Does anyone here pull pop-up with Mini-Van?
GGHS 1981
these pull pop-ups? What size pop-up will it pull. I know I have to look at my
dodge book but thought I would ask those who might know here. Thanks Greg
Leon in Texas
> Hello. I have a 2003 Dodge Caravan with a 6 cyl and auto trans. How well do
> these pull pop-ups? What size pop-up will it pull. I know I have to look at my
> dodge book but thought I would ask those who might know here. Thanks Greg
Yes, but.....
You will get many negative replys to your question. I had a 2002
Dodge Grand Caravan with a v-6 engine. It was rated to tow 2,000 lbs.
I added a transmssion cooler and that increased the tow capacity to
3,500 lbs. I towed a 2,000 lb pop-up from Texas to Ohio and back,
California and back, and in the mountains of Northern New Mexico
several times. I had the engine oil and transmission fluid changed
regularly. I also had the brakes inspected frequently. It can be
done.
Front wheel drive vehicles are not the best tow vehicles. The brake
system on minivans are not built for towing.
My pop-up weighed 1500 lbs, dry, according to the specs. This did not
include any "extras" such as: spare tire, propane bottle(s), awning
and a/c. Mine had all of these. The tires were rated at 1,000 lbs,
each, therefore the maximun weight of the trailer was 2,000 lbs. With
the "extras", my unit weighed 1,850 lbs empty. Not much room for
food, pots and pans, sleeping bags, m/w ovens nor clothing.
A minivan can tow a pop-up if you are very careful of what you pack
for the trip. You will see a few minivans towing pop-ups on the road,
but they are few. Just take your time accelerating, slowing down and
pulling up long grades in the mountains. And keep an eye on your temp
guage.
Just my 2 cents worth of experience.
Leifheit
Yes, we've towed with 2 Caravan's ('96, '00) over the years and have been
very satisfied.
The first Caravan towed a 2000lb Jayco (loaded) with family of 5. It was
equipped with the factory tow package. The main trips were close to home in
"flatlands". We did venture out west to the mountains of Colorado and it
handled well. The only complaint we had is that the brakes were a bit
"underpowered". The camper did not have separate brakes, which was a
factor. Once I learned the proper use of the lower gears to descend the
mountains, that made a huge difference. Power going up the mountains was
not spectacular, but acceptable. This vehicle was traded purely to get into
a newer model.
The 2nd Caravan has been a very similar experience. It was equipped after
the recommended equipment, which we considered only because it already had
the heavy duty suspension. The brakes seem better, but still need
maintenance more often than should be necessary. Another trip to the
mountains of Colorado was uneventful from a tow vehicle perspective. We now
tow a 2500lb Coleman (loaded) with electric brakes and Prodigy
controller--huge difference in braking and I highly recommend.
My overall opinion is that while it may not be the best tow vehicle
available, but it is a good compromise of towing capacity vs. everyday use
for the other 340 days of the year we're not towing.
"GGHS 1981" <gghs...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040206234118...@mb-m21.aol.com...
DaViT
bears out of their hibernation. :-).
You can just do a search in this forum under - Minivan towing.
It's all depend on how heavy is your PU, where you want to go. But a
3.5L should be capable most places for PU under 2200 lbf gross weight.
gghs...@aol.com (GGHS 1981) wrote in message news:<20040206234118...@mb-m21.aol.com>...
David
mini-van at the end of last year. We've already been camping several times
(here in south Florida) and going again next weekend. I figure your Caravan
is probably similar to our Odyssey. For a max tow capacity of 3500lbs Honda
recommends transmission and power steering coolers and a weight distribution
hitch, so that's what we did. I installed the coolers myself and it wasn't
really that hard to do. We also went with a Reese mini-350 WD hitch that
really helps keep the van straight and level. We haven't experienced any
swaying and honestly I have to look in the rear view mirror to make sure the
popup is still there. Our popup is a 12' box with a max gross weight of
3000lbs. With the optional (A/C, battery, propane, etc) and everything we
normally need to put in it, the popup comes to about 2800lbs. The Fleetwood
popup has electric brakes and I'm using a Prodigy brake controller - works
like a charm. I've had to make some pretty quick maneuvers including
stopping quickly without any problems. The electric brakes are a must in my
opinion, and required here in Florida. Most of the RV dealers we talked to
were quite lax about safely rigging our tow vehicle and none of them felt we
needed to install a weight distribution hitch (although the Honda manual
says one is needed). Personally, I'm glad we upgraded to a Class 3 weight
distribution hitch and a good brake controller - just feels safer and more
stable.
Good luck and be safe,
David
"GGHS 1981" <gghs...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040206234118...@mb-m21.aol.com...
Sean
gear loaded and dogs and kids weare still well under. This is good as a lot
of the campgrounds in our area on Vancouver Island are accessed by dirt and
logging road. Use your gears and service the van more often and you should
be in good shape. And take your time....you wont keep up with your friends
towing their popup with their new Ram Hemi!
Sean
"GGHS 1981" <gghs...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040206234118...@mb-m21.aol.com...
Leon in Texas
correction:
It was a 2000 Dodge, not a 2002. sorry
Jguy57
now. I use a friction anti-sway bar. The Sienna is very torquey, if that's a
word, and has no problem towing and maintaining speed on flat or hilly terrain.
It handles the North GA mountains ok but you have to really work the engine.
MPG during towing is about 14 or 15. I would probably not want to use this tow
vehicle in the Rockies. Our Sienna does have a transmission cooler.
The Cheyenne is 2000 lbs dry. Our tow weight is about 3000 lbs after weighing
passengers, gear, fuel, battery, AC, etc. The tow capacity is 3500 lbs, so I
am a bit over the 75% safety rule. I think the Cheyenne is the heaviest PU I
would consider towing.
I've towed in high winds and bad weather and it pulls fine. I think one just
has to respect what they're doing and not get stupid. BTW, 0-60 time is 14
seconds.
A minivan is like a Swiss army knife. You can do a lot of things with it but
it is not the best tool for any one particular thing. There are better tow
vehicles around, but I need the mini for the other obligations I have. IMHO, I
think the Toyota is the best one, but the Hondas are right up there. Consumer
reports does not like the GM transmissions, a crucial item when considering
towing.
I hope someone will add to this thread if I've forgotten something.!!!
Respectfully,
Jguy
2000 Sienna
2001 Cheyenne
"Skylab"
GGHS 1981
times before. I just will be doing local towing here in the Bay Area and
thought the mini van we already have would work for us. I can see a trans
cooler will be a must. Thanks again Greg
GeorgeHR
with a tow package. We have had it for a year This was my first
towing experience, and I worried a lot about the mini-van being
adequate. All in all we have had no problems towing, and the towing
experience was not as difficult as I had thought.
lfm
over the place, and the Sienna has over 100K miles on it. Everything is
still great. I think you are restricted to a 10ft box, but there are lots of
fine choices with that!
Laura
"GeorgeHR" <gram...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:d0a479b8.0402...@posting.google.com...
Andy S.
Gina D.
FWIW ~ I tow with a "mini" mini van, a Honda Element. My PUP is small
and probably is 1000lbs loaded. I can just barely feel it there, that
tells me any more is not something I want to mess with.
Frank Maier
> Hello. I have a 2003 Dodge Caravan with a 6 cyl and auto trans. How well do
> these pull pop-ups? What size pop-up will it pull. I know I have to look at my
> dodge book but thought I would ask those who might know here. Thanks Greg
Hi,
I guess this is kind of a combination reply, comment, and
self-introduction, all in one. We have a 2000 Honda Odyssey and have
just purchased (but have not yet taken delivery of) a
Fleetwood/Coleman Sedona. Up until now we've done tent camping only,
for as long as ten weeks, with occasional hotel breaks; so this is a
significant lifestyle improvement. We intend to take a three-month
cruise throught the Southwest starting in mid-April; we're a family of
four, homeschooling our nine-year-old and eleven-year-old.
As for towing, this is our first popup; but we've towed our 20'
skiboat around the country since 96. The Odyssey has been its tow
vehicle since 2000, for a total of about 20K miles. We were always
perfectly happy with its ability to tow the boat, which was right at
3500 lbs., even going over the Rockies in the summer with the airco
running; so I don't anticipate any problems towing a popup.
Anyway, hello to all of you. I'll be posting some questions of my own
if I can't find the answers doing a little historic googling of this
ng.
Frank
2000 Honda Odyssey
2004 Fleetwood/Coleman Sedona
Me
passenger) from the tow raiting. If there are just two of you, then get a
small pop-up (empty weight about 1800 pounds) and you should have no
problems. If there are more of you, then I think you need a new tow
vehicle.
I think the best thing to do is determine what trailer you need, then
oversize the tow vehicle.
just my 2 cents
Dave
"GGHS 1981" <gghs...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20040206234118...@mb-m21.aol.com...
mac davis
>Remember to subtract the weight of passengers (except driver and 1
>passenger) from the tow raiting. If there are just two of you, then get a
>small pop-up (empty weight about 1800 pounds) and you should have no
>problems. If there are more of you, then I think you need a new tow
>vehicle.
>
>I think the best thing to do is determine what trailer you need, then
>oversize the tow vehicle.
>
>just my 2 cents
>
>Dave
>
I think that's excellent advice, especially about finding the trailer
first...
we did it the other way around and bought too much trailer for the
truck and had to find a better TV...
besides, most people either upgrade the trailer after a while, or add
a lot of things to TV and trailer that build the weight up...
hmm... this might be a good argument for putting the cart before the
horse! lol
Mac
Scott
> these pull pop-ups? What size pop-up will it pull. I know I have to look at my
> dodge book but thought I would ask those who might know here. Thanks Greg
We have pulled several different PUs with both a Dodge Grand Caravan
and now with a Honda Van..... We have never had any trouble... The
Dodge had over 160K miles when we finally changed vans.... Outside the
normal maintance stuff we had no major issues...
Scott
Steph
One of many replies I am sure.
We owned a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan ES with 3.8L and at the time a 12'
Jayco Heritage model. Trailer tipped scales at 2200-2400 lbs depending
on packing and was equipped with surge brakes.
We live and tow in southern california, venturing as far as 800 miles
north which requires at least 1 mountain pass at an elevation of around
6500' (minimum).
The 1997 vehicle was rated for 3500 lbs tow limit, and I carried myself,
wife, and (1) infant.
Flats and low hills the whole thing gave the impression of being fine.
The 3.8L V6 has plenty of PULLING power. The transmission and brakes
however are both woeful and cannot hold speed down on large grades.
We _destroyed_ that mini-van after 3 years. Shocks, struts, trans, etc.
We have no switched to a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan ES (3.8L as well), and
donsized the trailer to a 10' Jayco and shaving nearly 1000 lbs. Tipping
in at 1650 lbs loaded and equipped with electric brakes I now feel safe
navigating those large grades. Incidentally, the 2002 is mentioned to
have 3800 lbs rating versus the 3500 -- and this makes sense as the
mini-van has 36,000 miles on it currently with original brakes.
The '97 had the front brakes replaced nearly every 18,000 at most if we
were lucky.
So, in answer to your question, yes we tow with a mini-van. Do we
recommend it? Nope, I would much prefer to use my 30 yr old full size
club-wagon (rated at 10,000 lbs towing) - but that isn't practical. Next
I would rather have a good 1-ton pickup with crew cab configuration;
unfortunately the need for 7-passengers outweighs the need for towing.
So for now when we add extra people (not including the second child of
my own), we add another vehicle. We now traditionally travel with the
mini-van/trailer combo and our Saturn Wagon (kind of like those full-
timers and their toads, except our costs gas and wear and tear <g> ).
--
Stephen, Wife, Daughter, Son, and in-laws
San Diego, CA
2002 Grand Caravan ES 3.8L with tow package
2001 Saturn LW200 in Silver-Blue
2001 Jayco Eagle 10 UD
__________
/__________\_
|__|__|_____|---+
O
Steph
news:3c0c9f4b.04020...@posting.google.com:
Met a guy at the pool that also has an element and we were talking about
towing.
He added a hitch and is getting a custom built teardrop to go with his
Element. Builder claims it will weigh in at ~ 800 lbs when done.
Should be something to see :-))
Steph
> Remember to subtract the weight of passengers (except driver and 1
> passenger) from the tow raiting. If there are just two of you, then
> get a small pop-up (empty weight about 1800 pounds) and you should
> have no problems. If there are more of you, then I think you need a
> new tow vehicle.
>
> I think the best thing to do is determine what trailer you need, then
> oversize the tow vehicle.
>
> just my 2 cents
>
> Dave
>
Dave that's worth more than $0.02
So many don't consider itmes that are actual cargo, food, water,
blankets, wife<g>, dogs, etc.
I usually tow to the mountains, so to save weight I leave the water tank
dry and fill it with cold spring water when I arrive. That saves nearly
50 lbs !
the old anarchist
like one of my relatives.
got an old aerostar that has a 5000 limit on a 3L engine. no speed demon,
but gets it done. 16 mpg towing, 20 not. and it's paid for. seems like the
chevy astro is the more popular since it comes with a bigger engine
standard.
the old anarchist
"DaViT" <davi...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:8102382a.04020...@posting.google.com...
REMCO APPS
> Greg, we bought a new Fleetwood Tacoma popup to pull with our Honda Odyssey
> mini-van at the end of last year. We've already been camping several times
> (here in south Florida) and going again next weekend. I figure your Caravan
> is probably similar to our Odyssey. For a max tow capacity of 3500lbs Honda
> recommends transmission and power steering coolers and a weight distribution
> hitch, so that's what we did. I installed the coolers myself and it wasn't
> really that hard to do. We also went with a Reese mini-350 WD hitch that
> really helps keep the van straight and level. We haven't experienced any
> swaying and honestly I have to look in the rear view mirror to make sure the
> popup is still there. Our popup is a 12' box with a max gross weight of
> 3000lbs. With the optional (A/C, battery, propane, etc) and everything we
> normally need to put in it, the popup comes to about 2800lbs. The Fleetwood
> popup has electric brakes and I'm using a Prodigy brake controller - works
> like a charm. I've had to make some pretty quick maneuvers including
> stopping quickly without any problems. The electric brakes are a must in my
> opinion, and required here in Florida. Most of the RV dealers we talked to
> were quite lax about safely rigging our tow vehicle and none of them felt we
> needed to install a weight distribution hitch (although the Honda manual
> says one is needed). Personally, I'm glad we upgraded to a Class 3 weight
> distribution hitch and a good brake controller - just feels safer and more
> stable.
>
> Good luck and be safe,
> David
>
Odyssey is rated to pull 3500 max. With driver only. Start adding
bodies and luggage, subtract that from the 3500 lbs. Your Tacoma has
approx. 280 lbs. of tounge weight, subtract that also. I think you'll
find that you're near or overweight. The Ody's axles are weight
restricted also. Might want to check that. Lastly, the Ody has a less
than stellar record for munching trannys.
I bring this up because I've been there, done that. Pulled a similar PU
with an '00 Ody. You may think you're OK, but you gotta do the math.
Your family is worth it.
David
with TWO occupants weighing 150 pounds each. My family of four puts our max
trailer towing weight at 3250. The fully loaded trailer weighs 2800 pounds.
When I subtract the additional cargo in the vehicle from the 2800 pounds, I
can now put a maximum of 450 pounds into the Odyssey. We might have a
150-200 pounds of cargo at most. But no where does the Odyssey manual say
anything about subtracting the tongue weight of the trailer from the total
weight allowed for the trailer to be towed by the Odyssey. Wouldn't the
total weight of the trailer (2800 pounds) *include* the 280 pounds of tongue
weight already????? Of course it would. I mean, weight is weight, tongue
weight doesn't just magically jump into the equation - it's *already* part
of the total weight of the trailer (2800 pounds). I only have to add the
tongue weight when figuring the Odyssey's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
which does include all occupants, all cargo and tongue load, to keep it
under 5,665 pounds....and, the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) which
includes the trailer, the Odyssey, and everything else loaded, has to stay
under 8,265 pounds.
Hopefully the 2003 Odyssey's are made a lot better than your 2000 model, but
my wife and I feel quite safe the way our's is rigged - because we care
about our family.
"REMCO APPS" <cin...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4037E62E...@yahoo.com...
Frank Maier
> Thanks for your opinion..... The Odyssey's max towing weight is 3500 pounds
> "REMCO APPS" <cin...@yahoo.com> wrote:...
> > > David,
> > Odyssey is rated to pull 3500 max. With driver only....snip...
And to add my $.02...
David is correct. We've been towing with our 2000 Odyssey since it was
new. Our family of four leaves us with a theoretical "allowance" of
3400 lbs. Although we're new to popups, we've covered about 20K miles
towing our skiboat, right at the theoretical limit. (Yes, I've heard
the 75% rule. I believe in it for Detroit products.) Our "traumatic"
experiences include e-braking, a flat on the car, and a flat on the
trailer, not to mention narrow twisty mountain roads, steep climbs in
the summer, summer tempreatures in the south and southwest, etc. In
all cases, the Odyssey performed flawlessly.
I love the Odyssey. The only thing I'd trade it for would be a newer
Odyssey. Or maybe a Toyota Sienna; but my wife likes the Odyssey
better.
YMMV,
Frank
2004 Fleetwood Sedona
2000 Honda Odyssey
REMCO APPS
> Thanks for your opinion.....
I didn't mean to offend... I respectfully disagree about the tongue
weight. It is sitting directly on the bumper of the TV. I'm not
suggesting that you count it twice, it's still part of your GCWR and
should be counted as weight in the TV.
We all have different situations and I don't pretend to know yours.
Based on your previous posts, you got all the opinions you'll ever need.
Next time I'll drink a little less caffeine before I post!!
Steph
reviewing your rear axle load. For example, you might be pulling a 3000
lb trailer with a 15% tongue weight (450 lbs.) -- now of course you
should not do such a thing with your tow vehicle, but the numbers are
nice for illustration. I used to pull a ~2500 lbs trailer with a 15%
tongue weight with my Dodge Caravan. Not sure exactly what the straw
was, but I ended up replacing both rear shocks after noticing they had
leaked from the stress.
So not only do you need to ensure the rig is within total weight limits,
but that those 450 lbs, placed directly over the rear axle, plus maybe a
cooler in the "trunk" do not exceed the rear axles max load.
don't quibble over 150 lbs (extra person versus only driver), that is
just a part of why the 75% rule is referred to many. You say your rig
works for you and your family, and you are obviously willing to bet
your family's welfare on it; I can only say I pulled a similar setup
and had to throw away my pants. Our trips often involve extended 9%
grades (or more), and a mini-van (Honda, Dodge, DC, Toyota, etc.) or any
other vehicle rated for 3500 lbs or less of towing cannot maintain good
speed control on those downhill grades.
"David" <k4...@nonspambellsouth.net> wrote in
news:IwWZb.81370$8a5....@bignews1.bellsouth.net:
--
David
> reviewing your rear axle load. For example, you might be pulling a 3000
> lb trailer with a 15% tongue weight (450 lbs.) -- now of course you
Yes, I know that....my Popup has a 280 pound tongue weight - 10% of the 2800
pounds loaded.
> You say your rig
> works for you and your family, and you are obviously willing to bet
> your family's welfare on it;
I honestly do not like you implying that I am "betting" my family's safety.
> I can only say I pulled a similar setup
> and had to throw away my pants. Our trips often involve extended 9%
> grades (or more), and a mini-van (Honda, Dodge, DC, Toyota, etc.) or any
> other vehicle rated for 3500 lbs or less of towing cannot maintain good
> speed control on those downhill grades.
I invite you to find any 9% grades here in south Florida - and we only camp
in Florida. However, since YOU admit to doing this, I guess you were
betting your family's welfare, right? ;-)
We all make choices everyday by using the available information (and
opinions) to make our best judgements. This could even include such things
as what kind of car you drive everyday. Did you buy the car with the
highest crash ratings, or did you "bet your family's welfare" by going with
a vehicle that appealed to you more? The Honda Odyssey has a very good
crash rating, so for the 340 days of the year when we *aren't* pulling a
camper, we are safer than many other vehicles on the road.
I drive at a safe speed when towing and I'm a very carful driver. The weight
distribution hitch keeps the van sitting pefectly level (do you have a WD
hitch on your Caravan?) and there's no sway even when big rigs blow by me.
The Tacoma has electric brakes and we had a Prodigy brake controller
installed - braking is very smooth. Installed a tranny cooler and even
bought a torgue wrench and digital air guage to make sure the wheel lugs are
tight and the tires are properly inflated before each trip. I've had to
make a couple of quick stops and fast maneuvers without the slightest
problem. My wife and I feel good about the way we have our rig set up and
we love our family.
Cheers,
David
Frank Maier
...snip...
> don't quibble over 150 lbs (extra person versus only driver), that is
> just a part of why the 75% rule is referred to many. You say your rig
> works for you and your family, and you are obviously willing to bet
> your family's welfare on it; I can only say I pulled a similar setup
> and had to throw away my pants. Our trips often involve extended 9%
> grades (or more), and a mini-van (Honda, Dodge, DC, Toyota, etc.) or any
> other vehicle rated for 3500 lbs or less of towing cannot maintain good
> speed control on those downhill grades.
And my experience, towing my skiboat right at the rating limit with
our Honda minivan, differs completely. That's over 20,000 miles of
towing, including 9% grades and steeper, both uphill and downhill. And
that boat trailer has surge brakes, not electric.