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Old Oct 7, 2012 | 11:50 AM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by b1lk1
Dodge Dakota is designed to have that kind of weight hanging off the frame while the Caravan is a unibody and is just not gonna do that. It would be unsafe. Time for a small trailer as suggested if you are going to make the switch.
Yes i have a small trailer already. I was just thinking if the tow capacity was 3600lbs, then the frame would hold the tounge weight.
 
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Old Oct 7, 2012 | 12:00 PM
  #12  
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Max tongue weight for a Caravan is 300lbs. I'd say it would be safe to overload it to 400lbs once in awhile, but you're talking in excess of 500lbs. The only way I would do would be if I had the hitch bolted AND welded to the van. I good complete weld in at that. Otherwise, you are hanging all that weight off 6 bolts and washers.

EDIT: Don't forget to add the weight of the hitch assembly itself in your equation.
 
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Old Oct 8, 2012 | 10:01 AM
  #13  
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Hanging it off 5 bolts actually, not sure about the stock set up, but the no drill aftermarkets are 5 bolts

Video of the hitch install
 
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Old Mar 1, 2014 | 09:26 AM
  #14  
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drunk
 

Last edited by SkolVikingGuy; Mar 4, 2014 at 11:16 AM.
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Old Mar 2, 2014 | 01:40 PM
  #15  
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Wow this old thread got resurrected today??
Just to bring you all up to speed, I installed airbags for assisting the weight as recommender here on this site. Airbags were a piece of cake to install and great all around. I have recently put my 50lb hitch hauler on the back of the van and towed home a 440lb motorcycle with no issues at all. I will guess that the cantilevered effect
put the tongue weight somewhere at 600-700lbs. Not that I would do this everyday but, on occasion I don't see the harm. I have towed my 330lb dirt bike for the past year since buying the van, again, no issues.
I must say that I LOVE this van. My next vehicle will be an RT caravan
 

Last edited by GaryC; Mar 2, 2014 at 01:45 PM.
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Old Mar 3, 2014 | 07:26 AM
  #16  
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Yeah, that last guy definitely didn't read the thread properly at all, noone disputed the ability to pull the weight.

You could consider getting the hitch welded to the unibody as well, that would buy you a much larger safety margin. Otherwise, sounds like you're happy, no need to mess with it if it works.
 
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