Tongue Weight

[jondrew55]

Went for a test ride after setting up the WD hitch. Only spent about 15 min on the highway at 65 (flat Florida roads) and everything seemed fine. Just me in the Durango and not loaded for a trip yet, no strong winds and no big trucks blasting by. Headed out at the end of the week for the first trip so I'll know better then.

Originally Posted by tuffr2

You are going to know soon enough. I think you will be ok for local travel on back roads to the local state parks.

No way would I take that rig on the highway were semi's are running 72mph. Other vehicles are running 75mph to 85mph.

I am thinking at 72mph you will be white knuckle driving. But at 50mph you will be ok.

[ardvark16]

Had the same payload. Similar weights. Tried with a Ram 1500. I now drive a 3/4 ton truck. The Durango will tow it. Honestly. Most trucks will tow it. But grade, speed, weather, weight, and handling will all work against you. Your total payload is 1300. You will eat most of it up with passengers and the trailer. Another 200 on the tongue for wd and propane and battery. It will not be an enjoyable tow. If you are looking for confirmation to how safe it is, you are probably not really in great shape. I imagine your truck is also going to really suffer from sag. I had airbags in my truck to keep it level. I tried without them and the truck just squatted. These forums were helpful to me as I literally just went through the same situation. Good luck in your journey.

[Persistent]

Too late to second guess. You own it now. All the published weights in the world no longer make any difference.

Take it to a CAT scale and get axle weights with and without the TT connected. Then load both TT and TV and do it again.

I purchased two TT's over the years. Both came in at double the published weight. Both required modifications to reduce tongue weight before they were usable with my TV's. I practice loading food and equipment to the rear as well.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!

[jondrew55]

I agree. Its probably ok for most of our trips. We like to go to Topsail out in the Florida Panhandle which is about 400 miles. Probably the longest trip we'll make with this set up. Usually we do the beach or Disney, which are all less than a 2 hour drive (but still on major hi ways).

I'm not sure where our RVing will go. We only seem to have time to get out 4 or 5 times a year which is why we got rid of our Class A. I've already dropped the hint to the wife about how cool a RAM 2500 is, but she really likes out Jeep which I'd have to trade. And buying a big truck just for something we do occasionally does not seem to make much sense either.

I'll know more after our first couple of trips. I'd like to do a cross country (see relatives in New Mexico), but not with this rig.

Originally Posted by ardvark16

Had the same payload. Similar weights. Tried with a Ram 1500. I now drive a 3/4 ton truck. The Durango will tow it. Honestly. Most trucks will tow it. But grade, speed, weather, weight, and handling will all work against you. Your total payload is 1300. You will eat most of it up with passengers and the trailer. Another 200 on the tongue for wd and propane and battery. It will not be an enjoyable tow. If you are looking for confirmation to how safe it is, you are probably not really in great shape. I imagine your truck is also going to really suffer from sag. I had airbags in my truck to keep it level. I tried without them and the truck just squatted. These forums were helpful to me as I literally just went through the same situation. Good luck in your journey.

[Desert Flyer]

If you like the Durango, take a look at large, true SUVs like Expedition, Suburban, Armada, Sequoia, and the new longer Tahoe. If you have more time, the upcoming full-size Jeep Wagoneer (based on RAM 1500) will be introduced soon. A real, FULL size Jeep SUV.