towing with a mid-sized V6 suv

[dakotakid31]

bought the wife a endeavor last fall. it has a 240hp/255 lbs of tourqe with a tow rating of 3500. i was thinking about towing my 17ft mrpike with a 2 stk 90(2000 or so lbs?) with it on occasion instead of my f-150 ( she likes having "her" car when we spend a few days at the cabin) if anyone tows with a some what simialar veh., how is it? it gets over 20mpg will that sink to 10mpg?

[Jarrod32]

I have a Dodge Dakota with the 3.9 six-cylinder; I pull a 15-foot boat with a 20 horse motor without too much trouble. Your engine is better...you have more HP, but a bigger boat, so it should be similar.

I used to pull a 16-foot boat with a '93 Explorer 4.0L V6...that was a better engine...no problem pulling that boat with that vehicle.

I'm not familiar with your transmission, but if you have the ability to, you may end up turning off the overdrive function...it may not hold the high gear...

But you shouldn't have too much problem.

But yeah, your mileage will suffer.

[dakotakid31]

yeah i forgot about the tranny. there is no OD turn off but it has an auto-stick option, so i could leave it in 3rd?

[Jeremy airjer W]

IS it the all wheel drive w/ the tow package?

[dakotakid31]

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IS it the all wheel drive w/ the tow package?

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it is awd.no tow package- i installed the hidden hitch. i was thinking about having a tranny cooler installed.

[Jarrod32]

Yeah...you may want to leave it in third (or fourth if it is a five-speed). Watch your RPM so you don't run too fast...you might want to slow down a few MPH.

[ChemMechanicInc]

dakotakid31,

Why doesn't your topper match your truck?

Maroon and Navy Blue? Come on now. Then you have a white Mr Pike...

To address your question, it really depends on your rear end and transmission gearing, but I'd say you'll be OK (just don't forget to unplug your orange cord from the charger when you pull out of the driveway)

That driveway is a just a titch steep aye?

Come to really think of it, the wife's truck matches the boat better anyways.

I've had a few trucks.

Had a 2000 Dakota with the 3.9 Auto. POS for towing.

Had a 2000 Dakota 4x4 with the 4.7 and 3:55's. OK for a 16'

Had a 2001 Tahoe with the 5.3 and 3:73...worked good for a 16'

Had a 2005 Silverado with a 5.3 and the 3:42 w/ intake and chip...What a joke!!!

Had a 2005 Tahoe with the 5.3, auto level, and the 3:42 with chip....better but still a JOKE.

Now I have a 2004 Silverado with the 5.3, 3:73 Z-71....tows nice on a 17 foot explorer with a 70 pony 2 stroker, but the wife's 2002 Yukon, 4.8 with 3:73....no go baby.

I'll add the intake and chip to the current truck and see what that does.

I do know my opinion is trashed since towing with a Duramax with the Allison tranny and a Bully Dog chip. 19 mpg and accelerates like a sports car with 2 kids, the wife, 500 pounds camping gear, 17 foot boat, 26 gallons of gas, and a golden retriever.

So....Tow it...but dont blow it.

[Rivernut]

I have a 1200 lb. rig and tow it w/ a '99 explorer. It has 410 gear's, 5 speed auto., 4.0 sohc engine. At 65-70 mph, it run's @ 2600 rpm's in O.D. Out of O.D. it is @ 2900 rpm's out of O.D. In O.D. it does'nt shift out of O.D. at all. But if I am driving 55 I leave it out of O.D. My truck has a towing cap. of 4880. I think you will be fine. May have to leave it out of overdrive. Good luck

[Jarrod32]

Yeah...before my Dakota I had a '93 Explorer with the 4.0L six-cylinder. That engine was a lot better than this Dodge 3.9L.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I do believe the endeavor is set up at a front wheel drive with a "prop shaft" running to the rear wheels making it all wheel drive. If this is correct than the rear wheel drives/four wheel drives/all wheel drives that are listed as examples in the previous posts are irrelevant.

Towing always seems harder on a front wheel drive vehicle. Regardless of the number of cylinders the most important things are will the trans handle the extra load and will the brakes stop it if it needs to!

I think your on the right track with the addition of the trans cooler. Keeping the trans from overheating is vital to its longevity.

With that being said the equivalent vehicles that, in my opinion, would give a better idea of what to expect would be the ford escape, honda pilot, toyota highlander, or any other front wheel drive/all wheel drive SUV.

[Fishbreath1]

I have a '05 v6 4runner. It is rated to two 5k lbs. in stock form. I have towed about what you plan to tow and it did very well. The reason for staying out of OD is to keep the torque converter locked. If you unlock the torque converter (downshift also) you go to slushbox mode which generates lots of heat. I installed a Hayden 1678 tranny cooler. Its installed so that the fluid flows through the radiator cooler first, then the Hayden and back to the tranny. The hidden hitch is a good upgrade, too. I believe the Endeavor is a unibody vehicle, hindering towing/off roading so I would stay a little below capacity for towing. Installing the tranny cooler yourself is very easy, it took me a little over an hour on the runner, total cost was $50 and it should prolong the life of my tranny.

Good luck (even though you won't need it )!

[John Mickish]

One thing to keep in mind with a midsize vehicle is the midsize brakes. It's one thing to get it going and another to get it to stop. I used to tow with a midsize SUV, but the cost of a complete brake job every two years got to me.

[Jeremy airjer W]

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The reason for staying out of OD is to keep the torque converter locked. If you unlock the torque converter (downshift also) you go to slushbox mode which generates lots of heat.

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Actually the reason we stay out of overdrive is to unlock the torque converter reducing the amount of up and down shifting and keeping the transmission cooler. The locking of the torque converter is essentially what overdrive is.

[Macgyver55]

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Actually the reason we stay out of overdrive is to unlock the torque converter reducing the amount of up and down shifting and keeping the transmission cooler.

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Umm no, heat in a transmission is caused by friction (converter slippage) By down shifting into third gear rather than overdrive it allows the converter to stay locked up, thus building less heat.

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The locking of the torque converter is essentially what overdrive is.

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This would only hold true in a non-overdrive transmission where the highest gear ratio is 1 to 1. Even then its not really and overdrive per se, it just "feels" like one because it it eliminating the last 200 to 400 RPMs of converter slippage.

The top gear ratio in most overdrive transmissions is in the vicinity of .75 or so to one. When pulling a load with a vehicle in overdrive, it drops the engine RPMs too far below the power band of the engine causing it to downshift frequently to hold speed. The first thing that happens before a downshift is the converter unlocks. The constant locking and unlocking of the converter and downshifting in and out of OD is what causes the heat.

[Jeremy airjer W]

My knowledge of automatic transmission is not the greatest!

I thought the only way to achieve the final overdrive gear was to lock up the torque converter which provided a direct drive from the engine to the trans. Then one of the suns is held in place and one sun spins somehow allowing the output of the trans to be higher than the input.

I guess I didn't realize that the torque converter can still lock up in the lower gear, but know that it has been pointed out I'll smack myself in the forehead and quietly say to myself "duh"!

Thanks for setting me straight Macgyver55!

[Fishin4Life]

Slightly off topic, but in summary... You are OK to tow in OD if you can hold speed with out frequent gear changes to hold speed? For example if you are cruising on the highway and OD seems to hold your speed well.

[Fishbreath1]

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Slightly off topic, but in summary... You are OK to tow in OD if you can hold speed with out frequent gear changes to hold speed? For example if you are cruising on the highway and OD seems to hold your speed well.

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Yeah, I pay attention to conditions. If its flat and not windy and I can tow safely at a high enough speed, I stay in overdrive. McGyver is correct that downshifting causes the torque converter to unlock and generate heat. My runner locks the torque converter in 4th gear (5 sp auto) so when windy or hilly that's what I use.