Can my Dodge Durango GT haul a 4400 lbs travel trailer?

My Grand Cherokee (same basic vehicle as Durango but with shorter wheelbase) with the 5.7 Hemi V8 has no problems pulling my TT which is 22’ and 3500 lbs wet. Power is very good and payload not a problem (only 1 or 2 of us). Nobody has mentioned the Durango GT has the v6, the RT has the v8. I do not think you will be happy towing with the v6 regardless of what the max tow rating is. JMHO.

“The travel trailer dry hitch weight is 400 lbs (Jay flight SLX8 224 BH)”

Probably 10% which is not enough...13 to 15% is better to help prevent sway.
Loaded and wet will add 1000 to 1200 pounds to the TT and move up the necessary tongue weight.

“Both the car dealership and RV dealership say it's absolutely fine.” lol Both have a vested interest...your money.

I have often said to keep the trailer GVWR within the tow rating. The issue often comes down to payload capacity. Many already load the tow vehicle to max GVWR and then want to connect a trailer. The tow rating includes only a 150# driver and a full tank of fuel. All additional passengers, options and equipment in the vehicle reduce the payload rating to carry the hitch weight. Anyway don't go crazy with extra in the vehicle and go have some fun.

My Durango 2020 came equipped with factory towing package with break
The GVWR of the Durango is 6500. The payload is 1360.
The travel trailer dry hitch weight is 400 lbs (Jay flight SLX8 224 BH)
Weight of family in car would be 500 lbs
Also, I would have the husky centerline swing bars

I haven't bought the travel trailer yet and I won't buy it if it's risky. Both the car dealership and RV dealership say it's absolutely fine. However, I'm not sure I can trust them.

Thanks so much for your opinions.

payload is going to limit you.

5500lbs trailer means around 720 lbs tongue weight (13 % us a good start)

720 tongue weight
+ 100 lbs for hitch
+ weight of family in the car
+ weight of gear in the car
+ weight of extras (think ice, water, firewood)

= less than your payload. ok
= more than your payload, no go.

personally thats a tall order and id pass (having upgraded to an f150 from a grand cherokee myself)

"towing capacity 6200 lb"

"Pull," yes. "Carry" the weight, possibly. What is your payload? A far more important number.

Are you asking if your truck can tow a trailer that is lighter than what Dodge recommends towing?
Yes.
Yes, you can tow a 5,500;b trailer with a truck that the factory says can tow 6,200lbs.

You will get a lot more answers than you are asking for on here, like to be careful not to load the truck (SUV) heavy with passengers or cargo as ultimately you have to consider the total weight you are moving, truck and trailer combined.
For a 5.500 lb trailer you really should be using trailer brakes.
For that weight make sure that the trailer tongue is not so heavy that it puts too much weight on the back of the truck. 10-15% tongue weight is the standard.
Too much weight behind the trailer axles will cause it to sway and/or handle poorly.
You can fill the water tanks when you get there to save from towing 8lbs per gallon of water.

Your drive train can probably handle it (if you're not driving up long grades at high elevation, and if the trailer's frontal area isn't too massive). But as others have pointed out, your suspension is another matter. Check that payload, especially how much weight you can put on the rear axle.

What year is your Durango, how is it equipped, and what does the sticker on the driver's door say about maximum payload? Does it have a factory towing package? Take the maximum payload from the door sticker and subtract the weight of passengers, gear, and 100 lbs. for a weight distributing hitch. If you don't have enough payload left over after that for 660 lbs. of trailer tongue weight, you won't have enough payload capacity.

Rob

Like almost every vehicle below the 1 ton truck class your Durango is extremely likely to run out of payload capacity long before it runs out of engine. The only way to answer the question is to know how much weight you will be planning to put in the tow vehicle vs the available capacity. Today's trucks and SUVs are treated against an industry standard that accounts for a full load a fluids and a 150 pound driver, but the tow rating does not account for any options beyond the usually base model tested, or things like a family and luggage.