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11-12-2011, 03:09 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Posts: 4
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First time towing - weight issue
We motorhomed for thirty years, but decided to change to towing. I am looking at the GVCW factor. I have 2006 Dodge Durango 4.7 engine, 3.55 gear ratio with 11K# combined towing. Vehicle curb is 5000#. I have been looking at the Bullet 246RBS and trying to determine if this is an acceptable weight for towing or do I need to reduce to a lighter trailer. We usually traveled dry in the motorhome, with maybe 10-15 gallons in fresh tank. There are two of us but on occassion there maybe six with grkids.
Any ideas appreciated.
Former vehicle (yes for thirty years and still have both)
1982 28' Shasta Motorhome/ Ford - pulling 1993 Geo Storm
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11-12-2011, 03:20 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RI
Posts: 207
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Looks like its two heavy
It looks like your TV has max two weight of 5500lb the trailer is almost that weight empty. The max weight of that trailer is almost 7000. If it was me i would find a lighter trailer or a bigger Tv.
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11-12-2011, 03:21 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RI
Posts: 207
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And welcome to the forum.
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11-12-2011, 03:37 PM
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#4
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Posts: 4
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So 4000 on trailer dry??
Just as I thought but best to ask.. ty
Im going to try for trailer dry around 4K dry. Does that sound right?? My math is Ram with passengers (2) plus junk = 6000#.
Trailer dry plus 1000# junk = 5000#.
Total =11,000#
I can always adjust Junk value as I know the total must be 11K or less?? Right??
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11-12-2011, 03:48 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RI
Posts: 207
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Others will be able to answer that better than me as i'm new at the as well. I was told never to pull more than 80% of your max tow weight. So we upgraded to the 2500 when we had engine issue with our old f150. The made relacing the track a little bit easier to swollow. I'm very glad with the decison that we made braking is vast.improvment over the F150 and we have extra power on hills.
Good luck.
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11-12-2011, 03:52 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Northville NY in the Adirondacks
Posts: 2,128
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Welcome to the forum!
Could you pull some numbers off the sticker on the driver's door post and perhaps the owners manual, please?
I am particularly concerned to see the GVWR and front and rear axle load limits, and if you have it somewhere, the maximum allowable payload for the Durango.
My concern is two fold. First, the as Englishman has already advised, the GVWR of the trailer is roughly 1,500# over the max towing weight of your Durango.
Second, while Keystone rates the hitch weight for 246RBS at 495#, the tow vehicle needs to be able to handle at least a hitch weight of 12% of GVWR or 840# in this case. True hitch weights need to be determined by weighing the rig, and typically, they run higher, a lot higher, than spec for an empty trailer.
Payload has to include all the gear in the tow vehicle plus the driver and passengers, plus hitch weight.
Full half ton pickups, properly equipped, have payload ratings in the 1,500-1,700# range. My concern is that SUV's typically have payloads less than comparable pickups. In this case, your Durango is based on a chassis that is a bit less than a full sized 1/2 ton, ie. the Dakota, so the payload will likely be less than 1,500#. Typical SUV payloads rarely exceed 1,000#, even when based on pickup platforms.
There is another thread currently going on comparing 1/2 and 3/4 ton pickups as tow vehicles. While some of the talk about 3500 and larger chassis doesn't apply to your case, the detailed info about 1500 and 2500 trucks certainly does. In particular, the info about axles, springs, and drive trains is very important to your question. I would urge you to study that thread carefully to learn more.
There are some older threads under Towing and Tow Vehicles that contain even more information.
__________________
'11 Cougar 326MKS loaded with mods
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Amateur Radio: KD2IAT (146.520) GMRS: WQPG808 (462.675 TPL 141.3)
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11-12-2011, 05:58 PM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Posts: 4
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2006 Durango vehicle info
The gvrw is 6700. Curb is 5000. Gear is 3.55 with a combined value of 11,000, with 3600 front and 3900 rear. Hitch max is 1200.
http://tinyurl.com/7nj7md5
That is a link to the vehicle info from Dodge.
I hope that helps.
ty
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11-13-2011, 05:29 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: West Lebanon PA
Posts: 350
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i have pulled trailers with a dakota right around the same spec's as your durango, and from my experiance, you wont be happy with it. i would think about upgrading your tow vehical to a nice 1/2 ton ram, if you are concerned about a nice ride, or to be safe run up to a 3/4 ton. never hurts to have a little more then you need. i ran a 3/4 chevy newer style for a while and it rode great with out a load. not real bumpy at all. i think your trailer and tow vehical are a little close for comfort, you could end up tearing up the truck in the long run.
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2006 Springdale 295bh TT
2004.5 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel TV(Babe, the Blue Ox), tuned, cold air, high ram, open pipes, 6 spd., 3 inch lift, running on 35's and lovin' it
Me-26, Wife-26, Boy-4, Girl-2
Dogs
Buddy-beagle hound mix
Emily-beagle hound mix
Sadie-boarder collie (my amish one)
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11-13-2011, 06:54 PM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
Posts: 4
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Sandwich family
We are in a situation where we have 6 of us, 2 gr kids, son and wife ( who is ill) and the two of us. Vehicle change is NOT an option. So what other ideas do people have for us. Please... and ty.
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11-13-2011, 08:49 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,739
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I have a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 with the 4.7 with a 3.73 ratio. I pull a 2590BH with similar weight specs and it’s usually fairly lightly loaded/dry. I have an equalizer hitch and it handles well, but pulling it up moderately steep hills is a challenge. I can think of some long hills I’d never want to try.
If all six of you and your gear are loaded into your rig, I can’t imagine it’d be a pleasant experience on anything steeper than a bunny hill.
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11-14-2011, 06:41 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: West Lebanon PA
Posts: 350
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well I.M.O. it sounds like you have two choices, up grade to a larger suv, like an excursion or they make larger vans too like and E250 or chevy 2500 van, but then you lose the 4wheel drive option. also the Passport Model 238MLWE is almost a 1000# lighter then the bullet. you will lose the slide, but it might be a better trade then finding a new tow truck. its up to you, but i don't think that it is a good idea to run your numbers that close, they are there for a reason.
__________________
2006 Springdale 295bh TT
2004.5 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel TV(Babe, the Blue Ox), tuned, cold air, high ram, open pipes, 6 spd., 3 inch lift, running on 35's and lovin' it
Me-26, Wife-26, Boy-4, Girl-2
Dogs
Buddy-beagle hound mix
Emily-beagle hound mix
Sadie-boarder collie (my amish one)
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11-30-2011, 08:51 AM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Central Coast California
Posts: 30
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I have a 2010 Outback 230RS, towed with a 2005 Chevy Silverado 1500 4x4 Z71 5.3 liter. The Outback weighs a stated 5241 pounds "DRY". Just filling the fresh water tank adds like 400+ pounds to it, then add all the food, and camping stuff, it really adds UP! With my 5.3 liter it is a REAL HARD pull for my truck to get over the mtn.s that are everywhere from where I live. It WILL do it, but it shifts down into 1st gear sometimes, 2nd very often, sometimes going as slow as 35 mph over the real serious 5-6000 feet high mtn. passes. (I just did "Walker pass" on Hwy 178 2 weeks ago, it was in first gear for at least the last mile of that pass winding out the engine, at 35 MPH, and slowing traffic). So when the manufacturer says it will tow _______ amount of weight, figure that is on FLAT GROUND!!! Those towing weights are what the structure can handle and really are a spec war between manufacturers like horse power use to be back in the day, but worse. YES it CAN "tow ____________ pounds" but at what speed? At how much stress to the engine and drive line? How LONG can it tow that weight without damage to the overall vehicle? They NEVER tell you that! Sure it will tow _____ pounds, but you will be replacing the tow vehicle ever 2 -3 years, as you have flat worn it out, but that is another good thing for the manufactures. So I agree with what others say, tow less than 80% of what the manufactures say it can tow, and that is a "wet" fully loaded trailer weight 80%, not the "dry" weight that the trailer manufactures use to sell you the trailer, that can "so easily" be towed behind your vehicle. (Yea, on FLAT GROUND)!!! The trailer dealers want to sell you the maximum trailer, using sometimes underrated "Dry" weights to sell it, as it is better profit, while the vehicle manufactures want to sell you that their vehicle will tow __________ amount of pounds, to beat the other manufactures out of their claims! Add those two together, and you end up with way to much trailer, for a way under powered vehicle, that will break in a short time trying to tow that much, lets not even TALK about stopping all the weight safely....
Beachnut
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12-13-2011, 04:26 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 97
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Problem with towing is
The difference between "it will do it" and whether you want it to "do it". A lot of people are talking gears and nothing is more uncomfortable that to have a truck constantly shifting. Wear and tear is an issue as well as driver fatigue. As a rule of thumb I like to have 2K in reserve so I'm not running the guts out of my truck and myself when towing. My opinion.
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Exsailor from MS
2008 35 Ft Montana
2012 GMC Duramax Diesel
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