Small flat towable trucks
We just traded our 37’ Everest fifth wheel for a 37’ Georgetown class A. We did not trade our 2002 F-350 with the 7.3L because we still need a truck once in a while and the dealer would not give us a...
Forum Discussion
I tow a 2002 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab SLT, 4X4 V-8 automatic transmission.
Before this I towed a 1997 Dodge Dakota standard cab SLT, 4X4 V-6 with 5 speed manual transmission.
Both trucks were listed for recreational towing and had instructions in the owner manual to set the vehicle up for flat (recreational) towing.
The '97 had a lever shifted transfer case so all I had to do was put the transfer case in Neutral, transmission in second gear and leave the key in the unlocked position.
The '02 has an electronic shift transfer case so the procedure is a little more complicated but does the job.
I believe that all Dakotas were recreational towable until the line ended a couple years ago.
I bought the '97 brand new... special ordered it through AAFES when I was stationed in Germany. I really like the truck but decided that two doors was a little cramped and opted for the four door version when I bought the '02. That was the only reason for buying a new truck. I would have kept the '97 until this day if it had been the quad cab version from the start.
Both are nice riding, relatively quiet and comfortable vehicles. The '02 has the 4.7 liter V-8 so it has a bit more power than the '97 which had the V-6.
Both tow well behind my rig. The '97 was barely noticeable until I got in to mountains where it naturally put a strain on the RV pulling up grades.
The '02 is slightly heavier but still under 5K pounds. On the flats it is barely noticeable but in the mountains it also pulls hard on the grades. Generally I am able to either keep up with or exceed tractor-trailer traffic in the mountains.
I would highly suggest purchasing the '97 and up Dakotas. They are a nice, comfortable, well built truck. They can haul a lot of weight and can tow as much as 6000 pounds of trailer.
I purchased the '02 used and fortunately the previous owner took care of it so the interior is in great condition. with 113K miles on the clock. The seat fabric is not even damaged or ripped.
Cons:
The front seat cushions flatten over time. After ten years of regular use the '02 driver seat cushion became flat and uncomfortable. fortunately the fabric is stretched on and held with clips that can be easily removed so the cushion can be replaced easily.
Front ball joints go bad after about 70K miles and are a pain to replace because they are installed with cold rivets that must be cut off to remove the upper ball joints. Lowers are pressed in and held with a ring clip so are easier to replace.
PAINT!!! both the '97 and the '02 developed clear coat peeling. Mostly confined to the upper surfaces such as the roof, hood and top of the fenders. This is a difficult situation to remedy and looks ugly. The only way to correct this is to remove the OEM paint down to the primer or metal.
I really like the Dakotas, especially the '97-'04 models. In 2005 they sharpened all the angles which gave it a more angular look instead of the rounded look of the older models. I did not like that as much but other folks do.
I liked the interior design of the '97 better than the '02 just for personal taste. It looked better to me. The '02 interior is nice enough but dis more flattened and spartan than the curvacious nature of the older model. The difference is that the door pockets in the '02 are a bit larger and deeper . Other than appearance there is little else different.
Of note:
The rear seat of the quad cab models are quite spacious and can accommodate three average adults, shoulder to shoulder. Leg room in the back seat is about average... about the same as a typical mid-size sedan. The front seat accommodates two adults and if it is equipped with the seat that has the flip down center console it can accommodate three if the person in the center is not too big... is about the size of Jackie Kennedy.
Before this I towed a 1997 Dodge Dakota standard cab SLT, 4X4 V-6 with 5 speed manual transmission.
Both trucks were listed for recreational towing and had instructions in the owner manual to set the vehicle up for flat (recreational) towing.
The '97 had a lever shifted transfer case so all I had to do was put the transfer case in Neutral, transmission in second gear and leave the key in the unlocked position.
The '02 has an electronic shift transfer case so the procedure is a little more complicated but does the job.
I believe that all Dakotas were recreational towable until the line ended a couple years ago.
I bought the '97 brand new... special ordered it through AAFES when I was stationed in Germany. I really like the truck but decided that two doors was a little cramped and opted for the four door version when I bought the '02. That was the only reason for buying a new truck. I would have kept the '97 until this day if it had been the quad cab version from the start.
Both are nice riding, relatively quiet and comfortable vehicles. The '02 has the 4.7 liter V-8 so it has a bit more power than the '97 which had the V-6.
Both tow well behind my rig. The '97 was barely noticeable until I got in to mountains where it naturally put a strain on the RV pulling up grades.
The '02 is slightly heavier but still under 5K pounds. On the flats it is barely noticeable but in the mountains it also pulls hard on the grades. Generally I am able to either keep up with or exceed tractor-trailer traffic in the mountains.
I would highly suggest purchasing the '97 and up Dakotas. They are a nice, comfortable, well built truck. They can haul a lot of weight and can tow as much as 6000 pounds of trailer.
I purchased the '02 used and fortunately the previous owner took care of it so the interior is in great condition. with 113K miles on the clock. The seat fabric is not even damaged or ripped.
Cons:
The front seat cushions flatten over time. After ten years of regular use the '02 driver seat cushion became flat and uncomfortable. fortunately the fabric is stretched on and held with clips that can be easily removed so the cushion can be replaced easily.
Front ball joints go bad after about 70K miles and are a pain to replace because they are installed with cold rivets that must be cut off to remove the upper ball joints. Lowers are pressed in and held with a ring clip so are easier to replace.
PAINT!!! both the '97 and the '02 developed clear coat peeling. Mostly confined to the upper surfaces such as the roof, hood and top of the fenders. This is a difficult situation to remedy and looks ugly. The only way to correct this is to remove the OEM paint down to the primer or metal.
I really like the Dakotas, especially the '97-'04 models. In 2005 they sharpened all the angles which gave it a more angular look instead of the rounded look of the older models. I did not like that as much but other folks do.
I liked the interior design of the '97 better than the '02 just for personal taste. It looked better to me. The '02 interior is nice enough but dis more flattened and spartan than the curvacious nature of the older model. The difference is that the door pockets in the '02 are a bit larger and deeper . Other than appearance there is little else different.
Of note:
The rear seat of the quad cab models are quite spacious and can accommodate three average adults, shoulder to shoulder. Leg room in the back seat is about average... about the same as a typical mid-size sedan. The front seat accommodates two adults and if it is equipped with the seat that has the flip down center console it can accommodate three if the person in the center is not too big... is about the size of Jackie Kennedy.
