to pull my boat. Now I read the manual and see the 3500lb rear its ugly head at me. That will not cut towing my boat. I am really hoping to hear 5000lb is the magic number.
I am also very interested as i purchased a 2011 dodge durango v6 without the tow package. however, an OEM mopar hitch was installed by the dealer. i just purchased a 4800lbs (unloaded) travel trailer and the highway hauling was very poor. the trans was screaming at 3000 rpm and didn't want to upshift. any word on the true towing capacity would be very helpful.
Dodge customer care couldn't give me an answer where the 5000lb number came from. They said I would have to go by what the manual says which is 3500lbs. I called my local dealer and they said its most likely with a weight distributing hitch. Well, like others here, I bought my car without the $850 "Trailer tow group IV" thinking it would tow 5000lbs with a standard u-haul class 3 hitch. That is not the case.

The owners manual (pg 526) says, "If the gross trailer weight is 3,500 lbs (1 587 kg) or more, it is mandatory to use a weight-distributing hitch to ensure stable handling of your vehicle. If you use a standard weight-carrying hitch, you could lose control of your vehicle and cause a collision." So this makes it sound like the limiting factor is the tongue weight and not the other factors like proper cooling. If we added the load leveling suspension, we should be able to tow 5000lbs. Thats just speculation since I couldn't get an answer about the 5000lbs from Dodge.

Dodge's website is misleading not just to consumers but the dealers as well imo...
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I finally got my Durango... '12 SXT with tow package. Anyone here done heavy towing with the V6 with the tow package? I have my '06 Charger SRT8 to tow over 1,000 miles.
The reason I went with the Hemi is because I sometimes tow 5k. Also I got the tow package. Contrary to popular belief the factory designed tow packages are worth the money. I have had two other cars, 1- 2000 Durrango and 1- 2000 F350 with after market tow packages and both were not nearly as good at the factory hitches like the one on our Ford Excursion I had.

I still have the F350 and would rather tow with the Excursion we traded for the new D, and I would still rather tow with the Durrango than the F350. However the F350 will tow so much more due to size and weight and the powerstroke.

As for your V6 cars without the tow package, you should use the weight distributing hitch for anything over the 3500 pounds. You will likely need to upgrade your suspension too.

For those thinking of buying a V6 without the tow package due to cost, weigh the cost of the upgrades should you change your mind. This makes the tow package well worth it.

Mel
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I recently ordered a 2013 SXT with a six cylinder and tow package. I expect to be able to tow up to 6200 lbs and plan on using both a weight distributing hitch and a brake controller for the trailer. I also found the information on towing weight to be confusing and seemly contradictory. Also dealerships no longer have the literature on hand which makes it even more difficult to discuss the specs on the vehicle.
It's really not that confusing. If you got the towing package than the max you can tow is 6200lbs with the V6. 7500lbs with the HEMI and 7200lbs with the HEMI and AWD. For all models and engines.. without the towing package you can tow only 3,500lbs. All of that is in accordance with the owners manual and what Chrysler told me over the phone when I was in the process of buying my SXT.
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