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View Full Version : Towing With A Minivan???



FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
08-01-2007, 07:26 PM
Has anyone here had experience towing an 18' Donzi or similar boat with a Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country minivan?

My current Jeep Grand Cherokee has a 5000 lb tow rating and more hp/torque than the minivan, but we're looking to trade it in for a loaded Town & Country with a 3800 lb rating with the tow pkg.

I have seen these things towing larger boats than mine (an 18' Classic), and the "looked like" they were doing alright. I have not yet, however, talk to anyone who has towed with one.

Looking for some experienced input.

Thanks,
Eric

VetteLT193
08-01-2007, 07:33 PM
It doesn't take much to pull a boat down the road...

What matters is stopping and getting the boat out of the water...

It won't have a problem, assuming you don't have to trailer far. If you are looking at a cross country trip you are looking at the wrong vehicle. If you are looking to get the same ease of trailering that your jeep gives you, it's the wrong vehicle. Grand cherokee's are pretty good at towing. (used to tow a boat with one myself) If you are ok with the compromise the mini van will be fine.

gcarter
08-01-2007, 07:41 PM
Donzi Racer (Tom) pulls his 18 w/a Dodge minivan. Pretty good distances too.

lee
08-01-2007, 07:52 PM
towed my 18c twice once 300 and once 200mi with a nisson quest had trans fluid and oil changed both times before worked perfect is my friends dont have a hitch on my wifes benz

DickB
08-01-2007, 08:02 PM
I have an '06 T&C exactly as you described and an 18C. I only tow the boat twice a year, at the start and end of the season, and only a couple of miles. I have no issue with pulling it up the ramp. Stopping is not a problem; of course handling is different with the extra 3000+ load than with a lightly-loaded vehicle. But I agree with VetteLT193, it will not be the same as with the Jeep obviously. I don't have experience towing the Donzi long distances. But towing a pair of snowmobiles dropped gas mileage from the mid twenties to the low teens.

I assume you're looking at a new or late model T&C. Chrysler did have transmission reliability issues on their minivans years back - I unfortunately know from experience.

FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
08-01-2007, 08:17 PM
I did a little more research and was surprised to find the '07 T&C we're looking at, when equipped w/ the 3.8L V6 actually has slightly more hp and torque than the 4.0L L6 in our '03 Jeep (200hp, 235lb/ft in the van vs. 195hp, 230lb/ft in the Jeep).
The towing capacities are very different (3800 lbs. in the van vs. 5500 lbs. in the Jeep), but if I'm only towing about 3500 lbs. max, does it matter?

Eric

Donzi Racer
08-01-2007, 09:17 PM
Eric, we have towed up to 6000lbs with many Chrysler mini vans. Don't tell Chrysler on me. Started with 1988 models to 2005. Mainly with the 3.3 engine and the 4 speed tranny although with the 3.8 4speed auto also. The main issue is the Tow Package that you say you have. We had a 94 Plymouth voyager with the 3.3 4speed that towed a 7x16 cargo trailer all over the U.S. normally with at least 5000 lbs. in it. I used to get so tickled when people would see the trailer which was bigger than the van & say, you are going to blow that transmission pulling that monster. The joke was that I already had 198,000 miles on the original tranny, mostly pulling that trailer. Had to finally go to Aamco with 198,789 miles for it's 1st rebuild. It would not have made 75000 without the tow package. We pulled a minx with a double axle heavy trailer very easily also. I always had a devil of a time with the jeeps. They always wanted to follow the boats into the water when dropping the boats in the water. The mini vans were and are great for coming out of the ramps with the front wheel drive. Just remember to release the E brake. haha They don't really come out of the water real good with that thing mashed down. Been there done that. haha With the classic 18 you should have no problem at all and wow what a comfort factor difference after a long day on the road compared to the jeep. We used to do 16 hours a day and ready for dancing when we stopped. haha. We put 145,000 on a Town & Country in 2 years. The only draw back is the fuel mileage will drop from 24 to around 12 to 14mpg depending on your speed. Although that is not that bad towing a boat these days come to think about it. Hope I helped and let us know how it is going. We have had about 20 of those little mini vans and we love um. We are now looking for a hitch for one of the old Chrysler Maserati's to see how it pulls a classic 18. haha That out to be fun. Tom

FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
08-01-2007, 09:49 PM
Thanks for the replies. I hear what you're saying about the comfort, Donzi Racer. We recently inherited an '03 Caravan from Nicole's grandfather, and it's SO much more vesatile than the Jeep, and the ride is much nicer. And with gigs to do, a 4 yr. old w/ car seats, toys, etc, the minivan has become the go-to vehicle. This is why we're looking to lease a new ('07) T&C w/ all the bells and whistles.

Thanks,
Eric

VetteLT193
08-02-2007, 07:08 AM
Thanks for the replies. I hear what you're saying about the comfort, Donzi Racer. We recently inherited an '03 Caravan from Nicole's grandfather, and it's SO much more vesatile than the Jeep, and the ride is much nicer. And with gigs to do, a 4 yr. old w/ car seats, toys, etc, the minivan has become the go-to vehicle. This is why we're looking to lease a new ('07) T&C w/ all the bells and whistles.
Thanks,
Eric

With that new warranty (lifetime power-train) it's tough not to buy:eek!:

I am used to the Jeep with the V8. I'm going to have to take a guess and say that your 6 Cyl model will tow about the same as the van.

When they calculate the towing weights more goes into it all than just power... FWD over RWD, and suspension takes a lot out of the total towing weight... Bottom line is you'll be fine assuming that your boat doesn't overload the tongue of the trailer. Mine barely effects my truck, probably only drops it an inch, but my trailer is pretty big.

Barry Phillips
08-02-2007, 12:41 PM
Mini vans are unit-body, so you need to brace the hitch really well. I towed my 18 with the I six Jeep Cherokee and although the I6 is a great motor I found the rear suspension wanting. Now anything I buy, I order the factory tow package. If one is available for the Town & Country get it, the factory packages usually incorporate heavy duty cooling, springs, trans cooler, power steering cooler, wiring harness. etc., depending on the vechical. Most V6 mimi vans are rated to tow 2000 to 3500 pounds, the limitation being either, brakes, cooling or receiver mounting, again the unit-body construction. Research the van you want, do not listen to the dealer. The 18 is 2,600 dry, add 800 pounds for the trailer, 280 pounds for fuel, 40 pounds for a battery, engine fluids, gear etc. Think about your warranty and only use a 2" receiver.

One more issue, mini vans are mostly front wheel drive, weight transfer on step ramps will always be an issue. I towed a 15' Boston Whaler which weight roughly 1,400 with a Saab 900 rated to tow 2000. The Saab worked great on the highway and 2 lanes, but slippery ramp could be a challenge, since the car was 5 speed manual I had to make a lot of hand-brake starts in order not to spin the front wheels. Their are several new crossover models from GMC and Saturn that offer mini-van like 8 passenger setting, all wheel drive, reasonable fuel economy, 26 mph, and a 4,500 tow rating. If your not locked into a T&C their worth consideration.

VetteLT193
08-02-2007, 02:51 PM
Mini vans are unibody...

Dang, I wouldn't have guessed that. I'm still surprised with the cars/trucks/etc on the road that are unibody. It must save a ton of $$ for the manufacturers.

zelatore
08-02-2007, 04:21 PM
OK, I'm going to have to buck the trend here and say I'd rather not use a minivan as a tow rig.

Granted, I've never towed with a town and country. Heck the last minivan I drove was probably 5 years ago and that wasn't more than a couple hundred miles, so take this with a grain of salt.

Most of my towing has been done with 1/2 ton trucks. A couple of Lightnings, and now a hemi Ram. Currently, I'm towing a 22, though I've towed plenty of stuff from light-weight single axle trailers to 9000 lb boats on triple axles to 20' enclosed box trailers. I've learned there's 'what it's capable' of towing, then there's 'what it's comfortable' towing.

My basic rule of thumb: Get the biggest tow rig I can.

Even though my current truck is rated for something like 8500 lbs towing, it's miserable with much more than 6000. Even then, you're driving foot to the floor to try to maintain freeway speeds up any sort of incline. I know in a couple weeks when I tow up to Tahoe I'll be WOT a good chunk of time.

Then you have to start to wonder how much you trust your trailer brakes when the trailer out-weighs the truck. Ever get a nice little sway going on the interestate? Even though you're not towing a heavy boat, that minivan will be less able to bring it under control than a heavier built truck.

I don't want to be Mr. Negative, but I always hear/see people towing way more than they should with a given vehicle. Yeah, 90% of the time it works out fine - heck, I'll even admit I've done it myself - but that 10% can be a killer. While I admit the versatility of a minivan is great (and I wish more people would drive these or better yet wagons instead of SUVs) I'd give serioius thought to a 4-door truck for towing.

Again, take all this with a grain of salt. I don't know if you tow twice a year 5 miles or if you tow 50 times a year 20,000 miles. You might be towing accross Kansas, or you might be towing accross the rockies. I just know I'm much more comfortable towing with a lot of truck under me, especially when I'm heading into hilly areas!

(btw, my Dodge has THE WORST trans ratios for towing! My Fords were much better! If that doesn't start a flame war, nothing will:wink: )

Donzi Racer
08-02-2007, 04:58 PM
I kind of figured you were talking about all around vehicle. That is why I put in my 2 cents. When we went from a 16 foot cargo to a 23 footer, I jumped up to a Dodge dually diesel and WOW. I could barely tell I had anything back there. Got 20 mpg with just the truck and 12.5 to 16mpg depending on the load. As far as gear ratios I went with a 5 speed manual and the highest rearend for milage I could get. I would top hills at 80 mph while me Chevy & Ford counterparts were struggling but remember I was only pulling around 6000 lbs. I also 1st got an automatic dually and could not stand it. It would be 90 going down hill and 55 up the hills. We only used this rig for traveling and hauling. 165,000 miles the 1st year on the Automatic and 147,000 on the 5 speed. The duallys were great but 12 hours of driving one of those monsters compared to the chrysler, dodge and plymouth mini vans was a huge difference on the body. As I said before after a long long day in the mini van, we were ready for dancing and with the smooth duallys, the wear & tear was not that noticeable until you got out of the truck and you could barely move. You just wanted to go to bed, quickly. I figured you were going to use the vehicle for more than just towing the boat. I just do not believe the Town & Country can be beat, as long as you get the TOW PACKAGE. Also U-Haul has the class 3 trailer hitch that will fit with the Stow & Go Seating and if that option was $5k I would definitely get it. After driving these vans for 20 years, and we have had every year in those years except 2006 & 2007, that is the best option they ever came up with. I will say I really could not tell a lot of difference between the 3.3 and the 3.8 engines but I would get the 3.8. Hope we have helped & good luck, Tom

TheFees
08-03-2007, 04:00 PM
Has anyone here had experience towing an 18' Donzi or similar boat with a Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country minivan?
My current Jeep Grand Cherokee has a 5000 lb tow rating and more hp/torque than the minivan, but we're looking to trade it in for a loaded Town & Country with a 3800 lb rating with the tow pkg.
I have seen these things towing larger boats than mine (an 18' Classic), and the "looked like" they were doing alright. I have not yet, however, talk to anyone who has towed with one.
Looking for some experienced input.
Thanks,
Eric
Eric,
I towed my 18 classic 1987 2+3 on a Myco trailer, which it is still on, with a Plymouth Grand Voyager LE. It had a 6 cylinder and it was the longer wheelbase model. The trailer is a 4 wheel, and has hydraulic brakes. I used to go to Dewey Beach with it every weekend. I will never forget what Frank, the owner of the Sand Palace motel said to me, after following me through the S turns on Rte 9 in his Benz. He jumped out of his car when we got there, and he said, "I can't believe you, weaving through S turns at 70mph with your boat in tow.
I often forgot the boat was back there. With the brakes on the trailer, it would stop like the regular braking. The only time I noticed that the boat was behind me was when taking off.
You will notice by looking up the towing capacity for the vehicle, it was rated at 3500 pounds with the 6 cylinder. The 18 plus the trailer comes in only a little under that. I don't think I would like to try it with a 4 cylinder model, even though I never tried it.
WIth the extra long back on the LE model, I was able to remove the back seats, and with the plush carpeting, I would make a weekend out of it on the Sassafras. I would drop in at Duffy Creek Marina, boat the day, and night away, then pull it out of the water, flush it out, and pull it up on the hilll. Break out the blanket, and pillows, and catch a good night sleep. Boating first thing in the morning is a great experience. My girlfriend used to enjoy staying over that way too. Lucky for me.
Anyhow, I am disappointed with the longevity the Mitsubishi motor and trans gave me on that model, but it's towability was great.

FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
08-07-2007, 10:45 PM
A few points of information; my lifestyle and my particular living circumsatances rule out a pickup truck of any size. There isn't the room for it in my driveway. Even when I was racing, I towed the flat with a station wagon. Believe me, if I had the room and the bucks, I love to have many different specialized vehicles for each particular task. I'd get the diesel crew-cab dually (and the 40' box trailer) to haul the raceboat around the circuit as well as haul the Donzi to the lakes, but I don't have the room at the house for it, at least not until I move out of NYC for good. I need one vehicle that can do it all. That's why the minivan.

Another consideration is, I've had it with owning vehicles. I'm sold on leasing. There isn't a new car made, aside from a Lotus Elise or a Ford GT, that I desire to have in my personal posession. As far as passion goes, I just don't have any for new cars, so for me transportation is just another living expense, like real estate tax or utility bills. And as far as accumulating assets goes, to my way of thinking, new cars, with their rapid depreciation, are more of a liability than an asset once the warranty has expired. I like the sense of security afforded by having everything covered under a warranty. I don't want to be responsible to buy another set of windshield wipers, much less a set of tires or even a fan belt. Once the warranty expires, you're lucky if you can find a shop that can fix it at all, much less fix it correctly, and the bill! Gives me nightmares.
Anything that goes wrong with the Pantera, I can fix, but these new cars are a mystery to me. When I lift the hood on a new car, and I can't even find the valve covers, I just shake my head, close the hood and walk away. Not interested. Not me. Let someone else figure it out.
So being that I'll never posess it without a warranty, breaking trannies or whatever isn't as much a concern to me as it would otherwise be.

Hmmmm......
Eric

osur866
08-07-2007, 10:58 PM
I've got a question for ya, Trailer have brakes? pulling the boat down the road probably won't be a problem but stopping is another story. I also have an 18 and have towed it 1500 miles over a 2 day trip with a chevy 2500 hd and I barley knew it was back there but my trailer also has brakes and the truck has big brakes along with the allison transmission that in tow mode I barley have to use the truck brakes. I'd rather have something overkill than something at it's limit for nothing else the braking, Safety first!! My .02

FlatRacer, aka BarrelBack
08-07-2007, 11:10 PM
Yes, tandem axle trailer with surge brakes.

Eric

osur866
08-07-2007, 11:18 PM
Well you might be okay, I don't think I would want to pull it across the country though.

mphatc
08-08-2007, 06:18 AM
Regardless of what you tow with the most important thing is the set up of the trailer to the tow rig . .

Is the trailer flat? . . level, all four wheels equally weighted . . leaf springs with equalizer bar between the springs I presume . . the equalizer should be parallel to the ground . . this will give you a better ride in the vehicle as shock loads to the trailer are absorbed by the springs and will make the whole tow rig set up handle better.

Tongue weight . . adjust this toi be in the vicinity of 150 -200 lbs. Less and you'll have a rig that wants to fishtail at speed . . very scary!

Adjustment of the surge brakes . . they can be adjusted to actuate earlier and harder . . you should feel them slowing you down.

Most minivans have passenger car tires . . you might consider upgrading to a tire with more plies . . stiffer sidewalls that will give you greater stabilty and control while trailering, and greater safety.

I'd also advise that you change the tranmsmission fluid to a high quality synthetic . . Redline . . I have done this on all my automatics that tow or are worked hard. Never a failure!

Good Luck,
Mario L.

Diesel Dog
08-08-2007, 08:53 AM
Will not be a problem.Bill