exceeding tow capacity

[pawntan]

I'm currently pulling 3000lbs trailer with my town and country minivan.
And it pulls just fine.
The van is rated for 3600 lbs.
I'm interested in 26BH jayflight with 4800lbs weight.
I tested pulling friend's 26BH and the van pulls just fine too, I don't hear the engine growls. I can get to 60mph with just under 3000rpm on flat interstate. I feel no difference going from 3000lbs to 4800lbs.
T&C has similar engine with Grand Cherokee, a 3.6L pentastar .
The grand cherokee is rated for 6500 lbs.
So the engine in town and country do not have problem pulling 4800 lbs.

Question: is exceeding two capacity mainly affect the lifetime of the vehicle, or there are actually safety issue ?

The vehicle weight is about the same, around 4500lbs. So I do not see how town & country minivan can get tossed around by heavy RV, if Jeep GC is not of a concern

[Robbbyr]

I would be concerned about braking capacities between the two tow vehicles. Tow ratings are partially based on the braking capacity of the vehicle. Are the vans brakes the same size front and rear as the Jeep's? Tire patch contact area the same? Where "the rubber meets the road" is also a critical part of braking ability.

I also would be concerned about the long-term reliability of the transaxle in the van. Also since the van is front-wheel drive, if one does not run a weight-distributing hitch (or if the WDH isn't distributing enough weight to keep the front wheels planted) traction and handling could be adversely affected. And the transaxle is sized with the maximum tow rating assigned, go over and I would be concerned about rapid transaxle damage. Some (many?) transaxles are not as "robust" as rear-wheel drive transmissions. Final drive ratio (gearing) is also a factor in towing, is the van's setup a higher ratio (for economy) versus a lower ratio in the Jeep?

I also wonder about the vehicle attachment points for the hitch, they are engineered based on the tow rating. Go over that rating with the overall trailer and tongue weights and body structure damage may result.

Another point to consider would be liability. If there ever was a crash the overloading might very well be an issue not kind to your situation.

[motorbreath]

A long and detailed explanation could be provided about why you should not exceed your tow rating, but I will keep it simple. It is illegal and unsafe, I would be surprised if you made it out for more than an hour and didn't get pulled over!

Originally Posted by pawntan

I'm currently pulling 3000lbs trailer with my town and country minivan.
And it pulls just fine.
The van is rated for 3600 lbs.
I'm interested in 26BH jayflight with 4800lbs weight.
I tested pulling friend's 26BH and the van pulls just fine too, I don't hear the engine growls. I can get to 60mph with just under 3000rpm on flat interstate. I feel no difference going from 3000lbs to 4800lbs.
T&C has similar engine with Grand Cherokee, a 3.6L pentastar .
The grand cherokee is rated for 6500 lbs.
So the engine in town and country do not have problem pulling 4800 lbs.

Question: is exceeding two capacity mainly affect the lifetime of the vehicle, or there are actually safety issue ?

The vehicle weight is about the same, around 4500lbs. So I do not see how town & country minivan can get tossed around by heavy RV, if Jeep GC is not of a concern

[Crabman]

Please do not attempt this.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by Crabman

Please do not attempt this.

X2 this is death on the highway for sure. I think most of us go by the 1,000 lb. rule ( what ever your max tow limit is you stay 1,000 lbs. under that). Even my RV salesman suggested I follow this rule.

[Heady]

I agree with the others, there is a reason why the mfg rated the T&C what they did. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

[whitedogone]

I just got a 22fb which is a little shorter and weighs less than the 26bh. My towing cap is 9700# and the loaded trailer is rated for #6500. I wouldn't want much more weight back there.

[bedrck46]

You comparing a T&C to a Grand Cherokee because the weight and engines are about the same is like comparing apples to oranges.
The T&C is front wheel drive the GC is 4wd
The transmissions are totally different
The frame is totally different.
The axel ratios are totally different and that also will determine max tow weight rating
There is a reason that the Engineers place different towing ratings on these vehicles and I think they know what they are doing.


Yes the T&C can tow that weight


my motorcycle most likely can tow it But does that mean I should tow it with a motorcycle. Now that is a foolish statement and that is my point What you want to do is totally foolishness.


All I can really say is I am glad you are in Kansas City and will be nowhere near me when you are on the road and if you decide to venture into Pennsylvania kindly inform me in advanced so I know to keep away from you.


Listen to the advice of others And stay within the rated weight capacity of the tow vehicle


Have you ever wondered why for example a ford F150 with the same body, engine, transmission curb weight will have different Max tow ratings
The difference is the axel ratio

[wanderlust]

I'm sure you got the point, but I'll just reiterate, tow ratings have a purpose. You may think it feels like you are towing OK, BUT that setup is doing damage to your TV. That; however, is not the main issue and that is safety, for you, your passengers and ALL the others on the road with you.

[preceptjoe]

Seriously???


Shipping weight is 4700 lbs. That's before you or the wife loads it with cast iron pots and pans, food, beer, clothing, water, bikes on the back bumper, and whatever. GVWH is 7000 lbs. This is a disaster waiting to happen. I pulled a 6700 lb dry 32' trailer behind a F150 5.0 3.55 and even that was a handful.

[RedHorse1]

It sounds like you are angling towards smaller TV's. IMHO, you will exceed the Rear GAWR before the max tow number. The CAT Scale will tell you the weights on your axles. The difference between the rear axle weight and thr Rear GAWR will indicate how much cargo remains on the rear.
Subtract 100# for hitch and you have a MAX tongue weight. Divide that by 0.15 and you will have an estimate of the MAX TT weight the TV should tow. There are excellent "stickies" on how to weigh and how to interpret the results.
The CAT Scale is your friend.

[SkyBound]

Pulling a 26BH with a minivan is an absolute NO. I can't even.

[Seann45]

Tow ratings are an amalgamation of many things.. Brake size, rear dif gearing, Radiator size, frame strength.. I pulled a small tent trailer with a Mazda 626.. it seemed to work fine but over time it pulled the hitch bolts through the frame.. I was lucky...what Is your families safety worth to you?

[Hohenwald48]

I have a 2007 T&C. When I tow my utility trailer to the dump it usually weighs out in the 1,000-1,500 range. I wouldn't even consider towing anything heavier than that. Of course my utility trailer doesn't have any brakes but I sure wouldn't tow any more even with brakes.

[Jm9301]

I'm currently pulling 3000lbs trailer with my town and country minivan.
And it pulls just fine.
The van is rated for 3600 lbs.

I also used my Freestar to tow my 16xrb for 2 short trips, it hauled it ok and i was within limits but it was a lot of stress on the van and on me. I would suggest you check what your payload capacity on the van is, and then factor in equipment etc etc and tongue weight of the trailer.

I'm interested in 26BH jayflight with 4800lbs weight.
I tested pulling friend's 26BH and the van pulls just fine too, I don't hear the engine growls. I can get to 60mph with just under 3000rpm on flat interstate. I feel no difference going from 3000lbs to 4800lbs.

This would make driving on the roads illegal and very very dangerous, not only to you but to others as well. Towing capacities take everything into thought (Vehicle weight, frame strength, suspension, tires, axles, BRAKES, etc etc)

T&C has similar engine with Grand Cherokee, a 3.6L pentastar .
The grand cherokee is rated for 6500 lbs.
So the engine in town and country do not have problem pulling 4800 lbs.

At first glance this may make you scratch your head, and reasonably so. But the grand cherokee in this case has been designed to handle towing. Looking at the 2016 jeep capabilities Jeep Capabilities - Towing Capacity Chart The payload would absolutely be exceeded long before you hauled the max capacity imo.

Question: is exceeding two capacity mainly affect the lifetime of the vehicle, or there are actually safety issue ?

Both, Your transaxle is not designed for the stress of towing and will see a shortened lifespan. Not to mention the other drivetrain components that are going to see increased stress. And like stated above the Safety alone should be enough to make you reconsider

The vehicle weight is about the same, around 4500lbs. So I do not see how town & country minivan can get tossed around by heavy RV, if Jeep GC is not of a concern

It likely would get pushed around less in the wind than a jeep GC to be honest, however in breaking situations (Especially emergency ones) you would be a real danger on the road.

[bansai]

If I saw you towing that combination, I'd call the police. People have the right to be stupid, but they don't have the right to risk my life in the process.

[wags999]

Just because you can drag something down the road, doesn't mean you can safely. Your mini van is not built like a truck. You will exceed the load capacity of your vehicle long before you can't drag it down the road. In an accident I would not want to be the one accused of overloading and exceeding the mfg suggested safety limits. Check your cargo capacity, you may be over the limit with your smaller RV... There are reasons they build and rate different vehicles.

[DocBrown]

The 26BH has a 7000# GVWR. I have a 1/2 ton truck that tows my 4500# hybrid beautifully but I would not attempt to tow a trailer as big as that one with it. Here's the thing, the engine may not growl, it may feel just fine. What you tested is not enough. When you'll notice the difference is when towing up a hill or a mountain, or in a 30 mph headwind. Been there, done that with towing rigs very close to my max capacity. It may work but in the long run you'll be looking for a bigger tow vehicle.

A couple of folks claim this is illegal. So far as I know there is nothing illegal about it. Weight laws apply to commercial hauling, not personal.

However there could be civil liabilities. Say you get into an accident with an injury or death. The other party's lawyers will have a field day with your setup.

As stated you are comparing apples to oranges between the two vehicles.

When all is said and done the choice is yours. I am glad you're asking the question. I hope you decide to either get a bigger tow vehicle or wait for the trailer.

[owtdorz]

The T&C should tow anything larger than maybe a canoe. If you do try to tow something that large do not let anyone see or know because that can kill any warranty you have and well as cause injury to someone else on the road.

[Jm9301]

Just to clarify a bit for you here mate, It may feel like you are being dumped on pretty hard... But the point most of us are trying to get across is that this just is not safe in any way. As for the guys commenting that your current setup is probably over limits as well, we would need more information to help you determine that but the payload of these minivans is deceivingly high.

At the end of the day if you don't ask the question you wont get an answer, and i do hope that you are not discouraged from future questions and perhaps helping others as well (sounds like you have a fair bit of experience as well)