[Don Fox]

Since I'm in the market for a new to me Gen 3 D, I wanted to create a thread regarding the oem Tow Group. If you are ordering, you can simply check the box. In my case, I don't buy my vehicles new, so I have a little extra homework to do regarding finding a D with the Tow Group.

From what I have learned, the Tow Group has evolved as time has gone by, from the Gen1, to the Gen 2, and now the Gen 3. I had also read that if the Gen 3 in question has the rear bumper hitch cover/bulge, that it has the Tow Group.
I have found this statement to be inaccurate, as I have run a number of VINS on Ds with the bumper cover panel/bulge, and Tow Group is not listed on the build sheet!!!
Do your due diligence, and be sure of what you are buying! Don't take the dealers/sales Rube's word for it!

As of '20, it appears to include the following:

Priced at $1195.00
Class IV receiver hitch
Trailer brake control
Rear load leveling suspension
Heavy duty engine cooling
Full sized spare tire

Note that the latest version includes a built in brake controller, which I find to be an excellent upgrade.
Both my '01 and '04 D's had the available Tow Group for their time.

For '23, we are also seeing comments about folks getting the "donut" non full sized spare, or no spare at all when they have spec'ed the Tow Group.

For the Gen 2 Durangos:

"Straight from the 2004 Durango dealership brochure..... "Trailer Tow Group - Includes hitch receiver, seven- and four-pin wiring-harness, and 6"x9" power, heated, foldaway exterior mirrors. V8 equipped vehicles also receive a 750-amp maintenance free battery, auxiliary transmission fluid cooler and power steering fluid cooler."

My '04 also was pre-wired for a brake controller. I have installed one since I have a trailer with dual axles, and brakes on the front axle. The trailer brakes make quite a difference once you get some weight on the trailer.

I believe that the Tow Group for the Gen 1's was similar.
One thing that surprised me, is that none of the Durango Tow Groups includes a shorter axle ratio. The Gen 1s and 2's could have 3.55, which was the standard ratio, or upgrade to 3.92. The shorter gear, was not part of the Tow Group though.

For the Gen 3 D, the 5.7L Ds have a 3.09 gear, and the 3.6L Ds have a 3.45 ratio, whether or not the Tow Group option is applied.

The Tow and Go package includes these goodies:

"The $5,495 Tow ‘n Go kit equips the Durango with a Class IV hitch, four- and seven-pin trailer connectors, inbuilt trailer brake control with native cluster display, self-levelling headlamps, active damping suspension, 20″ wheels, and a bunch more. Hauling is amped up with an upgraded 180 amp alternator, heavy-duty engine cooling, free-flowing performance exhaust, beefy R/T performance Brembo brakes, and an electronic rear limited-slip differential geared to a modest ratio of 3.09. All-in, this boosts the Durango’s tow rating by 1,300 lbs to an unmatched 8,700 lbs."

Note that the axle ratio for the Tow and Go is still 3.09.
The SRT Ds come with a 3.70 ratio.

This information is not guaranteed to be 100% complete, but it is a good place to start for someone looking to understand what the oem Tow Group has included through the years.

Remember, that Dodge limits the Durango to 3500 pounds or less if the oem Tow Group is not installed when it was built.
The R/T models have some of the Tow Group upgrades as part of the 5.7L option, but not the hitch/harness.

The forum has seen quite a few instances where disingenuous "stealerships" have told prospective buyers that a given D sans the Tow Group, can be upgraded to it's full tow rating, "by throwing a hitch and harness on it."

Per Dodge, this is 100% "Buffalo Bagels" as Colonel Potter would say!

It's my intention, to have folks throw in their real world experiences, and have this be a "one stop shop" so to speak for Durango towing in general.

Don

 

[Tin Foil Hat]

I'm surprised that you are finding bump out bumper covers where no tow package exists. I don't know if the factory might have run out of flat covers at times or if they truly didn't care what cover went on them.

 

[va-terps4]

I don't know if the factory might have run out of flat covers at times or if they truly didn't care what cover went on them.

I'm gonna go with both.

 

[Chase300]

My 2014 5.7 Citadel falls into your category. I have the tow hitch and bulge cover but you won't find the tow package listed under my Vin. I added it. Which you could do easily years back. My Citadel already had the HD cooling, load-leveling shocks, trailer sway control and even had the hitch wiring harness. Just missing the Hitch, cover and activating the harness so the trailer lights would work. I installed the Factory hitch...easy to do and then had the dealer turn on the trailer wiring harness..which cost me $60.
Boom, instant factory tow package. All I'm missing is a full size spare instead of the full size donut spare.
Lots of dealers/owners were able to install the factory tow packages on earlier Gen3 5.7 Hemi Durangos.

Now where you can get burned is with the V6's as they were not equipped with HD cooling UNLESS the factory tow package was installed from the factory.

 

[bhvrdr]

I'm surprised that you are finding bump out bumper covers where no tow package exists. I don't know if the factory might have run out of flat covers at times or if they truly didn't care what cover went on them.

You're not. The tow package is there its just not on the window sticker.

My 21 Citadel makes zero mention of tow group iv in the window sticker nor build sheet.

But its on the vehicle as standard equipment. The brake controller and hitch is there.

 

[Z06Trev]

If you are looking for a used Gen 3 Durango as a tow vehicle, another thing to consider is the brake controller. 2019 and later models with the tow package are equipped with a brake controller. Prior to 2019 you need to install an aftermarket brake controller.

 

[Don Fox]

All good information, and just the type of input I had hoped to have posted here. Maybe, this topic could turned into a "sticky" so it always comes along at the top with other such inquiries.

Don

 

[norge]

For '23, we are also seeing comments about folks getting the "donut" non full sized spare, or no spare at all when they have spec'ed the Tow Group.

The spare is a convoluted mess.

For Gen 3, most of 2022 and all prior, the Trailer Tow Group IV added the full size steel spare. IF you got the Tow N Go package or SRT Trailer Tow Group IV, you got the "full size" size steel spare deleted and the 20 x 6.5 aluminum "compact" spare in it's place. This swap WAS required on those models because the steel spare will not fit over the front Brembos. It's compact in terms of width because of the ground clearance. I do not know for sure what the non-tow equipped SRT had, I assume the Aluminum "compact" spare as well. 2022 Durango Packages

For the 2023 model year (and as we are finding out, the late 2022 models being produced as well), the aluminum compact spare is not part of packages. They delete the spare on the Tow N Go and looks like the SRT as well. AND, if you look at the new 2023 Trailer Tow Group IV, it no longer lists making it a full size spare either. 2023 Durango Packages

Here's the picture I've seen from I believe a December shipped 2022 TnG, it had no spare, no winch setup to stow a spare, no shrouds, and no tools to change a tire.

 

[Urbish]

I'm surprised that you are finding bump out bumper covers where no tow package exists. I don't know if the factory might have run out of flat covers at times or if they truly didn't care what cover went on them.

It is unlikely, but dealers could be installing Mopar hitches and putting the bump out cover on with it as well.

 

[Don Fox]

@ norge:
I think you may have come across a legitimate reason to bypass the SRT/HC Durango! Not that cost would be a consideration.

A silver lining in every cloud, if one looks hard enough.

😂 😂
Don

 

[Chase300]

When's the last time you had a flat that required changing on the side of the road???
Tires are much better today and with the on-board tire pressure sensors you are aware of any nail/screw/slow leak way before a tire would fail.
Spare tires really only needed for your trailer.

 

[Urbish]

I frequently travel places where the nearest tow truck might be several hours away. And if my family is in the car, I would rather be back on the road in 20 minutes.

There's a certain amount of satisfaction and peace I get out of self sufficiency, too. I don't want my day to rely on whether or not somebody else bothered to show up to work today.

 

[ramjet]

When's the last time you had a flat that required changing on the side of the road???
Tires are much better today and with the on-board tire pressure sensors you are aware of any nail/screw/slow leak way before a tire would fail.
Spare tires really only needed for your trailer.

Well that's fine unless you have a gen 1 like me. Even with the beefy 31's before I towed my 22 ft camper 1,200 miles I bought a brand new spare tire just for the peace of mind knowing I covered my arse. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

 

[Chase300]

I still have a Gen 1. On that I always check the spare tire pressure...which BTW is the original full size Goodyear Eagle LS that came with it when new in 2001. Yup....never needed it in over 375,000 miles of driving/towing.

 

[Urbish]

I still have a Gen 1. On that I always check the spare tire pressure...which BTW is the original full size Goodyear Eagle LS that came with it when new in 2001. Yup....never needed it in over 375,000 miles of driving/towing.

So your spare is 22 years old? Glad you've never needed it, and hope you never will.

 

[ramjet]

So your spare is 22 years old? Glad you've never needed it, and hope you never will.

I thought the same thing Urbish. Living on the edge 😅

 

[Don Fox]

@ Chase:
Your spare tire is older than our youngest daughter, who is a sophomore in college!
The spare for my current '04, appears to be one of the original Goodyear SR-A tires that came on it. The date code is '03, and the tread is about half gone, so it's been used, but not since I've owned it.

Don

 

[Chase300]

LOL! Yeah..its old, still looks good, no sidewall cracks...but hey I've only had to ever change one tire in my lifetime. On a 1990 FWD turbo car...rear tire became flat and being a low profile HP tire and on the rear, I couldn't tell the tire was low.
Don't any of you do a preflight walkaround of your vehicle?
Easy to spot a low tire....even without on-board tire pressure monitors.

But I'll stand by my view that today you don't need a spare tire. They just take up storage space, add weight and unless you're totally oblivious to your warning systems...you'll never use.

 

[ramjet]

LOL! Yeah..its old, still looks good, no sidewall cracks...but hey I've only had to ever change one tire in my lifetime. On a 1990 FWD turbo car...rear tire became flat and being a low profile HP tire and on the rear, I couldn't tell the tire was low.
Don't any of you do a preflight walkaround of your vehicle?
Easy to spot a low tire....even without on-board tire pressure monitors.

But I'll stand by my view that today you don't need a spare tire. They just take up storage space, add weight and unless you're totally oblivious to your warning systems...you'll never use.

I get it Chase but I've seen plenty of trucks and trailers along side the road on jacks without the owner in sight.

 

[Chase300]

I get it Chase but I've seen plenty of trucks and trailers along side the road on jacks without the owner in sight.

LOL..yup, not sure how many people know how to change a tire if they had a flat. But I've also seen co-workers drive on tires with no tread or the steel belts showing...so yeah, you're going to be on the side of the road soon.

Carrying a spare tire for a trailer and a jack to properly raise the trailer should be required when towing...not having that is real living on the edge.