Towing Question

[Chuck Healey]

Wanted to get some opinions on a towing problem I'm facing. I'm towing the boat tommorrow on a 4 hour trip. Usually we take my wifes 99 Ford Explorer, it has a V6 with a towing capacity over about 5,000 Lbs. with a 3 speed automatic. The switch that disengages the over drive is not working and I'm leary of towing a boat thats going to be loaded down with supplies for a 1 week trip. The Exploer has a 3 speed tranny, so leaving it in 2nd the whole way probably would't be a good idea either.

On short trips down to the local lake (about 15 minutes) I tow the boat with my 05 Dodge Grand Caravan. It has a towing capacity of 3,500 Lbs with a V6 and 4 speed auto. I drop into 3rd and seems to be fine with just me and the boat empty. I dont know about a 180 mile trip with 3 people and supplies.

So my question is, with these conditions which would you chose, Explorer or Caravan? I know that either option is not the best, but as Captian Aubry said in Master and Comander "Sometimes you have to chose between the lesser of two Weevils".

[Sloop John B]

Chuck,

Get the overdrive switch on the Explorer fixed. Too many miles for 2nd gear. You'll have to take the Dodge.

I'm scared to drive in overdrive anymore. I have a haul/tow switch button on the end of my shifter and it knocks the revs up 2K. I'll change down to 3rd to see what the rev counter does. It might be the same.

[PeteC]

I would not be concerned that the Explorer is towing in overdrive. The tranny will downshift if it needs to. If you get to a hill that makes the tranny shift too frequently between overdrive and 3rd, then manually shift to 2nd.

Don't use the Caravan. It is marginal at best towing 3500 lbs, and you will have more than that if you are loded down for a week's trip.

[Graham Carr]

I agree fixing the problem is the way to go, but because you are leaving tomorrow it is not an option other than not going. I would call the local Ford dealer explain what you want to do and see what they have to say about the OD. The bottom line is it depends on the terrain you are crossing. I would choose the Explorer over the Caravan. I would imagine the Explorer has extra weight and longer wheel base and larger brakes than the Caravan and would certainly make for a better and safer tow vehicle. If you encounter hills you dont have to race to the top just slow down and put on the flashers. I have towed twice from Colorado to Washington State for a total of 5600 miles with the Mac and twice again for another 5600 towing my tool trailer which weighs more then my boat. Granted it was in a F150 (Ford ton truck) but I rarely take it out of over drive. I keep the speed down to 65 or lower when climbing hills. Maybe Moe can make a comment on this, but my understanding is; when the tranny kicks down a gear you are no longer in OD. When it drops down, I then reduce the speed so the engine is not racing but stays in that gear. I would choose the risk of mechanical damage over losing control from the possible undersize tow rig. Once again you have control over your speed and rest breaks, but you dont have control in the advent of an accident in the smaller rig. Just my opinion.

Graham

[DLT]

I am by no means a transmission expert. But, I understand it that OD has much smaller clutches, or whatever they are called in an automatic, such that there is less material 'holding' you in gear... This means that you WILL get more slippage and therefore much more wear, which of course means you'll have to rebuild that tranny quicker...

So, I guess it is not an "IMMEDIATE" issue, more of a longer term one.

I'm glad I'm not faced with the decision. Assuming getting it fixed isn't an option due to time, you may not have time to "test tow" with both...

At any rate, I'd call the ford dealership, or any transmission shop, and get their opinion...

[Andy26M]

I'd take the SUV over the Minivan for all the same reasons mentioned above.

You should be able to watch the tachometer and know when the car shifts up to overdrive from third - the RPM will drop noticeably. Just slow down a tad and you should see it drop back out of overdrive - at that point you maintain speed and just be vigilant for those drops in rpm. Of course, this probably means you'll be making the trip a few mph slower than you could if the OD lockout was working.

To get a good idea of why you don't tow with an automatic in overdrive, you can read all about planetary gears and such in a very understandable format at www.howthingswork.com

- AndyS

[Robert]

No good choice there, both better than towing with a Taurus.
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The Dodge minivan is notorious for transmission problems, check to see if yours falls into the group known for transmission problems. One person posted here that he had been using his warrantee to replace the Dodge minivan transmission every year as an annual maintenance because of using it for towing.
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I think the problem with using your Explorer in OD is two things:
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1.) in OD the transmission oil "slippage" in the torque converter will create more heat and overheat the transmission.
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2.) hunting between gears perhaps continuously (including in and out of the torque converter lockup clutch) will also cause friction heat and make the torque converter work harder while shifting causing more heat.
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The explorer would be my choice for lower risk but I would pay a lot of attention to the sounds from the transmission and watch the tachometer carefully to see the slipping of the torque converter. Maybe drive an hour and stop for an hour with the hood up in the shade for cooling. Remember it is summer and extra hot this weekend.

[normo]

Several years ago I owned a Caravan and needed a tow vehicle for a Catalina 22. Checked with two local transmission shops and was told that none of the front wheel drive minivans had transmissions suitable for towing a 3000# boat plus trailer. I bought another vehicle.

[kmclemore]

The Dodge minivan is notorious for transmission problems, check to see if yours falls into the group known for transmission problems. One person posted here that he had been using his warrantee to replace the Dodge minivan transmission every year as an annual maintenance because of using it for towing.

I agree that the Dodge has a reputaton for bad transmissions, but it is not the tranny's fault. I'm an owner of a 1997 Dodge Caravan Sport, and I've got lots of miles on mine, towing my smaller boat on many, many trips, fully loaded with wife, kids and all their gear. Never had even the whimper of a trans problem.

Nearly all the trans problems with the Chrysler vans can be traced to using the incorrect transmission fluid. These cars take *ONLY* "Mopar MS-7176" fluid, also known as "ATF+3"... Owners should NEVER use Dextron III, which is what most shops will put in unless you buy the fluid and literally hand it to them. If you use anything other than the proper fluid you're pretty much guaranteed to have a tranny failure, since the transmission computer expects a certain level of 'slip' for that trans. If the fluid is too 'slippery' or too 'sticky' the trans will not properly regulate the clutches and they will burn out in short order. And once you use the wrong stuff, even for a short time, it's the death knell for that gearbox - it's only a matter of time. Symptoms include juddering and chatter from the trans - once that happens it's time to sell it or fix it.

It doesn't help that some of the Chrysler cars came with the dipstick marked "Use Dextron III"! And I've even seen Chrysler dealers make this lubrication mistake, so you can't count on your dealer doing it right, either. I always change my own, but if an owner doesn't want to do it themself then they may want to actually buy some legitimate ATF+3 in their local parts store and hand it to the guy/gal who services the car. Change it once a year, and that tranny will last a long, long time.

[ESPERANZA]

I thought these transmissions were three speeds with an overdrive, (basically a four speed) and that you aren't to use overdrive for towing?
Dik...

[Greg]

The problem with the Chrysler transmission is that it is undersized for the vehicle. It works fine for a sedan but the minivan with added weight is a bit much. I heard rumers that Mercedes is supposed to be working on a new trans for the Caravan and if they do, they will have a pretty decent vehicle with the 3.3 or 3.8 engine. The 3.0 usually has major problems around 100k +/- 20k.
To add to what Kevin said, the tranny should be serviced every 15k miles and I only use trans fluid from the dealer- they even changed the formula a few years back.
One of the hardest thing on any transmission, but particularly this one is selecting R while still moving foreward or selecting D while backing up, then accelerating. That puts a lot of stress on internal components and will greatly speed the destruction of the trans. Come to a complete stop before changing the shift lever.
If the trans is babied and serviced, it can go 200k+. I have used our 99 Caravan to tow my light utility trailer but I wouldn't ever consider towing the Mac with it.

Greg

[kmclemore]

If the trans is babied and serviced, it can go 200k+. I have used our 99 Caravan to tow my light utility trailer but I wouldn't ever consider towing the Mac with it.

I agree, Greg, that properly serviced this transmission will last a long, long time.

Also agree that Chrysler minivans should not be used to tow a Mac - in fact that towing weight is *way* beyond the owner's manual towing limits for those vans.

I bought a Toyota Sienna to tow our Mac, and it pulls it beautifully - I hardly know it's there, in fact. Our Caravan is only used to tow our Boston Whaler, a much lighter load and well within the Chrysler factory recommendations.

[hiram6]

I thought these transmissions were three speeds with an overdrive, (basically a four speed) and that you aren't to use overdrive for towing?
Dik...

I think you're right. I had a 90 Bronco II with the auto/OD tranny and pushbutton 4WD. Same transmission that Ford used in the Explorer starting the next year. I replaced my blown transmission at 278K, and specifically remember the work order describing it as a 3 speed + overdrive.