webslave

The problem is transmission capability and the "full face" of the trailer. That width and height is the show stopper, regardless of weight...your DJ was designed for pulling a trailer with very little wind resistance; a utility trailer with a load under 2500 lbs or a small pop-up that meets that weight limit loaded. I have towed RVs for quite awhile and my 21' Fun Finder weighed in at ~6000 lbs loaded and on the road. The quick, down and dirty, method for estimating the towing weight is to look at how many axles it has. The RV industry as a rule will put 3500 lb axles on a full size trailer, hybrid or not. If it has a single axle, you should still weigh it as that would indicate that it could be over 3000 lbs. loaded. If it has 2 axles, don't even bother to hook it up...definitely over the limit. Remember, on travel trailers, the "advertised" weight is always for the stripped down model as it rolls off the assembly line. I've never seen a TT that didn't have a few options and, as a rule, you can add 300-500 lbs. or more to its true empty weight. Add food and clothes, etc. and you can quickly be 700 lbs. or more over the advertised weight before you ever put it in drive. Another dead giveaway is whether it has its own brakes. Most states require brakes on any trailer with a GVWR over 3000 lbs.

Just put Toyo Vernado all season tires on my '13 RT...only have a few hundred miles on them now. Ride nice, wet and dry traction has been superb. Tread looks plenty aggressive for any snow that I would drive in, however, we don't spend our winters here...no snow in Benson, AZ and we tow our Cherokee TrailHawk when we load up the bus to get out of Dodge.

I'm retired now and (as the photo above shows) I'm investing heavily in the hearing aid industry. I see so many cars in town (another reason I moved to the boonies) that you can actually watch the sheet metal deflecting outwards due to the air the speakers are moving...not to mention you can hear / feel them a block away. None of these kids will be able to hear anything by the time they are in their 30's... Hearing aid companies; the money makers of the future Keep 'em loud, I need to make enough money to buy that Prevost I've got my eyes on

Lemons can be had in any product, any brand...had two Fords (Mustang and Thunderbird) that were repurchased by Ford under the "Lemon" law. Also, in my lifetime, have thrown away / returned many products that were just plain made or produced wrong...ever buy a bad carton of milk? It happens and I don't hold it against any company; no amount of quality control (good or bad) will catch all "lemons".

Definitely a Jeep thing! Don't have my Commander any longer, but, love my TrailHawk Yep...Jeep thing.

Had one on both sides of mine... H.R.T. MEMBER (Hummer Rescue Team)

Not to hijack the thread (and congrats OP...loved my minivans), but, I, lament the day my 2008 Hemi Commander went away. Great vehicle, but, it had served its purpose and I needed something to tow a 5th wheel, but, still miss that Commander...

Have to agree. The vortex units will pay dividends if you are a long haul trucker and in a fleet environment. They don't "pay for themselves" for even a single long haul truck. Not enough miles even at their rate. The compounded multiplication of mileage in the fleet scenario will save a few dollars, but, even then, the long vision is not enticing enough for fleets (that's why you don't see them; mileage vs. per unit cost is not enticing enough). You do see, however, other draft changing devices that have a lower cost / better pay back scenario...the under trailer air foils and now the "tail vanes" that we are seeing more of. I have seen far more of those devices than I have of the vortex additions...there is a reason.

If you are talking about a "running light bar", similar to what is on the KIT2000 car (remember that TV show?), then I would get a simple 12 volt relay, splice the relay into the hot line for one of the headlights, hook the led bar to the output side and then draw the power from the fuse box or the battery. The relay won't draw enough current to affect the output of the headlight, but, it will switch the light bar on when the headlights have power. Some states frown on the use of "display lights" used in general driving and I don't know of any states that allow high power off-road light bars in general use that is why I'm assuming that you are talking about a "display light"...depending on your state you might be able to get away that (similar to the "ground effect" lights). I would still put an on/off switch in the power feed to the light bar, just in case.

From the User's Guide: THEFT ALARM To Arm: • Press the Keyless Enter-N-Go™ Start/Stop button until the Electronic Vehicle Informa- tion Center (EVIC) indicates that the vehicle ignition is “OFF”. Press the power door lock switch while the door is open, press the Key Fob LOCK button, or with one of the Key Fobs located outside the vehicle and within 5 ft (1.5 m) of the driver's and passenger front door handles, press the Keyless Enter-N-Go™ LOCK button located on the door handle. NOTE: After pressing the Keyless Enter-N-Go™ LOCK button, you must wait two seconds before you can lock or unlock the vehicle via the door handle. To Disarm: • Press the Key Fob UNLOCK button or with one of the Key Fobs located outside the vehicle 12 and within 5 ft (1.5 m) of the driver's and passenger front door handles, grab the Keyless Enter-N-Go™ door handle and enter the vehicle, then press the Keyless Enter-N-Go™ Start/Stop button (requires at least one valid Key Fob in the vehicle). The alarm system will arm if you use the keypad on the armrest or the key fob/fobic. It will not arm if you have a key and use the door lock cylinder or if you manually push each door's lock plunger. IIRC, besides the lights flashing and horn blowing, that some models (high end) of the FMC (feels funny using that instead of MOPAR) line also included shifter locks and fuel pump interlocks; effectively disabling the car from being hotwired. I don't know which specific models included those features or, even if it is still valid, but, vaguely remember reading about it somewhere...

Along with the good information from jkeaton, I'll add that the DJ doesn't have the engine cooling or transmission cooling capacity required for any serious towing. The DJ's towing is aimed at a bicycle rack in the hitch or a small, open landscaping trailer. Before you rush out and buy an RV (travel trailer), even one within your DJ's weight limit, look up the frontal area restriction for your DJ. Regardless of the weight of the trailer, you will also find a "frontal area maximum" that is allowed. Frontal area and weight are the two biggest limiters for trailers. The ability to pull a large flat wall through the air at highway speeds demands much more from an engine / drive train, than does a smaller frontal area as found on popup RVs or utility trailers and boats. I've been RVing for quite a few years and the DJ is not a vehicle I would choose to pull an RV trailer.

Mine has the grab handles above the door also. I find them mostly useless for aiding getting in or out of the car. We (DW and I) are short, so the seats are forward. The grab handles wind up above and behind our heads providing no leverage for getting in or out. What ever happened to the "tried and true" A pillar handles? Wish they'd put them back in the vehicles...they were good for gaining leverage and stability and made good "panic" grips in those "sporty" situations where the passenger goes "white knuckle" with the excitement

Yep... Blew the PCM in my brand new Trailhawk 3 days ago... Wouldn't shift out of park and when I used the over-ride, no throttle response. Those computers that enable the "fly by wire" systems have their hooks into everything.

It isn't an issue if you drive the car daily. It can be an issue if the car sits for any length of time. I never had the problem until I had let the car sit for a week without driving it. If the OP already has a weak battery, and the high amperage draw of the diesel, it could be an issue. Your battery being dead on delivery may well have been a result of the same issue. The cars, when shipped, are supposed to be put into "transport mode" so that the battery doesn't go dead during transport (my dealer showed me the key presses required to put in the transport mode). If your car was not put into transport mode, your battery may have been weakened during transport and once delivered to the dealer, it wouldn't have been driven enough to recharge the battery. If they put your keys in the vehicle prior to your actually driving it away, that may have been enough to kill the battery.

I don't know of any specific TSBs that apply to your problem, but, I do own a diesel truck. Diesels require a huge starting amperage due to the high compression ratio of a diesel engine...that's why they don't need spark plugs. My truck for instance, because of the huge amperage draw, had two batteries. If your diesel only has one battery, the amp draw for starting will drain an already weakened battery severely and if it is only running for a minute or two (or less if you're only moving a few feet), the alternator has no chance to recharge the battery adequately. Doing that several times will cause damage to the plates to the extent that they will "charge", but, they won't hold a charge. Voltage only tells part of the story and doesn't relate well to the starting amperage or the ability to provide that amperage. The fact that your alternator is pumping 13.x volts into the battery does not mean that that voltage is being stored in the battery as amperage to be available. A charge level of 12 to 13 v, at rest with no load, does not indicate that the battery's amperage is adequate to start the vehicle. That is why battery tester equipment always tests the battery under a dummy load; that load demonstrates the ability of the battery to provide amperage and it is amperage that turns the starter motor, not voltage, and for a diesel, that amperage has to be provided quickly and continuously in order to overcome the high compression of a diesel and the motor has to run for an extended time to put that amperage back into the plates. Anything less, overtime, conditions the plates to not be able to provide that amperage on demand. My guess is that the plates are now sulfated, possibly even warped, by deep discharges and incomplete recharges. If you own a diesel, you can't start the motor, let it, basically, idle a few minutes while you move it to wash the vehicle at another spot on the driveway and then start it to move it back and expect the alternator to have enough engine speed and time to restore the amperage used to start the vehicle twice. That is one of the reasons, in the old days, truck and bus drivers, once they started their rigs let them run continuously until they were done for the day. Another consideration for that issue is, as noted earlier, parasitic draw and the Journey has parasitic draw in spades. I found out that merely keeping my keys hanging on a hook within 10' of the car caused the components to never "go to sleep". The DJ on shutdown leaves most of the devices "listening" for the key fob. If it hears a handshake from the fob, it stays active waiting for the impetus to start the show. I had a dead battery once because of that and have since learned to keep my keys in the bedroom so that the car will "go to sleep" and have not had any problems since then.

While the front heater core or evaporator can move X number BTUs, that fluid is not by any means brought down to 0 BTUs (either available to pull or available to remove). The addition of an addition heater core or evaporator can pull additional or absorb additional BTUs (N BTUs) from that same fluid system yielding X + N BTUs = BTUs available. That is an increase in both efficiency and number of BTUs provided. If the front heater core or evaporator could remove all the available BTUs from the fluid then you would be correct, however there are plenty of BTUs left to be utilized by the rear core or evaporator, thereby increasing the available BTUs for utilization in the cabin.

Actually, it does have additional capacity. The rear components also include a separate (for the 3rd row rear) heater core and A/C evaporator (in addition to the ones for the front) along with blower and air box... The only thing it doesn't have is its own A/C compressor (no engine in the back to drive it), but, it does have everything else. That's the same setup as what I had in my '96 Grand Caravan.

2013 R/T AWD that we absolutely love. Every option in the book except the DVD player. Our youngest is 45 years old and we don't need a backseat entertainment center for the cats... We have the 3rd row option and while we don't use it very often, the few times we have used it, it came in very handy. The reason that tipped us to it, mainly, was the extra heat and A/C units in the back. We had them in our old Grand Caravan (1999 ) and it certainly cools down or heats the car much quicker than just the single units. We traded a Jeep Hemi Commander Limited in on it and I was a bit concerned with giving up our 4 wheel drive (we live out in the sticks), but, the AWD gets us through whatever weather I'd feel safe driving in and if I ever really need 4x4, I've got the RAM 2500. We live in the foothills of the Alleghenies in south central PA and we routinely get 23+ mpg on our twisty mountain roads. Much better than the Commander's 13-15 mpg More than likely though, we'll probably get rid of the DJ next year. I'm currently towing the truck behind the motor home, but, the DJ, being AWD isn't able to be towed 4 wheels down or even on a dolly. The truck is OK being towed 4 wheels down and the motor home doesn't even know it is back there, but, it seems wrong to us to be towing a nearly 8,000 CTD to use sightseeing from the campgrounds. A shorter, lighter, more car-like Jeep Grand Cherokee makes much more sense and with the same Pentastar engine as the DJ, should get much better mileage than the truck.

2013 DJ R/T, 2011 RAM 2500 HO CTD LongHorn pickup, 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, 1989 Limited Edition Custom Chrysler LeBaron turbo convertible and (it won't fit in the garage...) a 2014 Thor Tuscany 40RX motorhome with the 450 HP/1250 ft lb torque Cummins Turbo 8.9 litre. Won't go into the tractors, ATVs, etc. Lots of "toys" and 106 acres to play with them on.

I always buy my vehicles by ordering them and I get them "loaded", minus the DVD system. My "youngest" is 45 so I have no need of a backseat DVD system... As such, my vehicles always have the factory NAV installed. That being said, if I were to obtain a vehicle that didn't have the factory NAV installed, I would not bother to try and get it installed after the fact. I really like mine, however, I use a RM unit in my motorhome in conjunction with the built in navigation that it has; the reason why is that its navigation unit and the MOPAR units don't come with updates for the maps, you have to buy them. The stock map updates for the MOPAR units, from NAVTEQ are a bit over $150. I can buy many different brands of other nav units that come with FREE Lifetime map updates for that amount of money and a whole lot less than trying to obtain a factory unit and then install it or have it installed. Personally, I don't mind the GPS unit sitting on the dash, even the larger units (the Rand McNally that I use in the motor home is 7" and much easier to see than the factory installed unit). There are places that will sell you a bootleg copy of the NAVTEQ update disk, but, if you aren't careful that bootleg copy can turn your whole RER unit into a door stop. Dead, permanently. There are also other options for getting a backup camera. To be honest, my vehicles have them, but, I find the mirrors and looking out the windows to be more effective, with the exception of seeing if there are an small children behind the vehicle. I'm old and long ago formed the habit of looking around the car before I get into it for "hazards" and even that benefit is marginal for me. To sum it up; if I were you, I'd buy a good Garmin, Rand McNally or whatever brand "floats your boat" with lifetime map updates (also movable to any car you drive or rent) pocket the money saved and skip the backup camera altogether. That's just my opinion though, you have others here and will probably get more; only you can decide which way to go. As for the Lock Pick unit? It is a "moder's dream", but, for most of us, the changes it makes to the factory vs. the cost and installation tribulations are of dubious benefit. I've looked at them and couldn't find anything that they did that I wanted so bad that I'd pay the cost and then have to install it or pay to have it installed.

Ditto on the "some states require them". I think more and more states (27 now at one count) are going that route, and I for one, agree with safety concept. I turned my lights on with the wipers back eons ago when first learning to drive. Any inclement weather, rain, snow, dust storms, etc., anything I can do to be more visible to other drivers is increasing my safety. While you may think that DRLs cover the bill, what about the back end of the vehicle? I suspect it won't be a lot longer before "lights on for safety" will be set from the factory and won't be able to be switched off, most motorcycles, IIRC, come that way now. I don't use my headlights on sunny days on the cars, probably should (I do have DRLs and won't own a car without them), but, the before I release the air brakes on the motorhome, the full set of lights go on. In fact, I wish that they were automatic...motor on, all lights on; it would save me having to remember (though it is automatic now).

In theory... If you have a flat on a front tire, you should take a rear tire and move it to the front and then put the spare on the rear. What you wind up with is two of the same size tires on the front and the mismatch on the rear. The system disables the AWD, leaving you in FWD and the FWD runs without strain on its system because the two tire on the front are the same size. I had a 2000 Neon and that was actually in the Owner's Manual. FWD system is then matched, steering geometry remains stable and suspension is balanced and braking (the bulk of stopping a vehicle is done by the front brakes) remains stable. That's what I've been taught...the mismatch, being in the rear has less impact on vehicle stability and safety.

Ordered our '13 R/T AWD in 2012 and still love the car. For as heavy as it is, the mileage is great (when compared to the mileage I got on my '08 Hemi Commander Limited), the ride is spot on, and the creature comforts are really nice for a CUV in its price range. If I had it to do over, I'd buy it again in a heart beat.

That's entirely too many processes... Use the remote to roll them down, then stand around for a while and then use the remote to roll them up and then use the remote to start the car? I just walk up, unlock the car, open the door (the wife's) and by the time I walk back around the car to my door, her's has been open long enough to vent the heat, we both then get in the car, the windows are still up, start the car, turn on the A/C and we're off. As for auto-roll up on locking, why? I know full well before I park that I'm going to lock the car (or not) and if I'm in that much of hurry, I hit the "one up" before I'm done parking and then it is a non-issue. Seems like a lot of unnecessary wiring, interlocks and software (a large cost when you are talking thousands of automobiles) for a non-issue (don't see the safety or convenience of having that ability). I can see an issue for the system...if the "in gear" interlock fails, you could be going down the road on a nice spring day and then the car auto-locks the doors and all of a sudden, every window in the car goes up. Maybe you could get them down once that happens, or, perhaps you wouldn't be able to lower the windows as long as the car is locked? If something happens with the windows now, they are a problem to diagnose. Lets add a couple more layers of software and 2,3 or more interlocks to the system... Like others, I don't see any utility in the ability and the potential for a whole lot "gremlins" with the installation and software. As another has found out in getting an after-market component to do it, you need some expertise to even get that to work... Whenever we are in a truly hot environment, I always leave the windows open a crack to alleviate most of the heat (would the device even allow leaving the windows open a crack?); that's why I have vent visors on all the windows and if it is truly hot, I leave the sunroof in "vent" position. As for security concerns with leaving windows open a crack? I have a carry permit, but, I still wouldn't park and leave my car in an area where leaving the windows cracked is a security issue.

Turbochargers, for the most part, are "old tech". Been around for a lot of years (I've got an '89 LeBaron with Turbo; mid-80's IIRC when Chrysler started playing with them) and as long as the company doesn't try to over-boost the system, longevity isn't that much of an issue. Mine is an '89; still stock, but, I've always run synthetic oil and only rarely get seriously into the boost (mostly in passing). A lot of turbo issues can be attributed to old oil, cheap oil, or sticking your foot into the boost at every opportunity. Those bearings do spin fast and they are not designed (in general purpose passenger vehicles) to be run like CART series cars with WOT all the time. As for the Ford EB issue? They tried a water cooled twin turbo system and IMHO, did too good a job with the inter-cooler; it is so "cold" that it condenses the moisture in the air and then injects into the cylinders, hence, the misfires and lack of power. They'll get the kinks worked out, maybe smaller inter-coolers or using the hot side of the water pump for warmer water to reduce the condensation (I'm not a turbo engineer, but, those two areas would be where I'd look first). There are lots of "first year" engines that have issues and those are encountered by all the auto makers. New engines are usually a "miracle" of the latest technology and materials and there is no way that an auto maker can foresee all the various scenarios and thrashing the public will heap on those cars and engines. Would I stay away from a turbo car? Nope, I've got two, the '89 LeBaron and my 2011 Cummins Turbo Diesel in the RAM 2500 Long Horn, both of them proven tech on established engines. Would I rush out and buy the very first year of a Pentastar turbo? Nope. Then again, I wouldn't rush out and buy the first year production of any new engine, turbo or not (I waited until the Pentastar went through it's "growing pains"). I learned my lesson on a 1972 Toyota Corona; first year for their overhead cam 2 liter...they made the valve guides too small and it cost me two days of being without the car while it was in the shop getting a new head, pistons, arms and crank. Didn't cost me dime, but, the sound of that engine eating valves at 70 mph is indelibly etched in my mind...the look on my wife's was priceless :-D