Jayco Jay Feather Trailering Electrical

I dunno-the GVWR for the Jayco is 3500 lbs, coincidentally the max towing capacity for virtually every minivan I've ever heard of except the Chevy Astro/GMC Safari which will do around 5K. Unless you have one of those, I'd rethink the whole Hybrid idea.

Whether or not round or 'blade' it will be a male plug.......trailer cord plugs into receptacle on tow vehicle.

4 wire will only give you right/left turns signals, a ground & maker/taillights

7 wire will provide power for charging trailer battery, power to activate trailer brakes via brake controller and back-up lights in addition to 4 way wiring.

You will at least need to run wiring for brake controller so trailer brakes work when tow vehicle brakes are activated.

Wiring/function of trailer plugs etc.......LINK

Think you will be very close on MAX weight.
Does your minivan have a tranny cooler, a weight distribution hitch and hows your radiator

sounds like your minivan doesn't have the factory tow package.
if not, you won't be able to tow the weight of the hybrid safely.

you'll need to duplicate the entire tow package. class III/IV receiver, wiring for brake controller, 7-pin trailer connector, trans cooler and possibly something else.

and you'll need a WDH with sway control to add to the brake controller you have.

if you only have the 4-pin connector, you haven't done enough research to understand what it takes to tow a full height trailer.

i also echo that you won't be happy towing a hybrid with a minivan, unless it's the Astro/Safari one.

Poor choice of "tow vehicle" and camper.

Without the factory HD tow package your minivan can have a maximum towing capacity as low as 2000 pounds which won't tow any camper but a 10' popup safely and will struggle with that.

This trailer has a gross vehicle weight rating of 3500 pounds and you will assuredly overload it due to its miniscule cargo capacity of 650 pounds which means once you put 80 pounds of propane and a 60 pound battery on the tongue you're left with 470 pounds of stuff. A full water tank will suck another 250 pounds.

-- Chuck

Chuck_S wrote:
Poor choice of "tow vehicle" and camper.

Without the factory HD tow package your minivan can have a maximum towing capacity as low as 2000 pounds which won't tow any camper but a 10' popup safely and will struggle with that.

This trailer has a gross vehicle weight rating of 3500 pounds and you will assuredly overload it due to its miniscule cargo capacity of 650 pounds which means once you put 80 pounds of propane and a 60 pound battery on the tongue you're left with 470 pounds of stuff. A full water tank will suck another 250 pounds.

-- Chuck

I do not understand this post at all. Any V6 equipped van will tow a 10' pup with ease. To say it would struggle is just incorrect and quite silly.

It is very possible to keep the cargo within the 650 lb CC limit. To think they can't is pure conjecture on your part. Not everyone brings a bread maker camping.

I do agree with Bikendan though that if you do not understand the wiring needs the OP is likely way over their head.

I do have the towing package on my van with the trans cooler and larger radiator it is rated for 3500. Has anyone pulled anything of this class with a minivan?

Thanks for all the responses.

rfranz wrote:
I do have the towing package on my van with the trans cooler and larger radiator it is rated for 3500. Has anyone pulled anything of this class with a minivan?

Thanks for all the responses.

I haven't. Can You? sure. Should you??? unlikely

The first problem is the tongue weight. Those single axle little Hybrids have a lot of TW and would be over your allowable. Up to you to believe the numbers

3500 maximum towing capacity will not let you tow a 3500 pound trailer. Not for long anyway. A 3500 pound trailer (and it will probably exceed 4000 pounds unless you strip it out) with the massive air resistance of a travel trailer body will cause premature transmission wear and (almost certainly if it's a Chrysler) failure.

Sure, you can pull it. The question remains "for how long."

My personal rule of thumb is to have at least 1000 pounds more towing capacity than the trailer really weighs. 2000 pounds is better. I purchased a 5500 pound max rated Explorer specifically to tow a 3500 pound popup with very little air resistance. I'd not tow more than a 2500 - 3000 popup with your van. But that's just me.

Trailers over 2000 pounds need brakes in almost every state or province. Surprised your "HD Tow package" does not include the 7-pole connector required for the electric brakes since surge brakes are largely a thing of the past. Did the van come with a 2" receiver at the back of the truck or 1.5"?

-- Chuck

rfranz,
If you go with an HTT you'll more then likely need to upgrade your TV in the near future, many of us have had to do the same trying to get by with too small vehicles. The wind resistance really bogs you down as well as the weight causing rear end sag and steering issues. If you flat out do not want to upgrade then I'd suggest you keep looking. I went the first year after adding Air-Lifts for the sag but was under powered going up hills and into stiff headwinds. In year 2 I had to bite the bullet on a bigger used vehicle, which I've since replaced yet again. I see folks pulling small trailers with minivans, 1/4T trucks, and small SUV's, having done so myself I certainly won't recommend it.
As far as the 4 pin to 7 pin, you'll need to change your 4 pin flat to a 7 pin for which there are adapter kits. It requires adding wires for the new Brake Controller you'll need for the van. Uhaul or an RV dealer can probably do it if you don't want to tackle it.

if you don't have the wiring for a brake controller nor the 7-pin connector, then it doesn't have the factory tow package.
sounds like it was aftermarket additions.
unless your minivan's factory tow package came with a 4-pin instead of a 7-pin.
does it have the pre-wiring for a brake controller?

you haven't posted any info on your minivan, which would help. different vans have different specs, though nearly all have a max towing capacity of 3500lbs. and for minivans from the Big 3, that's rated with only a 150lb. driver in the van.

lastly, aside from the weights of the trailer and the tongue possibly exceeding the max of your minivan, a hybrid's frontal area WILL exceed the maximum amount that should be stated in your van's owners manual.