Recently purchased a 32‘ trav trailer. My Durango did not come with a tow package so the RV place where we were purchased from installed the whole set up. The problem I have is they used a class 4 Mopar receiver and a class 2 EZ hitch to the camper. The TT is only 5400 lb it’s an ultra lite. This thing swayed Violently at about 65 mph, slowed down to about 50 of course it smoothed out but the “PreLoad“ couldn’t have been set right. I had to call someone with a 3500 Ram to tow this thing back to the RV Dealership. When I went to unhook the RV one bar was preloaded so much I had to use a 50” pry bar to get it loose. I have pulled many trailers including a 30’ pace enclosed for my race car years ago but that was with a 1500 series P/U. Another issue I had I couldn’t see anything beside me what kind of extendable mirrors are yall using to pull a TT. i know this all sounds crazy but when they deliver your TT to you at 8 pm be cause it took 5 hrs longer than it was supposed to and it’s dark and they close at 6 on a Saturday your stuck like chuck.
2021 Durango RT towing issue
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CajunBoy71
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You might be conflating TW with payload. Both TW and passengers/cargo figure into payload, but passengers/cargo does not eat into TW. If it were the case, four passengers couldn't even tow a jetski behind them. When estimating, it's appropriate to consider cargo weight behind the axle as well as the hitch. However, CAT scales are the absolute truth. My distributed TW has never been over 820, all in, spread to both DD axles, and with 340# to spare in rear axle weight. You're right that anyone trying to tow 8700# that isn't a sled would likely run over one rating or another. Good thing nobody is talking about doing that.
Yep - I was talking about how the cargo and the TW together combine to overload the axle (in many cases) long before you get to the maximum TW or Cargo weights... especially when we're talking about trailers which approach the TnG limit of 8700lbs. There have been lots of complaints here about how that 8700 number is nearly unobtanium.
All manufacturers tow stats are almost unattainable. The 8700/870 is based on an 8700lb trailer with a 10% tongue weight and only a driver (150lb?) in the vehicle. This is a nonstarter for towing a travel trailer.
And my main point on the E2 setup was, they told if you can turn off the self leveling rear end then turn it off; if you can't turn it off then bring the front back to original height. FYI, hooked to the trailer, my front axle is lighter than original weight even being at the same height.
And my main point on the E2 setup was, they told if you can turn off the self leveling rear end then turn it off; if you can't turn it off then bring the front back to original height. FYI, hooked to the trailer, my front axle is lighter than original weight even being at the same height.
Hey everyone, I am new to this whole towing thing so I have questions. There was recently an article stating unibody vehicles shouldn't use weight distribution hitches because it can torque/ bend the body. Has anyone ran into this??? I have a 22' box cargo trailer so probably 25'-26' in total length and I have bought the Weigh Safe 10k lbs hitch (only unit that was available thru e-trailer), but I hadn't gotten around to actually installing the anti-sway bars yet. I was just planning on buying a set of anti-sway bars for the travel trailer when I got around to buying one, but now I am wondering if I should have even bought a weight distribution setup. The travel trailer setup is a little unique as my Mom would be traveling with me, so I will need separate sleeping areas and that puts most of those trailers in the 30' to 32' range with a height of 11' plus. My Mom has limited range of motion and can't get into a pickup so that is why I bought my '21 DD RT TNG, but now I am thinking this thing can't pull the travel trailer I need. Should I have went with a pickup and just figured out some kind of step system for Mom to be able to get into the truck or is the Durango right and I just have to find the right trailer? I know the Durango can pull the weight of most travel trailers that I am looking at, but now I am learning that length and surface area of the front of the trailer factor into it. The two front runners of the trailers I am looking at is the Rockwood Ultra Lite 2614BS (the 2706WS has too high of a tongue weight I think, but is the one that would work better) or Keystone Cougar HT 27BHS. The Cougar has auto leveling which would really help me because any travel trailer I get, I would be doing the setup at the campsite by myself. Any feedback would be GREATLY appreciated!!
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Some unibody vehicles are not rated for weight distribution. Yours is, and there’s directions on how to set it up in the manual. You shouldn’t follow those directly as it might not distribute enough weight. There’s guidance in this thread on how to get that done. All that said. There’s no way you should be towing a 30 foot trailer with any Durango. Ultralight is totally out of the question. i’m not really sure what the answer is for you. Sounds like you can’t have a truck, and you can’t have the trailer you need without a truck. And a three-quarter ton truck at that. In case it still matters, leveling is no big deal. If you’re new and haven’t done it yet, it may seem like it, but it’s no big deal so don’t let that determine what trailer you get.
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Some unibody vehicles are not rated for weight distribution. Yours is, and there’s directions on how to set it up in the manual. You shouldn’t follow those directly as it might not distribute enough weight. There’s guidance in this thread on how to get that done. All that said. There’s no way you should be towing a 30 foot trailer with any Durango. Ultralight is totally out of the question. i’m not really sure what the answer is for you. Sounds like you can’t have a truck, and you can’t have the trailer you need without a truck. And a three-quarter ton truck at that. In case it still matters, leveling is no big deal. If you’re new and haven’t done it yet, it may seem like it, but it’s no big deal so don’t let that determine what trailer you get.
Ok, several things to keep in mind and/or think about.
1. You will run out of payload before you run out of tow capacity. And you need to watch your tongue weight. Dry tongue weight listed for TT's will not correlate to loaded tongue weight. Assume 1.3x your dry tongue to guesstimate your loaded tongue weight. This will also vary by TT design (how far back are the wheels, are the water tanks in front of axle, etc.)
2. Anybody towing a TT is going to be over the frontal area regardless of length using raw numbers. 10' tall by 8ft wide is 80sqft. The D has a max of 60sqft. However, most TT's sit almost 2' off the ground, which brings the calculation to 10x6, or 60sqft. The bigger issue is that longer TT's provide more sideways sail to catch the wind. Depending on what part of the country you live in, this could be a big issue.
3. I tow a 29' TT, but spent a lot of time getting the WDH dialed in. That makes a HUGE difference in how the TT tows. Other factors as to why I can make this work. It's just my wife and I, no kids, no pets. I tow with tanks empty. I minimize what gets loaded in D, but generally < 200lbs. We live in MN, haven't towed out of state yet, we slow down to 45/50mph when the wind picks up; or if it's pushing us around we'll get off the road. I might take this setup over the Appalachians, but wouldn't take it over the Rocky's (it's the downhill that would be problematic).
4. I am assuming you have the 5.7L
5. I run over a CAT scale every summer to check my rear axle weight. Last time over we were 80lbs under. TT is about 6300lbs loaded (5100 dry). You need to run over the CAT scale multiple times to get precise numbers, and I don't do that.
You can also get a lot of tow information from RV forums, but those guys tend to have a hard on for people towing with an SUV. Most of them would say that my TT is too heavy for the D.
Good luck and enjoy whatever you get.
Sorry, just realized you were asking about a box trailer. If it's flat nosed, you will want to pay attention to the frontal area. Regardless, flat nosed trailer will put more drag on the vehicle.
Yep, I would be in a similar situation. Just my Mom and I in the Durango (no pets/ kids) with everything else going in the travel trailer distributed to try to keep the tongue weight under 850lbs. Most travel trailers say you are supposed to have empty tanks if you are planning on hitting the highway speeds so that is the plan. The weigh safe hitch comes with a scale that reads your tongue weight and from what I can tell on forums they stay pretty accurate as long as you never overload it. Thanks for the great info. Does the slope of the travel trailer have any impact on the front surface calculation? Some of these travel trailers have a decent curvature on their front ends.
I have a 2021 Durango R/T w/o TnG and w/o regular tow package. It has cargo package with roof rails and built-in cross bars if that matters. My build sheet does say it has trailer sway dampening and rear load leveling suspension. My independent dealer installed the OEM Mopar hitch and OEM Mopar wiring harness. I am just looking to tow our two motorcycles in an enclosed cargo trailer, like 6x9 give or take. My motorcycle weighs 560 and hers weighs 498. Would I be ok with this? Does it matter whether the trailer has a nose or flat front like a box?
Your tongue weight+ your cargo in or on top of your Durango+ passengers needs to be < (less than) 1300lbs. The rear axle capacity is the limiting factor as you are probably no where near the 7200lbs that is the rated tow capacity for your equipped Durango R/T. That is what I have learned so far at least. A trailer with a nose will help your stability and the gas mileage as it doesn't create so much drag. Safe travels.
Thanks
You can and must use a weight distribution hitch when towing a larger trailer with the the Durango. Anti-way bars are also required. As pointed out by others, a proper set-up is the key.
While many people focus on the weight of the trailer, the aerodynamic of the trailer is also very important. It will make a difference on whether the trailer you select makes for a good combination with your Durango. You would be well-advised to consult with towing specialists in selecting your tow vehicle/travel trailer combination and to dial-in your weight distribution hitch.
I use my Durango 2022 R/T TNG to tow an Airstream Flying Cloud 25FB. It has a dry-weight of 5700 lbs and is 26 feet in length. However, the Airstream is low profile and very aerodynamic making it easier to tow than most travel trailers. I use an Eaz-lift WDH with 1000 lbs bars and Husky Sway Control Bars. As the FC 25FB as a heavy tongue weight (875 lbs), my RV dealer reinforced the hitch receiver on my Durango. The Durango does a solid job at towing the Airstream (better than my half-ton truck). I know that a lot of people use the Durango to tow longer Airstreams.
Again, the best advice would be to consult with towing specialists to determine if the tow vehicle/travel trailer combination you have in mind would work. I know the Durango TNG is a very capable tow vehicle (one of the very best SUVs) but I do not know much about the travel trailers you mention in your post, so I will not venture in giving you my layman’s opinion on whether your suggested combination could work.
Best of luck!
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