first i fell dumb asking but i have a 1999 5.2l durango,and i was wondering what the towing weight is?i would like to be able to tow an camper.also what average gas mileage do you guys get.it seem that i'm always filling this beast (wifes nickname for the durango)

 

I've read the tow capacity is 7,300 lbs. Not too sure if that's right.

As for the fuel issue, get used to it. With a few mods you can gain 2-3 miles but nothing extravagant. I get 13 -14 city driving and 17 - 19 highway. Sometimes 20 if the wind is on my back. LOL

 

It depends what rear end you have on your D and if it's 2wd or 4wd. I believe the 4wd can tow 500# less and the 7,300# Mastec is referring to is for a 5.9 with 3.92 gearing and 2wd.

Check the sticker in your glove box to see what gearing you have and let us know then we can give you a better idea. Also if you have an owners manual you can look it up in there it will tell you.

HTH

 

Oops.. I was referring to my setup but only difference is I have AWD =)

 

Close,

a 5.9L 2WD with 392 gearing is 7,550. Same in a 4X4 is 7,300.

THis thread will anser a lot of frequent questions: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...wers-faqs.html Look down about 3/4 down and you will find lots of information.

 

Having owned a few campers, and looked at many, many more when I was shopping, I feel pretty confident saying that regardless of the setup of your specific Durango, you'd be hard pressed to find a travel trailer that it can't comfortably pull. Pretty much anything that's too heavy for the Durango is going to be a 5th wheel. (And you obviously won't be pulling a 5th wheel with a Durango, one of the reasons I'm currently on the lookout for a good deal on a Ram 1500... )

Most "average" sized travel trailers come in around the halfway mark of the D's towing abilities. They might look big, but consider all the empty space inside them. They weigh a lot less than you'd think at first glance. A good sized boat is a bigger towing challenge than most campers.

Just make sure you also get a good weight distributing hitch and learn to use it properly.

 

Also check the rating of your hitch. Just because your Durango may be capable of towing (say) 7,500 lbs, your hitch may not be rated for that, especially if it was not a factory option.

Remember, temperature and altitude will reduce towing capacity. You'll be able to tow less in Colorado on a hot summer day than at sea level on a cold winter day. Since you don't know where and when you might need to tow, as a rule of thumb, try not to exceed around 75% of your paper towing capacity.

 

thank you to all.i will check the glove box and also i had seen in the faq about looking for the tag on the rear diff,so i will check there also for gearing.it is a 4x4 and i will be driving in mostly pa but would want to go down to the beach at times so i don't want to blow this beast up since it still ia a baby at 73,000 miles. the hitch is not a factory install,i have been able to pull my pop up with no problem but kids getting older and want more room so now looking for a 22 or 24 foot pull behind.

 

Remember, pulling it is only a small part of the battle. You have to control it AND stop it too.

While the Durango can do this, it is still just a 1/2 ton truck. IMO once you get above about the 7k lbs mark, (especially with the large frontal area of a TT) you need at least a 3/4 ton truck.

The difference is night and day between my Durango (1/2 ton) and my Excursion (built on the 3/4 ton Super Duty frame with a 1 ton axle, single-wheel under it.) when towing heavy stuff. That is even considering the stuff I've done to upgrade my Durango (see sig).

(Btw, I rolled onto the scale in that last picture at 32,640 lbs.)