Julie Posted October 1, 2008 Report Share Posted October 1, 2008 Hi there, We're seriously considering a 2009 Dodge Journey SXT (with Flexible Seating, Convenience Group I and Trailer Tow Package). We will probably get the AWD version. Has anyone had any experience towing with the Dodge Journey? When I crunch the numbers, it seems to handle our tent trailer/pop up without difficulty, but I just wanted to see if anyone else is towing with one of these vehicles. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_A_Watson_II Posted October 2, 2008 Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 FWD R/T with Tow Package. I've towed by Polaris RZR on a <500 pound Trailer with no issue. MPG was 16.2 at 60 MPH (I'm getting 22.7 otherwise). the only problem I see is the vehicle's desire to kick out the torque converter lock up under the slightest load/acceleration. Journey and RZR in tow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted October 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 Thanks for your reply - unfortunately, I'm totally clueless when it comes to things such as torque, etc., so not sure what exactly you're saying... sorry about that. We have a 12' tent trailer with a dry weight of 1950 lbs and a GVWR of 2950. With the 3500 lb towing capacity, plus GCWR of 8300, it seems to me that the Journey can handle things just as easily as our Ford Freestar did (with the towing prep package ordered for the car). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canada_Jay Posted October 2, 2008 Report Share Posted October 2, 2008 I have the 6cyl. SXT no trailer package...just a Curt Hitch. I towed a tent trailer fully packed even with the water tank filled without any issues. Pulled nice. Also pull a boat often (approx 1500+ lbs) without issue. Thanks for your reply - unfortunately, I'm totally clueless when it comes to things such as torque, etc., so not sure what exactly you're saying... sorry about that.We have a 12' tent trailer with a dry weight of 1950 lbs and a GVWR of 2950. With the 3500 lb towing capacity, plus GCWR of 8300, it seems to me that the Journey can handle things just as easily as our Ford Freestar did (with the towing prep package ordered for the car). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckl Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 FWD R/T with Tow Package. I've towed by Polaris RZR on a <500 pound Trailer with no issue. MPG was 16.2 at 60 MPH (I'm getting 22.7 otherwise). the only problem I see is the vehicle's desire to kick out the torque converter lock up under the slightest load/acceleration.Journey and RZR in tow Hi Will, you got the tow package? Can you take a pic of the hitch receiver and plug? I ordered a loaded SXT with the tow package without actually ever seeing what the hitch looked like... because I couldn't find one with this package. I came across a pic on the Internet and it looked like the bumper was partially modified/cut out to allow for the hitch. Is this true? If you could post a pic of what it looks like, that would be great! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canada_Jay Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Also can anyone clarify this for me..... I was told that the Trailer package actually did NOT include the hitch. It is just an oil cooler and wiring. True or False. That is why my dealer paid Van & Truck world for my Curt Hitch and receiver. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckl Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Also can anyone clarify this for me.....I was told that the Trailer package actually did NOT include the hitch. It is just an oil cooler and wiring. True or False. That is why my dealer paid Van & Truck world for my Curt Hitch and receiver. Thanks. That sucks... I was just going to use it for a bike rack and not actually tow anything heavy with it. Here's what it says at the Canadian Dodge website: "Trailer Tow Group (requires Convenience Group) - Includes engine oil cooler and trailer tow with 4- pin connector wiring harness" I thought the trailer tow meant the hitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crh47 Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 That's right, it only includes the wiring and the larger cooler. I was disappointed upon learning this also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_A_Watson_II Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 Hi Will,you got the tow package? Can you take a pic of the hitch receiver and plug? I ordered a loaded SXT with the tow package without actually ever seeing what the hitch looked like... because I couldn't find one with this package. I came across a pic on the Internet and it looked like the bumper was partially modified/cut out to allow for the hitch. Is this true? If you could post a pic of what it looks like, that would be great! Thanks. The Journey doesn't come with the hitch/receiver with the Tow Package. I bought it from etrailer.com, and the Dodge wiring harness is a 4-pin connector with no place to mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdewitt71 Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Anymore people mount thier hitch themselves???? I am looking at buying a hitch right now, I was told by the dealership it would run me $800 and that the big cost was labor cause they had to cut the bumper up. I have found kits on the net for under $200 that states no bumper cutting is needed all I need to do is drop the mufflers outta the way to fit the bracket up there. http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bi...rney-hitch.html I too am not worried about towing, I just wanna use my hitch mounted bike rack and storage rack when needed. If anyone has pics of thier hitch mod, post em up....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted April 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Anymore people mount thier hitch themselves????I am looking at buying a hitch right now, I was told by the dealership it would run me $800 and that the big cost was labor cause they had to cut the bumper up. I have found kits on the net for under $200 that states no bumper cutting is needed all I need to do is drop the mufflers outta the way to fit the bracket up there. http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bi...rney-hitch.html I too am not worried about towing, I just wanna use my hitch mounted bike rack and storage rack when needed. If anyone has pics of thier hitch mod, post em up....... We have a 2009 AWD SXT with the trailer tow prep package. As such, with the proper hitch, our vehicle has a tow capacity of 3500 lbs. We arranged through our local Dodge dealer to have a hitch installed as we'd heard that hitches would require part of the fascia/bumper being cut out, so we wanted our dealer to do this so it wouldn't void our warranty. They didn't seem too familiar with installed hitches and wiring, so I asked them to show me what they'd ordered in before they installed it. The hitch receiver was fine, but the draw bar (I think that's what it's called) was stamped with a maximum load capacity of only 2000 lbs, so if they'd installed what they'd ordered in, we wouldn't have been able to tow our tent trailer/pop up. They ended up sending the Journey to a local trailer/RV place to have a hitch installed. While the Dodge dealership can only order in and install parts in their catalogues, the trailer place could choose from many hitches to install on our vehicle - WITHOUT HAVING TO CUT OUT THE BUMPER! It's a Class III and can handle a lot more weight than we can actually tow, so it's a nice safe option. The receiver sticks out a bit, but I like that it didn't involve cutting anything out to install. If you're at all handy with cars, I've heard from many people on other forums (camping forums for pop-up/trailer owners) that installing hitches isn't that big a deal if you have the tools. A lot of people I know have bought from e-trailer with great success. Bear in mind you'll also need to hook up the wiring or modify it if you are towing anything, so it's not just installing the hitch that you need to deal with. I think we got the Class III hitch, draw bar, 2" ball and 7-pin wiring done for about $500 CDN, so it should be less in the US. If you want to, you can check out this site for hitches for the journey. http://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2009_Dodge_Journey.htm We have the Drawtite hitch on our Journey now. Hope this helps. Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_A_Watson_II Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 I installed the Curt Class III Round Tube Receiver Hitch from etrailer and yes it does stick out a bit. etrailer has been great to deal with and I've bought quite a bit from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W_A_Watson_II Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 Just completed 500+ miles of towing the RZR with the Journey again, and I averaged 15.2 MPG in heavy winds, and 16.8 MPG in normal wind. I did have to drive almost exclusively in 5th gear, as in "D" it would not keep the torque converter locked up in 6th, and I did not want to burn up the tranny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhamilto Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 That sucks... I was just going to use it for a bike rack and not actually tow anything heavy with it. Here's what it says at the Canadian Dodge website: "Trailer Tow Group (requires Convenience Group) - Includes engine oil cooler and trailer tow with 4- pin connector wiring harness" I thought the trailer tow meant the hitch. I just recevied my Journey with the tow prep group and I to thought it would include a hitch which it does not. Question for anyone, looking to tow the Coleman Bayside Tent Trailer, 2680lbs dry. I have the V6 R/T with the tow prep group, with 2 adults and 2 children in vehicle, am I able to tow? I'm concerned if something happens and overweight will impact my insurance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUGS Posted April 6, 2010 Report Share Posted April 6, 2010 Check out the Towing and Hauling section in this forum. I have pics there of a class III with load leveller and 3500 lbs of trailer attached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 I just purchased a used 2009 Dodge Journey with the misinformed notion that all 2009 3.6 L V6 can tow 3500 lbs. Upon closer investigation in the manual I discovered that the V6 without a tow prep package can only tow 2000 lbs while those with the tow prep package can tow 3500 lbs. I had the vin# checked and unfortunately my model is without the tow prep. Now I've contacted numerous Dodge dealerships as well as the Dodge help number themselves(whom stated they dont deal with any technical questions only simple ones). I've spoken with service managers, sales reps, parts managers and nearly every one comes up with a totally different answer. My question. What is involved with the "Trailer Tow Prep Package(AHT)" that makes the Journey tow 3500 lbs instead of 2000 lbs without it? So far the only answers I've been able to acertain are that the "Trailer Tow Prep Package(AHT)" equips the Journey with an oil cooler and a bag with the wiring harness. Does anybody have any insight to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaskGuy Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 Personally, I would get your local garage to check in to an aftermarket cooler or order the cooler from a dodge parts department. The light wiring can probably be ordered as a part as well. There really can't be that much involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windancer Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 (edited) I was told that the Trailer package actually did NOT include the hitch. It is just an oil cooler and wiring. True or False.That is why my dealer paid Van & Truck world for my Curt Hitch and receiver. I have a loaded 2010 Journey R/T. It has the Mopar Towing Package on it. I still had to pay extra for the actual hitch which incidentally has a vertical receiver but works very well. I have towed my 17' tri hull boat several times and it works well. If you have any questions or need a photo, just ask. Terry Edited April 13, 2011 by Windancer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cableguy Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 (edited) I purchased a Curt class II hitch and it was rated for 3500 lbs and 350 lbs of tongue weight.(Stamped on hitch). I installed this myself with some help from my 9 year old son. I prefer this hitch since its was a direct bolt in install with no cutting of the bumper and has a better load rating than the mopar hitch. I am currently towing a 14.5 foot runabout with a 50hp Evinrude and it pulls great! Edited July 29, 2011 by Cableguy johanbrandon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armendegga Posted July 29, 2011 Report Share Posted July 29, 2011 The Mopar hitch is also rated at 3500/350 fyi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acerx12 Posted September 3, 2011 Report Share Posted September 3, 2011 [Yes...only the harness and the oil cooler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUGS Posted September 3, 2011 Report Share Posted September 3, 2011 (edited) Most Class III hitches are rated at 5000 lbs. That is why they are Class III. They can be installed on just about anything but that doesn't mean you can still haul 5000 lbs with it. The weight limit prescribed by the manufacturers takes into consideration a variety of things. Engine size, transmission type, gear ratios, tire size and load limit (stamped on tire), vehicle weight etc etc to name a few. The transmission in the 6 cyl is already cooled by a wrap around the a/c condenser and there is no real need to install anything in addition. An engine oil cooler is advisable if you plan to work the Journey hard but it is not necessary in all applications. They are beneficial even if you do not tow - especially in hot climates. When it comes to adding a hitch and wiring harness you may be best advised to seek out a professional supplier / installer. Dodge makes/fixes cars - not tow bars, they are just a convenience thing that many of them know very little about. Further, most states and provinces require trailer brakes for weights above 2000 lbs (+/-) so take that into consideration when wiring. Ten percent of my 80,000 kms on the 2009 SXT has been realized while towing a 3500 lb travel trailer. A recent transmission flush revealed no sediment, water, filings or burning. Engine oil is changed every 5000 km during towing season. No issues (yet) Don't over analyze your needs. Figure out what you want to do as far as towing, speak to a pro and install the material required to do it safely. Edited September 3, 2011 by BUGS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armendegga Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 @BUGS - Just out of curiosity, how does the Journey do pulling the full 3500 lbs? Especially on hills? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUGS Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Hills out your way are considerably different than here on the East Coast. It will take you all day to climb some of yours but here I can do the Province end to end in one day. There is one 'mountain' (Kelly's Mtn in Cape Breton which is a long steady uphill grade to 250 mtrs) where large trucks generally travel at 20 kph. I have gone up and down it several times and managed to keep it close to 80 kph using 3rd to 5th gears. Usually in 4th most of the time. Keeping revs around 4K seems to work well. It is just a matter of finding the 'sweet' spot and letting it do its thing. Of course there are wind issues that can slow you down and really push up the fuel consumption. I would try a few smaller hills over a short distance first to see how it reacts. If you decide to take on the monster hill you will be asking for trouble and piss off those stuck behind you. Advice though -- do not move to auto for the downgrade - you will burn out your brakes. Use the engine compression and lower gears to slow you along with the brakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armendegga Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Good to know - Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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