Towing Advice - Dakota and Coachman Apex/Nano

We pulled our TT of similar weight and size with a 2004 grand cherokee, which had the same engine and transmission. We pulled it hundreds of miles with no issues. I just left the overdive turned off, and it rarely came out of third on the interstate. I pulled the cut in the hill and the hill out of lawrencburg in third without issue. The additional length of the Dakota and real frame should make the Dakota even better.

Last post about this - wanted to follow up and mention how everything went (might help the next guy!)

Overall, my truck pulled the TT just fine. The sticker dry weight was 3,686. I pull from Cincinnati back to good ole Kentucky - the only place I could really tell the truck was working was the hill coming from Cincinnati to Kentucky. I turned OD off (the entire trip) and kept a pretty steady pace around 60 mph. No sway at all in the trailer and the brake controller was golden.

Overall, it was a pretty good trip. No doubt I would want a bigger truck but for where my wife and I plan on going, the Dak will get us there just fine.

As a side note - I weighed before heading out and my truck was 4,860 pounds (me, some random fishing stuff like a trolling motor, tools, etc. and a full tank of gas). I was going to weigh once I got the TT but I just wanted to get home and crack a cold beer.

Thanks again everyone for your advice and input!

Thank you everyone for the advice! I pick up the TT Monday - I'll post back and let everyone know how it towed.

Thanks again!

I had your exact truck 3 years ago when my wife and I bought our 19 foot shadow cruiser. except it was a 2001. (loved that truck). Our dry weight for our trailer is 3400 lbs and hitch weight at 340. Loaded on scales the one time we checked was 4100. (Full 36 gallons of water plus "stuff") The truck pulled the trailer just fine. We live in the mountains of Utah and the only timeI I stressed was pulling up long mountain passes where it would approach 4000rpm and be at about 45 mph. You knew you were towing a trailer! That being said its at 7000 feet and 6% grade. I never had any sway with a very good anti sway and WDH installed. I think your truck will do just fine. I will say after the first year we upgraded to a 2013 Dodge 1500 5.7 hemi and I have to check the rear view mirror to see if the trailer is behind me.

DirtyOil wrote:
As a transporter of RVs I find the "advertised" UVW weights to be spot on according to DOT scales I have to report to.

There are a couple of manufacturers who run their trailers across a scale at the end of the assembly line and stamp the actual as-built-with-options empty weight on the VIN placard.

You must transport for one of those manufacturers, and consider "advertised" weight as what's stamped on the VIN placard.

We're talking website/brochure numbers here. There's no possible way the brochure numbers can be accurate because not every example of a particular model of trailer is equipped the same.

mbopp wrote:
2X4 or 4X4? Manual or automatic transmission?
How many people and how much gear are you hauling?

Forget the "brochure" weights. The TT will probably come in at 4000# or better, and the hitch weight at 500#. Empty.

2003 Towing Guide

As a transporter of RVs I find the "advertised" UVW weights to be spot on according to DOT scales I have to report to.

You'll be just fine with that setup.

Enjoy!

mbopp wrote:
2X4 or 4X4? Manual or automatic transmission?
How many people and how much gear are you hauling?

Forget the "brochure" weights. The TT will probably come in at 4000# or better, and the hitch weight at 500#. Empty.

***Link Removed***

Thank you for the link.

There will be myself and my wife, and we will be packing conservatively. In addition, my truck is 2x4 and has the tow package with Automatic transmission.

Thanks for your help!

2X4 or 4X4? Manual or automatic transmission?
How many people and how much gear are you hauling?

Forget the "brochure" weights. The TT will probably come in at 4000# or better, and the hitch weight at 500#. Empty.

2003 Towing Guide

Trailer's going to be in the ballpark of 5000lbs loaded and ready to camp, with a hitch weight of around 650-700lbs.

As long as you don't go crazy loading the truck up with stuff like firewood, motorcycles, quads, and you don't have 250lb linebackers for kids, you'll be within the ratings. Good truck brakes, good tires, good trailer brakes, and you'll be safe.

Safe doesn't equate to happy, though. We're talking about a 13 year old truck here that would be pushing its limits when new, and we don't really know how much the engine and transmission have left. That tired engine might leave you creeping up hills in 2nd gear while you pound on the steering wheel in a blind rage. Transmission might decide that 500 miles from home is a good time to call it a career. Perfectly safe, but totally disgusted.