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Rugby8 View Drop Down
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Joined: 15 Feb 2013
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Posts: 32 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Towing
    Posted: 10 Mar 2013 at 7:29am
Hello everybody, have not towed my new rpod yet and am having concerns. I have a 2013 Dodge grand caravan that has a tow capacity of 3600 lbs. My rv dealer said that I can tow 5000 with an equalizer. Do we have enough TV?  Tks, very excited, warm day here yesterday......spring cometh
2013 grand caravan
2010 176t pod
Wife, 2 boys, and golden retriever. Can life get any better
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Goose View Drop Down
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Joined: 24 Sep 2010
Location: Arizona
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Posts: 672 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Mar 2013 at 10:57am
  Wecome. If the terraine that you travel in is fairly flat the Caravan will do fine for you, it's when you start to get into grades of any steepness that you maybe disappointed in the Caravan. We towed for the first year with our 04 Caravan that had the 3.3 Liter engine and found it to be light on power when we got out west or hit strong headwinds. I have never used a WDH or anti sway hitch even with the Caravan.    Goose
Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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Burt View Drop Down
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Posts: 62 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Mar 2013 at 11:05am
He's right.  We have a Ford Ranger 4.0L 4X4 and here in the West, we have some hills that are big.  We call them mountains.  Solution for us is to always fill with non ethanol fuel when towing.  Non ethanol fuel gives you more power. 

We do have the load equalizer and anti sway.  That makes a big difference.

Consider this:  When the load equalizer was invented, in order to publicize it, they used an Oldsmobile front wheel drive towing a trailer across the entire U.S. WITH THE REAR WHEELS REMOVED!!!  That's real world testing.  That's the difference it makes.

To accommodate us in the future, we also added a performance chip to the Ranger, beefed the tranny and put a cooler on it.

You'll be OK without big mountains to climb or major wind gusts.

Burt, Laura the White Tornado and Buddy the Wonder Dog
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Leo B View Drop Down
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Joined: 13 Jan 2012
Location: Lyndonville, VT
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Posts: 4518 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Mar 2013 at 7:57pm
Hi I also have a 2013 grand caravan and tow a 171 . We have the 6 liter pen star engine that puts out 283 horse power. We have plenty of power. We have towed in northern Vermont and northern New Hampshire, along with the Pocono's in Pennsylvania and have had plenty of power. We have also gotten between 13.5 and 14.5 mpg in Vermont and as good as 17 mpg on our trip[ to Cape Hatteras in NC.  Great vehicle!!
Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171
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Thinker View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 Feb 2013
Location: S. Mississippi
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Posts: 171 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Mar 2013 at 9:28pm
The question may not be if you can get over the hill or 200 miles down the road.  Towing puts a tremendous load on the transmission which generates heat.  This heat shortenens the life of the transmission.
 
The question to ask may not be "can I do it?"  But rather ask, "Should I do it?"
Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
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dsmiths View Drop Down
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Posts: 866 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Mar 2013 at 10:14pm
A lot of good info here, pros, cons. I think your caravan can pull it ok under certain circumstances. You are not going to be able to tow it 70mph up and down hills. You are pulling about 100 % of what your t.v. is rated to pull so take your time, on the interstate i stay in the right lane period, unless passing a slower vehicle (semi's going up real steep hills} My trail blazer is rated for 7000 lbs, but I still use 1/2 throttle on long hills and let the transmission downshift and we slow down. If your van does not have a trailer towing package you can add a transmission cooler for a reasonable cost. Use your head, take 2 lane roads, slow down, enjoy the country side and stop in at local cafe's and grab a sandwich. see the country side. There is more beauty and neat things to see off of the interstate. When you are 2 laneing you will get better gas mileage. The only down side is I feel 2 lanes are more dangerous than Interstates, but everything has a trade off. We use a friction anti sway, but I have pulled the pod 100 miles with no antisway or wdh with no problem, period, but my T Blazer does have a longer wheel base than your t.v. I guess the thing is , slow down and enjoy.
Dane and Donna Smith
2011 RP-172
2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4
lift kit
prodigy wireless brake controller
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Rugby8 View Drop Down
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Joined: 15 Feb 2013
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Posts: 32 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Mar 2013 at 2:53pm
Thanks for that great info. Am comfortable that we have enough, will see how the mileage does driving to NASCAR in June and then Nova Scotia !
2013 grand caravan
2010 176t pod
Wife, 2 boys, and golden retriever. Can life get any better
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morningstarrising View Drop Down
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Joined: 10 Mar 2013
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Posts: 9 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Mar 2013 at 7:35pm
Yes life is good with one wife No kids and one little Golden Retriever puppy whose a English Cream. Have a Great Time!
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furpod View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2013 at 11:20am
Originally posted by Leo B

Hi I also have a 2013 grand caravan and tow a 171 . We have the 6 liter pen star engine that puts out 283 horse power. We have plenty of power. We have towed in northern Vermont and northern New Hampshire, along with the Pocono's in Pennsylvania and have had plenty of power. We have also gotten between 13.5 and 14.5 mpg in Vermont and as good as 17 mpg on our trip[ to Cape Hatteras in NC.  Great vehicle!!


LOL.. that had me at the Mopar website pretty quick.. 3.6 liter..
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Mar 2013 at 1:55pm

283 horses is still pretty impressive for a 3.6 liter.  My 5.3L V8 does 320 hp.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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