Anyone tow w/a late-model Grand Caravan/T&C?

I've been thinking about down-sizing my tow rig since I no longer have a regular need to haul cars, and the versatility, comfort & economy of a minivan would be better 99% of the time. So I'm considering selling my 1-ton 98 Chevy cargo van & 16' open trailer, and replacing it with a 2012+ Grand Caravan/T&C plus a ~6' enclosed trailer.

Does anyone here tow regularly with one of these?

Is it worth getting the factory tow-package, or would it be better/cheaper to buy a hitch + aftermarket trans cooler?

I've seen it done, but I wouldn't personally. Even though the factory finally got the trans figured out and kept it from exploding, it still isn't the most robust thing out there. Then they had to go and 6spd it with a failure prone "doubler" gear reducer.

I don't see it hurting the trans to pull a 6 ft trailer. What's that going to weigh, 1000 lbs fully loaded?

2012 is the first year where they all got the big brakes. Many of the upper trim T&Cs (and maybe all Limiteds; research would confirm) got the load-leveling rear suspension, with or without the tow package. Mine has the load-leveling, but not the tow package. I would say look for one exactly the way you want it, but don't obsess. I'm sure you can recreate the important bits by adding the hitch and trans cooler.

http://forum.chryslerminivan.net/forumdisplay.php/19-Trailer-Towing

In reply to Duke:

Thanks for the link! I'd say 1000-1200lbs loaded for the trailer is about right, plus possibly 4 people in the van and another 100-200lbs of luggage.

What is the Curtis adjusted tow rating on this vehicle?

I don't have experience with the T&C towing, but have done a lot of towing with a Kia Sedona minivan. I think it has about the same tow rating as the T&C...3500lbs. I've towed everything from landscape trailers to cars on a dolly. When I'm towing a car, I definitely feel it back there, but at no time did I feel unsafe. Leave plenty of room to stop, blah, blah. I had transmission fluid flushes done regularly, about every 30k miles. Never had an issue. A landscape trailer full of mulch, supplies, etc...was easy to tow, no problems at all.

Towing is one reason I with I'd ponied up for a van with the 4.0 V6 in lieu of the 3.3 mine has. It generally feels like it can barely get out of its own way with just me in it.

I'm hoping it can handle a dirt bike carrier mounted on a 2" receiver instead of towing a tray-trailer. I'm planning to install aftermarket air-bags for load leveling as well.

They have a 3500# tow rating, the factory tow package doesn't change the weight rating but adds factory wiring and hitch as well as self levelin which is a pretty big deal. Otherwise they all have sway control and are ready for your hitch..

Good luck finding any info on it through Chryslers web site, it's woefully pathetic.

In reply to chandlerGTi:

Oh, so they don't have a trans cooler added with the tow package. So it seems finding one with just the leveling suspension would get me the biggest part of it, then I could add the hitch, harness & aftermarket cooler(if one is available).

I have a 2014 Grand Caravan. It was really easy to add a hitch and the wiring that splices in at the tail lights. About 1 hour to install it all.

I have a hitch hauler and with my dirt bike and it does sit pretty close to the ground. Very easy to drag in some cases. Most of the time I use a light trailer to pull the dirt bike around.

I have also made several 4-5 hour trips towing a 5x8 enclosed trailer with a couple dirt bikes in the back. It hurts the mileage by at least 5-7 mpg's. You'll notice it's back there, but just increase following distance to be sure you have the braking room.

In reply to JeremyB:

Are you towing the enclosed trailer with o/d off?

In reply to petegossett:

I usually just put it in drive and go. The 6 speed transmissions in these seem to downshift out of OD pretty easily already. If I find it shifting up and down repeatedly, then I may downshift it a gear or two.

On long downhills I'll downshift it too to prevent overheating the brakes.

My van came with an OEM trans cooler on it. I'm sure that helps too.

Dad's 1996 TC lxi has 190k miles with the first 10k miles was used regularly to tow a supra combrio (speedboat). total weight around 4k lbs...

it's still trucking so... dunno if that affects your decision at all. Hell we just changed the rear shocks, and brake pads in the rear for the first time this past weekend...