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BREWLV
Dodge Dakota
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5/15/2004
22:22:33
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 Subject: RE: 4.7 towing
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Have 2003 Quad Cab Sport Plus with all the factory stuff - 4.7 - 5 speed automatic - towing package - class IV receiver - 16" wheels - hd cooling - electrical - well you get the idea. I assume I have the 3.55 gear. I have towed 26 ft. boat - total boat-trailer weight about 5000# - no problem. Owners manual says I can tow 6700#. I am buying a fifth wheel or bumper tow trailer with light weight of 6500#. Want to know if anyone has experience with this type of towing and looking for advice/opinions on fifth wheel as opposed to bumpber and what you have experienced.
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Kowalski
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2004
06:47:57
| RE: 4.7 towing
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I've towed campers both ways and the fifth wheel set up is sweet. Hook up couldn't be easier and handling is better. Less air drag too. Mine is a RC, with your shorter bed QC cab clearence could be an issue. Look for an extended pin box like I have on my 24.5' Prowler (pin is forward of overhang, not underneath it). They make sliding couplers to get extra clearence for tight manuevering. That weight rating sounds high for a 3.55 rear - might want to look into it further. I'm near the max for my 2000 4.7 3.55 at around 5000#.
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BREWLV
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2004
12:14:35
| RE: 4.7 towing
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Thanks for the reply Kowalski. What is the UVW on your Prowler and what model is it. I'd like to look at it on the net - maybe I'll buy one instead of the Nomad 2605 I'm looking at. The Nomad's UVW is 6125#. Any additional information will be appreciated.
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Kowalski
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2004
14:15:07
| RE: 4.7 towing
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I've got a '87 Lynx 245H, I forget the UVH, figured it weighted a little under 5000 loaded with extra water and big coolers for a NH race weekend. Found it last year for $2500 in great shape, nedded one minor plumbing repair. You can find some pretty good deals on used campers, newer ones too. A freind was happy to find a similar one for $3500 after checking it out. Campers with 2 doors can feel less cramped if people are in and out much. You can find the extended pin pox on many manufacturers campers, also might be able to have one retrofitted.
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phil
Dodge Dakota
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11/27/2004
10:06:22
| RE: 4.7 towing
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I have a 2003 dakota. it has 4.7, 3.55 rear, and the heavy duty service group(oil cooler,tranny cooler and 750 amp batt)it also has class iv hitch.It also has 5 speed auto tranny.The question i have is the tow rating for my truck is 4500 lbs.The same exact truck except for the rear end which has 3.92 tows 5900 lbs that is 1400 lb. difference.The 3.92 is not much more than the 3.55 what it make that much of a diference towing wise. My next question is, if those specs are right. can my dakota (3.55 rear) tow up 5900 lbs because i have the tranny cooler.the only reason i can figure the 3.92 rear can tow up to 5900 lbs is because of the tranny. any help will be much appreaciated because i am looking to buy a rv next summer.
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fastpastor
Dodge Dakota
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11/29/2004
14:49:52
| RE: 4.7 towing
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I have a 04 QC with a 3.55 and have tow easily several 2 tons with the bed full of fire wood through the mountains of central PA with no problem. The 4.7's are a beast. I even with all that weight i still get decent gas mileage and never had an overheating issue.
04 Dakota QC MBRP CAT & CAI....more to come!
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Kowalski
GenIII
11/29/2004
18:26:30
| RE: 4.7 towing
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Phil - the difference is the gears, not the tranny. The gearing lets the engine make more power to move the heavier load - so if you don't mind maybe stressing the motor, and maybe the tranny a bit more the truck should be physically capable of hauling that weight. The electric trailer brakes will help you slow it down safely, you'll want to get a brake controler for that.
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Jared
Dodge Dakota
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11/29/2004
21:00:05
| RE: 4.7 towing
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is there that much different between a 4.7 and 5.2, my 5.2 is rated from dodge to pull 10,500.
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jasonsdakota
Dodge Dakota
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11/29/2004
21:04:30
| RE: 4.7 towing
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i'll bet that 10,500 is including the weight of your truck. there is a rating that is what the engine and tranny can take and it includes, tow weight, payload, and weight of truck. it may not tow 10,500 in addition to your truck but maybe truck weighs 5000 (4x4) and can tow 5500 more. maybe!
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GraphiteDak
GenIII
11/30/2004
01:18:28
| RE: 4.7 towing
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WOW. I've yet to see a 5th wheel set up on a DAKOTA!
I would think 5th wheels setups usually go hand in hand with 2500 and 3500 trucks, usually turbo deisel.
But this little truck sure can tow.
Kowalski. So you got a trailer for that cheap and it has self contained water/sewer, etc?
When I get a house with more room (a RV gate or similar) I'd be interested in finding a fixer upper that I can remodel into a ATV toy hauler. About 17 years ago when I was young I worked at a RV shop. It's been a log time but back then I got to help repair and even mod some trailers and motor homes. It wouldn't be too hard for me to remodel a trailer to haul a few ATV's with some fold down beds and some appliances.
Right now I have a open trailer for the ATV's and sleep in a tent when I go to the dunes. It sure is hard to sleep when people ride all night long around camps. A enclosed trailer would reduce the noise a lot. I'm a light sleeper :-(
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Chris V
Dodge Dakota
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11/30/2004
01:37:08
| RE: 4.7 towing
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Did anyone ever figure this out?
"According to running my VIN number through Dodge service dept.
It has 3.55, Corporate 9.25 LD
My question is what is the difference between
Lsd & LD or is this the same.
Even the Dodge service area could not give me an answer."
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daffydak
GenIII
11/30/2004
01:58:14
| RE: 4.7 towing
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I bieleve LD stands for Light Duty. dodge calls this axle Light duty, because it is a RAM axle, and is for the 1500 trucks (and dakotas) it would say "Anti Spin diff" if it were LSD.
Correct me if I'm wrong...
00 CC Sport Plus 4.7L 4X4 Auto, 3:55 LSD
Flowmaster orig. 40 series (2 chamber) muffler, adjusted tps to .76V, ported TB, home brew intake setup w/K&N filter, more mods to come!!!
Dan
MOPAR=More Power!!
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Kowalski
GenIII
11/30/2004
09:13:52
| RE: 4.7 towing
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Chris V - I agree with Dan; I think its light duty.
GraphiteDak - yup, completely self contained, AC (need house current for that), fridge works, but no canopy. Had a 10x20 stand alone canopy already so no problem there. Gas fridges are great for keeping your beer cold in the middle of nowhere. Had to cut an acces hole underneath the dining table sink to reconnect where shower drain had seperated from tank connection; also had to replace dry rotted tires, you find that in most older trailers. Last trip to the races, a friend had an older pop up camper given to him to convert to a snowmobile trailer. I've seen decent 30' tagalongs go for $1000 or less, no one seems to want the longer trailers when older. Your idea sounds good, might want to look for with a rear bedroom so you can load your ATVs in the front for best weight distribution. You'd be a little heavy for Dak's weight rating, but another friend pulled one like that with an '80s Lincoln town car with beefed up springs and weight distributing hitch. If he could pull it with that, you should be able to too. There's lots of deals on older campers if you spend some time looking, good luck !
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GraphiteDak
GenIII
12/01/2004
00:10:46
| RE: 4.7 towing
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"but another friend pulled one like that with an '80s Lincoln town car with beefed up springs and weight distributing hitch."
I'd like to have seen THAT.
Under $1000. That's my kind of price. I'm pretty handy with stuff like that. I've got a wire feed welder, grinders, and a scrap metal yard 2 miles away that sells by the Lb when I need metal :-)
I figured I'd load them quads in the back with a door that swings down like the toy haulers have. Hmm... I'd have to make it side load up front. But that may take up too much space to allow to turn once inside. I'd have to load them from the rear. I only want like a 16 foot. Just enough to load 2 full size quads, and maybe a kids quad. the 4th can go in the bed of my truck. Once I knew how the quads loaded, I'd redesign some of the tables and beds around that layout.
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Kowalski
GenIII
12/01/2004
07:35:33
| RE: 4.7 towing
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It was rather comical; he just stepped up to a diesel dooly. Actually the truck is his girlfriends, and she sometimes has fun rubbing it in. I'll bet your plan will work, might just want to leave the fridge and cooking area, usually on the same wall; and go with a loft bed up front. Campers up to about 24' should tow quite well behind your Dak, as long as you keep decent weight on the tongue. They changed the way campers are measured some years ago; used to include the tongue but now usually refers to the box length - so you may see some difference in how the lengths are advertised. Have fun !
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Gerry
Dodge Dakota
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10/29/2007
15:09:28
| RE: 4.7 towing
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we pull a fifth wheel behinf are ram 4.7l 3.55 ratio, are camper weighs 9400lbs its heavy but it pulls it does alot of shifting do you think smaller tires would make it shift less?
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Kowalski
GenIII
10/29/2007
15:39:14
| RE: 4.7 towing
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Gerry - you might want to consider lower gears. I doubt your Ram is rated to pull that kind of weight with 3.55 ratio.
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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10/29/2007
16:08:14
| RE: 4.7 towing
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and if you don't have it, an aux. trans cooler.
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catzo
Dodge Dakota
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11/10/2009
13:58:01
|  RE: 4.7 towing
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I have a 2000 Dakota Quad cab 4x4. I'm looking to buy a 31 ft camper with these specs:
UVW 7,044 lbs.
Hitch Weight 933 lbs.
Axle Weight 6,111 lbs.
I'm not looking to travel but I want to be able to move it to and from a local campsite a couple times a year. I've heard mixed views on whether my truck can tow this load. Some say yes but not cross country, which is fine since the furthest I would ever go is 200 miles and no mountains.
The Dakotas towing specs appear to be 6200. I'm assuming this is a stock truck. If I upgrade my truck does it change the load rating? I have a class 3 hitch, 4.7 V8, AT w/cooler, 3.55 gears. I'm prepared to invest in tranny rebuild, 4:10 gears, and helper springs to get me within specs to do a little towing with my Dakota. Is it possible to get a class 4 hitch for a Dakota?
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Kowalski
GenIII
11/10/2009
18:09:30
| RE: 4.7 towing
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The class three hitch should be rated for that, as long as you use a weight distributing hitch. You'll definitely need that. Your going to know that camper is back there, but I've towed a little heavier than that with my truck - like yours but a regular cab. 4.10 gears as you are considering and roadmaster active suspension for a bit more rear spring capacity. Technically this doesn't change the load rating of the truck, but it will make a difference. Some ratings are due to gearing, or power, or how much weight a vehicle will physically take - you might want to check the tow rating of your truck with a 5.9 liter 3.92 gear set up. That combo was also available that year. If it is higher, I'd think you'll be okay. I wouldn't worry about the tranny rebuild unless yours is acting up already. Been towing like that and plowing mine since new with no problems there. Don't be afraid to let the 4.7 rev when towing.
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