Has anyone ever towed with 2013 Town and Country?

Have a 18' boat, just wondering how it does towing?

 

You can't go wrong checking manufactures specs which should be in the owners manual. Back in '04 I towed a 25' Mako with three huge outboards with a brand new Ford Explorer only had 4,000 miles at the time- big mistake. I tore up the rear end on the Explorer. These vans are really not designed for towing so use caution, and make sure your warranty is active.

 

#1 Aftermarket TRANSMISSION COOLER (a Must)
#2 Slow steady acceleration. (No Jack Rabbit starts) Save you transmission
#3 Slippery/Wet boat ramps. Depending on the weight of the boat/trailer. You might have trouble pulling it out of the water due to weight transfer to the rear if the van is front wheel drive. Maybe some stiffer springs and shocks on the rear to help with that.
#4 Maybe I don't know squat but I have towed with my 94 no problem. a friend has a 05 , tows his boat no problem, however it's not a full blown bass boat or anything like that.

My 2 cents

 

The length of the boat doesn't tell us much since it's over 16'. For example, does it have a 350 chevy v8 or 5hp outboard lol.


How much does the rig weigh and how far are you towing it?


If this is a basic aluminum fishing boat with 9.9 hp motor it could weigh 1200 pounds and the van won't even know you're towing it, everything will be fine. A light duty open bow fiberglass recreational with 50hp would be about max capability for your van.


If it's a ski boat with V6 or V8 and I/O setup it could weigh 3K lbs and there's no hope of saving your tranny or pulling it out of the water. A front wheel drive vehicle can't pull a boat out of the water on a steep ramp if the rig is much over 2000lbs due to traction issues (wheelspin). A rear wheel drive car, van or truck will work OK for rigs under 3500lbs.

 

No way. A Ford Explorer 8.8" rear axle assembly will not and did not break from capacity overload towing your boat. You can tow over 5K lbs. People tow race cars with tools all the time. It is obvious to me that you submerged the breather tube for the rear axle assembly which allowed water to enter the rear axle assembly. People always back too far into the water on docks that aren't very steep because it is sometimes necessary to load the boat. When the rear tires on your Explorer are submerge to near axle level the breather gulps water. A small wave will cause it too. It happens all the time. Bearings and gears will be destroyed if you get more than a couple teaspoons of water in the rear axle breather.

 

I was just marveling at watching bass fishermen loading and unloading their boats at a local river. About half of them had the rear tires on their vehicles submerged well above the bottom of the rim and some to axle level. Some of these vehicles will see axle failure, guaranteed. On most vehicles you must modify the breather system to prevent trouble, if your rear tires see more than a couple inches of water. Jeep, Hummer and Toyota 4wd have the modifications from the factory, most other's don't.

 

Apart from making sure water doesn't get where it shouldn't be, one essential is to have a separate ATF cooler with a fan. Fitting one is not a big job. Sooner or later you'll faced with a big steep hill with a ton or two to drag behind you, and you'll be glad of it. ATF is rapidly destroyed much beyond 100*C, shortening its life considerably -- even when the ATF is full synthetic. Don't tempt fate with autobox repairs, you'll know why -- £££s/$$$.

Leedsman.

 

Sure, depending on how much you want to tow you might need to get a heavier duty tow hitch than what comes standard. If you type in the year, make and model at reesehitches.com you can see what's available based on weight.

 

You will definitely want to look into transmission coolers for a tow that big. It will put a lot of pressure on your transmission and every 20 degree drop in temperature can actually double your transmission oil life.