Thank you for the great advice, John. I got nowhere when I tried the Dodge dealer. I couldn't get a mechanic on the phone and could only speak with a service advisor. I am going to call an RV repair shop though. That is a great idea. I will also try callling the manufacturer and I will see if I can find out why their website is giving me a different tow limit than my owner's manual.

In case anyone is curious, I will post back my findings.

Thanks again,
Cheryl

Travel Trailer Weight Calculator

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"Ruben"
2404T, 2003 2500HD 4X4 GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab w/Astro camper shell and 2003 Chevy Tahoe LE 4X2
Far West Texas

I forgot to mention that I have the factory installed Tow package. The difference in the web site and owners manual could be based on what options were installed. Also I would not like to tow a high profile trailer of the same weight.

Ugh.... no more, no more...

I have the factory installed tow pkg as well. That makes sense about it being the reason the owner's manual is different.

I tried calling two RV places today, didn't get anywhere. Will try another couple of places again tomorrow and discuss brakes, max weight, and what they think of my truck as a tow vehicle.

At this pointthought, I'm thinking I am just going to end up basing my decision on the lowest weight and stay within 80-85% of that weight. I am going to find the smallest, lightest hilo that will fit my family and definitely make sure to put as much research into my brakes (thanks to the sensible info from John on this thread) as I am on tow weight.

Thanks again, everyone!

Cheryl


.

You will probably find that most RV dealers are reluctant to give you any tow vehicle figures due to liability, etc. The manufacturer has the best figures and you have seen how that has gone for you. As you said, stay on the conservative side and you should be ok. It just seems that your vehicle as equipped should have a much higher rating. Maybe Dodge is more truthful than the others, as tow ratings have been inflated in some vehicles due to competition over the years.

Starting next year the published tow ratings are supposed to be established according to a standard that was developed. We will see how that changes some of the bragging by the manufacturers.

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My Great Wife Joyce
2018 Jayco Jay Flight 21QB
Formerly owned 1705T and 2310H
2012 F150 4X4 SuperCrew EcoBoost w/Leer Cap
Reese WD Strait-Line Hitch
Amateur Radio K3EXU

I think you will find that the Dakota has plenty of HP and torque for towing. It only slows down on the longest and steepest grades.

That is very encouraging to hear. I am so glad that there is someone here with a Dakota to tell me about their experience. I think I will be fine with a 21ft Towlite. Now I just have to find one!

So, I called two different RV repair facilities. I didn’t bother calling Dodge because the different in weight from their website vs the owner’s manual is only 150 lbs so I am not going to bother sitting on hold to talk to a customer service rep to get to the bottom of it. Ok, so my phone calls to the repair facility…

The first place I spoke with wanted to also know the wc and wd of my hitch. WC= 3500 and WD = 6500, so I will need to get a weight distribution hitch. Then, the mechanic told me he isn’t really familiar with the Dakotas and that whatever limit the manufacturer is saying is always inflated. He said he can’t believe the weights that the manufacturers say are safe. At one point he said I shouldn’t tow more than 2000 lbs and at another point he said I’d probably be ok with 3000 or 4000 lbs. I told him that on Craigslist there was someone towing one with a Ford Ranger, which is smaller than my truck and he said he doesn’t think that would be a good idea. I told him that someone on the forum is towing one with a truck like mine but a 4X4 and he said that a 4x4 is heavier than my 2wd so that could make the difference. In the end, he said he just doesn’t really know about Dakotas, that my truck might be fine and I should really just try hooking one up and towing it and that is the only way I will know for sure.

I called another guy who said to go ahead and tow all the way to limit and (I am quoting him here) “that is what it is made to do”. I asked about going up hills. He said, “that is what second gear is for.”. Yeah….. I don’t know much about all this towing stuff but I certainly have enough common sense to know that doesn’t sound right.

So there you have it. At this point, I really think I will do fine with a 21 ft towlite but I am going to ask the seller if they’ll let me hook it up and pull it around to try it out. Well, first I’ve got to find one…

Thanks again, everyone.
Cheryl

Cheryl, Your plans sound very reasonable to me. I don't have a WD hitch but plan on getting one over the winter. There have been a few times in high winds or heavy traffic that I was uncomfortable. PopRichie tows the same trailer as mine with a V6 Tacoma - rated at 6500#s??? But they are lighter than the Dakota. The '05 Dakotas are listed at tow ratings of ~7000# but the only difference from the '04s is cosmetic. I think that the Dodge recommendations are under for liability reasons not inflated.
I hope you can find what you are looking for.
Ralph Arnold
SLC, Ut
2004 Dakota quad cab 4x4
'95 21' Towlite.

Well you have certainly done your homework, and are now probably just as misguided by all of our good intentioned opinionated advice as the rest of us. The majority of posters on this site agree on taking a cautious approach to towing, they recommend:

1. de-rating the manufactures towing capacity estimates to about 80% to have a margin of safety,
2. use an appropriate weight distribution hitch with anti-sway capability,
3. use a quality brake controller (ones with a decellorometer are the best),
4. realize that the additional "stuff" you carry also counts against your TV's load capacity (stuff like: you, fresh water, waste water, LP, gasoline, food, chairs, wine, beer, rover, etc.)
5. keep your brakes and tires in good condition (inflation is critical)
6. drive conservatively, knowing your rig's capabilities
7. watch out for the other guy, they are driving tired, way overloaded and often driving faster than they ought to be!

Your TV/Hi-Lo is not so different than the ones towed by myself and other posters ... good luck and enjoy RVing.

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John

2007-22T TowLite 50th Anniversary
2008 Nissan Frontier SE 4X4 Crew Cab, Snug Top

Thank you so much. Reassuring and helpful. I am the researcher of the house and my husband will be the one setting it all up and driving so I will definitely make sure he reads this sound advice.

Rolff,

Do you know what size axle you have? I have the 3.55 axle and I compared our trucks on Dodge.com and if you have the 3.55 you have a slightly lower tow capacity than I have and if you have the 3.92 then you have a higher tow capacity than I do.

I’m asking because I found a hi-lo that is very similar to yours in weight and it would be reassuring to know that since you’re able to tow yours nicely, I would be able to tow something similar. If you have the larger axle though, I can’t compare my truck to yours.

Thanks so much!

Cheryl

Well, I have two Hi-Los to go and look at tomorrow. One is a friend of a friend's that was supposed to be an '89 21ft funlite but turns out is an '89 22ft Funchaser. That extra foot is about an extra 800lbs! I know it isn't really the one extra foot that is adding that, but you know what I mean. The dry weight is 3560 and the max weight is 5000. I figure if we can keep the cargo at 700ish lbs, that will keep me right at 85% max towing capacity. I know it is pushing it and I had wanted to stay at 80% but the price is right and it will fit my family.

Is this crazy? Am I allowing enough lbs when I say 700 lbs of cargo. I feel like I am being generous but cargo (especially with two little ones, bikes, etc.) does add up.

The other one I can't get a straight answer from the guy on the size. He is saying it is an '89 11 ft Funlite. That's right; he says it is eleven feet long. I told him the smallest I've heard of is 17 feet and he said he measured it and it is 11 feet. Any thoughts??? Maybe he should be taking into account the hitch or something? It has a double bunk and the dining table turns into a bed as well. Could that even be a 17 foot? Anyway, I'm waiting on a call back from him so we can set something up for tomorrow.

Inthepink,

Hi-Lo measured their trailers from the hitch to the back bumper. So, our 21ft towlite actually had living space of approximately 17 feet (the box). I suspect that the funlite measured at 11ft is actually the living space and not the true size of the trailer. It is probably a 15 or 17 ft trailer. If the trailer is 19 ft or less, it has one axle. If it is larger than 19ft, it will have dual axles.

One way to keep your weight down in the trailer is to tow it dry. By dry, I mean to tow it without water in the tanks and make sure the holding tanks are empty. Water and waste will add a lot of weight in a hurry.

We personally prefer to tow a dual axle trailer.

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Les & Patricia
2006 22ft towlite (replaces 97 21TL)
2006 Toyota tacoma pre-runner 4.0 L V-6 quad cab
w/ 98 chevy Powervision towing mirrors
2017 Chevy Silverado 1500 5.3 v8 (replaces Toyota)
2 Hobie mirage pedal drive kayaks

Les, why do you prefer to tow dual axle? Is it easier to tow?

We find that the dual axle tows with less sway and it doesn't bounce around as much.

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Les & Patricia
2006 22ft towlite (replaces 97 21TL)
2006 Toyota tacoma pre-runner 4.0 L V-6 quad cab
w/ 98 chevy Powervision towing mirrors
2017 Chevy Silverado 1500 5.3 v8 (replaces Toyota)
2 Hobie mirage pedal drive kayaks

Good to know. Thanks.

And, you don't immediately drop on to a wheel rim if there is a tire failure when there are dual axles.

It is also MUCH easier to change a tire/grease bearings/adjust brakes, etc if you have dual axles. All you have to do is drive the wheel you're not working on up onto some kind of "platform" (they make plastic ones for this) and the other wheel is suspended in the air. AND, there is an "expanding" chock that goes between the wheels on dual axles that will prevent rolling.

I REALLY WISH my trailer had dual axles, but the ones below 19 ft all came with single axles.

- Jack

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Hi-Lo 1707T - Tire Minder TPMS on Tow Vehicle and Trailer, 300W Solar Battery Charger, Equal-i-zer WDH, Progressive Dynamics Converter, Fan-Tastic Fan, LiFePO4 battery 12V DC Electrical System, SoftStartRV mounted on A/C
2024 F150 Platinum FX4 3.5L PowerBoost SCrew