I just purchased a 2016 Dodge Durango limited with the following packages: Read DVD Entertainment, Power Liftgate and Nav, BlackTop, Safety and Security, and captains chairs. Lovin it. I do have a question. I did NOT add the "Trailer Tow Group iv" package. With that said, on the website it advertises that standard with the Limited, it has a "towing capacity of 6,200 lbs." But when you click on it, it says "when properly equipped." SO does this mean I can still tow to some extent now as-is, or do I need to go to the dealer and "get properly equipped?" If so, what do I need to do?

Thanks all in advance?

 

There are a lot of topics regarding this lately.

From what I remember it come down to yours not having the self leveling Nivomat shocks in the rear and a transmission cooling component.

I don't think you can tow over 6000 lbs without these.

Do you have the v8 anyways?

 

Thanks for info. No I have the v6

 

Vehicles not factory equipped with trailer tow package
are limited to 3,500 lbs (350 lbs tongue weight

http://cdn.dealereprocess.com/cdn/se...16-durango.pdf

page 558.

And you can't have the tow package added but you can have the hitch and wiring added then tow up to 3500 lbs

 

There have been a lot of these lately. Mike is correct OP, you will never be able to tow more than 3500 lbs without spending a ton of money.

I'm not sure why people keep on buying non-factory tow-equipped DDs then immediately try to figure out how to tow with them.

If we're talking utility type trailer you can do it with a simple receiver hitch, but I have always found that if there is a 2 inch Class IV receiver on the vehicle, folks will try to tow the max that a 2 inch Class IV receiver can pull (even if the vehicle cannot)

 

Yes, correct. Mostly I think it is because dealers are idiots. They think they can just slap on the dealer tow hitch package and be good to go. Happened with friends of ours who got a 2014 Crew with the v6. Didn't come with the tow group and instead of reording one that did, dealer just slapped on an aftermarket hitch. Thankfully, it's only a lease.

 

We were all set to buy a 2014 jeep cherokee the salesman had written up one and wrote in add tow package and it went to the sales manager and he very carefully changed the wording from package to just hitch.

They were wasting my time so i wasted their time by going along with it. MOST Salesman will say anything to get a sale. found one with the package and happy with it. The larger radiator and stronger fans are the main part of the cooling package as they all have the same tranni cooler now.

 

It' scary knowing that people will try to tow without the tow package and assume they can pull a significant load thinking they have a 6200 tow capicity with a Durango that has ONLY an aftermarket hitch installed. My sales guy was clueless on this and assumed that adding a hitch at the dealer makes it legit to tow max loads with the vehicle. I've said it on this site before that why not just add the tow package if you have any thought that you might tow something someday. I'd be curious to know if anyone on this forum will admit that they added an aftermarket hitch only and are towing a load in excess of 3500 pounds thinking they have a tow rating of 6200#. I'll assume that without the tow group, one can do damage to the tranny, suspension, overtax the alternator, make the vehicle unstable maybe? I'm a member of the Chrysler Pacifica forum site and are seeing this same topic discussed with factory tow package vs aftermarket, with people slapping on an aftermarket hitch and having a go at towing albeit a lower tow limit with that vehicle.

 

To be fair, very very little, if anything at all, is taught about towing in driver's education classes and a lot of the ignorance regarding towing things comes from that. The first time I learned about towing anything it was by reading the owner's manual and then following up with some google searching. But I understand that not many are going to go to that effort. They just throw a hitch on the car, hook up, and go.

A towing section should be mandatory in driver's education (with actual real world towing experience, even if it's just in a parking lot) and driving tests during renewal of your license (written test, not actual driving test). Lots of acronyms that many people don't have a clue about (GTW, GVWR, GCWR, etc.) and all of them are much more important sometimes than "Towing capacity." Then there's the added stuff about when to use a trailer brake control, when to have trailer sway control, weight distributing hitch, etc. There's a whole slew of engineering that goes into towing from a vehicle, hitch, and trailer standpoint designed to keep you safe and going straight down the road, yet most people are oblivious to it and either don't utilize it at all or use it incorrectly.

 

Alright so I was one of those people. I bought a new Durango without the tow package. All gesting aside there were a few other features, specifically captains chairs with no console that trumped having the tow package..... now that I have the vehicle I'm proposing to my wife towing a travel trailer with it....


2017 citadel, hemi, awd

So all that being said I went through the list of equipment, or at least what is shown/advertised... I have the hemi which comes with the heavy duty cooling.... the dealer said the trailer braking is there in software and they can add all of the harnesses...

Is it really down to the load leveling suspension that is limiting me hitting the 7200lb weight??

Cheers!
Andrew