I'm looking into purchasing a camper (travel trailer), a Jayco 267BHSW. Empty weight is 5,800lbs. Length is 29'. Fully loaded maxes at 7,000lbs.
I doubt I'd carry that much gear. Obviously we pack food, a few folding chairs, two bikes for the kids and maybe two or three of those Home Depot wood bundles for a fire. We also never dry camp, so no carrying water. So maybe 6,000 - 6,200lbs loaded out?
Here's the link:
http://www.jayco.com/products/travel...t-slx/267bhsw/

I have a 2012 Durango R/T with the factory tow package with a brake controller.

I know that it maxes at 7,200lbs and you never want to tow close to that. Currently I have a 3,200lbs hybrid camper and the Durango doesn't even know it's there. I live in the relatively flat LawnGuyLand and our trips are usually there, weekend warrior style. Maybe (MAYBE) one off the island trip a year.

Just wondering who else tows heavy with their Durango. How heavy, how far, how good/bad it is. I did a quick search and saw one member who tows a 6,500lbs boat with his Durango.

Thank you!

 

Not a good idea if you ask me, got a 2011 citadel with the hemi and the tow package towing a 250BHS spree connect 28' 2" 690 tongue weight.
Loaded is around 5500 lbs. 2 adults and 2 kids ind the SUV, nothing else, dont want to load more in the Durango because its close to the limit with that. The problem pulling this travel trailer is the wind and the size.
On a windy day (25 mph winds) the durango is really struggling, going into the wind that is or cross winds. It is not a truck different gear ratio etc.
And the Trailer is just pushing the durango all over the place.
So if you are as stubborn as me and think the durango can handle it get at least a good weight distribution hitch with sway control.

A trailer is also a lot bigger then a boat like a lot wind will toss it around and play with it. 6500 lbs boat is peanuts compared to a 5000 lbs trailer that is 96" x 132" in size (WxH), wind is the factor.

 

I have a 2011 Durango Hemi with the Hemifever tune and tow a Coachmen Apex Ultra Lite 300BHS 30 foot travel trailer that comes in at 5,900 lbs dry. I load it up with 4 bikes (inside) and a weekend's worth of luggage. Some times I fill the 50 gallon water tank. I have a weight distribution hitch and separate anti-sway and still do not enjoy pulling the camper more than 40 miles or so. On the highway if there is more than probably a 5 mph side wind the camper wants to push the Durango all over the highway at anything above about 58 mph. Power doesn't seem to be an issue, but the length of my camper is just too long I think for the Durango's wheel base.

This weekend I'll be trying out a different weight distribution system to see if that helps. If not, about my only other choice is to get a different garage or park a truck outside. My current garage is too low to allow for a typical pickup truck.

-Rod

 

I have a 2012 Citadel Hemi AWD with tow package and tow a 245' Airstream that has a max of 7200lbs, but weighs about 6600 lbs loaded for camping. I've taken it across the country and have no problems with it. I use a Reese dual cam hitch with 800 lb bars.

I've put it on scales and all axles are within limits.

 

Lol. Here we go again....

1st off, it's not enough to just look at the Max GTW for towing capacity. That doesn't tell the whole story. Better to look at the GCWR (Gross combined weight rating).

Your 5.7L AWD has a GTW of 7,200 lbs, that's correct. But the GCWR is 13,100. The GCWR is the maximum allowable combined mass of a towing road vehicle, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle, plus the mass of the trailer and cargo in the trailer PLUS the trailer tongue weight.

The curb weight of your durango is about 5,200 lbs. That's without people or luggage.

13,100 - 5,200 = 7900. You say your trailer, fully loaded weighs in at 7,000 lbs.

7900-7000 = 900 lbs.

Trailer tongue weight is usually 10% (700 lbs).

900-700 = 200 lbs.

So, after your trailer is loaded up and attached to the Durango, that leaves you with 200 lbs. left for people (driver included) and luggage in the Durango itself.

This is why you don't go by the towing capacity, you go by the gross combined weight rating. It tells you an awful lot more about what you can tow and, more importantly, what you can PACK and how many people you can bring with you. Start with the GCWR and subtract everything from there to tell you what you can pack and what you can tow.

If you get the weight down to 6,200 lbs in the trailer, that leaves you with 1,080 lbs left for people and gear in the durango. That might be much better for you, but that of course depends on how many people are going with you and how much they weigh. If you've got a full 7 people, that's cutting it close unless they're really skinny people. Family of 4, maybe not too bad provided they pack light luggage as well (with 4 people, that's 270 lb average between the person and his/her luggage in the D).

 

I believe you are incorrect on one point here... you do not add the trailer tongue weight on top of the trailer weight. Why would you add the weight of the trailer and then add a portion of that onto the total again?

Just to make sure I wasn't confused, I looked it up in a few places. This is from Wikipedia- "The gross combination weight rating (also Gross Combination Mass and maximum authorised mass), which can be abbreviated to GCM, MAM, GCWR is the maximum allowable combined mass of a towing road vehicle, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle, plus the mass of the trailer and cargo in the trailer."

So it basically comes down to the total weight of the towing vehicle (w/ people, cargo, etc.) plus the total weight of the trailer (w/ all cargo, extras, etc.).

So in this case you would have 13,100 - 5,200 - 7,000 = 900 lbs, which is a little better number to work with.

Don't get me wrong, trailer tongue weight is ALSO a very important number to be aware of, but it doesn't calculate separately into GCWR.

 

I was going by the owner's manual.

http://www.dodge.com/en/owners/manuals/

Page 501:

"Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)

The GVWR is the total allowable weight of your vehicle.
This includes driver, passengers, cargo and tongue
weight."

If GCWR (Gross combined weight rating) is = to GVWR + GTW (gross trailer weight), it includes tongue weight.

In fact, the manual specifies that TW (tongue weight) must be included as a load on the vehicle.

"Tongue Weight (TW)
The tongue weight is the downward force exerted on the
hitch ball by the trailer. In most cases it should not be less
than 10% of the trailer load. You must consider this as
part of the load on your vehicle."

"NOTE:
• The trailer tongue weight must be considered as part
of the combined weight of occupants and cargo, and
should never exceed the weight referenced on the Tire
and Loading Information placard. Refer to “Tire Safety
Information” in “Starting and Operating” for further
information. The addition of passengers and cargo
may require reducing trailer tongue load and Gross
Trailer Weight (GTW). Redistributing cargo (to the
trailer) may be necessary to avoid exceeding Rear
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) of 3,900 lbs (1
769 kg)."

The reason it needs to be added as a load on the vehicle is because it's the downward force on the vehicle.

 

Also:

http://www.hitchingup.com/GVW-VGWR-TW-GTW.htm

"GVW: This is base curb weight plus passengers, cargo, dealer or aftermarket installed equipment. GVW is not a limit or specification, it is merely the weight of your vehicle at a given point in time. Note, when a trailer is attached this weight would be PLUS the tongue weight."

 

This is true.

This is true almost.
TW should be included to the load on the vehicle. (to get the GVWR)
But if you include TW to the vehicle as a load you will have to subtract it from the trailer, since the vehicle is taking about 10% ( or whatever the TW is) of the weight of the trailer.

Also from the manual:
Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR)

The GCWR is the total permissible weight of your vehicle and trailer when weighed in combination.

Note: The GCWR rating includes a 150 lbs (68 kg) allowance for the presence of a driver.

WEIGHED IN COMBINATION is the key.

For example:
I did weigh my durango with the trailer attached on the scale, so just the Durango on the scale trailer attached was 6900 lbs, with 2 adults and 2 kids. We didnt load anything else in the Durango.
Then I pulled ahead and weighed just the trailer, 5100 lbs ( dry weight is 5400 lbs) This is because the TW is on the Durango, so is included in the GVWR.
Now my total Combined Weight is 12000 lbs.

 

You guys are saying the same thing different ways

Total trailer weight, vehicle weight, vehicle cargo, passengers

Trailer weight (minus tongue), vehicle weight (plus tongue), vehicle cargo, passengers.

The net-net is still the total rolling mass