Request for the guys towing with '14+ Durango's

[2kwik4u]

Can anyone here that is towing with a '14+ Durango take a picture of the owners manual pages from the towing section for me?

Have some unusual and somewhat immediate personal circumstances which are forcing the sale of my '15 Sierra (that I really really really like), and the current front runner for replacement is a '15 Durango R/T. Would like to verify the tow package capabilities before I get too far down this rabbit hole though. I see lots of info online, but nothing concrete.

I suspect my little AR190 is of no concern, however I'm curious how it will handle an upgrade to a 24ft boat in a few years time. We're also contemplating going in with some relatives on a small camper, so need to evaluate that as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nickp98]

I don't have pictures of the owners manual, but I can tell you that I have towed my 17' AR240 a lot with my 17' Durango R/T AWD. It is very stable and has plenty of power on the road and at the ramp. I have had the boat full of gear for a long week in Door County WI and had 6 people loaded with no issues. We have been very pleased with our Durango. Tow rating from what I remember is 7200 lbs.

 

[2kwik4u]

Thanks for the feedback.

I really liked my 2006 Trailblazer SS until it started having problems. I'm thinking this might be as close to that setup as possible in a modern platform. The SRT would be closer, but it's out of my price bracket at the moment.

 

[Mainah]

We own a 2015 AWD Durango R/T. This is not the primary boat hauler for us. We did decide to use this to tow from the middle of SC down to Ft Lauderdale last year for the Bimini trip. I ran all the math for the 5 people, gear, 2016 242 LS. It left some room to spare with the ratings. It shifted a lot with the 8 speed but handled it just fine. The worst part was cross winds and passing trucks on the highway. If it were my primary hauler for a 24ft I may consider some sort of rear suspension upgrade as the front axle felt a little light with the weight on the back in comparison to my half ton truck.

 

[2kwik4u]

We own a 2015 AWD Durango R/T. This is not the primary boat hauler for us. We did decide to use this to tow from the middle of SC down to Ft Lauderdale last year for the Bimini trip. I ran all the math for the 5 people, gear, 2016 242 LS. It left some room to spare with the ratings. It shifted a lot with the 8 speed but handled it just fine. The worst part was cross winds and passing trucks on the highway. If it were my primary hauler for a 24ft I may consider some sort of rear suspension upgrade as the front axle felt a little light with the weight on the back in comparison to my half ton truck.

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like this is a good candidate for a WDH setup, but that's a discussion for another thread.

Not 100% certain I'm dumping the Sierra just yet, but there is a really good possibility. I'd say 85-90% chance at this point. If it does, it'll need to happen quick.

Found one in Cincy for $33.9k in white/black that I like. Has all the options I want except the 2nd row bench. Seems like an R/T with sunroof, AWD, and Factory Tow Package was rarely optioned with the 2nd row bench. Most seem to have the captains chairs option. There is one in Indy that has all the features except factory tow, and my research shows the R/T gets all the factory tow options except the hitch and harness, which aren't hard to add and have programmed.

Who knows where this will all land, but at least I'll have my ducks in a row if a change is dictated.

 

[Billtex2000]

Here's a link for the 2014 owners manual:
Towing starts at page 498

https://msmownerassets.z13.web.core.windows.net/assets/publications/en-us/Dodge/2014/Durango/268.pdf

I literally just went down the same road before I picked up my 2014 V6 Citadel with the factory tow package.
You NEED to have the factory tow package if you're considering the Durango. You can't buy parts and make it tow (I've been on every Dodge forum!)
The tow package on mine includes:

Customer Preferred Package 23J Trailer Tow Group IV $995
Heavy Duty Engine Cooling
220-Amp Alternator
Class IV Receiver Hitch
7 and 4 Pin Wiring Harness
Rear Load Leveling Suspension
Full Size Spare Tire
Steel Spare Wheel

My rear brake rotors are also vented which I think is exclusive to tow package vehicles(at least the V6).

Later years incorporate skid plates into the package but I think the towing part of it is the same.
My V6 tows my SX210 like a BEAST! I can only imagine that the V8 is better.
I traded up from a 2008 Durango Hemi and I think this one tows much better.
The 8-speed transmission is as smooth as glass (leave ECO mode off). It's stable and has plenty of power. I just went about 10 miles to my marina last week over hilly terrain and had no issues at all. I'd feel totally comfortable going long distance with it.

 

[Billtex2000]

There is one in Indy that has all the features except factory tow, and my research shows the R/T gets all the factory tow options except the hitch and harness, which aren't hard to add and have programmed.

Be careful! Granted I was looking at Pre-owned, but depending on the model, you might not get the suspension, brakes or spare.
Believe me< I spent a lot of time on Dodge and Durango forums and did a lot of research.

If you have a VIN, use this website:

Find Your Cars Window Sticker Using The VIN Number

Gives you the window sticker for the vehicle.

 

[Mainah]

Build sheet is great to have and you can get it from dodge. I have mine for my Durango and Ram and good thing because of the different transmissions, transfer cases, and differentials are used by mopar depending on how each vehicle is speced. In fact I just spent this rainy weekend in my garage with my Ram doing lube changes on the diffs, transfer case, and transmission. Without the build sheet would have been hard to determine the right fluids, filters (yes my transmission has two filters), and capacities. This is one of those things dealerships will soak you to do and is not that hard. It is also one on those things you want to keep up on particularly if you tow. I also highly recommend this for a used vehicle if records don't show it was done.

I don’t send my oil out for testing but do strain it when I re bottle it and look to see if too many or too big shavings under a lighted magnifying glass myself. Everything looked good and the magnet in the transmission pan was doing its job. Sorry for the derail but I thought went well with tthe towing conversations once the build sheet was brought up as this is one of those things folks overlook. Also hit any zerks you may have on the drive line with grease while at it.

 

[swatski]

I believe @MrMoose (AR240) and @SamCF (192) used to tow with a Durango and said a lot of positive things.

--

 

[2kwik4u]

Thanks to all for the information.

Best I can tell the R/T trim gets the full size spare, load leveling suspension, upgraded cooling and brakes. Most appear to even have the tow harness already in place regardless of tow package option. I've pulled the window stickers on the 3 that I've found that are closest to me and check all the boxes, all have the towing package listed as an added option.

Have emails out to the 3 dealerships currently. We'll see who can structure the best deal, and is the easiest to work with.

Anyone have experience with CPO warranty from Dodge? Is it worth getting a CPO vehicle? They are

 

[The D]

The only thing the R/T is missing for towing is the hitch itself, the 7/4 pin adapter, and two additional bolts for the hitch. The current crash bar uses six bolts whereas the hitch uses eight. The harness is there along with the full size spare, load levelers, heavy duty brakes, and heavy duty cooling. Dealer will have to program the bcm to activate the harness. Expect them to charge one to two hours of labor for it unless you can work it into your purchase.

As far as towing capacity, technically it would be limited to 3500 pounds as it was not a factory option. In reality, you'll have the same 7400 (7200 if awd) pounds capacity because the R/Ts have all the goodies already. My R/T tows my 190 like it's not even there.

 

[The D]

Forgot to mention you might want to get the bulged hitch bezel as your current flat one won't fit with the hitch.

 

[Billtex2000]

I actually trimmed mine out with an oscillating tool and got some door edge guard from Autozone to cover the edge.I hated the look of that bulged cover! I went 1" from the edge all around and it fit perfect!

 

[2kwik4u]

Decision made. We're gonna move to a Durango from the Sierra. Just gotta find the right one and the right deal.

Thanks for the feedback thusfar. I'll be sure to report back once the deal is done!

 

[suke]

Are you set on those? Have you looked at Expeditions? Those things are phenomenal for towing, and can be had pretty cheap used.

 

[2kwik4u]

Are you set on those? Have you looked at Expeditions? Those things are phenomenal for towing, and can be had pretty cheap used.

Pretty set on the Durango. Had done about 2 months of research back in late 2017. Threw all that out and bought the Sierra after about 3 days of research.

Not sure I would take an Expedition. Had a Yukon once upon a time, it was really good to me, but the price on those is off the charts high. The Durango really has a ton of value in it, meaning you get some significant capability for the money you spend.

I'm open to other options, but every time I look I keep coming back to the Durango.

 

[suke]

Pretty set on the Durango. Had done about 2 months of research back in late 2017. Threw all that out and bought the Sierra after about 3 days of research.

Not sure I would take an Expedition. Had a Yukon once upon a time, it was really good to me, but the price on those is off the charts high. The Durango really has a ton of value in it, meaning you get some significant capability for the money you spend.

I'm open to other options, but every time I look I keep coming back to the Durango.

With the new ecoboost V6 those things get great gas mileage, that motor/turbo has been proven fairly reliable, and it can tow 9200lbs I believe. It's a beast. I remember growing up my parents had an expedition and a Ram 1500. The Exp towed our boat like there was nothing there, with a bigger motor that poor Ram still sucked at towing pretty much anything. Now I know I technically have a mopar with my wrangler and I have been super impressed with its towing capabilities.......but if I was to do it, which I will in a year or so, it'd be expedition all around. FCA QC has been lack luster at best. Reason I won't buy a new GC.

 

[Billtex2000]

Pretty set on the Durango. The Durango really has a ton of value in it, meaning you get some significant capability for the money you spend.
I'm open to other options, but every time I look I keep coming back to the Durango.

I concur...you won't regret it. I loved my '08 HEMI, but my '14 makes the older model's look like antique's. Glad I traded up to a newer model. I looked at everything from Tahoe's to Explorers, Tundra's to F-150's and kept going back to the Durango. The size is perfect, looks good, 3 row seating, TON of cargo room (even behind the 3rd row), and great tow capacity. Rides like a Cadillac and the 8-speed tranny is smooth as silk. Lot's of options for the money too! You can find 2014+ around with low miles. I traveled an hour an a half to get a v6 with factory towing. V6's with the factory package are harder to find. I wanted the fuel economy of the V6 with the higher tow capacity. I'm pretty sure most of the other v6 SUV's in the class are only rated at 5000lbs. or less. (could be wrong)
I also didn't want a giant behemoth as a daily driver, just to be able to tow my boat when I needed to. Durango is still small enough to park/maneuver easily.
CarGurus was a big help in the search!

 

[SamCF]

The new Durango is an excellent vehicle. We just traded up to a Cadillac Escalade, and its power train is honestly not as refined as the Durango. The 8-speed in the Ram/Durango is perfect for towing. Definitely make sure you get the factory tow package.

 

[Cambo]

Haven't towed long distance with the 242X but have done 6hr road trips to Vermont numerous times with the AR230. I'm at 94K now with no issues great for towing 2014 durango R/T with tow package it has load leveling shocks that work great