Dodge Grand Caravan

[roscoe]

Anyone towing with a late model Dodge Grand Caravan with the 3.8 L v-6 ?

Gonna need a new vehicle soon, and this thing has made the short list.

290 hp and 3600# tow rating, air , tilt, cruise, stereo, 7 passenger seating, for AVP version $20,000 plus the hitch.

Boat/motor/trailer/gear weighs in at a maximum of 2200#. Most times it will be under 1900#

I think it will handle the launches I use.

3 things have me concerned.

1- its a Fiat, I mean Dodge.
2- low ground clearance
3- Me ? in a minivan !!

Anyone have any input?

 

[Scott Danforth]

transmission is marginal at best for towing.

 

[NYBo]

You are describing the Pentastar 3.6L, not the old 3.8L. Completely different motors.

The vehicle design predates the Fiat merger. The transaxles are much better than the older 41TE so that shouldn't be an issue with such a small load. Just be sure to have the fluid changed regularly, using the proper fluid. An auxiliary trans cooler would be a good idea if you tow where it's hilly.

 

[H20Rat]

How far are you towing? Like Scott mentioned, depending on the year, but Dodge has never been known for strong passenger vehicle transmissions... If you are towing short distances where heat buildup isn't a problem, then I'd say go for it. If you are doing extended highway towing, not a good choice.

 

[oldjeep]

Father inlaw used to tow his ski boat with a V6 Dodge Caravan. The towing wasn't bad, but sometimes it required a couple people on the hood to get enough traction to get the boat out of the lake

 

[Frank Acampora]

For years I towed an 18 foot closed bow renken on a very heavy galvanized trailer. Total weight probably about 2500 since the trailer itself weighed 1,000 pounds. I used an old Grand Caravan with the Mitsubishi 3.0 V6. It did the job although not happily, and I never was stuck on a ramp. BUT I was MUCH happier when I bought my S10.

For 20 K dollars, forget the Dodge Caravan. Do yourself a favor and buy a real truck. A Colorado with the crew cab or the Explorer Or even an older Silverado or F150

 

[roscoe]

More info, as usual.

Yes, I meant the 3.6 L, ( 3.8 just a typo as I was thinking about the Buick I used to own.)

I currently have a Chebbie Trailblazer, will keep it and use it for as long as I can for snowstorms, and short distance towing.
But it is 15 years old and need something for the long haul.
It has been reliable for 8 years, but it has cost quite a bit to keep it on the road in top condition.
Hard to justify sticking much more into it.

I drive only 8000 miles per year. 4000 local, 4000 highway miles.
So, a new vehicle will likely last me 15+ years, until I retire.

Most towing is 50-100 miles. (Wausau to Green Bay or Wausau to Minocqua) So only small rolling hills.

The boat trailer has electric brakes.

The one tow that has me concerned is 500 miles to Canada each spring.

I have a 4x6 utility trailer for hauling stuff, so I don't need a truck to haul anything large, and find the
box a waste of space, and inconvenient to load/unload, and keep things secure and dry.
I hated climbing in and out of my old GMC, and I was 30 years younger back then.

Paying $ 18- 24,000 for a 6 year old used truck seems crazy to me.
Or paying $15,000 for a 2011 Ford Escape !! ???


I haven't had a new vehicle since my Mazda 323 back in the 80's.

I don't need or want bells and whistles, just air and cruise control.


Are there any other non-trucks out there that can even tow 3,000# these days?

 

[oldjeep]

Paying $ 18- 24,000 for a 6 year old used truck seems crazy to me.

Doesn't seem like you should have to pay that much, my 09 Ram Hemi Crew Cab was 28K brand new. Should be able to get a 1/2 ton 2013 or newer for the kind of money you are talking about as long as you are not looking for leather, sunroofs and other I wish I had a car options

 

[roscoe]

Doesn't seem like you should have to pay that much, my 09 Ram Hemi Crew Cab was 28K brand new. Should be able to get a 1/2 ton 2013 or newer for the kind of money you are talking about as long as you are not looking for leather, sunroofs and other I wish I had a car options

Yep, shouldn't have to pay that much.

Just looking for air, cruise, and a cheap am/fm.

Cheapest truck I found was a 2013 Silverado, 29k miles, reg cab, 6 cyl, 2 wheel drive, $17,500.
A 4x4 and v8 really pumps the price up.
But as I said, I don't want or need a pickup.

 

[keith2k455]

Of you don't want to look at a dodge Dakota or chevy Colorado you could look at a plain old red van. I don't think the grand caravan gets that good of gas mileage so a Chevy van or ford van may work well and give more room

 

[NYBo]

Of you don't want to look at a dodge Dakota or chevy Colorado you could look at a plain old red van. I don't think the grand caravan gets that good of gas mileage so a Chevy van or ford van may work well and give more room

We have 2 2012s with the Pentastar motor at work. Fuel economy is about 30 on the highway.

 

[zealer]

It will be fine. Throw on a tranny cooler (if not already equipped) and you'll be good to go. Your boat is well within the tow rating. I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[keith2k455]

NYBo, that's good mpg, I'd never guesed. People have towed many boats with the older grand caravans, I think it would be fine.

 

[cdnNick]

I just got rid of a '10 Grand Caravan, I would not have towed anything but a small utility trailer with it. The brakes were way to small, although they corrected the issue in 2013 I believe by adding much bigger brakes. We like the van a lot for all the space it offered and the ride was decent, a bit noisy but acceptable.

Do you need the 7 seats? There are many SUVs with enough towing capacity that have 5 seats. Not sure a truck is really needed, we got a '11 Durango cause my wife really wanted to keep the 7 seats, I would have probably gone with a Grand Cherokee or even a Santa Fe (4500# capacity) if we wanted 5 seats. This is my daily driver and I didn't really want to drive a truck all the time.

 

[thumpar]

Consider a Yukon (Tahoe is same underneath). I can seat 8 and tow 5000lbs with the factory tow package. It is a 2000 but they used the same body style until 2007 and it looks like new. The 5.3l is strong motor. Leather, AC/heat in the front and back, nice sound system, ect. Best thing is I got it for $3900. It tows my 4500lbs like a dream.

 

[roscoe]

Appreciate all the comments guys, keep them coming.

But...
Not really looking for an 8 or 10 year old vehicle.
Don't need large.
Would like better than 20 mpg highway.
Really leaning towards new.
Imports are really difficult to consider, as closest dealer is 59 miles away, and most are 82-90 miles one way.

Show me something made AFTER 2013 that can tow 3000#, and cost less than 18 grand.

Or new, that cost less than 25 grand.

So far, nothing is even close to the caravan.

Looked at the offerings from Jeep, and they are all pretty under powered, or cost another 10 grand.

 

[jasper60103]

FWIW, I have a 2012 DGC. I am pleased how well it tows. I would guess my boat, trailer and gear are about 1000 lbs though. If you have any other questions, I will try to answer.

 

[roscoe]

FWIW, I have a 2012 DGC. I am pleased how well it tows. I would guess my boat, trailer and gear are about 1000 lbs though. If you have any other questions, I will try to answer.

Thanks.
Do you have a factory installed hitch?
Aftermarket?

I was looking at hitch options, and most do come really close to the ground to get under the bumper.

Was wondering hat options were available.
I found one place that does customs, and replaced the rear bumper with something like you would use to install a wheelchair ramp.
Looked really nice, but cost several thousand $$.

 

[jasper60103]

The previous owner installed a class2 u-haul hitch and it didn't require any cut outs to the bumper. I just had to replace the hitch wiring and get a ball and mount.
Everything is working well.

 

[Volphin]

transmission is marginal at best for towing.

The current 62TE is a different animal from the older Ultradrives.

Two items contributed to the trans issues in earlier DGCs. 1) People used Dextron type fluid in a trans that required ATF-4. This was a huge problem because the transmission dipsticks were not labeled as such. 2) There was also a tendency for the older Ultradrives to "hunt" gearing on hills due to incorrect PCM torque management software. Both of these factors led to premature clutch pack failure.

The 62TE is a six-speed derivative of the 41TE first introduced on 2007 Chrysler Sebring models fitted with the 3.5L V6. It has different valve bodies, solenoid packs, sensors, and other components to increase reliability. This trans was also given a flash-programmable TCM and a variable line pressure hydraulic system.

Bottom line: The unit should be fine. If you like it, buy it.