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want to tow - no tow package

71K views 22 replies 17 participants last post by  PamR 
#1 ·
I have a 2006 Town and Country Minivan withOUT a tow package. Can I add what is necessary to tow a pop-up camper? If so, what do I need? The Chrysler website says that tow packages include:
1. Full size spare tire
2. Load leveling rear suspension (Nivomat Shocks)
3. Heavy duty radiator
4. Auxiliary engine oil cooler
5. Heavy duty transmission cooler
6. trailer tow wiring harness
7. 600 amp maintenance free battery

thanks for your help. We are tired of our tent.
 
#2 ·
Zero experience with towing but, at the very least I would invest in an aux transmission cooler especially if you'll be traveling in a hilly region. As we all know the transmissions are the weak link in these vans.
 
#3 ·
Hey there, welcome to the forum!

Your van is limited to an 1800-pound trailer, at the most. There are things you can do (such as adding some of the things you listed) that will make your van capable of towing more, but there is nothing you can add that will raise the legal limit that you can tow. There's a GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) printed on the tire placard on your driver side door. The weight of your van and trailer, with all cargo, cannot exceed that. Period.
 
#4 ·
I tow a Viking 1906 popup with my van. It is an 8' box and weighs in at right about 1,800# with all our gear in it. I do not have the tow package and have added nothing to the van.

We did a trip from MI to Washington DC in 92 degree weather without issue. I also pull my 3,500# boat around town including launching. It does fine.

That said, I do not think that these vans are capable of more than 2,000# with our without the tow package for a long distance safely. They simply are not set up for it. The suspension is too compliant, the brakes are too borderline even with trailer brakes, the frame in the rear where the hitch mounts IMO is not real strong, and the GCVWR is not high enough to pull much after you put some people in the van.

My opinion. If you buy a large pop up, consider buying a new van too.....
 
#5 ·
I tow 1000 around town regurlaly with mine and did without my other vans. If you are carefull you can get away with it. Trans cooler is a must, anything over 1000 lbs probably need brakes. I towed my Dodge Shadow on a U-haul dolly behind my '93 for a 300km trip. I wouldnt recomend it but I was carefull and didnt damage anything.
Hank
 
#6 ·
Pay STRICT attention to the GCWR on the door sticker. You MUST NOT exceed that for legal reasons. I don't know what it is on your van (don't have it committed to memory and don't have one working on presently). About 1500 # is ALL you can and should do however load the van up with gear and you may bring that down to only 500#.
These vans are really NOT heavy duty tow vehicles and just because you get some kind of anecdotal tales here (oh I towed this or that and didn't hurt anything) does NOT mean you should or that it's safe.
Some people jump over Niagara falls and live. Does that mean you should too?!
 
#7 ·
The GCWR on a standard van is 5,700 pounds if I recall correctly. If the van weighs 3,800 pounds empty, and you have 400 pounds of people and cargo, you're at 4,200 pounds for the van. That leaves only 5,700 - 4,200 = 1,500 pounds for the trailer (TOTAL, including trailer, bikes, camping gear, etc). Underhood is right on with the weights. Too many people take trailering lightly (no pun intended). I thank the original poster for considering this before going out and buying stuff.
 
#8 ·
thanks for info on towing

thank you all for your quick replies. The GCWR is NOT something anyone told us about - including Chrysler people and camper sales people. You would not believe all the different info we have gotten - yours makes the most sense. Am having the van looked at tomorrow. Will let you know what we hear and end up doing. I will check the sticker for the GCWR right away. Thanks again.
 
#9 ·
thank you all for your quick replies. The GCWR is NOT something anyone told us about - including Chrysler people and camper sales people. You would not believe all the different info we have gotten - yours makes the most sense. Am having the van looked at tomorrow. Will let you know what we hear and end up doing. I will check the sticker for the GCWR right away. Thanks again.
When you say "Chrysler People" I am assuming you may mean sales people. Well they don't know squat. Camper people? They just want to sell it to you. THey don't give a s%^t what happens to you after they sell the thing.
 
#10 ·
Hi everyone,
Just want to clarify a few things. 5700 lbs is the GVWR of most of these vans.
That is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, this is the maximum weight of the vehicle. The GCVWR (Gross COMBINED Vehicle Weight Rating) is 8600 lbs.
So with a vehicle weight of 4200 lbs (8600 - 4200 = 4400lbs) leaves 4400lbs of
possible combined vehicle weight. I have a trailer which has a GVWR of 3500lbs.
It is not at that limit, but is close to 3000 lbs. I have been towing it for 4 years with my 2005 GC SXT 3.8 and I love it. Previous I had been using a '96 Astro
rwd with 3.73 rear giving it a tow rating of 5500lbs, and this GC is much nicer to tow with. Before that I was using a '93 Aerostar awd with a tow rating of 4400lbs. My GC tows better than it as well. I am easier on the throttle from a standstill because of the transaxle issues, but ride wise and stability, this van has the rear wheel drives I have had beat. It has a longer wheelbase and less rear overhang. My GC does NOT have the factory trailer tow package. I have added the mandatory tranny cooler, engine oil cooler, and Timbren rubber springs in the rear. My trailer has electric brakes.
I am NOT saying that I recommend this to anyone, but after many years experience towing(not just this, long haul as well) I have no fears with my combination and have met many others who have similar experience.
Not trying to start a flame war, but I am a member of many towing sites and this debate comes up quite often.
I have asked law enforcement and my insurance company, and they say as long as you are under your GCVWR, legally, you are OK.
I hope I have added some info and not insult.

Rick
 
#22 ·
Is the trailer a travel trailer or a popup?

Hi everyone,
Just want to clarify a few things. 5700 lbs is the GVWR of most of these vans.
That is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, this is the maximum weight of the vehicle. The GCVWR (Gross COMBINED Vehicle Weight Rating) is 8600 lbs.
So with a vehicle weight of 4200 lbs (8600 - 4200 = 4400lbs) leaves 4400lbs of
possible combined vehicle weight. I have a trailer which has a GVWR of 3500lbs.
It is not at that limit, but is close to 3000 lbs. I have been towing it for 4 years with my 2005 GC SXT 3.8 and I love it. Previous I had been using a '96 Astro
rwd with 3.73 rear giving it a tow rating of 5500lbs, and this GC is much nicer to tow with. Before that I was using a '93 Aerostar awd with a tow rating of 4400lbs. My GC tows better than it as well. I am easier on the throttle from a standstill because of the transaxle issues, but ride wise and stability, this van has the rear wheel drives I have had beat. It has a longer wheelbase and less rear overhang. My GC does NOT have the factory trailer tow package. I have added the mandatory tranny cooler, engine oil cooler, and Timbren rubber springs in the rear. My trailer has electric brakes.
I am NOT saying that I recommend this to anyone, but after many years experience towing(not just this, long haul as well) I have no fears with my combination and have met many others who have similar experience.
Not trying to start a flame war, but I am a member of many towing sites and this debate comes up quite often.
I have asked law enforcement and my insurance company, and they say ayou are under your GCVWR, legally, you are OK.
I hope I have added some info and not insult.

Rick
Is the trailer a travel trailer or a popup?

What rpm and gear do you run at on flat interstate at 60mph?
 
#11 ·
Hi, just weighing in. We have a 2002 T&C with 3.8L and towing package and it does great with a 3,000 lb. popup.
You can get a Chrysler wiring harness, it ain't cheap at around $150, but will handle electric brakes for you. Otherwise someone clan splice your wiring and install the trailer connector when they install your hitch for a lot less. This would work fine if you DON'T have electric trailer brakes. The other must-do thing would be to get a transmission cooler. Expect to pay $400 or more, but I'd say it's critical.
It comes down to how much weight you'll be pulling. It's your call, but I wouldn't try more than a ton without the complete tow package upgrades.
Good Luck!
 
#12 ·
IMO you could just get an old house air conditioner and use the cooler rad out of it. Cheaper and the same thing I suppose.
 
#13 ·
The T&C vans are rated to tow up to 3600 lbs. I have an 06. I added a receiver hitch and brake controller. I intend to look into adding a transmission cooler soon. I have been using it to tow a 16' Casita camper and now have a 16' Scamp and have had no problem pulling them. The dry weight is about 2000 lbs. I also us a Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) to help with stability and keep the weight on the front wheels like it should be. I hardly know the camper is back there. Easy towing.
 
#14 ·
The only vans which are legally rated to tow up to 3,600 pounds have the Trailer Towing package; I believe the standard legal tow rating is something like 1,200 pounds (not real sure about this number, but it is well under 2,000 pounds).
 
#15 ·
trans cooler is a must, local auto parts store has them. also the vans that have the nivomat rear springs have heavier duty springs in them as well, they carry the extra weight of everything so the van sits where it did before the trainering additions. i have a short wheelbase caravan SE, ive pulled 2500 pounds in a 900 pound trailer and it was way more than the van was happy with. 1300 pounds is about all i would do for a distance. i have no factory tow kit, i just added the hitch and trans cooler. by the way, they all have a trans cooler between the radiator and the a/c condenser. and chances are its just rattling between the two, ive never seen one still factory attached and ive put radiators in about ten of these vans. all had a hole right where that cooler sits... hmmm....
 
#16 · (Edited)
...also the vans that have the nivomat rear springs have heavier duty springs in them as well, they carry the extra weight of everything...
Do you have a source for that information? I ask because I believe I've read in numerous locations that the Nivomat equipped vans have either identical or even weaker springs and rely on the shocks to make up the difference.

Edit: I just looked at a couple of different sources and they both indicate there are only three types of springs for the vans with no delineation between Towing Package and standard suspension.
  • 113" wheelbase (FWD)
  • 119" wheelbase (FWD)
  • 119" wheelbase (AWD)
 
#18 ·
My 2002 T&C 3.8L AWD has the factory tow package, I think. It has a little power steering cooler and what appears to be a factory hitch. I replaced the radiator 4 years ago and don't recall a trans cooler, but might not have noticed. Smart to add one to any vehicle, towing or not. I have towed our 1978 Hi-Lo trailer over the Sierras several times. No problems, but it always feels unnerving to feel like something is pushing you down the hill. It weighs ~2400 lb, compared to new models that weigh ~4500 lb (much particle board). The Hi-Lo lowers for traveling, which helps a lot, and has electric brakes. The old brochures claim a 6 cyl station wagon could tow it. I do go slower up-hill on I-80, keeping at 40 mph on the steepest sections to keep the heat down (tractor trailers going 10 mph). Check your rear bump stops, which might have degraded like mine. I installed ones for an Expedition (cheaper, stronger, see post). Keep in 3rd while towing in the mountains, so it doesn't keep hunting and wear the clutch plates. If towing on flat-land, your engine and tranny is hardly stressed, so no way you would damage them. Drive smart, brake sparingly on turns, and don't let the tail wag the dog. Keep more load over the rear wheels of your van to help keep the rear wheels stuck to the road.
 
#20 ·
The tow package really doesn't add tow weight capability...it just gives you the additional cooling for both engine oil and transmission. Strength-wise it does nothing. Granted, on an extended trip the extra cooling capability results in being able to tow more weight...but that is what the tow package is all about.

Mine has the tow package, and I do see that there are coolant lines running through the oil filter housing, and I do have the full size spare.
 
#23 ·
With tow package, a Town and County is rated for 3,800 pounds, per sticker

I know this is an old thread, but maybe this will help someone else coming across this late, as I did. We bought our Town and Country with the tow package and it is rated for 3,800#s -not just 1,800#, or 2,000#, as someone else said. We have maxed it out many times (loading properly for weight distribution), and have had no problems. Our van is now 12 years old with over 200,000 miles on it and still in good shape.

The only reason I happened to search for this info is because we recently had new rear shocks put on it and found out afterwards (to our dismay) that the shop had replaced them with standard shocks--not the heavy duty shocks it should have for the tow package. Now, we need to tow a small U-Haul and I wondered how much weight we could pull without the heavy duty shocks.
 
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