Towing w/Chrysler Minivan 3.3 liter engine

[bgal]

We are being told by some that the transmissions on Chryslers just cant handle towing period.  Even with staying below the recommended weight allowed for towing.  Does anyone tow with this vehicle and what kind of pop-up do you have and what is the dry weight?

I am guessing that based on our advice, avoiding  slide-outs is a must .

Any words of wisdom?

[wynot]

We are being told by some that the transmissions on Chryslers just cant handle towing period. Even with staying below the recommended weight allowed for towing. Does anyone tow with this vehicle and what kind of pop-up do you have and what is the dry weight?
 
I am guessing that based on our advice, avoiding slide-outs is a must .
 
Any words of wisdom?

Words of Wisdom:
Look out for the long thread that is about to start.
 
But most (not all) of the people I know that have Chrysler minivans have had transmission trouble of some sort.  Don't know how this compares to the other manufacturers - for example, the AXOD tranny on the Windstars was also supposedly a weak point, but we towed a 3,500 lb popup with both of ours, with no problems.
 
But yes, Chryslers minivans do seem to have a reputation of a transmission weak point.
 
Caveat emptor.

[abbear]

You need to do a search of the forums.  This thread pops up a lot and a search should give you several threads.

[wavery]

We are being told by some that the transmissions on Chryslers just cant handle towing period.  Even with staying below the recommended weight allowed for towing.  Does anyone tow with this vehicle and what kind of pop-up do you have and what is the dry weight?

I am guessing that based on our advice, avoiding  slide-outs is a must .

Any words of wisdom?

What year is your mini-van?

Chrysler changed to synthetic ATF in 2000 because synthetic ATF dissipates heat much better than regular ATF. Since then, the trans problems have diminished substantially. However, I would still recommend the biggest trans cooler that you can mount on your mini-van. The real problem with towing is that it creates more heat for both your engine and your transmission.

If you do not have an external trans cooler, your radiator must perform double duty. Because the factory trans-cooler is inside of the radiator, the radiator is substantially hotter do to increased engine temperature from towing. This not only reduces the the radiators capacity to cool the trans but the hotter running trans (from towing) doubly increases the heat in the radiator. It is essential that you get that extra heat out of the radiator and allow the transmission to be cooled externally so that the radiator can handle the job of the extra heat that is being generated by the engine.

A lot of people think that the trans cooler is just for protecting the transmission. The truth is, it does just as much good for the engine as it does for the trans.

[dthurk]

Yes, check out other threads on the same topic.  There's plenty out there.  The thumbnail version from me...We own a Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3l. but we tow with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.  Recommend you get to something similar whenever you can.

[HersheyGirl]

I have had 3 Caravans now and I have towed with two of them.  The transmisson went out on my first one and I didn't even tow with it.  The transmission went out on my second one at less than 30k miles and I hadn't even towed with it either. I towed with that Caravan and the transmission was still going strong when it got totaled.  On my third Caravan, the transmission is still going strong and I have only towed very little with that one.  So the point of this post is....your transmission will go out in your Caravan if you tow or not. :eyecrazy:  I am just kidding.  I like the minivan to tow with and I would keep the weight down in a popup.  Get a transmission cooler, full size spare, and a hitch and you really should be good.

[dthurk]

Had an experience with our 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan that might be a bit off topic, but may be of interest to those here.

We began experiencing shifting problems, particularly when cold.  We could back the van out of it's parking spot, but when we put the van in drive, it would just sit there for a while (sometimes several minutes) in neutral.  Hitting the gas pedal would only race the engine.  I thought we would need major transmission work.  We took it to our local friendly mechanics, who discovered the speed sensor in the transmission was inoperable.  The transmission had no idea of when to shift and what to do.  We replaced the sensor for $75, and everything's been fine since.  Just wondering how many shops would say you needed a new transmission for multi thousands.  

That was probably 20,000 miles ago.  We have 96,000 miles on the van right now.  Just wondering if anyone might be experiencing the same thing.  Save yourself some money.  We have not yet had transmission repairs on ours, save for this sensor.  This post better not act as a jynx!

[esclark]

We are being told by some that the transmissions on Chryslers just cant handle towing period.  Even with staying below the recommended weight allowed for towing.  Does anyone tow with this vehicle and what kind of pop-up do you have and what is the dry weight?

I am guessing that based on our advice, avoiding  slide-outs is a must .

Any words of wisdom?

We don't own a Chrysler but we do tow with a Honda Odyssey which has simillar tow specs to the Chrysler and also is know to have a weak trans.  I think the key rule in towing, besides following the manufacturer rules, is to take it slow and easy as if you ARE towing something.  

If you're interested in looking at a really light weight pop-up, check out the Fleetwood Yuma that we have (1,542 pounds dry).  There are also many other companies that have light weight pop-ups.  I would say electric brakes are a must personally too.  
 
There are quite a few people on the site that DO tow with the same vehicle that you have.  You can also check out the popupexplorer.com website which has a dedicated towing section.  That should help a lot.

Let us know what you decide to do.  I wouldn't give up.  I would just get a light pop-up.  

Best of luck!  I don't know anyone who has regretted buying a pop-up.

[Polish_Geek]

I have a 1999 Plymouth Voyager with the 3.3L Engine.  It does not have a factory tow package but did come with a Transmission cooler.  I tow a 2006 Jayco 1007 PUP that has a dry weight of 2000lbs.  I have not had any issues with the transmission yet and have 70K on the vehicle.  Hopefully...you will not either.