Towing

[Newowner2011]

Will my 99 Dodge Dakota 4X4 with a 6 cylinder engine haul a 19 ft 91 Starcraft Eurostar with a 4.3L Mercruiser on an EZLoader trailer ok ?

 

[lncoop]

Re: Towing

I would think so, but the only way to know for sure is determine the rig's weight then consult your manual.

 

[JB]

Re: Towing

What Incoop said. Makes, models, etc. are meaningless.

How many pounds is the vehicle rated to tow and how many pounds is the tow?

Those, and 2WD vs. 4WD vs. AWD are all that matter.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towing

Even tire size matters. If you are running larger than factory tires, your tow rating is decreased. (brakes are less effective with big tires, and your gearing goes up.)

 

[NYBo]

Re: Towing

If you have 3.92 differentials and an automatic transmission, the towing capacity is 5000#. If you don't know what diffs you have, you can send your VIN to Dodge and get a build list which will tell you.

Your rig souunds like it is getting close to that limit. Have you had it weighed

 

[mwmike270]

Re: Towing

its also the weekest link, if you have any component rated low like a 2000# hitch , you and overload anything. I am getting ready to tow a 10,000. lbs trailer and i had to upgrade some of the components. even though i had a 2-5/16 ball it was rated at 7500lbs. the make the recivers in different classes for to specify different weights.

most vehicle figure how much payload can be added to an empty plus one passenger . if your loading up for a trip you may decrease what it can tow.

I know the question is mostly if the vehicle can tow it, just thought this would help.

 

[daytripper7]

Re: Towing

I have a 19 foot Champion that weighs in over 2,500 lbs. I tow it with a Tacoma 4 X 4. it has the towing package and can handle a capacity of 6,500. The Tacoma is equipped with additional cooling measures for towing. The Taco seems to handle the grades in the Sierra Nevadas with ease. However, I know you feel like maybe you should have eight cylinders pulling your boat. I have had numerous people tell me the Taco 4 X 4 is more than adequate. My friend tows a heavy 21 foot fiberglass larson with a 4 x 4 dakota and it seems to do just fine. Goodluck!