Caddywhompus wrote:


When you have some time, read the 300C link I posted in my first reply. Then maybe you would understand why the response is so 'spirited'.

I would like to know something about your hitch. I definitely looks custom. Did you make that? If not who? I like that it leaves the car looking stock when not in use!

PowerWagon896 wrote:



I'll bet that wallowing high center of gravity van sans any trailer @ all would have a hard time matching my rig as pictured in avoidanvce manuvering, stopping, wet weather handling and 1/4 mile ET.

Remember, when it was near stock the entire rig would run a 17.3 ET @ 73+ MPH. W/the additional 120 RWHP it has now, it should be able to get well into the 16s, perhaps high 15s.



Wouldn't surprize me if that 8.1 van couldn't break out of the 17s.

SpoiledRotten wrote:

I didn't read through all of the post and someone may have asked already, but what will it do in the quarter with the trailer connected?

PowerWagon896 wrote:



I have a plug in tuner that logs MPH & distance via the car's computer. That coupled W/yje ability to log time allows simulated 1/4 mile passes that are very accurate as long a wheel spin is not encountered. I had no wheel spin on the pass.

If memory seves me correctly it was 17.3 A 73+ MPH.

I will try to find the link to the thread where I 1st posted it over 1 1/2 years ago.

That ET & MPH was when the car had nothing but the tuner & long tube headers ob it perhaps 310 RWHP.

The car now puts down over 420 RWHP @ 411 RWTQ.

Road Ruler wrote:

No doubt the Charger/3,500 TT combination performs well and I myself like it.

Here is a chart that shows how well other vehicles do pulling the same 3,500lbs from 0 to 60MPH which is a take of speed most of us would be interested in. Power Wagon, do you know your 0 to 60MPH times for comparison?

Caddywhompus wrote:

While I commend Powerwagon for putting together a well thought out and unique tow rig, I do want to point out a few things that I think are getting missed.

First of all, power. The Hemi Charger is an impressive vehicle, and given his mods if would be a hoot to drive trailering or not. But the fact is that is way more power than required to adequately pull a 3500 pound trailer. Such units can easily be pulled with a lot of success by the V6 versions of these cars.


You are absolutely correct about the suitability of the V6 powered LX platform cars being capable of towing this class of TT.

However, when contemplating the purchase of such a vehicle one should take into account that the 5.7 Hemi, when equiped W/the supurb Mercedes Benz designed cylinder deactivation sytem (MDS) as in the LX platform, gets virtually the same feul economy giving up only 1 MPG in both city & highway use. These are heavy cars & the added grunt of 345 cubic inches gets those 4200+#s moving more efficiently & then the MDS system seamlessly shifts to 4 cylinder mode, even shutting down the valve train in the deactivated cylinder thus reducing "pumping loss" & letting the "air spring action" of the closed combustion chambers smooth out the 4 cylinder power. The system just as seamlessly shifts back to 8 cylinder mode when more TQ/HP is needed.

In an unmodified car, the MDS system was/is so hard to detect that in early models, car enthusiests were installing "MDS on" indicater lights to moniter & optimize the 4 cylinder mode of the system. DCX followed suit by making the MDS indicater lights standard on subsequent models. My free flowing low restriction exhaust allows me to hear the lower frequency MDS "purr" & monitering throttle position via the EVIC dash display allows me to optimise fuel economy.

I would venture to say that the 5.7 Hemi might just best the V6 models in fuel economy when the extra weight of trailering is introduced.

There are also many other V6 or small V8 powered vehicles that would be adequate as well. In this day's gas prices, people are gravitating to smaller engines and more efficient tow vehicles and it's important to acknowledge that a lower power vehicle could also get the job done, it just might not do it in a 17 second quarter mile time.

Second, the self leveling suspension on this car is not required for towing. I understand the OP believes it is, but it isn't true. Self-leveling suspensions were originally developed to prevent sag when loads were carried in the trunk or cargo area of a vehicle. Later people discovered they also helped for towing trailers when no WD hitch was used. When a properly sized and adjusted WD hitch is used this feature is just not important anymore. A car like the Charger should be setup to carry the tongue weight evenly front to rear and rear sag becomes non-existent. No offense PW but I don't want people seeing these posts and believing the self-leveling suspension is actually required for towing. A quick search of the forum will quickly turn up hundreds of posts telling people that a WD hitch is a much-preferred solution to rear sag than air bags, helper springs, air shocks, timbrens...etc.

Again your observation are correct, though not absolutely neccessary, the load leveling suspention is very handy for the added weight of luggage or rear seat pasengers when on a trip whether trailering or not.

Not neccessary, but a definate asset.

As far as appropriate WD hitches for these cars click here for light duty WD hitches.

Mine is the 3205 model for "A" frame trailers.

Third, there is a long track record of hundreds of such vehicles (Charger, 300C, Magnum...etc.) sucessfully towing trailers as large or larger, though most are professionally setup. Any comments implying the vehicle is unsafe, incapable or otherwise inappropriate for this application should be muted by the hundreds of happy people who have tried it safely and successfully. It's like telling a guy he can't dig a hole while he's standing in the hole he just dug. Of course a lot of people choose to stick their head in the sand and believe that guys like Andy Thompson are insane and menaces to society when they setup cars like the Charger to pull twice their tow rating. It's easy to ignore his impeccable safety record and the letters from happy customers.

I'm glad to see so many constructive comments in this thread. I think a lot of minds get opened every time one of these threads comes up. This is the real value of such discussions. Think about what someone will learn now when they search the forums about "Charger towing" now!

Take care all.

-Jimmy

lesmore49 wrote:



Your post makes a lot more sense to me. I understand that the two most dangerous loads, because of unpredictable load shifting, are livestock and liquid loads, especially partially loaded tankers with the load sloshing to the other side of the tanker if you make too many sudden moves.

Les

Lots of testosterone in this thread.

PowerWagon896 wrote:



Said the "flat earth society" to Christopher Columbus as he pitched his "round earth" theory.

Fortunately, less norrow minded heads prevailed.