I can't tell you any specifics on towing with the new Durangos, but definitely get a trailer with its own brakes if you're going up and down the mountains with it. I'm not sure exactly what route you'd take but those mountains in VA and WV are pretty long and steep.

 

Make sure the trailer has sway control and weight distibution hitch, as well as e-brakes, D has brake controller

 

I was wondering if the tow package came with an integrated brake controller or if I'd have to add one aftermarket. I'd been told that it did, but I can't find anything definitive.

My first reply or comment....I cannot comment on the Gen3 per se, however I can on towing in general.

"...towing...almost immediately after picking it up..." Normally there'd be a break-in period of about 500-1000 miles that you shouldn't tow, especially the weight your talking about. Check your manual.

Did you order the R/T with a tow package (7400# tow capacity sounds like you probably did...)? The tow pkg should include the interface for a controller as well as heavy duty trans cooler plus the 2" class III/IV receiver and possibly a tow/haul mode which changes shift timing and locks out higher gears.

Good luck!

You are absolutely right about a break in period. I will have roughly 10 days before I hook up a trailer, but that's just going to have to do. I wish I had more time, I just don't. That's why I'm trying to use an open trailer since it'll be lighter. It's not an ideal situation, but it's the one I'm in nonetheless.

Yes, I most definitely added the tow prep package. I know it has the hitch and the cooler, but as I said above, I can't find anything hard about an integrated brake controller. If not, I guess I'll be putting an aftermarket one in right away.

To everyone else's comments: thanks for the tips. I knew to look for a trailer with its own brakes. Whether it's legally required or not, I wouldn't be stupid enough to drag 6000lbs down the road if I couldn't stop it. I definitely plan to set the cruise at about 55 or 60 once I get on the interstates, but we'll see how it goes. I'll take it easier in the mountains, of course. I'll be the guy in the right lane holding up traffic, but at least I won't be the guy causing a crash when the trailer tires blow out or I lose control going downhill.

Keep the comments coming. I'd still like to see any pics or comments of the 3rd gens towing, if anyone else has any? Thanks again!

 

My first reply or comment....I cannot comment on the Gen3 per se, however I can on towing in general.

"...towing...almost immediately after picking it up..." Normally there'd be a break-in period of about 500-1000 miles that you shouldn't tow, especially the weight your talking about. Check your manual.

As others have suggested, you'll need a brake controller required by law in most of the states that you'll pass through. The trailer your considering may only be 2200# but your adding up to 3900#, essentially the same weight as that of a travel trailer (6000#). To help control sway, you'll need 10-15% of the total weight on your tongue/hitch (i.e. 650# est.), which then gets subtracted from your R/T's cargo capacity ("weight of cargo and passengers should not exceed...", located on inside of drivers side B-pillar). Use a good weight distribution hitch with friction sway control but double check the use of a WDH on a unibody type construction vehicle. I'd recommend an open trailer to reduce weight and also to reduce the frontal air resistance of the trailer. Wind blasts from trucks and buses suck... Go slow, ST trailer tires are usually rated up to 65mph, use tow/haul mode if available or lockout OD.

Did you order the R/T with a tow package (7400# tow capacity sounds like you probably did...)? The tow pkg should include the interface for a controller as well as heavy duty trans cooler plus the 2" class III/IV receiver and possibly a tow/haul mode which changes shift timing and locks out higher gears.

Good luck!

 

I just purchase a 13 year old Durango and have no experience with these trucks, I do how ever tow our three personal trailers
(7k,9k and 11k lbs) 10,000 plus miles per year with our Ram Van and Excursion. Others have mentioned purchasing anti sway and
weight distribution hitches good advice. Which ever trailer you have or purchase will have brakes as they are legally required.

I would say it is very unlikely you will have any problems, keep your speed down and your eyes on the rig.

Good luck have a safe trip

 

Most likely a new vehicle will not have the controller installed, unless you can get the dealer to flip the bill for one, as part of your purchase agreement! The D will have the controller connector, that's it from factory.

 

Thanks for clearing up my confusion. When I said I thought it was integrated, I meant to say that the wiring was already tied into the factory harness and a plug was there under the dash and I would have a pigtail to connect to whatever controller I purchase/provide. I just wanted to make sure, with the tow prep package, I would only have to connect my controller to the pigtail and then the pigtail to a factory connection under the dash. I didn't really want to start hacking into the vehicle's harness on day 1. Since that's the way it is, I'm good.

 

What he said^ there will be a plug up under dash for brake module.
It will tow fine, just break her in real well
STEVE

 

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to putting the first 500 miles on it......oh wait, yes I am!

 

You do know that the first towing must be 50mph or under for 500 miles....that in addition to putting the initial miles on the car before towing anything. What everyone said here is good advice: get a WDH and sway control bar to go with it. These things tow surprisingly well and stable.

ALSO, be sure to check that you can attach an Electric Brake Controller like the Prodigy P2 or 3 with the new wiring that finds its way into the 2014 models. With the changes to the 2014, it is possible that only certain brake controllers may be used. Worth checking out.

Here is our 18' Retro White Water being towed. Weight is around 3200# and it tows perfectly.

 

Hopefully the Prodigy P3 will work like a charm. You'll have to let us know about that and how your new DD does pulling all that weight. We're doing a "break-in" camping run this weekend......and yes 50mph and under. (Only towed 50 miles so far so slowly we go). My wife says the same thing. "Let's take the back way and enjoy the ride as tourists". Yesterday I backed that trailer up the gravel hill drive around back and was truly surprised at how well the AWD performed. Didn't even spin a tire. My 06 MDX tranny would overheat just backing up that 200'! Durango stayed "normal". These vehicles are very capable-compared to my 2010 F-150 and 2012 4WD 4Runner, the DD eclipses them both.

 

Here is our RT in action retrieving our Rinker 246BR for the season for winterizing.

 

Great Pics ...Nice Boat

 

Thank you.

 

Thanks for the pics. How does it feel behind you? Can you tell it's there or is it just a run to the grocery store?

 

I did not tow very far, just from the launch ramp to the holding area for winterizing probably half a mile. I did not feel it back there much. I'm really curious to find out how it will do when I tow to storage because there is a big steep hill on the way. I will let you guys know.
Before these durango, we had a Lincoln navigator with an 8400 lbs. towing capacity and that steep hill it was straining and growling getting up and about it.

 

For some reason this thread seems to have stayed under my radar..

P3 should be fine in the Durango, lots of guys and gals in the jeep forums are using them on WK2 grand cherokees and loving them.. (I actually have a P3 sitting on the shelf, waiting to go into my '07 GC).

 

I'll probably be buying a Durango in the spring. I have a Jayco 1207 tent trailer that's 2150lbs dry. My current tow vehicle does alright until you hit the hills, so I'm looking for more power, with a bit more space. I'll probably go for the hemi, just so I never have to worry about a mountain pass. A few questions:

(1) Is anyone pulling a tent trailer with an RT? Can you see over the trailer in the rear view mirror? Better yet, could someone measure the height of the rear window (top & bottom)? If my local dealer had one on the lot, I'd measure it up myself.

(2) Does the 7-pin wiring have the live 12V for trailer battery charging? If so, it looks like a fairly simple plug-and-play for my P3 controller (with drilling?):
Brake Controllers - Tekonsha

I want the bigger brakes & HID lights that come on the RT/Citadel. I'm leaning towards the cheaper RT, as I don't really want a sunroof & rack anyway (it'll probably be outside for 4 seasons and I plan to keep it for 10-15 years), plus that fake wood trim makes me sick. I'm just not sure if I really want it lowered with a firmer suspension. That said, I could probably swap out the springs and still spend less than I would on a Citadel. My local dealer doesn't get these on the lot, so unfortunately I might be ordering one without the benefit of a test drive.

 

To the OP--let us know what brake controller works out for you. I have heard with the wiring changes in the 2014's that not all controllers will work as with prior years. I tow with my 2013 and our trailer is around 3400 lbs loaded up. DD does fine.

 

I decided to go with the Takonsha P3. I'll be picking it up in about 21 days and I'll install the brake controller about a week before hooking up a trailer. I'll do some tests with the trailer empty before I hook it up loaded. I'll definitely post up any comments/feedback as well as pics.

 

That's what I have--great little box. Looking forward to your feedback.

 

Has anyone done any towing with the V6? Any experience at the boat ramp?

 

Ok, so I've put over 1000 miles on the clock with about 6500lbs on the bumper and I've got another 1000 or so to go. Here's what I've noticed so far:

Drivers on American Interstates are about some of the most inconsiderate, oblivious people in the world. Not "bad" drivers like I've experienced in other countries but rather rude, self-important, entitled drivers with no consideration for the people around them. I've thoroughly tested the brakes with panic stops because people like to pull in front of people towing. I've had to test the sway control by jerking out of the way of someone waiting until the last possible second to swerve to the off ramp from the far left lane. The V8 and 8spd have been tested when 2 cars decided to go 55 in a 70 and block off everything except the far left lane on 2 mile hill on I-75 South. Idiot drivers irritate me but they have also tested the Durango as a tow vehicle in ways that an uneventful drive never would have.

The P3 is solid. I don't have any other experience to compare it to, but the P3 controls the trailer nicely. The "boost" feature is probably a little strong, even on B1, for the weight I'm pulling, but I turned the boost off and the trailer brakes just felt a little too soft. I kept it set on B1 and just modified my braking based on how the B1 setting had been working. Maybe there's a way to adjust the settings to achieve a B1/2, but as a plug-and-play I NEVER worried about my trailer brakes giving out or the trailer passing me when I hit the pedal.

The Durango is well equipped to handle towing an open car trailer with a 2006 Dodge Magnum. The trailer isn't as invisible as if this was a Ram 2500 Mega Cab with the Cummins. I can definitely feel the trailer back there, but it doesn't turn the truck into a complete slug. Cruising along with the eco mode on and my truck tuned with the Diablo Intune (87 Octane tune to save a few pennies on the highways), I have been averaging about 11 mpg on a drive from New Hampshire to Ohio to Kentucky to Georgia. The transmission shifted smoothly and always seemed to be right where it should be and the engine is strong enough.

When I took the trailer off the truck, it REALLY woke up. I can't wait to get some good gas and a healthier tune to run this thing as a daily driver--but for all the utility I've needed it's been great.

 

We stopped along the road from Tilton, NH to Rochester, NH (overlooking Lake Winnisquam) after picking up the trailer.

 

What hitch receiver did you guys end up with? Ball size, drop, and length ?
I just purchased a 2014 Durango Citadel and will be towing my 70 Nova to the track. Not sure if I can borrow a friends open trailer or if I have to rent a uhaul. I know if I get my friends trailer I will need to buy a brake controller box.

 

I ended up getting a 2" ball w/ 2" drop (not sure on the shank length) from the same place I got my trailer. My trailer is 18' long and it sits just a LITTLE higher than I think it should. I was getting a little wobble when I got closer to 70, especially when passing on the interstate. I'm trying to decide between getting a 3" drop ball or getting a set of lowering springs. Lowering the truck will make it more fun all the time and should correct the trailer height but the ball is much cheaper......decisions, decisions...

 

Here's my Jayco 1207 tent trailer that's 2150# empty:

The 3.25" drop is about right when it's loaded (about 280lb tongue weight). It settles down a bit, but I think only a 2" drop would have the nose up a bit too much. The tongue height is 18".

To answer my previous questions:
1) I can see over the trailer really easily, and didn't need any mirror extenders either.
2) The Prodigy P3 is plug and play with the extension plug they sell. I used velcro tape to temporarily mount the controller on the lower right of the steering wheel, just under the the speaker slots and beside the airbag panel. Unfortunately the tape doesn't want to stick that well, so I'll take some sandpaper to the dash to roughen it up a bit.

I just did over 2000 km (1200 miles), round trip and through some hills around Yakima. I took it easy on the way down and got 14.5 l/100km (16.2 mpg US), but coming back I didn't show any mercy for the hills and got 14.7l/100km (16 mpg US).

At the base of the Columbia River Gorge on HWY97 it was 41C (106F). The engine oil reached 124C (255F), but the rad temp never reached the white halfway mark and the tranny never went over 96C (205F). The cooling capacity is impressive! I thought I'd be putting a lower thermostat in it and reprogramming the fans, but now I'm not sure.

According to the EVIC, there's lots of oil life left, but I think it's overdue for a first oil change. I'll switch to synthetic (over 3800km on it now).

A V6 would've done the job with better fuel economy, but I do love the RT and I really wouldn't want the ride any softer.

 

Great info guys. Thanks for reporting on your experiences.
Jerod

 

Sorry for the quality of these photos, but wanted to share how I (temporarily) mounted my controller. I thought about the r/h side but I think it would have been hitting my knee. In this position, there is no problem getting in and out. The hood release is accessible with no problem. I don't think the slight tilt (horizontal roll) will cause a problem. If it does, I may put a spacer on one side. I'm not thrilled by the location, but it's only two small holes and I can move it when I have more time (need to tow in the morning). I would be interested in seeing other's solutions.

My wife thinks "It's cute" Sheesh!

Swampy

 

Sorry for the quality of these photos, but wanted to share how I (temporarily) mounted my controller. I thought about the r/h side but I think it would have been hitting my knee. In this position, there is no problem getting in and out. The hood release is accessible with no problem. I don't think the slight tilt (horizontal roll) will cause a problem. If it does, I may put a spacer on one side. I'm not thrilled by the location, but it's only two small holes and I can move it when I have more time (need to tow in the morning). I would be interested in seeing other's solutions.

View attachment 18996 View attachment 18997 View attachment 18998

My wife thinks "It's cute" Sheesh!

Swampy

That is exactly where I'm thinking about mounting my Prodigy P2 controller tonight. No other really good place. I'm also going to try heavy duty velcro instead of drilling holes. Hopefully it holds it up and it will give me the ability to remove when not in use.