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Topic ClosedGetting a Durango as my next TV and have ??

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TheBum View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Getting a Durango as my next TV and have ??
    Posted: 30 Oct 2018 at 5:44pm
Is anyone here towing with a Durango? I'm really torn between saving money and getting the 3.6L V6, or future proofing myself and going for the 5.7L V8 Hemi. I'm towing my 179 with a 2012 Highlander 3.5L V6 right now, and with either Durango, I'd at least get better power traction. Is there a big advantage to AWD vs. RWD? Thanks.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Oct 2018 at 6:32pm
We towed for years with the 3.6L penstar engine from Dodge in our Grand Caravan. Always had power on hills and mountains. Got good mpg when towing and excellent mileage on trips when not. Like it a lot.
I must say though, we have upgraded to our F-150 with the 5.0 V-8 and really love the power while towing and we still are getting pretty good mpg. I really like the solid feeling of the truck vs wind and getting passed by the big rigs.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Oct 2018 at 6:35pm
Not my vehicle, but it looks like any engine will get you at least 6200 lbs towing capacity. The V6 is the lowest, and the V8 gets you up into ~~ 8400 lb territory. The RWD will get a little bit better MPG, but if you're in slippery conditions at all, you might go for the AWD.

All of those combinations would work very well with an RP-179. If a towing package is optional, make sure you get it, regardless of which engine/transmission you get.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Oct 2018 at 8:31pm
I know the towing capacity is higher on the Durango than the Highlander and the tow package includes load leveling rear suspension, but the Durango is heavier and the V6 only puts out about 15 HP more than the Highlander, so I’d be worried about losing power overall. I have not checked the torque ratings. One saving grace of the Durango V6 (and V8) is the 8-speed transmission vs. the 5-speed in the Highlander.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Oct 2018 at 6:00am
TheBum, it would help to know what problems with your Highlander you trying to solve with the vehicle change? Can you explain what you mean by power traction? Do you mean you're having trouble controlling wheel spin when accelerating?  

Just to confirm, is your Highlander AWD or FWD? I have exactly the same rig you do. I have zero wheel spin issues but mine is AWD. If you have FWD now and have wheel spin issues that would not be surprising. Those would be much better with a RWD towing, but worse with a RWD not towing. If you get the AWD Durango, problem solved.  

My only complaint with my rig is the occasional hunting for the right gear on hill climbs with the 5 speed tranny.  I fix that problem by using sport mode so I get to choose the gear I want and by not trying to go too fast up steeper grades. I think that the V8 Durango got the 8 speed tranny in 2015, not sure about the V6. The newer Highlanders have 8 speeds now too btw.

If you simply want more power then you're getting now then I agree with you, just switching to another V6 of about the same HP on a heavier TV won't help. Go for the V8, but get the biggest fuel tank you can. LOL


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Oct 2018 at 10:25am
I have a 2016 Durango with the V6 and all wheel drive.  On the freeway using cruise at 75 mph I get 25 mpg.  When towing at 60 mph on the flats with no wind and using cruise I get 13-14 mpg.  I find that taking it out of cruise when going up hills and keeping the RPMs down to 3,000 I can still average 12 mpg.

I am really happy with my Durango.  I am towing an R-Pod 179 and it weighs in at about 3400# loaded.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Oct 2018 at 12:51pm
Originally posted by offgrid

TheBum, it would help to know what problems with your Highlander you trying to solve with the vehicle change? Can you explain what you mean by power traction? Do you mean you're having trouble controlling wheel spin when accelerating?

Just to confirm, is your Highlander AWD or FWD? I have exactly the same rig you do. I have zero wheel spin issues but mine is AWD. If you have FWD now and have wheel spin issues that would not be surprising. Those would be much better with a RWD towing, but worse with a RWD not towing. If you get the AWD Durango, problem solved.

My only complaint with my rig is the occasional hunting for the right gear on hill climbs with the 5 speed tranny.  I fix that problem by using sport mode so I get to choose the gear I want and by not trying to go too fast up steeper grades. I think that the V8 Durango got the 8 speed tranny in 2015, not sure about the V6. The newer Highlanders have 8 speeds now too btw.

If you simply want more power then you're getting now then I agree with you, just switching to another V6 of about the same HP on a heavier TV won't help. Go for the V8, but get the biggest fuel tank you can. LOL


It's a FWD. I get slippage when accelerating and have gotten stuck once on soggy ground where I had to unhitch and have someone with a pickup finish parking the Pod. I've almost gotten stuck a couple of other times on soft ground.

I'm looking at the Durango both for traction in the rear (or all four wheels) and for the extra towing capacity, which I hope translates to greater tongue weight allowance so I can carry my Honda 2000 generators on a Stromberg-Carlson shelf instead of inside the Pod. I realize I may be running up against the axle weight limit, so maybe that's ill advised. I have D load rated tires.

The 2019 Durango includes an integrated brake controller with the tow package, so no more hitting my shin/knee against a brake controller unit.

Originally posted by Capt Kidd

I have a 2016 Durango with the V6 and all wheel drive. On the freeway using cruise at 75 mph I get 25 mpg. When towing at 60 mph on the flats with no wind and using cruise I get 13-14 mpg. I find that taking it out of cruise when going up hills and keeping the RPMs down to 3,000 I can still average 12 mpg.

I am really happy with my Durango. I am towing an R-Pod 179 and it weighs in at about 3400# loaded.


Does your Durango have the rear load leveling suspension? Does the sway control help any? Do you use a WDH?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Oct 2018 at 1:28pm
TheBum, yeah for sure FWD isn't the best for towing. I'd be wanting to swap my Highlander too. With the AWD I've never had any noticeable wheel slip, and that includes climbing grades on muddy forest service roads. I'd go with AWD on the Durango for the same reason. 

On dry pavement highway hill climbing are you good with the power of your Highlander? It sounds from Capt Kidd that the V6 Durango and V6 Highlander post almost identical performance, climb, and economy numbers, which shouldn't be any surprise. So if you want more power for hill climbing I'd go with the V8 but if You're good with what you get now then the V6 Durango will return better non-towing economy than the V8, very similar to the Highlander's. 

I read you on the tongue weight. What are you running for tongue weight loaded? How about total trailer weight?  I'm at about 3850 total and 550 on the tongue. 

I carry a Honda 2000 in the back of the Highlander. Its right over the axle so not really part of the tongue weight. I'm tired of lugging it around though so I'm  planning to put in an inverter and change over to charging from the Highlander alternator and solar and leave the genny at home. May I ask why you're carrying more than one genny?

Roger on the trailer axle. I just went to 15 inch load range D tires and wheels as well so the weak link in the whole chain is the trailer axle. I've run my rig axle by axle over the scales with the WDH tensioned and everything is well within specs, except the trailer axle is just barely in at about 3450 lbs. I was considering doing an axle upgrade but I've never heard of a catastrophic axle failure so I'm just going to wait and see on that.  If it ever gets bent I figure I'll have plenty of warning via weird tire wear and will do an axle upgrade then. 

 


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Oct 2018 at 2:04pm
I really have no complaints about the pulling power of the Highlander. It has pulled up some pretty significant grades and I only lost speed when the grades got over 9%, which I've encountered twice. It's just not as sure-footed as I would like. In retrospect, I should have splurged for an AWD Highlander back in 2012, but it was an advance purchase (about 4 years from TV to 179 purchase) and I was admittedly naïve. Lesson learned.

I looked up the specs on both. The curb weight, torque, and power compare as follows:

2012 Highlander V6 FWD: 4045, 248, 270 @ 6200 RPM
2019 Durango V6 AWD:    4985, 260, 295 @ 6400 RPM
Alan
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Oct 2018 at 3:24pm
Yep, I got both my Highlander and rPod at the about same time this spring, so I had the advantage of knowing more or less what I needed. I was still surprised as I guess most people are at first about how optimistic the published trailer weight ratings are, and how marginal that trailer axle is.

Other than that I'm satisfied with where things turned out. I frequently go up a bunch of 10-15% grades in the Appalachians and I definitely have to slow down a bit, but I go even slower downhill because otherwise brake jobs can get to be a pretty big part of the maintenance budget Big smile.

At 900 lbs there is a little more weight difference there for you than I thought, I had the AWD Highlander weight in my memory which is a bit higher.  Probably ihe V6 Durango will feel a bit slower than your Highlander not towing but I doubt it would be noticeable while towing.  FWIW my Highlander weighs in at 5100 lbs fully loaded incl people, gear, fuel and WDH.

Sounds like you're honing in on what you want to do, good luck!
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