Chrysler Town & Country Tow Car 21EC

[Wilkie]

I am looking into using our 2010 Town & Country to tow our 21EC to FL from MA this Winter...

The car does not have the Tow Package but I have a Tandem Wheel Trailer with Minimal weight on the tongue... I am thinking all I might need is a Proper Hitch and possibly add'l cooling for the Transmission?

Does anyone have experience with this type of car? Suggestions/comments?

Thanks..

Wilkie

 

[tugfan]

The 21EC weights 2750 LB dry, add 200-300 LB for fuel, H2O and stuff. Add a trailer 1000-1200 LB, you are now up 4200 LB minimum, so to be conservative and have a extra weight margin, you need a tow vehicle with around 5000LB towing capacity. Looking at Chrysler's web site, the Town & Country with the factory tow package has a towing max of 3600LB.

So, IMHO the short answer is no.

As to suggestions, I have a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder, stock vehicle will tow 5000 lb, the newer ones are now 6000lb max, so anything like that, or a 1/2 ton pickup will do an excellent job.

Bill

www.eclecticwonders.com --- uncommon art

 

[SlackwaterJack]

Maybe for 5 mile hop without big hills on good road to launch at a local marina with a gentle slope and smooth ramp, but for a long haul a front drive minivan isn't the way to go. Their front axels and cv joints aren't designed for that level of stress. The first thing to fail will be either the axle/trans seals or the internal differential (planetary gears), I've also seen the tranny case crack on those units if put under excess stress*.
Also, they don't have a real frame (they're unibody) and a hitch can't be properly mounted to anything strong enough to take the highway stresses for long.
The only "minivan" that could take that tow is an Astro/Safari (they were built on the Siverado frame, rear drive and trans) rated at aound 6000#. However the morons at GM stopped production in 05 so you'd have to by used. I've owned both the TnC and Astro. the Astro got much better fuel economy in real world use and handled much better in tight quarters, but it felt more like truck than a car.

* used to own a tranny shop

 

[captain's cat]

We've towed about 3000# with a 2001 and 2005 T&C with the 3.8L engine. I wouldn't tow anything heavier. If you tow something like that in any case, have the factory hitch put on it that hooks to the frame and has the 2" receiver.

Charlie