Anyone have a Durango with a Hemi?

SunDvl · **Posted:** Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:21 pm

If so, have you towed anything with it (like you Jeep)? How was your experience (braking, handling, fuel economy, etc)? We are thinking of getting a tow vehicle, I want a diesel, but the wife doesn't want a truck as her daily driver.

wendell · **Posted:** Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:26 pm

I had an 04 durango 4x4 with the 4.7 and it sucked gas, with the windows down, the air made a thump against the rear side windows like a flat tire sound. When you apply the brakes, any snow thats on the roof slides down on the windsheild so you cant see and it's to heavy for the wippers to remove. I didn't care for it as you can tell. Why don't you get a comander with a hemie, there trying to give them away, 0 % financing for 60 months and they look better and the windsheild isn't so sloped, plus it's a jeep.

SunDvl · **Posted:** Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:29 pm

I personally hate the Commander. And I'm not alone, that's why Jeep is having a fire sale. As for the Durango, they have been redisgned a lot and the Hemi gets better milage than the 4.7. Heck, the 07 was even recommended by Consumer Reports.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:30 pm

you might see if you can find a used CRD around
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=23639

SunDvl · **Posted:** Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:06 pm

CRD won't cut it. To effectively & safely tow something that weighs 4,000 pounds, you need a longer wheelbase, bigger brakes, and even more torque. And your tow vehicle should weigh more than what your towing... Plus I am planning on towing long distances and through the Rockies.

Rush345 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:23 pm

Before I got my KJ I owned a '95 Dakota 4x4 5.2L the previous owner had to replace both differentals and front CV's twice from towing. the engine was strong enough but the rest of the drive train didn't hold up not to mention the automatic tranny blew up and needed a $2,500. rebuild. The Dakota is just a Durango with a pick-up end on it. Plus even with full armor plating underneath it was real easy to high center in the snow. And Yes it was a gas PIG. I would never recomend this vehicle the size was about the only thing that was nice the rest over all was very disappointing. :cry:

spencevans · **Posted:** Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:30 am

SunDvl wrote:

CRD won't cut it. To effectively & safely tow something that weighs 4,000 pounds, you need a longer wheelbase, bigger brakes, and even more torque. And your tow vehicle should weigh more than what your towing... Plus I am planning on towing long distances and through the Rockies.

The CRD will easily tow 4000lbs. It is very deceptive. As far as weighing more than you're towing that is just a myth. If it were true than the Cummins and Powerstrokes would not be able to pull more than 5500lbs.

My CRD tips the scale at 4700lbs with all its body armor which is almost identical to the Durango. Also recent dyno's indicate that the CRD has around 340-350 ft lbs of torque.

Most important buy something that you want. Your the one that has to live with it.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Sep 15, 2007 2:25 am

spencevans wrote:

SunDvl wrote:

CRD won't cut it. To effectively & safely tow something that weighs 4,000 pounds, you need a longer wheelbase, bigger brakes, and even more torque. And your tow vehicle should weigh more than what your towing... Plus I am planning on towing long distances and through the Rockies.

The CRD will easily tow 4000lbs. It is very deceptive. As far as weighing more than you're towing that is just a myth. If it were true than the Cummins and Powerstrokes would not be able to pull more than 5500lbs.

My CRD tips the scale at 4700lbs with all its body armor which is almost identical to the Durango. Also recent dyno's indicate that the CRD has around 340-350 ft lbs of torque.

Most important buy something that you want. Your the one that has to live with it.

Agreed.

I have towed 3700-4000# of nissan behind my 3100# XJ without trouble, enough power to move it through the rockies and good enough brakes(read if I had a trailer with trailer brakes it would have been excellent).

The CRD would be an excellent vehicle to tow 5000lbs.

Step over to the CRD section and talk to the people who regularly tow that much with it and see what they have to say.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:42 am

I own a 06 CRD and tow a 99 17' Casita trailer that I'm guessing is just over 3000# loaded. Flat land is fantastic but on any grade, the latest TCM flash unlocks the torque converter AND shifts down a gear

That results in the engine reving near redline :cry:

I just wish the CRD had a better transmission

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:29 am

the KJ will tow i helped my friend move using a 20ft trailer and i was pulling its max 5000lbs and it did great besides the mpg of course :roll:

KY Liberty · **Joined:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:46 pm **Posts:** 1195

Joe Romas wrote:

I own a 06 CRD and tow a 99 17' Casita trailer that I'm guessing is just over 3000# loaded. Flat land is fantastic but on any grade, the latest TCM flash unlocks the torque converter AND shifts down a gear

That results in the engine reving near redline :cry:

I just wish the CRD had a better transmission

Actually the 545RFE is pretty nice. It's the torque converter and valve body that cause the problems. Just upgrade the torque converter and get the reprogramming kit for the valve body and you're set. Then, if you really want to open up it's power, add a Striker I diesel power module and crank it up 100 hp.

wendell · **Posted:** Sat Sep 15, 2007 6:22 pm

My 04 darango was the new redesigned one and it sucked, the old one was better. I think someone has been smoking crack, I would take a comander over the durango any day ha ha. My niece has a comander and I think it's sweet for a large suv, sure better than the darango. I'm a ford man myself, so if I needed to tow something, I would get an excursion with a diesel, or an expedition. I've allways had jeeps along with fords before anyone ask, willys, amc and keiyser, "yep" had them all.

Johnboy · **Posted:** Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:15 am

4 door tundra with might fit the bill. next best truck for towing after the 3/4 or 1 ton diesels. After sufficient torque, wheel base is the next variable IMO. My CRD will get me by and tow comfortably in most situations, but a heavy trailer will make you pucker on the interstate over 75 at times, she is just too short. We keep an old (98) 2wd Cummins dually around for hauling, that thing will happily ANYTHING... As long as you can afford to have a vehicle sit most of the year, and commute or DD in somehting with good fuel economy, it might pay off to have a towing vehicle.

deboy922 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:40 am

My Father-in-law has a 2007 Durango with a Hemi. He regularly tows a ~3,500 Ranger boat without trailer brakes. It handles the boat and trailer very nicely - plenty of power, handles nicely, and stops fine. Normally, he gets ~18 mpg. Pulling the boat, ~14 mpg. This vehicle rides very nice and has good power. He only has about 20k miles, but so far, so good.

Have you checked out the Chevy Tahoe's?

SunDvl · **Posted:** Sun Sep 16, 2007 6:45 pm

We like the Tahoe but the Durango's don't hold there value and you can get an 07 with Hemi for $24k. Thanks for the info on the Durango.

spencevans · **Posted:** Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:25 am

I can't stand the Durango because that gap between the rear bumper and the tail lights. Nice engineering Chrysler. :roll:

Anyone have a Durango with a Hemi?

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