shock absorbers

[rolmops]

I tow my 19 footer with a grand caravan,but the rear end of the vehicle goes down a bit mostly because it is not fitted with a tow package.
I put an extra tranny fluid cooler and the weight on the tongue is only about a hundred pounds the trailer is about 500 pounds below the tow rating of my van.
I saw some rear shock absorbers with big fat springs around them.The company claims that these springs will keep the van level at up to 1200 pounds of extra weight,I think they call them coil over shocks.
Did any of you guys see these and if so what is your opinion about them?
Thank you.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: shock absorbers

You can spend alot of money on different gadgets but the fact is you probably are getting to much weight on the rear. Even more if you load the ice chests, kids and gear in the back of the van. The best thing I have seen to solve this is an equalizer hitch. It transfers the weight back to the trailer. If I were to add anything to the suspension it would be airbags if they make them. At least that what you can let them down when not towing and get the smooth ride back.

 

[109jb]

Re: shock absorbers

If you have a receiver hitch on your van, you can get a weight distributing hitch setup. I used to own a Chrysler T&C and towed my 16' Sea Ray with it. I know the van is rated for more, but I would not have felt comfortable towing more than the 16 footer except short distances unless I had brakes on the trailer and an anti-sway brace. The van had plenty of power, but the suspension and brakes aren't up to the task in my opinion. Even with my 16 footer I had a few tense situations on a vacation trip last year. I now have a full size conversion van so it isn't an issue anymore.

 

[109jb]

Re: shock absorbers

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that there are many products like air bags, helper springs, etc that you can buy, but I think the best solution is the weight distributin hitch and sway control. It doesn't modify your car suspension and they work really well. I would get a friction sway control myself. You can go to a trailer sales place and ask them about the weight distributing hitches and sway controls. They are very common. They are used a lot on RV's too, so an RV sales center would know all about them too.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: shock absorbers

I tow my 19 footer with a grand caravan,but the rear end of the vehicle goes down a bit mostly because it is not fitted with a tow package.
I put an extra tranny fluid cooler and the weight on the tongue is only about a hundred pounds the trailer is about 500 pounds below the tow rating of my van.
I saw some rear shock absorbers with big fat springs around them.The company claims that these springs will keep the van level at up to 1200 pounds of extra weight,I think they call them coil over shocks.
Did any of you guys see these and if so what is your opinion about them?
Thank you.

If only 100 pounds causes you van to sag "a bit", then your springs are worn out or severely wimpy to begin with. And considering Grand Caravans are a minimum 6 passenger seating capacity, I find it hard to believe that Dodge puts really weak springs on them. After all, that third row seat sits just in front of the rear axle, and it's got to be designed to handle two 100lb kids with no sag issues.

(For comparison, my 99 Montana van didn't sag at all when I put 400lbs of mulch in the rear of it this spring, and it doesn't have a tow package on it.)

Without the factory tow package, you van's tow rating is probably only 1000lbs. 2000 max. Your 19' boat weighs A LOT more than that on its trailer.
You are overloaded.

Coil over shocks would help, I am sure. I like coil over shocks in principle. Not sure about installing them on a van that is supposed to have a coil and shock suspension, though. Where do they mount? Do you eliminate your current shock, or your current spring?

I think the best thing to do would be to start with a van that has the factory tow package. Barring that, I would check with a Dodge dealer and find out what exactly a tow package gets you, and try to duplicate that on your vehicle.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: shock absorbers

One thing is certain about your situation: you DO NOT need a weight distributing hitch with only 100# of tongue weight. The weight of the bars and ball mount will be nearly 100# by themselves. Measue the hitch height before you hook up the boat and measure it again after. If there is about one inch or so of drop you have nothing to worry about. Air adjustable shocks are also available. You let air out of them for normal conditions, and add air to them when you have a heavy load. Coil over shocks will ride harder all the time as there is no convenient way to adjust them.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: shock absorbers

Sorry , missed the 100lb part. Listen to Silvertip.