Transmission cooler?

For "2006 town and country 3.8L V6 with the stow and go...", I would:
- Install Class III hitch. Spend a little more dollars and +1 upgrade to Class III (instead of planning Class II). Nice to have extra strength - especially across the unseen deep bumps and double railway tracks.
- Install electric brakes on the trailer. re: Brake Assemblies and/or axle replacement (with its own brake hubs).
- For Brake Controller, recommend Prodigy P2 or P3 model. Stay away from lower cost "timed" technology controllers.
- Install 7 Pin connector on the mini-van's rear. Being a PUP that probably has its own onboard 12V battery, I would also install a "trickle charge" wire from TV's battery to PUP's battery via through their connected 7-pin connector.
- Yes. Install Aux cooler on the mini-van. Install one rated for 5,000 lbs connected trailer - especially if one lives / travels in hilly / windy regions.
- Only pull in 1 gear below auto (D). - to reduce auto gear hunting - that creates inner transmission heat.
- For the Dodge mini-van line, I'd also install Timbren SES units - to eliminate rear sag.

Good aux cooler install video for 2006 GC at: - click here -

Notes:
- 2006 Dodge mini-vans don't have HD brakes. If I remember correctly, HD brakes were standard on 2014+ models. Trailer with their own brakes will reduce the risk of front brake rotor warpage / shimmy effect.
- If wondering, Timbren SES units are hallow chunks of rubber that fit inside rear coil springs. Thus, no worry about air leaks, airing up/down hassle either. To view Timbren SES units in my mini-van, surf: - click here -
- Install aux cooler 2" (or so) away from its other frontal position RADs. Ths gap allows one to "protection wrap" the aux cooler during freezing cold winter months. Unknown to some folks, have trans fluid too cold is harder on an inner transmission than too hot. Wrap the aux cool with wind break material during deep cold season. To view my mini-van with its aux cooler wrapped (only during 4 month freezing cold months), surf: - click here -

Remember that its not just the weight of the connected PUP. Its also the combined weight of onboard cargo and onboard people. Add stress with climbing hills against strong head winds (even with lower profile PUP), and one is pushing the upper limited of minimum factory build. Install above items and your older age 2006 mini-van will thank you. Especially when on the road in far off lands where roadside rescue is hard to obtain.

I can't believe that they sell vehicles without transmission coolers. Especially anything with any towing capacity. My son's Honda mini-van burned up a transmission. The guy that worked on it said it was heat that killed it. He didn't tow with it. After he got it back from the shop with the new tranny in it, he put in a cooler. That was the first I'd heard of such a thing! It didn't even have something that piggybacked inside the radiator. Unbelievable!

You can go to any parts store and buy a cooler off the shelf. They are easy to install. Find your cooler lines at the radiator. Start with a cold car. Have someone start the car, hold the brake and put it in drive. Feel which line warms up first. The line that stays cool the longest is the return line. Disconnect that one. The kit should come with a line that screws into the radiator. The stock line and the part that screwed into the radiator will have flared ends. Mount the cooler to the front of the radiator - condenser. Make sure to stay consistent in a location that the hoses will reach the return line(s). The hose will be one piece out of the box. Mount both sides to the cooler with hose clamps and route the loop of hose to the open return lines with no real sharp turns, no less than a 3 or 4 inch loop. Once you have this laid out cut the hose, put a loose hose clamp over each end, slide them on the open return lines and tighten the hose clamps. The ideal situation is for the return to go uphill so, you want the side coming out of the radiator to go to the bottom of the cooler. Make sure not to mount any cooler on the feed line that comes from the transmission into the factory cooler in the radiator. That would make the cooler pretty useless. Check for leaks and top up the transmission with Chrysler transmission fluid, ATF+4. Do not over fill. The T&C doesn't come with a dip stick. I made one for my 2010 T&C out of a generic dipstick. It's simple to measure it out to use to measure your level. If you feel uncertain about doing this job to your van let a mechanic do it. Make sure to not Route a hose so it's chaffing a sharp edge. The 3.8 should handle a pop up fine. I do think you need a cooler for that transmission.

Terryallan wrote:
Yes get the cooler IF it does NOT have one. It should be installed inline AFTER the line comes out of the radiator.

All automatics have transmission coolers, the question is really should there be an additional one added to increase the capacity. I cannot see where additional cooling is required for a pop-up and a van.

Yes get the cooler IF it does NOT have one. It should be installed inline AFTER the line comes out of the radiator.

Another thing, and important as well. A FULL sized spare tire is part of the tow package. You DO NOT want to tow with a donut. So you will need to upgrade the spare.

I would recommend you hold your speed to about 60 until you get a handle on towing and performance. And stick to secondary roads for a while.

Idk that it's something I could install myself. Im also having a hard time selling this whole pop up idea to the husband. We're on a tight budget so a 2000 2nd hand pop up is a lot when I start adding in the hitch, and now a cooler. Im sensing that if I'm only going 65 on the e-way, across the state or up north then I should be OK for now. Definitely will consider a tow pkg in a newer van for anything more extensive. Thanks :)

I installed a large tranny cooler on my truck for less than $50. I have a total of 3 tranny coolers because you can never be to safe. I installed a Hayden Automotive 678 Rapid-Cool Plate and Fin Transmission Cooler from Amazon. Simple install.

Regardless of what you decide about the cooler, you can help keep the temps down by slowing down and shifting down. Turn off overdrive, hold your speed down, and any time you feel a lot of shifting going on, manually downshift and leave it there. The worst thing on a transmission is continually hunting for gears. Also depending on how many miles you travel towing, you should shorten your interval for flushing the transmission, and checking or changing other fluids.

We have a large teardrop trailer about the same weight as your pop-up. I did add a transmission cooler but we were going to be mountain climbing in the Sierras, and did. some 8% grades and 110+F. I also switched to synthetic ATF and have an Ultraguage that tells me the actually tells me the engine temp and on certain vehicles the transmission temps.
Given your situation I would not add the cooler (we also camp in Michigan) and you are fresh out of mountains.