pchartrand
Michigan
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Cedarhill wrote:Your comments are reasonable so far as they go, but you are missing a vital part of the picture. That part is tongue or hitch weight. The Durango will have listed a maximum tongue weight. The tongue weight of the trailer you describe could easily be 850 or 900 pounds. Is the Durango specified to handle that much tongue weight? Don't think a weight distributing hitch changes the requirement.
By the way, are you sure the Durango is unibody construction? I will bet it has an honest to goodness frame under it. The Durango was built on the same frame as the Dakota for most of its life.
The Tongue weight for the 2011 Durango is 720# The tongue weight of the Trailer is 645# so I have about 75# to spare, that will be pretty much used by Propane, Batteries and gear, but I believe I'll be good. Dealer agrees to help verify weights before I sign.
In 2011 Dodge re-released the Durango after taking it off the market a few years. When it was re-released in 2011 it was given a UniBody frame to give it a more car ride and feel instead of a truck ride and feel as it had in it previous life.
-Pat
2014 Keystone Bullet Premier 22RBPR
2011 Dodge Durango
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rehoppe
Denver & Nathrop Colo or somewhere else
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Pat
Too bad you can't take it for a test drive. Or maybe you could arrange one? That's the real tell. How does it sit hooked up and how does it handle and stop. It'd sure be a comfort to me were I making the purchase.
But then I've had to put myself in the idiot category before. Once as primary idiot, and once as passenger.
So I'm more careful now. Smoking, faded brakes do create a certain 'Pucker' factor.
Hoppe
2011 Dodge 1500 C'boy Caddy
2000 Jayco C 28' Ford chassis w V-10 E450
Doghouse 36' or so Trophy Classic TT
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Cedarhill
Deep South
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The reason I brought up tongue weight is that on my trailer, carrying a full load of water when I don't plan on hook-ups adds 155 pounds to the tongue weight. I measured the difference. That put my tongue weight near the maximum TV rating and it surprised me a little.
I suspect your tongue weight will exceed 720 pounds when the trailer is fully loaded including water, propane and one or two 60 pound batteries. Of course that doesn't mean your Durango will collapse on the spot.
pchartrand wrote:
The Tongue weight for the 2011 Durango is 720# The tongue weight of the Trailer is 645# so I have about 75# to spare, that will be pretty much used by Propane, Batteries and gear, but I believe I'll be good. Dealer agrees to help verify weights before I sign.
-Pat
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sh410
Northwest
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Of the 1960# of family, dogs, kayaks, gear and food how much of that will be placed in the trailer. The dry tongue weight is 12.7% of the dry trailer weight. Many folks figure 1000# added to the dry weight for batteries, propane, food and gear. 1000# added to the dry weight is 6048# times 13% (considered by most to be an ok % to figure) is 786# of tongue weight.
That is assuming that the actual weight of your empty weight is the the same as the posted dry weight. (Not always true!)
The posted curb weight may not be the same as the Durango as delivered.
There will be a payload sticker on the drivers door post that will state the payload for that vehicle.
Finally, towing up to the maximun weights -tongue or GCVWR- will less than a pleasurable experience performance wise. Also there is no measurable margin for safety.
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dmatt
Ventura County, CA
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passport2590bh wrote:Cedarhill wrote: A Mazda Miata has an even shorter stopping distance. Does that say anything about its towing capacity?
That was my first thought too.
Actually the toyota Highlander is impressive with a 1,755 lb payload (base model V6). That is more payload than the Toyota Tundra crew max, haha.
You guys had better stop bashing the miata....I tow my plane just fine with it..... 
Don, Jackie and the Boyz
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passport2590bh
Florida
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dmatt wrote:You guys had better stop bashing the miata....I tow my plane just fine with it.....
Love it. Especially how you removed the two smaller trailer wheels and replaced it with one larger wheel. Saves on tolls, good thinking.
2006 5.7L Ram 1500 Hemi Mega Cab
2011 Keystone Passport 2590bh GT
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kv800t
Red Oak
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I have a 06 Durango With trailer tow prep and 5.7 Hemi.
My tow rating is 8900lbs. It does have a full frame like a truck.
Pay load cap. is 1490.
I pull a Rookwood 2701ss Trailer. Loaded weight is 5820. (I scaled it).
Here are the weights per weight ticket.
Steering 3280
drive 3320
Trailer 5280
GCVW 11880
This does not include the family and food.
so add about 800. total is 12680. I tows just fine.
As a mater of fact I think it tows it better then my Ram 1500 QC Hemi.
hope that helps.
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dmatt
Ventura County, CA
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passport2590bh wrote:dmatt wrote:You guys had better stop bashing the miata....I tow my plane just fine with it.....
Love it. Especially how you removed the two smaller trailer wheels and replaced it with one larger wheel. Saves on tolls, good thinking.
Thx....just trying to stay one step ahead....LOL
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anaro
Mebane, NC
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Joined: 01/16/2011
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RinconVTR wrote:flash82 wrote:Sometimes I think we should learn more from the European market. They tow with sedans, both big and small, No WDH, no sway bars. Am over the pond often and see this all the time. A lot of the sedans are diesel and the campers are comparable to the same weights as our 20'-27' over here. Go to a parking lot over there and an American minivan will stick out like a huge vehicle.
A "small" example I snapped in Luzern, Switzerland (Lucerne) last Fall. You wont see this in the USA!!! An Audi pulling a horse trailer. Its rated in the US for 4400lbs per Consumer Reports, and you can bet its higher in Europe.
Moderator edit to re-size picture to forum limit of 640px maximum width to avoid scrolling.
actually the brenderup (the horse trailer in the picture) is the lightest of all the horse trailers. It lists a 2600 lb gvwr for a 1 horse trailer and 5500 lb gvwr for a 2 horse trailer (the one in the picture appears to be a 1 horse trailer but I could be wrong, it is hard to judge from the angle). In the US we use 13-15% of the trailer weight for tongue weight. In europe they use significantly less tongue weight. This article will help shed some light on the brenderup horse trailers.
As to your chart. While it can be helpful, it does miss payload and tongue weight capabilities. Can we add that for comparison to show the vehicles true capabilities? That would make it a more fair and accurate comparison.
* This post was
edited 03/23/12 07:04pm by an administrator/moderator *
2009 Ford F250 Lariat Crew Cab 6.4L diesel 4WD
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anaro
Mebane, NC
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Time to sit back and enjoy the popcorn.  this thread is probably gonna get good.
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