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Old 05-28-2013, 08:11 PM   #1
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Towing with the 3.6L V6 Dodge Durango

I'm in the market for a new tow vehicle and pretty much have my mind made up on getting a Dodge Durango. The part that I'm really torn on is if the V6 will be enough to handle my trailer in the mountains. I currently have a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 4.0 and am waiting on my vehicle upgrade to take a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. I don't need to be able to drive 70 mph up the mountains, but I do want to be able to make it up the mountains without having to sweat about if I'm going to make it or not.

Last summer I bought a X18D which has a GVW of 4400lb, and the primary reason for going with that trailer was because we wanted to be able tow with a "smaller" vehicle/engine if possible to save on gas during normal around town driving.

I'm really interested to hear from anyone that has a V6 durango (2011 - 2013) and has taken it through mountains with a camper in the neighborhood of 4400lbs. I know the typical response will be to go with the V8 if you are going to be using the Durango for towing, but the V6 clearly has a big advantage in terms of MPG and it has a tow limit of 6200 (almost 2000lb more than my GVW).

Thanks in advance!
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Old 05-28-2013, 10:58 PM   #2
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I don't have any first hand experience towing with a Durango, but here are a couple of JOF threads on the same subject that may be helpful:

http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthrea...=dodge+durango

http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthrea...=dodge+durango

You may also find the following JOF thread of interest in respect to published Tow Ratings:

http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthrea...uot-Tow-Rating

Hope this helps.

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Old 05-28-2013, 11:08 PM   #3
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I am pulling a 165 Sport across country GVWR 3,500 with a 4.0L V6 4Runner.
I weighed the TT at only 3,000 lbs loaded out. 4Runner is rated at 5,000lbs.
I wouldn't want to pull anything any heavier or longer (16.5') with this engine or short wheel base.

JMHO
If at all possible, I would go with a longer wheelbase truck.

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Old 05-29-2013, 10:02 AM   #4
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How big is the MPG advantage of the V6 over the V8? I bought our Trailblazer (I6, not V6) for exactly the same reason you want the V6 Durango. While it towed our old Kiwi 17a through the mountains beautifully, in real world driving it offered me very little gain in mileage over our old V8 Suburban, though I did get better towing mileage. Also, depending on the gearing, in some cases a V8 will get better towing mileage than a V6
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Old 05-29-2013, 05:29 PM   #5
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Rustic Eagle gave you some good stuff to read. In my own experience pulling a trailer weighing 5700# by CAT scale weight, with a 4.7 liter V8 in the hills, much less the mountains was making the engine work pretty hard for it's living. I think you would be happier with a 1/2 crew cab truck with a V8 engine for the some amount of money.
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Old 05-29-2013, 07:48 PM   #6
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I would definitely be all about getting something with a longer wheelbase, but that gets tricky do to also wanting a third row seat. If it wasn’t for the third row seat, I would be looking at trucks with a crew cab. I have 2 kids though and another isn’t out of the question so I need some seating space. With that said, the Durango seems like it’s probably my best option in terms of wheel base and tow rating (and still have a third row available). I think the only way I could get a better wheelbase would be to go up to something like a Suburban, but then you’re looking at 47k instead of 32k.

Being that I’m towing the camper right now with my Jeep Grand Cherokee (far from ideal), I spent some money to get a nice hitch, an Equalizer, to try and help with the wheelbase issue. My current Jeep has a wheel base of 106” and the Durango is 120”… I’m at least moving in the right direction.

The V6 is a few MPG advantage for city & highway so it’s not the end of the world, but if it’s not needed I’d rather not waste money. The big majority of miles will be non towing (even though I wish it was the other way around ). They also get you though in that you can’t get the V8 on the base model so you pay extra for a higher trim level and then more for the V8 option. If spending the money on the V8 is what makes the most sense, I’m willing to do it. I just don’t want to waste money up front and during normal day to day driving gas if it’s not necessary.
What gets me is going by the tow rating as stated by Dodge I’m only at 70% capacity with the V6. If I go up to the V8, I would be at 60% capacity. I understand that as Rustic Eagle pointed out in the link the stated tow capacity is pretty deceiving, but coming in at 70% seems like it leaves a lot of room for all the bad assumptions.
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Old 05-29-2013, 09:09 PM   #7
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I do not know what the new Durango has for a V8 engine options. I have the 2007 Dakota Quad Cab with the V8. It is basically the same engine as the small V8 that was in the Ram 1500, with a different cam. I have the tow package. I have a slightly larger and heavier trailer. The Dakota pulls the TT really nicely, if I keep the speed down, below 60 mph with the TT I get about 12.5 mpg on flat lands of MN. With no TT and I keep my speed down I get about 23 mpg, otherwise it drops quickly the faster I go. The closest to the mountains I have been with this combination is pulling out of Duluth MN on I35 (not a good comparison to a mountain). The speed limit was 55 mph, and I was able to maintain it fairly easy, but if I was off the throttle at all I drop my speed quickly.

One more thing to remember when they talk about towing capacity and vehicle load capacity, they start with an empty vehicle with just an average size drive. As you add kids, a spouse, and cargo, you will reduce your towing capacity.
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Old 05-29-2013, 09:11 PM   #8
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First of all we have 3 kids all under 9 and a 90lb dog, we went from a Tahoe to a Crew Cab PU. We considered the Suburban but the hitch receiver being integral to the frame/bumper on the new body style and not upgradable ruled that out. We were a little concerned about getting rid of the SUV, we have always had a P/U so that wasn't new to us, but making a P/U as the primary TV and losing that extra inside space was concerning. After the first trip it was clear the P/U was the right decision...plus there is the huge bonus of hauling stuff in the bed. The dog now rides in a kennel in the pickup. You are absolutely right, the 3rd row and inside space of the Tahoe was nice, but not nearly as nice as having a truly comfortable towing experience. I am certain that you can find all the justification you want/need to buy what ever TV you would like we can only steer you where our experience has taken us.

IMO at an absolute minimum get the V8, you want the HP and the MPG hit will be worth it. I would strongly recommend you consider a larger TV, wheel base & GVW are you friend when towing. You may think your X18D is great, but sooner than you think you will want to upgrade TT -- especially if you add to your family as mentioned. Consider buying used, it will open your budget to significantly more options. Lastly getting cheap now, and potentially making a mistake will cost a whole lot more to correct down the road vs. just biting the bullet now.
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Old 05-29-2013, 10:36 PM   #9
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First of all we have 3 kids all under 9 and a 90lb dog, we went from a Tahoe to a Crew Cab PU. We considered the Suburban but the hitch receiver being integral to the frame/bumper on the new body style and not upgradable ruled that out. We were a little concerned about getting rid of the SUV, we have always had a P/U so that wasn't new to us, but making a P/U as the primary TV and losing that extra inside space was concerning. After the first trip it was clear the P/U was the right decision...plus there is the huge bonus of hauling stuff in the bed. The dog now rides in a kennel in the pickup. You are absolutely right, the 3rd row and inside space of the Tahoe was nice, but not nearly as nice as having a truly comfortable towing experience. I am certain that you can find all the justification you want/need to buy what ever TV you would like we can only steer you where our experience has taken us.

IMO at an absolute minimum get the V8, you want the HP and the MPG hit will be worth it. I would strongly recommend you consider a larger TV, wheel base & GVW are you friend when towing. You may think your X18D is great, but sooner than you think you will want to upgrade TT -- especially if you add to your family as mentioned. Consider buying used, it will open your budget to significantly more options. Lastly getting cheap now, and potentially making a mistake will cost a whole lot more to correct down the road vs. just biting the bullet now.
Well said Clubhouse

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Old 05-29-2013, 10:57 PM   #10
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not sure if new is an option for you, but jeep is about to launch a v-6 turbo diesel with higher torque ratings than the 5.7 v-8. Not to mention the better fuel economy.

http://www.jeep.com/en/2014/grand_ch.../capabilities/
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Old 05-29-2013, 11:10 PM   #11
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of course there is always the ford explorer with the available 3.5 ecoboost. http://www.ford.com/suvs/explorer/sp...ations/engine/

And the chevy Traverse is also quite capable http://www.chevrolet.com/traverse-cr...owertrain.html

we would be wise to consider the durango and jeep are rear wheel bias drive configurations even in awd/4x4 packages. the explorer and traverse are front bias even with awd configuration. while towing capabilities are similar handling is different with a front bias and can take some getting used to differences such as torque steer and take off wheel spin. we should also consider the horsepower output of a gm 5.7 vortec v8 was 255 bhp until it was replaced in 99 and we were towing much heavier trailers back then with substantially less power. imho the durango would be a fine tow vehicle and the pentastar engine has performed very well. that said you would be wise to add your wet weight of your trailer and all your gear and family ect ext and see where you stand on your final weight that you are lugging around. you dont want to under buy a vehicle but you dont want to overbuy either. i have made that mistake and it cost me a lot of money trading vehicles.
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Old 05-30-2013, 12:28 AM   #12
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I own a 2011 Dodge Durango with the 3.6L V6, it did not come with a tow package, it doesn't even have a hitch right now, which is a good thing, because it truly is NOT made for towing. I have no intentions of installing a hitch.

I'm not sure of the gear ratio or the towing ratings, but really it is made for commuting and traveling with very small loads.

When you step on it, it really winds up, shifts hard, you can tell it's working for just the getting it's own intrinsic load moving.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good vehicle, but not for towing.

If it had the V8, different story, I believe it would be good for pulling popups and small light weight trailers. Honestly, the daily commute mileage with the V8 is going to be only at the most 2 mpg less than the V6. Of course the biggest factor there is your driving habits, it has more power so it's much easier to take advantage of that power and drive with your foot into it.

Good luck with your decision.
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Old 05-30-2013, 07:23 AM   #13
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I went from an '97 Tahoe 5.7L V8, to an '06 Durango 5.7L HEMI V8 and now to a RAM with a 5.7L V8.

I agree that wheelbase is a big thing when towing. All three TV pulled our Palomino, and the two best were the Tahoe and RAM, The Durango did well, power wise, but I felt the TT behind due to wind drag and sway. The Tahoe and RAM I didn't feel the Palomino, nor do I feel the Whitehawk behind the TV.

I have a co-worker that has a GMC 4.7L V8, and when he went out west with his TT to Mt. Rushmore, he found loss of power when going through the rolling hills, and wished he had the extra power of the 5.7L.

Good luck!
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Old 05-30-2013, 11:06 AM   #14
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I was towing a x23b 4990# with a 4.7 QC 1500. Did ok on level, but that small V-8 worked its butt off on the hills. What is the Durango curb weight? The Ram is 5200#. have no experience with the Durango, but I think you will be power starved. Just for compairison I Had a 2010 Jeep Liberty. It had either a 3.6 or 3.7 V-6 on a good day I could get 17mpg, the much heavier ram got about 18 or 19.
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Old 05-30-2013, 07:09 PM   #15
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JT, I would LOVE to get a diesel, but those Jeep GC with the diesels are going start around 46k. Diesel engines are actually how I make my money so I would be all about getting one, but that’s out of my price range.

The declared tow capacity for the Explorer & Traverse is ~5k and the wheelbase on both of those is slightly shorter than the Durango.

Thanks for the feedback from your experience Flyrotor. I don’t understand saying that it’s not made for towing though. I think it’s pretty clear it’s not going to be the best for towing. I agree with pretty much everyone on here that a truck with a nice long wheelbase is going to be the best bet for towing. However, the Durango was the largest stated tow capacity for any SUV with a V6 in it as far as I can tell. And it also seems to have the best wheelbase available for an SUV (ignoring the 47k Suburban).

I’m really surprised that there are not more people on here with hands on experience towing with the newer (2011+) v6 Durangos. All the responses on here are definitely making me lean to wanting the V8, but if would be nice to hear from actual experience towing with the V6.
Pitch, the Durango’s are right around 5k curb weight. It was kind of hard to tell on the Dodge site, but it looks like the V6 is just shy of 5 and the v8 is a little over. The v6 has 290hp and the v8 has 360hp. Right now I’m towing with 195hp!
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Old 05-30-2013, 07:37 PM   #16
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As the thread has meandered, and I'm quite good at helping threads to meander, is there a reason that you haven't considered a full sized van?

SUV = Sport Utility Vehicle. The name says it is both, but in reality both modes suffer a bit.

Wheelbase and a short distance from the axle to the hitch ball are your friends. A full sized van generally has both. A full sized van also has lots of room. I've towed with many vans. I think they make really good tow vehicles.

As to a Jeep with a diesel engine...
The engine isn't the problem when it comes to Jeeps and towing. I have towed trailers with Jeeps. I prefer to avoid that again for the rest of my life. A diesel engine would not change what I didn't like about it one bit. Just one opinion. vic
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Old 05-30-2013, 08:04 PM   #17
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I would have an easier time convincing my wife to buy a go-cart and use that for daily car than I would trying to convince her to get a van (regardless if it was full size or mini-man). She definitely is not into vans. She would love a truck (if it weren't for the seating issue), but a van is another story.

I agree about towing with a Jeep. Although the thought of a diesel in it gets me excited, I would not want another Jeep as a tow vehicle. Even when I was only towing a popup with my Jeep, it was a bad experience. They may have changed though. My Jeep Grand Cherokee is a 2002 and I hate towing with it, but a buddy of mine has a new one and says he loves it. He's only pulling a popup, but like I said I hated even pulling my popup with mine.
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Old 05-30-2013, 08:27 PM   #18
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I would have an easier time convincing my wife to buy a go-cart and use that for daily car than I would trying to convince her to get a van (regardless if it was full size or mini-man). She definitely is not into vans. ...
Fair enough. I'm often accused of being clueless, but apparently I'm astute enough about some things to have stayed married to the same wonderful woman for over 4 decades now. (It certainly hasn't been because of my good looks and bubbly personality.) This is defintely one of those "some things" for you. Just thought I'd suggest it.

Keep an open mind and you'll soon come to a workable decision. vic
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Old 05-31-2013, 12:46 PM   #19
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My Jeep Grand Cherokee is a 2002 and I hate towing with it, but a buddy of mine has a new one and says he loves it.
FYI - I believe the newer Jeep Grand Cherokee's and Dodge Durango's (one time the Chrysler Aspen) are made on the exact same assembly line down at "Dodge Main" in Detroit. I think they have been since somewhere about '04, maybe '05 time frame? Please don't quote me on this though. :-)

Notice how the two are similar is size and the body lines are similar, with some molding changes, name plate changes, and different options to make them different.

The Jeep forums are stating they are pretty similar, except the Durango has a longer wheel base allowing for a 3rd row of seating.

When I sold my '06 Duango, I was told that the 'New' Durango's were "German" design, thanks to Daimler, and the plans were shelved for a couple model years. I'm guessing this was due to the sale of the Chrysler division to the private owners.

Not that it should make a difference, I was also told that the new design is a uni-body design, not a full frame, and was rated to pull 7400lbs. Since I'm not in the market for one, I haven't confirmed this.

One thing I have noticed, is that the 'New Durango' seems a bit smaller (narrower) than my '06 was, but it just could be my perception.
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Old 05-31-2013, 07:53 PM   #20
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Ya, it looks like the newer Durangos and the newer Jeep G. C. really share a lot of the same parts. I guess that explains why my towing experience with my 2002 Jeep is so different than my friends with his 2012 Jeep. I'll still take the extra 5" in wheelbase though. Not to mention the third row. If I was giving up the third row it would be a truck for me.
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