Towing Question

[TSACaptain]

Will a 2013 Dodge Caravan Crew tow a 21 ft Sunline?

[campin'dude]

I would say no. The Dodge website shows the max tow rating for the Grand Caravan to be 3600lbs. Dodge Vehicle Towing Capacity Chart | Towing Guide & Capacity | Dodge I don't have the exact weight for a 21' Sunline but I would guess it would be around 4000 lbs before cargo is even added. It will make for an unsafe combination and would possibly damage the vehicle.

[TSACaptain]

The Sunline says 3500 front 3500 rear total 7000. The dodge says Gross Comdined Weight rating of 8750.

[campin'dude]

Originally Posted by TSACaptain

The Sunline says 3500 front 3500 rear total 7000. The dodge says Gross Comdined Weight rating of 8750.

I'm 95% certain that the 3500 front/rear refers to the axle weight rating.

GCWR is the maximum allowable combined mass of a towing road vehicle, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle, plus the mass of the trailer and cargo in the trailer

Published curb weight of the 2013 Grand Caravan is 4510 lbs. 8750 GCWR - 4510 = 4240 lbs. Add the driver (<> 200 lbs), fuel (8 lbs per gallon) and your are quickly below 4K lbs. Then, add cargo, other passengers, etc. and the amount of GCWR left for the trailer shrinks quickly.

Then, there is still the issue with the 400 lb. tongue weight limit for the Grand Caravan which I am certain a 21' Sunline will exceed. By loading up the rear end, you are pulling weight off of the front. That can be dangerous with a FWD vehicle.

If Dodge gives it a max tow rating of 3600 lbs, then that is the limit that they say it will safely tow. Personally, I wouldn't risk it...

[Gene]

Totaly agree with campin'dude, I think a 21' would be too much for a Dodge Caravan.

[TSACaptain]

Ok thanks

[Sunline Fan]

Agreed, that would not end well. Even to attempt it, you'd most definitely need to have an aftermarket transmission cooler installed.

In this case, weight isn't your problem. It's frontal area. The van could probably take on a boat of similar weight, but because a travel trailer is essentially a big box, the frontal drag will get you.

IMO, minivans can pretty much only tow pop ups, boats, or smaller trailers. Maybe a 15' Sunline, but that's questionable.

Ideally, we like to recommend people buy a trailer that's GVWR is about 75% of the tow vehicle's towing capacity. Note I did NOT say dry weight. GVWR is the max the trailer can weigh if you don't overload it with too much personal stuff.