Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: grand caravan

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grand caravan

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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9289
Printed Date: 21 May 2025 at 11:59am
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Topic: grand caravan

Posted By: malkbean2
Subject: grand caravan
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 7:32am

does anybody have experience pulling an rpod witha grand caravan?
Is the tongue weight of the rpod ok?
Will it pull the rpod ok thru the rocky mountains?
Is a anti-sway device needed?
Is a weight distribution device needed?
Will it perform ok at interstate speeds 60 -70 mph (not in the mountains?)

Replies:

Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 7:39am

Because I don't want to get any demerits, let me ask a couple questions..

Does the GC have the factory tow package?

Have you read what your owners manual says about towing?

As with most vehicles, there are many packages and options that effect the answer to your questions. Especially when choosing a vehicle that may be marginal for towing in the first place.

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Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 7:47am

Hi, We tow our 179 with our 2013 Grand Caravan. It has the pentastar v6 that puts out 283 horsepower.

We have towed our 179 up and down the east coast from Vermont to the Florida Keys. Our van handles the tough weight with no problems, we have plenty of power to ride the interstate 60-70 mph is no problem. We have driven thru the Green Mountain of Vermont, White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Pocono's in PA. We have driven over the rockies, without our pod. It is quite a bit bigger than our Mountain on the east coast. We have a Reese Hitch, no sway control or Weight distribution equipment.

Good Luck!

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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171

Posted By: malkbean2
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 8:42am

thank you so much for your very reassuring response !!
Is it necessary to add after market cooling to the engine or trans or reinforced suspension?
(I did not purchase a tow package from the dealer which appears to consist of only the hitch assembly, lighting and trailer brake equipment. Installed after market hitch instead. The dealer says the Caravans come with extra trans and engine cooling as standard equipment.)

I plan to purchase a 177 at Couches in Indiana. Do you know if this is a good dealer?

Do you know if there is a good time of the year to purchase when prices trend lower?

2016 Grand Caravan 283 hp

Posted By: malkbean2
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 8:52am

No it does not have a factory tow package. I installed after market hitch,lighting and brake controller. Dealer says heavy duty cooling for engine and trans come as standard equipment on 2016 Grand Caravan.

Towing capacity is 3600lb per manual or 3800 lb per dealer mechanic so there is roughly about 1000lb of additional weight that can be added to the towing rig.

I'm not too concerned about basic towing but I am concerned about towing at 65 - 75 mph or thru the rocky mountains and also the tongue weight. And also the frontal area wind resistance stress on the engine and trans.

Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 8:54am

I purchased both our rpod's locally just for the convenience of warranty work, parts etc. I have heard that Couches prices are really good. we have not done any suspension reinforcement or anything like that. We got our hitch and wiring done by a local company which ended up being about $150.00 cheaper than the dealership.

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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171

Posted By: malkbean2
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 9:00am

thank you so much Leo B.
Tho we have never met I trust your input way more than anything I get from the car and camper dealers.
I very much appreciate your input. Happy camping to you.

Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 9:12am

Originally posted by malkbean2

thank you so much for your very reassuring response !!
Is it necessary to add after market cooling to the engine or trans or reinforced suspension?
(I did not purchase a tow package from the dealer which appears to consist of only the hitch assembly, lighting and trailer brake equipment. Installed after market hitch instead. The dealer says the Caravans come with extra trans and engine cooling as standard equipment.)

I plan to purchase a 177 at Couches in Indiana. Do you know if this is a good dealer?

Do you know if there is a good time of the year to purchase when prices trend lower?

2016 Grand Caravan 283 hp

A "factory tow package" is different from "dealer supplied towing equipment".. good choice to buy aftermarket, I am sure it's less expensive for the same gear. If you have upgraded cooling for engine and transmission, that is usually the most important part of a tow package. they also usually include either a 4 pin or 7-way trailer connector. You will need a 7way installed.

Couches is one of the largest dealers of FR RV's in general, and the largest seller of pods. At one point the factory told me Jeff Couch accounted for almost 25% of all Goshen factory R-Pod orders.

Couches prices are steady year 'round, doing the volume they do, they discount consistently.

Understand, if you buy from Couches, if you live near them, no problem. If you live near another dealer, and have warranty issues, they (local dealer) most probably WILL NOT work on your pod, but tell you to have the selling dealer handle it.

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Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 9:32am

Ditto on the warranty work. We have had a couple minor things done on warranty, luckily we are 45 mins away from our dealer.

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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171

Posted By: malkbean2
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2017 at 10:28am

thank you for the info

Posted By: Our pod
Date Posted: 09 Feb 2017 at 6:50pm

You may also want to check actual wet and dry weights of your rig.

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Life is good.

Posted By: malkbean2
Date Posted: 22 Feb 2017 at 10:59pm

Leo , wonder if you would be so kind as to express your learned opinion as a grand caravan podder to a few questions. I bought a 178 rpod and towing with a 2016 dodge caravan 283 hp.

Is it best to tow in the 'manual shift" mode or fully automatic?

It runs in 5th gear at about 2000 rpm on more or less flat highway at 55 - 60 mph.. I can not get the trans to shift to 6th while towing. Is this ok? Is this to be expected?

Back of van pitches down about 1 1/4 inch with trailer attached. I do not have the tow package. I use a 4" rise ball mount which rides the trailer near level and very slightly pitched down at the tongue. Is this ok?

I feel and see a little trailer sway when trucks pass, do you get that too? (I have no sway control or WD).

When you are towing the 179 in mountains how fast do you go , in what gear? at what rpm?

Thanks a ton

Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2017 at 7:17am

We do not Manuel shift, we just put it in drive and go. We do not put it in the economy mode while towing. When cruising down the interstate/ highway ours is running around 1500-1800. Yes our does the same, has never seemed to be a problem. I very rarely feel any sway, sometimes over a long bridge on a windy day, but usually nothing. We do usually travel with roughly 5 galls of water in the potable tank.

When in the mountains here and in New Hampshire we usually are driving 50 on the state roads and 55-65 on the interstates. usually around 2000 rpm

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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171

Posted By: malkbean2
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2017 at 7:58am

You just put it in drive and go.Sounds like the 2013 caravan might shift into 6th gear or overdrive when cruising at 1500-1800 rpm.

When you say yours does the same, are you referring to the 1 1/4 lowering of the caravan back bumper?

Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2017 at 10:05pm

Yes it will go down a little bit. We have towed it like that since we got it.

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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171

Posted By: malkbean2
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2017 at 6:18am

ok Thanks again

Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2017 at 7:13am

any time.

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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171