Slightly OT - Daemler-Chrysler tow vehicle

[Jack Olsen]

Well, having done some SUV bashing in another thread, it may soon be time for me to join the other side. On a recent trip to see my family in Chicago, my engineer brother reiterated his offer of the family deal for buying a Chrysler product, and my wife made the point (?!) that she'd be happy to sell her Toyota, and that she'd always wanted to drive a truck.

Now, I've been toying with the idea of getting something to tow the 911, but didn't think there'd be parking for it. A Ram pickup is too big for city driving, but the Dakota model looks manageable, and a Durango would allow tires and tools to stay dry.

Any opinions on these trucks? In particular, would they make an acceptable tow vehicle for a fairly light 911? I don't think Dodge will put a V-10 in either of them, but I guess I'd get the biggest engine they've got.

It's still a 'sometime in the next year or so' idea, but I've found myself noticing them while I'm driving around low to the ground.

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Jack Olsen
My Rennlist page • My Pelican Gallery page • My Porsche Owners Gallery page

[Jack Olsen]

Oops -- spelled 'Daimler' the Jaguar way. My apologies to all the Germans out there.

[N11Porsche]

The Dodge Durango, Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakota all get Consumer Report's "next to the lowest" rating for reliability. The Ford 150 and Ford Ranger get "recommended" ratings, as does the Toyota Tundra. But if the deal is right, the ratings might not mean much to you. I usually go for reliability when buying a truck. Of course, I apply a different standard when buying a sports car (not that P-cars aren't dependable, but I let practability take a back seat)



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Bill Carcot
1979 911SC
Diablo Region, P.C.A.

[speedemon666]

Hey Jack, I got to drive a Durango about a year ago. I loved it. The 5.9L towed my mom's F-250 like it was nothing! Mileage was 12mpg. It was a top 'O' the line model w/ full leather & great stereo. The Durango weighed in at 6400lbs. Had all the HD stuff you would expect from a HD truck. The rear axle was HUGE like a Dana 60. I would agree w/ N11 if you purchased a low end model w/ a 6 cylider, no HD parts there. Check the sticker, you'll see. The 5.9L model has all the HD parts & would make for a more dependable truck. My only gripe, the suspension was so stiff that it goes sideways a bit on hard bumps at 70mph, enough to make your a$$ pucker up. But, if I had the chance to buy one, I would. And if you get the 4X4 you can take your horses hunting w/ you.

[Rufblackbird]

Jack,
Personally, I love the Dodge Ram. I'd like to get the restyled 2002 model with the more powerful but more fuel efficient 4.7 V8. Dodge does offer a V10, but only in the Ram 2500 and 3500 models. (I think you already know that)

The R/T models for the Durango and Dakota sports a 5.9L V8, and both 4.7 and 5.9 V8 is also available as non-R/T. Horsepower was at I think 245 for the 5.9, torque I do not know. In the lighter Dakota, that's some serious towing power. In the heavier Durango, it's still pretty good.

Stats aside, a sergeant of mine was looking for a SUV for his wife last year, and wanted a Durango, but was very hesitant because he said the Durango didn't score very good on crash tests, supposedly the worst out of all mid sized SUVs. I don't know if it's true, so do your homework, especially regarding safety issues.

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Jeff
1976 911S Coupe

[This message has been edited by Rufblackbird (edited 10-21-2001).]

[jester911]

The reliability of the dodge products are not great.Speaking from personal experience they seem to start falling apart about the time your warranty runs out.
I wont have another one. I like the styling of the trucks too. I keep going back to GM products though.
My chevy silverado ext.cab has 120 grand and still going strong.


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Jerry
'86 carrera coupe

[This message has been edited by jester911 (edited 10-21-2001).]

[cegerer]

The Chrysler trucks/SUV's have the best all-wheel drive systems (thanks to Jeep) this side of Subaru and Audi. I owned a Grand Cherokee V8 a few years back and it was also rated fairly low in the consumer mags. I loved that truck: powerful motor, great AWD and never had a single problem! Wish I could say the same for my current GMC Sierra - a $35,000 truck with the crudest and rudest all-wheel drive system imaginable. The A/C and CD both went out after a year. Squeaks and rattles galore. Typical GM product.

BTW, did you hear about the cell of 4 terrorists found at the General Motors Assembly plant in Pontiac, Michigan? They caught 3 of them: bin Sleepin, bin Drinkin, and bin Fightin. The 4th guy got away for now. The FBI refer to him as 'bin Workin' and indicate there should be little problem spotting him at a GM facility.

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1971 911T - 2.5L Big Bore

[MMARSH]

Jack,

Thats intersting. We looked at the Durango before we bought our present SUV. My sister and a good friend both have Durangos. They both like them alot but do not do any heavy duty use with them, My sister lives in Detroit and uses the 4x4 in the winter while talking on her cell phone. My buddy got his as a family vehicle.

The towing specs are very good for a Mid-size SUV and the size makes them very comfortable for women. The biggest issue I hear about with the Durango is that they have very bad tranny's and that they get horrible gas mileage.

I know several POC guys that use them to tow their cars and they are very happy with them.


Michael

[Jack Olsen]

The biggest issue I hear about with the Durango is that they have very bad tranny's and that they get horrible gas mileage.

Maybe this is what he was talking about. There's a new transmission going into either the Dakota or the Durango (maybe both), but I forget which model year it's going into. My brother's team designs them, and he wanted to be sure I got one with the new, better, box.

I'll check with him again, and make sure the bad transmission isn't one that he was responsible for.

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Jack Olsen
My Rennlist page • My Pelican Gallery page • My Porsche Owners Gallery page

[pwd72s]

Jack, towing capacity is important. On many makes, if you order the "towing package" you get a remote mounted transmission cooler. This pretty important with today's hotter running engines, with water temps well above 200 and ATF working best at under 180. Also you might look into how much easier a 5th wheel trailer tows than a regular bumper area hitch. It tows a LOT easier, but that would mean you need a pickup bed, not the SUV body style. And those slamming mopar? My '77 Power wagon has served me well since I bought it new. Has over 130,000 miles...but I did decide to do a few engine tricks at 100,000 miles, so did it all at that time, even though it was still running well. That's the 360...uh, 5.9 to the new models. But really Jack, 5th wheel...look into 5th wheel hookups if you plan on towing your car. MUCH easier and safer than bumper hookups, regardless of the mass of the tow.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

As a former owner of 3 Chrysler vehicles (Jeep Cherokee, Dodge Ram 2500, Jeep Grand Cherokee) I can say that I have had nothing but problems with Chryslers and will never by another one. Ever. Nor would I recommend one to anyone.

Know how the German employees of Daimler-Chrysler pronounce their company name? The "Chrysler" is silent.

My suggestion, get a Toyota. My wife drives a Tacoma PreRunner now and we've had zero problems. Her father works for Toyota and gets a company car every two years. They do nothing but oil changes on the vehicles despite the fact that they get the crap beaten out of them. We sold my wife's Corolla with 94k miles--only thing it ever needed was a starter at 90k (and oil changes).

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blue
'81 SC Targa

[patalive]

Jack - - Most of the serious trackers who tow their babies either have or covet diesel power in their PUs or SUVs. Far more usable torque, won't overheat, better fuel mileage and they go forever. Other than frequent oil changes, low maintenance to boot. Resale value is also higher.
Chuck
83SC

[Early_S_Man]

Jack.

I think a 2WD Durango with the 5.9 Magnum engine would suit your needs just fine and fit in the garage, too. Most don't get ordered with the 3.9 rear axle ratio, but it adds about 1500 lbs to the towing capacity! Make sure it has the Sure-Grip limited slip, too! Having been raised in and around Mopars all my life, I share your brother's sentiments, completely!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa
1992 Dodge Dakota 5.2 4X4 parts hauler

[cegerer]

After following this thread today, I just saw a TV commercial for the Dodge Durango. The commercial starts with a 996 driving down the highway with a Durango close behind. Suddenly the Durango pulls out to pass and is pulling an Airstream!! Blows by the 996 and then they hit a twisty section where the Durango encounters yet another 996 (or maybe it was a Boxster, I get them confused!). I'm not making this stuff up folks. The volume was turned down so I didn't hear the narrative.

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1971 911T - 2.5L Big Bore

[s2per]

I don't like to Mopar bash either, but I've had 2, and both were losers. My '96 Ram 1500 SLT had the trans rebuilt twice by 80k miles and the shop said it was a weak link, especially if you're trailering. Lots of other small but annoying problems as well. I replaced it with an F150 Supercab. Maybe not as dynamically styled, but trouble free and a great tow vehicle. There's a reason they're the #1 selling vehicle in the US.

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s2per
81 SC & 98 Boxster

[MMARSH]

Paul,

Sounds like your 77 powerwagon was more reliable then the same vintage of 911.

Jack, I think for your needs a fifth wheel or a diesel is not necessary. Your not towing a 7 or 8 thousand pound trailer. With a dual axle 16FT. trailer and tire rack and all your gear you realistically wont have more then 5000 Lbs. The Durango would have no problem towing that with a hitch and gas motor. If you were buying a vehicle with towing as its only purpose then that would be another story. I race with a lot of serious Trackers and off the top of my head I can't think of any that are using a Diesel to tow a single open car trailer. But I do agree with advantages listed by patalive.

Next time you go to the track look around and talk to some people. For most of the guys that need a dual purpose vehicle an SUV fits the bill.


Michael


[This message has been edited by MMARSH (edited 10-21-2001).]

[pwd72s]

"Sounds like your 77 powerwagon was more reliable then the same vintage of 911."-MMARSH Yeah Michael, have to admit, it is. Uh, more reliable than a '72S too...at least less expensive to fix. No tranny problems in lotsa miles, but it's a 4 speed, not a gooey go. Don't know the model number, but was told it was the same trans as used in the mopar dual axle light delivery trucks. But maybe pickemups are a bit like Porsches? Less to go wrong on the older models? On 5th wheel vs. bumper tow? I'm sure Jack's load is below bumper tow weight limits...no arguement. But you have to admit, 5th wheel is a lot easier, handles better. Then there are the other factors. Maybe Jack lives where pickups aren't allowed parked on the street, that sort of thing? One comment I give a HUGE thumbs up to: During his track days, Jack should stroll around, look at tow set ups, ask questions, find out who is happy, who wished they'd done things differently.



[This message has been edited by pwd72s (edited 10-21-2001).]

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

For what my $.02 are worth:

We had a '94 Eagle Vision. Great car, no real problems until it started hitting 100,000 miles. Got rid of her. Had a '90 Plymouth Laser RS (Mistubishi Eclipse) and the Mitsubishi transmission kept the vehicle in the shop so often, Chrysler bought it back because the extended warranty had been paid for three times over in rental car re-imbursements only.

Have a '94 Chevy 1500. Nothing fancy, vinyl and manual everything. Heavy duty automatic, A/C, Towing package, 3.73 rear end, and 5.7 liter V-8. Almost no rattles, 20 MPG on the highway, 15 MPG towing ~3,500 lbs, 12 MPG towing ~6,000 lbs. Oh yeah, 130,000 miles.

Sold the 2000 Silverado because of nagging issues and sounds that popped up everywhere. 3/4 ton Ford is going great guns but we do have rattles.

David
Cars gonna be up and running in no time (3 more months?) '83 Targa

[pacmyster]

Jack,
I own a 2000 5.9 2wd Durango and love it..
My only complaint with the tranny is it's shifting points under normal acceleration. It just seems odd to me.. I'd buy one again in a heartbeat... Let me know if you have any specific questions about it..
Pete

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'77 Carrera3.0
Citrus Region PCA
www.geocities.com/pcafaro2000/carrera30.html

[Britwrench]

You could get a used diesel box van with a
lift gate and put the car, all your other stuff in it and tow a caravan to use at the track. It depends if you need to use the truck everyday or not.. If so then it has to be a Chevrolet.