Towing with a Dodge Caravan...
Jerry Jones
to tow our '98 Coleman Mesa pop-up trailer (~1900 lbs.). My wife really
likes the Dodge Grand Caravan but in the model line and options we want/can
afford the dealer only has Caravans with the 3.3L V6, 158 horsepower engine.
There is a 3.8L, 180HP V6 available as an option but the dealer cannot
locate one in California in the model and options we want. We may have to
order one.
The Dodge brochure says that both the 3.3L and 3.8L caravans can tow up to
3500 lbs. with the tow package option. Is anyone towing with a Grand
Caravan using the 3.3L engine? How does it do? How about the 3.8L? We
currently tow with my Dakota pickup which has the 318 V8, 250hp and it
worries me that the Grand Caravan 3.3L, 158hp may not be enough to
comfortably tow with.
--
Jerry
P85
the same tow rating with no problems. I just don't like front wheel drive
tow vehicles I just don't trust the CV joints to hold up to towing.
Brian
bben...@up.net
> Jerry
>
>
I had a '98 Grand Caravan with a v6(not sure which) that we bought before
purchasing our Jayco 10ud so it did not have the towing package. A few things
that bothered me, lack of rear clearance - it would drag the hitch in
driveways and sometime was hard to get the trailer off the hitch.
Underpowered - traveling cross country(MI to CA) I was able to maintain good
speeds on flat roads but any type of incline I was lucky to get to 45 with
the gas floored. Ended up trading the van in while in Portland OR for a Ram
1500 with 360 v8.
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
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EdJ
for their lot with the tow options installed. Also, get the biggest
engine you can. I tow a 3000 lb popup with a full size GM van that is
rated to tow 6500 lbs. Even with that extra capacity, I have climbed
some hills that the van was struggling to keep up 30 mph.
Besides, ordering a car is much better anyway. You can probably get
it for less cost and order only the options YOU want. Take a look
at http://www.edmunds.com for MSRP/Invoice pricing.
Jerry Jones wrote:
>
> We are getting ready to buy a new mini van and I want to be able to use it
> to tow our '98 Coleman Mesa pop-up trailer (~1900 lbs.). My wife really
> likes the Dodge Grand Caravan but in the model line and options we want/can
> afford the dealer only has Caravans with the 3.3L V6, 158 horsepower engine.
> There is a 3.8L, 180HP V6 available as an option but the dealer cannot
> locate one in California in the model and options we want. We may have to
> order one.
>
> The Dodge brochure says that both the 3.3L and 3.8L caravans can tow up to
> 3500 lbs. with the tow package option. Is anyone towing with a Grand
> Caravan using the 3.3L engine? How does it do? How about the 3.8L? We
> currently tow with my Dakota pickup which has the 318 V8, 250hp and it
> worries me that the Grand Caravan 3.3L, 158hp may not be enough to
> comfortably tow with.
>
> --
>
> Jerry
--
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ed J e...@ibm.net
On my retirement adventure from the rolling hills of
the Southern Tier in New York State.....
Dennis
no problems maintaining hiway speeds at all .I find that having the short
wheelbase
gives us alot more power because Its at least 500 pounds lighter then the
long
wheelbase version . Im allways passing people with big trucks and full size
trailers
on 4 lane hiway with no problems at all.If you want to save yourself a
bundle look for the
Shortwheel base special that Is allways on sale for about 17000.00 or
something like that.
Oh! one more thing What ever you do dont get the 4spd transmision get the 3
spd .
If you want to know why read the Chrysler news group for awhile :)
Happy Camping
Dennis from British Columbia
Jerry Jones wrote in message <77eqc9$3a2$1...@lore.eur.sprynet.com>...
Jim Walker
Brian
I have towed a Coleman Sequoia, about 1400 lbs loaded, with a Chevrolet
Celebrity FWD. I have 150K miles on the vehicle with no problems. The
towing was of course a small fraction of the total mileage. I don't
think that FWD is a reliability problem. I am on my second vehicle with
FWD and have not had any maintenance with the transaxles.
The tow package is important. The axle ratio, transmission cooling,
and other heavy duty components could be very important to reliability
and power.
--
Jim Walker
Northern Va.
Pat LaViolette
mountains. If you are going to only tow on flat lands in cool weather, go for
it. For the same money you can buy a full size van with plenty of room and
power. You will never have that nagging under powered problem that will always
linger in your mind (now that I put it there). Stuck with an overheated engine
or a blown transmission in the middle of nowhere with the children crying and
the wife unit yelling at you to do something. You will be thinking of this
advise while you are pulling the rig up a hill at 15 mph with everyone passing
you on a dangerous curve. Get the trailer towing package too.
Conrad A. Thomaier
We have a '94 Coleman Sequoia that we tow with a '98 Chrysler Town &
Country with the 3.8L V-6, all-wheel-drive, tow package, load leveling
suspension, and 4 wheel disk brakes with ABS. The Sequoia is about the
same weight as your Mesa, although I have never weighted it.
I've found the T&C to be a well matched tow vehicle for our Coleman. We
live in the Denver area and spent a lot of time this past summer towing
throughout the Colorado high country, including passes over 11,000
feet. We were never the fastest rig out there, but we didn't slow
anyone down, either.
The only "problem" we ever saw was the temp gauge creeping up to the red
line on occasion, when climbing some of the higher passes with the A/C
on. Only once did I feel the need to pull over the let the car cool
down. This was on a pass where a lot of other rigs had also pulled
over.
I would suggest you go for the 3.8L and the tow package. The T&C has a
few more bells and whistles than the Caravan that you may or may not
want.
mjstraw+...@grove.iup.edu
> I don't
> think that FWD is a reliability problem. I am on my second vehicle with
> FWD and have not had any maintenance with the transaxles.
The primary drawback to FWD is that weight on the hitch tends to unload the
front axle resulting in decreased traction. A weight-distributing hitch
can help. Even with RWD/AWD/4WD front axle unloading can cause steering
problems.
Mark Strawcutter
Indiana PA
'97 Coleman Key West
BGS
tow package. Had the Starcraft dealer install Class III hitch to pull a 98
Galaxie, fully loaded about 2,200 lbs. not including the 4-bikes and rack on
top and car top carrier and 6 of us. We went over many mountain passes in hot
and cool weather. The van performed well exept for the pass from LA to LasVegas
in 100F weather, we had to creep over with semis passing us. Never over heated,
or had any other problems. My only complaint was that we where to low to the
ground and scrapped the receiver many times. Overall i was surprised at the
performance. Cruised at 60mph most of the way with no problem and downshifted
to 3rd while going down the passes at 5-7 degrees.
Just my experience
Happy Traveling
BGS
Jonathan Race
For the same money, go for a Chevy Astro/GMC Safari with the 4.3L
Vortec V-6, which has quite a few advantages over the Chrysler product.
First, the bigger motor has more horse power and torque (especially
needed for towing). You won't ever regret having more power, especially
when you need it. Second, it's rear wheel drive, which helps to balance
the weight better, and the drive train will be stonger all around than a
front wheel drive unit with a transaxle and CV joints. Third, it has a
frame and is built more like a truck. The Caravan is built with a
unibody, which is more like a car and not as well suited for towing.
Depending on your budget, you might also want to look at the full size
vans from any of the Big Three, where you can get more interior room and
a full sized motor to boot.
Have fun - Jonathan
--
Acta Non Verba - Deeds Not Words
Jonathan Race, Firefighter/Paramedic II
Orange County (FL) Fire-Rescue Division
A-Shift, Station 41 - "The Shark Tank"
(http://home.mpinet.net/backdraft)
Please follow directions in my return address, or
Reply to: jrace at bitstorm dot net
Sam
which is 1500lbs dry with the same vehicle ('94 short base caravan) and I am
interested in others' experiences,
Thanks, Sam
Dennis wrote in message ...
>We tow a 1998 mesa with a short wheelbase 95 3.0L engine caravan and have
>no problems maintaining hiway speeds at all .I find that having the short
>wheelbase
>gives us alot more power because Its at least 500 pounds lighter then the
>long
>wheelbase version . Im allways passing people with big trucks and full size
>trailers
>on 4 lane hiway with no problems at all.If you want to save yourself a
>bundle look for the
>Shortwheel base special that Is allways on sale for about 17000.00 or
>something like that.
>Oh! one more thing What ever you do dont get the 4spd transmision get the
3
>spd .
>If you want to know why read the Chrysler news group for awhile :)
>
> Happy Camping
> Dennis from British Columbia
>
>
>Jerry Jones wrote in message <77eqc9$3a2$1...@lore.eur.sprynet.com>...
Jim Willittes
and it does a great job. For our family (2 kids) we really did not need
the full size room or the full size gas mileage and since the Astro holds 8
(if needed) we can still haul the kids and all their friends around town
(for camping we normally remove the middle seat and install a kennel for the
dog.
Jim Willittes
Viking ST 2470 Phoenix AZ
Jonathan Race deletethis <"> wrote in message
<369D3DF9...@bitstorm.net>...
Jgor24
purchased a GMC Safari RWD. This is most definately the way to go.
Steve Silverwood
> We are getting ready to buy a new mini van and I want to be able to use it
> to tow our '98 Coleman Mesa pop-up trailer (~1900 lbs.). My wife really
> likes the Dodge Grand Caravan but in the model line and options we want/can
> afford the dealer only has Caravans with the 3.3L V6, 158 horsepower engine.
> There is a 3.8L, 180HP V6 available as an option but the dealer cannot
> locate one in California in the model and options we want. We may have to
> order one.
>
> The Dodge brochure says that both the 3.3L and 3.8L caravans can tow up to
> 3500 lbs. with the tow package option. Is anyone towing with a Grand
> Caravan using the 3.3L engine? How does it do? How about the 3.8L? We
> currently tow with my Dakota pickup which has the 318 V8, 250hp and it
> worries me that the Grand Caravan 3.3L, 158hp may not be enough to
> comfortably tow with.
We're driving a 1997 Voyager (same thing as the Caravan) with the 3.3L
engine and are able to tow our 1998 Jayco 8' trailer with no problem. We
did add the tow package just for safety's sake but from what I understand
we would have been okay without it except for major uphill grades.
--
-- //Steve//
Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Email: kb6...@gte.net
Home Page: http://home1.gte.net/kb6ojs
AOL IM: "MSF Steve"
Jody Yee
PA and VA and haven't had a problem...In VA we were pulling through the
mountains of the Shenadoah and there was some difference when you would hit
a steep incline but our 95 Royale would do the same thing depending on the
speed you hit the incline at.....
Happy with my 99 Mesa
Steve Silverwood wrote in message <78ssq2$68i$3...@news-2.news.gte.net>...
Carl Bonenfant
his camper (Rockwood weighing in at 1800#) for only a year and now has
transmission problems. The shop he goes to (not a dealership) says it is from
towing the camper, even though the dealership says he would have no problems. He
has a '96 Grand Caravan with the 3.3 and towing package, so buyer beware. Now I
am sure this could just be a fluke with his, but from what his mecahnic is telling
him his wasn't the only one with this problem. I am sure there are numerous
people who are towing with no problems. Just wanted to let you know!!!
Dennis
no problems at all .The trick is this we have the shorter version weighing
500 pounds less then the grand and we have the 3spd transmision . The 4spds
will self destruct before 50,000 miles weather your towing or using the
thing for milk runs to the supermarket .Anyways weve been really happy with
this combination , and you know what , its a whole lot cheaper then getting
the grand caravan with the 4spd and bigger engine saveing thousands of
dollors which = more camping time :)
Happy Camping
Dennis
Westcott Household <west...@home.com> wrote in message
news:36B3A075...@home.com...
>Hi! I have a 92 Dodge Caravan with a 3.0 6 cyl and it handles my
>Colemand Santa Fe but no doubt it would not take a Mesa. We met a
>couple our 2nd time out who had a Mesa and they burned out their Caravan
>and had to buy some kind of big Ford Truck. You know my Santa Fe with a
>furnace and fridge ended up weighing 2200 lbs. The catalog said 1600
>lbs. so I'd err on the side of caution. and probably look at a larger
>vehicle like the Dodge Durango which will take 5500 lbs.
>
>Charlene
Westcott Household
sl...@adelphia.net
ahven't had a failure yet, but id did take a couple of calls to the Chrysler
District Rep. to get them to acknowledge that there WAS a problem with the
earlier 4-speed tranny. Seems that there was a 'Service Advisory' posted that
outlined the procedure to reprogram the computer that controls the tranny;
This eliminated the low-speed slipping/clunking noted with this unit. They
also tried to tell me that although my van had this defect, it was an 'early'
model that had a 'non-reprogrammable' computer, so I was stuck with it. I
played hardball, and made a scene in the waiting room until the dealership
agreed (quietly, and in another room) that they would replace the computer at
their expense with a 'reprogrammable' model 'at their expense' that would fix
the problem. I later found out that this was all BS, and covered by my 7/70
warranty. BTW- I had 330 mile left on my warranty by the time they finally
fixed the problem!
Guess what I'm going to buy next time...... It certainly won't be a Chrysler
product, and I'm absolutely NOT going to try and pull our new Coleman with
that piece of crap!
In article <i7Ps2.61$aL4.4...@news.bctel.net>,
"Dennis" <mcde...@bc.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Weve been towing a tent trailer weighing 2000 pounds for 3 years now with
> no problems at all .The trick is this we have the shorter version weighing
> 500 pounds less then the grand and we have the 3spd transmision . The 4spds
> will self destruct before 50,000 miles weather your towing or using the
> thing for milk runs to the supermarket .Anyways weve been really happy with
> this combination , and you know what , its a whole lot cheaper then getting
> the grand caravan with the 4spd and bigger engine saveing thousands of
> dollors which = more camping time :)
>
> Happy Camping
> Dennis
> Westcott Household <west...@home.com> wrote in message
> news:36B3A075...@home.com...
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
Michael Thomas
'90 are *heavy*; the full width rear seat alone is 90 lbs, weight you
are removing almost entierly from the rear axle if you leave the seat
at home when towing. If you can remove both bench seats (we can, as
there are only two of us) you save 150lbs total weight while making
space for stuff which might otherwise be stored in the camper.
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Pam inKaty
towing package. We tow a Coleman Laramie, fully loaded it weighs less than
1500 pounds. The car was supposed to be able to tow 3500 pounds.
We had to replace the transmission at 104,000 miles. It is now sitting at
162,000 and is on the verge of needing another one (I think we'll get a new
vehicle instead). We have towed the camper on 4000 mile trips through the
Rockies and the Appalachians at different times, of course. It has been a good
car, but one platinum transmission is all we can afford.
lft_...@my-dejanews.com
weighs about 2300 pounds. Even in the flats down here in Texas it didnt do
so well. I purchased a 95 Custom Astro van. Best thing that I could have
bought. Not only does it tow the Camplite like it is not even there, but has
a TV and VCP to help keep the kiddos entertained during the long trips.
Bought the rig used for 16000 with 39000 miles on it.
Mark, Tricia, Cameron, and Zudnik the Wonder Puppy -
In article <19990201115738...@ng116.aol.com>,
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
Don Burnham
was not covered under warrenty. (feel sorry for the guy who bought it) My
friend took his 97 Caravan to the dealer for a checkup, just before his
vaction last August A week later and 2000 miles later, he needed a tranny. I
would never pull anything with a Chrysler Mini van. Unless I had a tow truck
following me. I now use a Chev Venture to tow a pop-up camper. It works VERY
well.
In article <36b51751....@news.mcs.net>, mth...@nixspamkandata.com
Arnold & Jennifer Pomerance
still have the original tranny and it still works okay! But then, we
own the shortest Flagstaff I could get in 1996 and have removed
anything we didn't like or use plus the rear bench seat has been out of
the van the entire time. I think it's likely most people try to tow
campers that are much too heavy for the Caravans and that's why the
trannies burn up!
JP