Towing capacity

[tstafford]

I have an 05 Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.8l V6 engine. Can anyone tell me if this van is capable of towing a Typhoon.

Thanks,
Trevor

[Oswego John]

Hi Trevor,

I have a Voyager with a smaller 6 cylinder engine. I've been hauling my Typhoon around with it for years. There are two things that come to mind that I think are worth mentioning.

First off, if you are only going a few easy miles from your home to the launching ramp, it's not that critical to have brakes on the trailer. If you plan on hauling in hilly or mountainous country or hauling cross country at high speed, my opinion is that the trailer should have brakes. A panic stop at highspeed would surely cause a jack-knife situation. Which segues nicely into the second point.

This could be potentionally embarrassing, but I'm not sure what the correct answer is.

Somewhere way back in the dark recesses of my mind, I think that I remember hearing or reading somewhere that when you tow a boat using a vehicle with an automatic tranny, you should never tow in overdrive. Please don't ask me why this is so, if true. I flat out don't know why.

Hopefully some of the readers can agree or debunk the thought and maybe tell us why. Also bring up a few more important things about towing.

I went sailing on the schooner this morning. I'm still bouncing. It was kinda rough out there.

O J

[nikon4004]

Overdrive is like granny gears on a bike. Light weight and makes for easy engine trans speed match. Too light for towing. Epceially in hilly terain.

Steve

[barfwinkle]

Hello to All

I have a (2004) 3/4 ton truck with an automatic transmission. When I pulled Rhapsody (a CD25D) to Galveston in March I too was concerned about overdrive and the wear on the transmission.

My owner's manual says that as long as the transmission is not constantly shifting in and out of OD that it is okay to leave it on. IF however the truck is always shifting the manual instructs you to put the transmission in tow mode.

I pulled most of the way to Galveston with OD on. There were a couple of times when it was shifting too much for comfort.

FWIW.

Fair Winds

[Gary M]

A Ty weighs a ton I believe.

I pulled a one ton boat with an old GMC straight six with manual trans and it pulled it fine.

But it complained like hell when I expected the GMC to pull the boat back up the launch ramp.

Gary

[Scott MacCready]

I had a '98 dodge dakota with the same engine, manual transmission. I towed my Cape Dory 25 from fort lauderdale to Oriental,NC and again from there to Presque Isle, ME. Had plenty of power.
[img]http://www.geocities.com/travel-rn/DownTheRoad.JPG[/img]

[Steve Laume]

You might find that breaks on the trailer are more than just a matter of personal preference and safety. In CT, anyway, a trailer capable of towing a Typhoon would not be legal without breaks. I would not want to go very far driving a light towing vehicle with a Typhoon behind it. A check with your state DOT might be worthwhile just so you know for sure, Steve.

[bill2]

Can't necessarily give you an answer - but I hope to point you in the right direction .

Ty's weigh about 2000 add a trailer say 700-750 add gear, O/B and such say 250 = 3000 lbs just under what some would call type III ( ? ) - a 3500 lb capacity. Sounds a bit much for a mini van but they have been growing in size and power so maybe . . .

There's a couple ways to find out what you can tow. 1> if you're lucky you're vehicle registration ( or owners manual ) will give you a clue what combined vehicle weight you can pull - subtract the mini vans weight - and viola ! 2> go see the dealer and ask him for a trailer hitch - he won't sell you one that exceeds the mfg'rs design 3> ditto for U-Haul they too sell hitches and I've heard they don't push the mfg'rs weight ( by much ) if at all - liability and such .

The philosophy of the issue is simple - can it do it. Probably for short distances - a mile or two to the ramp hey how much can you break in a mile or two ( I've seen lots of people do lots of things I thought couldn't be done - or maybe I'm the only one that gets caught doing them ? )

Now for long distances - did you know the early Dodges/Plymouth mini vans were shunned by state police here because they had car brakes with a vans weight . Well so brakes are an issue. I personally like to see brakes on most everything but a lightweight trailer - but I've been known to use suspenders and a belt - with an elastic waist . How about trans/engine cooling - did you say you got those coolers with the mfg's towing package - better add them if not. Oh - and did we talk about the rear axle ratio - many mfg's will swap in a different rear ratio for towing - got it covered ? So to tow for long distances maybe you should double check with the mfg/dealer to make sure your vehicle is rated for it. Will it work without these extras - well kinda - it'd work the first time probably maybe even the tenth time but sooner or later - if you exceed the design limits - you'll be looking to trade it in . BTW going slowly - other than PO'ing the people behind you - will add some margin of capability - kinda like getting a push hurts much less than a punch.

Simple preventative measures - no matter what you chose - will do alot to avert any problems - before towing - check all fluid levels, fill all tires keeping an eye on tread depth and a lookout for dry rot, make sure all the lights ( and brakes, particularly electric ) work, and the ty, mast, boom and such are securely attached to the trailer ( gravity alone just doesn't cut it ).

Bottom line - you pays your money and youse take your chances . . .

Good Luck

[chase]

I'd check with the manufacturer for tow recommendations. If you are within spec., I'd agree that brakes are crucial. A couple of years ago I threaded a trailer loaded with 20,000 pounds of cattle in between a fuel truck and a concrete barrier when traffic suddenly halted on the interstate the trailer brakes failed. My tires were on the concrete and I was literally inches from the fuel truck. The other truck driver and I were both real happy about the outcome, but I was a basketcase. I would not cut corners hauling a load if you plan to haul it much. The van will pull it just fine but stopping and weight distribution at the hitch are the issues.

I'd also install or have a mechanic install a transmission cooler -- they are cheap. I don't know what the tongue weight is on a typhoon but you will have to be careful taking weight off the front end of the van, especially since it is fwd. It can lead to loss of steerageway at worst or just the hassle of having a fisherman pull you off the ramp with his truck when you can’t pull your boat up a steep ramp. Not even sure if you can trailer-launch the typhoon. When I look at the photo, it looks like a very substantial boat! I want one to restore in the back yard!

I pulled a West Wight Potter sailboat all around with a Honda Odyssey. It was a great family tow vehicle and we towed it for hundreds of miles. I sold the odyssey to make a down payment on my Cape Dory!

Good luck and drive safe,

Chase

[Allan MacLean]

I hauled a Typhoon Weekender on a homemade trailer from Noank, Ct. to Newbury, MA ( about 125 mi) two years ago with a six cylinder Jeep Grand Cherokee with no problem. Just take it easy and make sure the hubs are well greased. Check them frequently to see if they're getting hot. Kept my speed at no more than 55 mph. Also a suggestion that was made to me and that I followed was to lay out my trip and make note of exit #'s every 25 miles or so that had emergency services available and write down the service station/tow operator telephone numbers in a note pad. It was like paying for insurance. Didn't need it but glad it was there. Good luck. Allan, CD-25 "Second Wind".

[Carl Thunberg]

Trevor,

I had a Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.8 L V6 and I used to tow my Rhodes 18 all the time with no trouble whatsoever. I had plenty of power going up hills and never had a problem stopping. Now a Rhodes 18 is a bit lighter than a Typhoon, but not drastically. They're both full-keel boats. The Rhodes has a bulb keel and the TY has a shoal draft keel, which accounts for the difference in weight. My point is, my van never struggled, so I wasn't pushing the van to its capacity. I see from your signature that you don't actually own a TY yet. I wouldn't necessarily go out and purchase a new vehicle just to tow the TY. When and if you do get one, try it out with your existing van in controlled conditions, like a Mall parking lot on a Tuesday morning. You'll know pretty quickly if the van is struggling.

Carl

[s-dupuis]

If the only time you need an 8 cyl. truck is twice a year to haul the boat it may be more worthwhile to rent a Uhaul. I did this for my 2 ton S2. Just don't tell the rental company what you are up to. They may not want you dipping their truck in salt water.