I have a 2010 dodge grand caravan hero package with the 3.8 liter engine. I've read alot about towing with the dodge caravan and i know the new sxt models come standard with a towing prep package but the se do not. my question does any one tow with there caravan that does not have the prep pakcage (oil cooler, trans cooler, load leveler, etc) i am looking for some real world opions on what these van can realisticly haul. I'm looking at adding a hitch and trans cooler and want to pull roughly 2000 to 3000 lbs on a non regular basis.
i believe that in 2009 dodge upgraded the braking system and i'm told they have come a long way with the engines and transmissons so you dont have the problems of the past with blowing your trans all the time.

Thanks in advance

 

I can't speak fpr the new vans, but I towed a Honda Accord from upstate New York to Denver with a '99 voyager, 3.3, 100,000 miles on it, with no trouble whatsoever.

 

if you want to tow, get a da** truck. a minivan is just an overstuffed car. no real frame, the hitch is attached to sheet metal with a steel backing plate but it's still just sheet metal. the transmissions blow up not towing and with using nothing but the correct fluid. and you want to basically double the amount of weight it's being forced to move w/o towing?

 

Gezzer139
Welcome to DF
Thank you for your input and hope to see you write more offen.

 

[quote=sapporo;2197217]if you want to tow, get a da** truck. a minivan is just an overstuffed car. no real frame, the hitch is attached to sheet metal with a steel backing plate but it's still just sheet metal. the transmissions blow up not towing and with using nothing but the correct fluid. and you want to basically double the amount of weight it's being forced to move w/o towing?[/quo

I understand the differances between a truck and a mini van unforntitly while raising a family you cant alway have everything you want which is why my question was very clear in looking for people who actually own these and tow light object with them. the manufacturer says you can tow up to 3500 of properly equiped thats not that much weight plus the new vans are suppose to be much differant then the older ones, differant transmission, and bigger brakes.

 

suburban, expedition are trucks equipped to be towing with a family. I only emphasize using the correct type of vehicle for towing after watching a horrific crash killing part of a family. they had a minivan towing a 20' camper. lost control going down a big hill.

after seeing a little kid ejected and tumbling across the expressway, one gains a whole new appreciation for the importance of safety and correct vehicle application.

 

A 20' camper would weight in the neighborhood of like 5000+lbs and would be beyond the capabilities of a minivan. But this guy is asking to tow something that is within the weight limit specified by the manufacture. Due to liabilities, the manufacture would not specify a weight beyond what the vehicle is capable of handling. That being said, I would not recommend towing anything without the towing package features (trans cooler, heavy duty engine cooler, etc.)

Edit: Additionaly need to ask is the weight limit specified what you can realy can tow, or does it include what is hauled inside the vehicle. (i.e. my car is rated for 1000lbs and must first subtract the passangers, thus 5 people x 200lbs = 1000lbs which means nothing left to tow behind.)

 

the average weight of a 24' travel trailer is 4000#. so a 20' is around 3500... point is, use a vehicle appropriate for the application!!!. You could have a tranny cooler the size of a semi radiator, doesn't mean that it'll hold up to another 3500#. these tranny's fail with tow package cooling systems even without a trailer hitch. the trans internals aren't any different with or without tow package. so that's definitely a weak link. engines are not a problem. but the the biggest issue IMHO is the chassis, frame, suspension.


here's what you can do for towing;

 

Sapporo,
I'm sorry you had to see that, I've seen a lot of stupid people doing alot of stupid things and i understand your thoughts on the matter. we looked at a couple of SUV's but for us I didnt like the third row access i like the openness of a mini van and wanted to try it out (its my first one) I was only looking to haul a trailer around town when needed. I would never use a mini van for regular hauling, nor would i even think about hauling a 20 ft. trailer. I've owned a truck my whole life untill now and couldnt imangine a mini van with a trailer that big up hills or down a windy stretch of highway. I was looking to haul a enclosed trailer by myself around town (no more than 20 miles) 3 or 4 times a year, weighing about 2000 lbs and i just wanted to know if i put the equipment on the van could it safely do it when needed. I was actually hoping to hear that people are doing it with out blowing up there transmissions. I agree that you need to be realistic to your limitations

 

People constantly blow up their transmission without ever towing. Many transmissions shops won't warranty their rebuilt transmissions if the vehicle has a trailer hitch.