# Towing 25 Rss With 2006 4.7 Dakota



## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

We just returned from our first trip with our new 2006 25RSS. We are towing with a 2006 Doddge Dakota Quad Cab with a 4.7 5 speed auto and 3:55 rear end with full tow package and all heavy duty options including oil and trans coolers. Reese WD hitch and sway control and Prodigy brake controller. Truck is rated to tow about 6000 lbs. If I would have opted for the 3.90 rear end the tow capacity would have gone up to 7100 lbs but the milage and engine life would have both decreased. This is my 3rd Dakota.

I was looking for a safe mid size rig that would give us adequet towing performance and safety without having to go to a monster truck.

This is my 5th RV starting with a tent trailer, Scotty, Truck Camper and a Fleetwood 19ft trailer TT. I have had small block and big block Fords and Chevy trucks and even towed for a while with a full size Olds.

We did a 250 mile round trip from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to Hagerstown / Antitem area. Combination of flat terrain and mountains.

Trailer did great. We do have some cosmetic issues for the dealer to fix but they are really minor. Very comfortable and livable.

The 2006 Dakota is much more HD then the older Dakotas. Fully boxed frame, longer wheelbase etc. I know that we could have gone to a bigger truck but the Dakota gets 22 MPH without the trailer and its mid size is easy to deal with in traffic and crowded mall parking lots. In a few years when we go more full time RV ing, I will probably trade up to a Hemi or a diesel and a 5th wheel, but for now the Dakota / 25 RSS seems like a great combo for a mid size towing rig.

The truck performed very well on our first trip. I kept the transmission in the tow mode and the trailer towed very easily on the flat stretches and I was able to maintain 55 on the steepest hills with very little downshifting. I don't like to tow much over 55 anyway. If you have ever made an emergency stop while towing you will know why. Big RVs like 5th wheels being towed by huge diesel trucks were making about the same speed going up the hills. At 55 MPH on the flats the engine was only turning 2300 RPM even in tow mode. No strain! It was 80 degrees today and the temp gage stayed where it is when I am not towing. On the steeper hills the trans did downshift but the RPMs stayed in a very comfortable range. I set the speed control at 55 and just sat backj. I would estimate that we got 14 MPH towing. Minor sway when trucks passed but nothing I would worry about.

I will cange the oil every 3000 miles like I always do and when the 7/70000 waranty runs out I will get a new one. By that time gas will probably be $5.00 a gallon and a 25RSS will be a huge trailker.

Its easy to match a small trailer like a 21 RS with a huge truck and say that " I dont even know its there". My idea was to match the tow vehicle and trailer to give us a safe rig that delivers good performance and fuel economy when we are not towing and adequete room when we are camping. I am not sure that I would want to tow this rig up and down the Rocky mountains every day but for what we do its great. Plus I can still aford to run it during the week.


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

Hey Robsaunderseshore !!

Glad to hear about your great trip. That's what it's all about anyway...having fun.

Regarding your rig (25RSS towed by Dakota 4.7L with 3:55 rear end). I am glad you have found a combination that works for you. I personally would not chose that combination since you are probably towing 6400 to 6800 LBS.

But that's why all automobiles aren't black. To each his own. If you take care of your Durango like you say, I bet it will be a good vehicle for you.

As they said on Hill Street Blues, just be careful out there!









Dan


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## WillTy3 (Jul 20, 2004)

Rob

I see that you are from eastern shore of maryland, what town.. We are in Salisbury. Did you check out the rally page? There is a Mid-Atlantic Rally in Ocean City, Frontier Town, May 5-7.
Come join us

Will


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## CKCS (Apr 6, 2006)

We will be there! Looking forward to it!


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## CKCS (Apr 6, 2006)

Kent Island Maryland!


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## ee4308 (Aug 23, 2005)

Robsaunderseshore,

Glad yu had a great trip and the TV/TT performed to your liking sunny Post often, and Happy Camping


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## CKCS (Apr 6, 2006)

It would be great if everyone could have a 7.0 liter turbocharged monster but I believ that the small blocks do fine if you stay with a resonable trailer size. Plus we get good milage when not towing. How does your 5.3 do?


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## Radar (Dec 1, 2005)

They must have upgraded the Dakota. I am towing a 21RS with my 2002 Dakota Quad Cab. 4x4. Comes with 4.7, five speed auto, trailer tow package and 3.90 rear end.
Door Sticker and Tow Guide are close at 6050 lb and 5900 lb tow rating. The trailer empty is 3990 lb with 1510 carry capacity. 
The truck likes the 50-55 speed on the flat and level but I really notice a differance when pulling up a hill.

I really like my Dakota and the DW loves her Outback. I am just hoping that they make a good match


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## Devildog (Sep 8, 2005)

Glad all went well Robsaunderseshore, I don't have a Dakota but I know the 25RSS is an awesome TT!


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## 3LEES (Feb 18, 2006)

CKCS said:


> It would be great if everyone could have a 7.0 liter turbocharged monster but I believ that the small blocks do fine if you stay with a resonable trailer size. Plus we get good milage when not towing. How does your 5.3 do?
> [snapback]102057[/snapback]​


My 5.3 does very well with my hitch and brake control. Sure, I can feel it back there, but then when you are pulling around 5800 lbs you will feel it. I can accelerate up to highway speed very quickly and merge into traffic easily. I can easily reach 80MPH if I want, but I keep my speed around 65mph. Gas mileage without trailer is around 16....with trailer is around 11. The ride is very comfortable, and the passenger area is spacious. Bigger than most SUVs. And with my tonneau cover, you get one hell of a trunk!









I guess maybe I've taken to heart the suggested rule of thumb I have heard...keep your trailer weight within 80% of your towing capacity and you will have fewer problems. So far I have had no sway problems, even with large semis passing me. I installed the Equalizer myself, paying careful attention to the instructions. Same with the brake control. I thought since I was relying this equipment to take care of me and my family while traveling, I had better be very well aquainted on how they work.

Please understand, I don't condem anyone for their choice of tow vehicles. We all have to make our own decisions. I decided to trade my 2005 Envoy with a inline 6 because I felt we were underpowered, and I did not want to max out the Enovy's towing capacity (with 3.73 rear end, 5900lbs). But that's me.

Good luck and great camping to everyone who tows a trailer! And as the old saying goes, keep the shinny side up and the rubber side down!
















Dan


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Rob,

Glad to hear the combo is working for you! We were going to tow our 21RS with our Explorer, but I was not comfortable with the wheel base. That is the real issue. Can't wait to meet you in OC.

Were you coming over the Key Bridge yesterday around 3-3:30? Thought we saw a 25RSS when we were coming home from the inlaws in Severna Park.

Happy Outbacking!

Tim


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## prevish gang (Mar 19, 2006)

Robsaunderseshore said:


> We just returned from our first trip with our new 2006 25RSS. We are towing with a 2006 Doddge Dakota Quad Cab with a 4.7 5 speed auto and 3:55 rear end with full tow package and all heavy duty options including oil and trans coolers. Reese WD hitch and sway control and Prodigy brake controller. Truck is rated to tow about 6000 lbs. If I would have opted for the 3.90 rear end the tow capacity would have gone up to 7100 lbs but the milage and engine life would have both decreased. This is my 3rd Dakota.
> 
> I was looking for a safe mid size rig that would give us adequet towing performance and safety without having to go to a monster truck.
> 
> ...


Rob,
We have the same setup in our 2003 Durango and we have the 25RSS. Empty weight is around 4800, GVWR is 6000. Durango GVWR on door sticker says 6400. I have tried to keep the weight inside down by using dishes that aren't heavy and anything else we try to keep light. I want to take our vehicle to a place to have it weighed to make sure we are no heavier than 5600 lbs or so. If we are we are going to have to streamline. We towed this weekend and even on steep grade bridges we had plenty of power and we hardly more than the normal RPM's. We did install a Superchip though to up our torque. We do not have a towing package though so we installed the biggest transmission cooler that we could get in it, changed all the transaxle fluid and transmission fluids and filters and will do this frequently. We were discussing an oil cooler tonight and my husband said he has been reading about something that you add to your radiator to drop the temperature of your coolant. We just want to really protect our TV until we can afford to upgrade. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions about what we have done and if there is anything else that we can do?
Good luck Rob and happy Outbacking. I'm glad your trip went well. It makes me feel better that things worked out for you even through the mountains because we would like to do some trips that could be a little hilly. We live in Williamsburg VA and occasionally we would like to go up to Luray or Bristol. I want to feel confident that we can do it. 
Take care,
Darlene


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Glad to hear your trip went well also nice to hear you are happy with your combo
Happy Camping









Don


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

Rob,

I would be a little concerned If I was you. It is a legalistic world out there and I have read a couple of things that scared me via this web site. Sounds to me like your overloaded. That 25RSS is easily 6000 or over with a camping load no-water! IF you ever got into an accident and the insurance company did the math they would say your at fault. Meaning you pay for all damage.

At the end of the day that is why I went from a 25RSS to a 21RS with my tow vehicle. A Toyota Tundra which probably has higher weight ratings all around then your Dakota.


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

Thanks for the input,

I did a lot of research before buying. The new 2006 Dakota as mine is equiped with 3:55 gears and the 5 speed auto with tow package has a tow rating of 6050 on the door. The 2006 Dakota has been upsized and now has a 131" wheel base. My 25RSS shipped at 4885LBS including ac, awning, full propane tanks and other options and has a GVWR of 6000 lbs. )It was weighed before shipping because the delivery company charged by the pound and mile ) That gives me 1115 lbs to play with. Even with a full 40 gallon water tank (320 lbs) which we never carry I still have 775 lbs of carrying capacity in the trailer. Now obvipusly I am not going to be able to fill it with bricks or lead but thats not what an RV is for. I called both Outback and Dodge and they both said that with the WD hitch and a good brake controller and sway bar I would be safe. My insurance comapny cheked the trailer / TV combo and I am legal. Even with 4 adults and bagagge in the truck, We are well within the GVWR of the truck. If I lowered the rear gear ratio to 3:90 I would increase the towing capacity to 7150 but kill the gas milage when not towing. I tried some panic stops from 65 on a steep downhill yesterday and the rig tracked straight and true. As long as we keep the laod inside the trailer reasonable we should be ok. My point was and is that with the cost of fuel approaching $3.00 per gallon some of us need to stay with a tow vehicle that can deliver decent gas milage (Mine gets 22 when not towing) during the week and still be a good tow vehicle.


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

Thanks for the input, I love my new Dakota with the 4.7 and tow package.

I did a lot of research before buying. The new 2006 Dakota as mine is equiped with 3:55 gears and the 5 speed auto with tow package has a tow rating of 6050 on the door. The 2006 Dakota has been upsized and now has a 131" wheel base. My 25RSS shipped at 4885LBS including ac, awning, full propane tanks and other options and has a GVWR of 6000 lbs. )It was weighed before shipping because the delivery company charged by the pound and mile ) That gives me 1115 lbs to play with. Even with a full 40 gallon water tank (320 lbs) which we never carry I still have 775 lbs of carrying capacity in the trailer. Now obvipusly I am not going to be able to fill it with bricks or lead but thats not what an RV is for. I called both Outback and Dodge and they both said that with the WD hitch and a good brake controller and sway bar I would be safe. My insurance comapny cheked the trailer / TV combo and I am legal. Even with 4 adults and bagagge in the truck, We are well within the GVWR of the truck. If I lowered the rear gear ratio to 3:90 I would increase the towing capacity to 7150 but kill the gas milage when not towing. I tried some panic stops from 65 on a steep downhill yesterday and the rig tracked straight and true. As long as we keep the laod inside the trailer reasonable we should be ok. My point was and is that with the cost of fuel approaching $3.00 per gallon some of us need to stay with a tow vehicle that can deliver decent gas milage (Mine gets 22 when not towing) during the week and still be a good tow vehicle.

I was looking for a safe mid size rig that would give us adequet towing performance and safety without having to go to a monster truck.

This is my 5th RV starting with a tent trailer, Scotty, Truck Camper and a Fleetwood 19ft trailer TT. I have had small block and big block Fords and Chevy trucks and even towed for a while with a full size Olds.

We did a 250 mile round trip from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to Hagerstown / Antitem area. Combination of flat terrain and mountains.

Trailer did great. We do have some cosmetic issues for the dealer to fix but they are really minor. Very comfortable and livable.

The 2006 Dakota is much more HD then the older Dakotas. Fully boxed frame, longer wheelbase etc. I know that we could have gone to a bigger truck but the Dakota gets 22 MPH without the trailer and its mid size is easy to deal with in traffic and crowded mall parking lots. In a few years when we go more full time RV ing, IÂ will probably trade up to a Hemi or a diesel and a 5th wheel, but for now the Dakota / 25Â RSS seems like a great combo for a mid size towing rig.

The truck performed very well on our first trip.Â I kept the transmission in the tow mode and the trailer towed very easily on the flat stretches and I was able to maintain 55 on the steepest hills with very little downshifting. I don't like to tow much over 55 anyway. If you have ever made an emergency stop while towing you will know why. Big RVs like 5th wheels being towed by huge diesel trucks were making about the same speed going up the hills. At 55 MPH on the flats the engine was only turning 2300 RPM even in tow mode. No strain! It was 80 degrees today and the temp gage stayed where it is when I am not towing. On the steeper hills the trans did downshift but the RPMs stayed in a very comfortable range. I set the speed control at 55 and just sat backj.Â I would estimate that we got 14 MPH towing. Minor sway when trucks passed but nothing I would worry about.

I will cange the oil every 3000 miles like I always do and when the 7/70000 waranty runs out I will get a new one. By that time gas will probably be $5.00 a gallon and a 25RSS will be a huge trailker.

Its easy to match a small trailer like aÂ 21 RS with a huge truck and say that " I dont even know its there".Â My idea was to match the tow vehicle and trailer to give us a safe rig that delivers good performance and fuel economy when we are not towing and adequete room when we are camping.Â I am not sure that I would want to tow this rig up and down the Rocky mountains every day but for what we do its great. Plus I can still aford to run it during the week.
[snapback]101959[/snapback]​[/quote]

Rob,
We have the same setup in our 2003 Durango and we have the 25RSS. Empty weight is around 4800, GVWR is 6000. Durango GVWR on door sticker says 6400. I have tried to keep the weight inside down by using dishes that aren't heavy and anything else we try to keep light. I want to take our vehicle to a place to have it weighed to make sure we are no heavier than 5600 lbs or so. If we are we are going to have to streamline. We towed this weekend and even on steep grade bridges we had plenty of power and we hardly more than the normal RPM's. We did install a Superchip though to up our torque. We do not have a towing package though so we installed the biggest transmission cooler that we could get in it, changed all the transaxle fluid and transmission fluids and filters and will do this frequently. We were discussing an oil cooler tonight and my husband said he has been reading about something that you add to your radiator to drop the temperature of your coolant. We just want to really protect our TV until we can afford to upgrade. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions about what we have done and if there is anything else that we can do?
Good luck Rob and happy Outbacking. I'm glad your trip went well. It makes me feel better that things worked out for you even through the mountains because we would like to do some trips that could be a little hilly. We live in Williamsburg VA and occasionally we would like to go up to Luray or Bristol. I want to feel confident that we can do it. 
Take care,
Darlene
[snapback]102458[/snapback]​[/quote]


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

If you have the trailer towing package it includes a big radiator. I would make sure that you have an automatic transmission cooler. I taught auto mechanics for more than 20 years and I have never seen anything that you can add to your coolant that will really reduce temps. I agree that it would be nice to have a huge TV but the purpose of these midsize trailers is to allow towing with a smaller truck that gives you better milage when not towing..

Change your fluids frequently and keep your speeds reasonable (55 or so) and you will be fine.


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

Rob,

Get that in writing from the insurance company if you can. Just trying to look out for you.

Trust no one.

For $8.50 cents you should probably visit the weigh station and get GCWR, Truck GVWR and Truck GAWR. I'm thinking that you end up with 600 to 300 lbs of margin all around when your done. You keep that document and provided it as needed.

I'm surprised that the 25RSS was at 4885. The label inside of the cabinets of the one I looked at was 5175 or almost 300# difference. Believe it or not a dealer also told me that if for instance a Trailer has 7000# rating that the truck also should have 7000# rating or an insurance company wouldn't touch you. Honest guy and that sealed the deal for me----- smaller trailer.

Best of luck


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

NJMikeC said:


> Rob,
> 
> Get that in writing from the insurance company if you can. Just trying to look out for you.
> 
> ...


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## Scooter (May 9, 2005)

My understanding is:
A 25RSS weighs in around 52xx (Dry).
Additionally as most have found out with the outbacks add approx 300lbs with all options
so that brings you to about 5500 (perhaps some 25RSS owners will weigh in on this one)no pun intended.

2006 Doddge Dakota Quad Cab with a 4.7 5 speed auto and 3:55 rear 
end with full tow package and all heavy duty options including oil and trans coolers. 
4wheel drive tow package is 5650 (2006 tow guide resource)
2 wheel drive tow package is 5850 (2006 tow guide resource)

Now account for TV person(s) weight , camping supplies , gas etc.. and wow!!!

I believe under the towing foum the calculator is still pinned. you might want to just double check your calculations, and perhaps follow NJMIKEC's advice and get approval in writing from your insurance Company.

wishing you safe passage with all your outback adventures.


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## prevish gang (Mar 19, 2006)

Scooter said:


> My understanding is:
> A 25RSS weighs in around 52xx (Dry).
> Additionally as most have found out with the outbacks add approx 300lbs with all options
> so that brings you to about 5500 (perhaps some 25RSS owners will weigh in on this one)no pun intended.
> ...


I just checked the dry weight on the door of my Outback 25 RSS and my title and they both state 4875. Total weight capacity is 6000. The door sticker on my older 2003 Durango is GVWR of 6400. The longer wheelbase of the new Dakota should really make a difference in the comfort of the tow. We have the shorter wheelbase from the older Dakota. I believe that since this guy has such a background in auto mechanics that he probably knows his stuff especially since all his figures add up with mine and I seem to be doing okay. I do plan to weigh to make sure I keep my cargo down to be on the safe side, but unless he is carrying water onboard I cannot imagine him having much problem as long as he doesn't exceed 1000 lbs of cargo.


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

The Dakota has a 6000 lbs towing rating with the 3:55 gears. The 25 RSS weighs 4650 dry acording to OB and has a GVWR of 6000 so I cant imagine how I can be overweight! It tows geat!


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

prevish gang said:


> Robsaunderseshore said:
> 
> 
> > We just returned from our first trip with our new 2006 25RSS. We are towing with a 2006 Doddge Dakota Quad Cab with a 4.7Â 5 speed auto and 3:55 rear end with full tow package and all heavy duty options including oil and trans coolers. Reese WD hitch and sway control and Prodigy brake controller. Truck is rated to tow about 6000 lbs. If I would have opted for the 3.90 rear end the tow capacity would have gone up to 7100 lbs but the milage and engine life would have both decreased. This is my 3rd Dakota.
> ...


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## Highlander96 (Mar 1, 2005)

Robsaunderseshore said:


> The Dakota has a 6000 lbs towing rating with the 3:55 gears. The 25 RSS weighs 4650 dry acording to OB and has a GVWR of 6000 so I cant imagine how I can be overweight! It tows geat!
> [snapback]103598[/snapback]​


Rob,

Check the sticker in the upper kitchen cabinet for the actual dry weight of your unit. The Keystone literature says 4650 lbs. that is a ball park figure.

From the Dodge website:

GVWR= 6010 lbs
Dry Weight= 4567 lbs
Payload= 1443 lbs (this is for you hitch weight, fuel, passengers, cargo)

Tow Rating= 6700lbs.

GCWR= 11700lbs

You are probably exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight of your truck, but you are within the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). The only way to tell for sure is take it to a scale.

We were going to tow with our 2004 Explorer with a tow rating of 7000 lbs. However, we decided against it.

It is all about comfort level folks, as far as I can see he is legal.

Happy Outbacking!

Tim


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

Water Wetter can be used to help out your cooling. I think they sell it at Advanced Auto parts.

Many Snowmobile folks (oddly enough) use it to keep the Snowmobiles cooler. Although you operate a snowmobile in cool temperatures you run them at high RPM and they have heat exchangers rather then radiators. Many times you are on hardpacked snow or ice and the snow doesn't get kicked up on the heat exchangers enough so overheating may happen.


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## prevish gang (Mar 19, 2006)

NJMikeC said:


> Water Wetter can be used to help out your cooling. I think they sell it at Advanced Auto parts.
> 
> Many Snowmobile folks (oddly enough) use it to keep the Snowmobiles cooler. Although you operate a snowmobile in cool temperatures you run them at high RPM and they have heat exchangers rather then radiators. Many times you are on hardpacked snow or ice and the snow doesn't get kicked up on the heat exchangers enough so overheating may happen.
> [snapback]104301[/snapback]​


Thanks for the tip
Darlene


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

Sorry, my mistake on our Dakota, I thought we had 3:55 gears but the 3.92 gears came with our tow package which raises our tow capacity to 7050 lbs. We are easily legal with the 25 RSS on all counts. and We still get over 20 mph when not pulling. By the way they don't change the size of the brakes, frame or springs on the Dakota when you go from 3:55 to 3:92 gears.


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## CKCS (Apr 6, 2006)

What color is your 2006 Dakota? action


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## Robsaunderseshore (Apr 5, 2006)

Its Mauve!


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## kyoutback (Jul 12, 2004)

Robsaunderseshore said:


> Its Mauve!
> [snapback]106381[/snapback]​


I think mauve lowers your towing capacity by like 500lbs. You should have it painted black!


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## Grunt0311 (Aug 23, 2005)

CKCS said:


> It would be great if everyone could have a 7.0 liter turbocharged monster but I believ that the small blocks do fine if you stay with a resonable trailer size. Plus we get good milage when not towing. How does your 5.3 do?
> [snapback]102057[/snapback]​


When are people going to realize that it is not about having the power to get up the mountain, but rather having the breaking capability to stop coming down the backside







. I think that if you took your set up to a truck stop and accurately weighed it, you are over capacity. You cant go by what the sticker says, as it is never right.

I'm not trying to offend you, or keep anyone from camping. But with owning a TT comes a responsibility to the other people on the road to be safe. Dodging a bullet by pulling more weight than you should is only putting your family at risk, as well as all the other ones on the road!

Good luck, and be safe!


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## nonny (Aug 14, 2005)

> Its Mauve!





> I think mauve lowers your towing capacity by like 500lbs. You should have it painted black!


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## BigGreyA (Jan 25, 2007)

The new Durango has a towing capacity of 7150 with the 3.55 axle. Not bad huh?


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