I have the 2007 Aspen with the 4.7L V-8 2WD. I see it is rated to tow around 7300lb and a gross weight (car/cargo/trailer) of a little over 12,000lbs.

Curious who regularly tows things with their Aspen.
For those that have towed campers and/or boats, what's the longest length thing you've towed, and how did the Aspen fair?

I'm looking at a boat around 21-24ft long, and trying to keep the "dry" weight less than 4300lbs (with a trailer and full of gas, the total trailer weight should be around 6000lbs. I've seen some lightweight boats longer than 24' but I'm scared that much "size" behind the Aspen might be hard to keep straight with a good side wind/gust.

Also pondering using it to tow a camper around 23' long.

 

I tow a 26' travel trailer (dry weight of 4600lbs). But my Aspen is the 5.7 Hemi and has a tow rating of 8900lbs. It has always towed great (though I think I am having a torque converter problem recently). Plenty of power for my trailer. The suspension is a little softer then what I like for towing a heavier trailer, but otherwise no complaints whatsoever. I can't speak for your 4.7 though.

 

I definitely wish I had the 5.7 Hemi. My concern is if my little 4.7 V-8, with 235HP and 300ft. lb torque is strong enough to pull 5000lbs out of the water and up a ramp...even in low gear. I'm thinking it will be OK, but don't wanna end up burning up the tranny.

 

08 Aspen Hemi AWD, towed 3500 horse trailer with 1100lb horse. Had plenty of power and stopping power ,but when got up to 50 mph or more just felt a little unstable. Especially on Interstate. Use a 06 Dodge 2500 CTD to tow the trailer now.

 

The weight won't be the problem. Pulling 5000 lbs up a wet incline without 4wd might be. I wouldn't worry about the power or length when pulling on the highway. Make sure you have the proper weight distributing hitch setup, friction anti-sway bars, trailer brakes, trans cooler, mirrors, etc and you should be fine. Don't tow in OD as that will burn out your tranny. Keep your speed down around 55 mph, you're not in a race. You will find that your mind set changes when you are towing, passing is almost out of the question unless you're on 4 lanes, you look at your mirrors all the time, you watch what the other guy is doing more, and your sense of anticipating what's ahead becomes more acute, you check your tires and axles more often, you become more courteous to other drivers, at least you should be doing all those things.
We had a 2005 GMC Jimmy (5 spd standard - 190 HP, 250 lb-ft) and 20' travel trailer (4500 lbs). I had the proper tow setup and pulled that thing from Kamloops BC to northern Manitoba and back without a problem. I was close to the limits on the axle weights - checked at a weigh scale. I was able to keep the whole thing going in 4th gear on the highway at 55 mph revving about 2400 rpm which happens to be the sweet spot for torque on that motor. Had to downshift for hills of course but it did just fine. So pulling with the 4.7L with more horsepower, torque and axle weight ability should no problem. Make sure you run synthetic in your diff for the extra heat and definitely have a good trans cooler.
Happy towing!

 

I tow a 4000 lb dry 20' boat with my 2007 Hemi Aspen. With trailer (1200 lbs) and gear, I suspect I am around 5500 lbs. It does fantastic.

I would say that the rear end used to sag a bit, but I put on Timbren overload springs (takes literally 20 minutes to put them on...they just replace the rear axle bump stops), and since then there is no sag at all.

I second what Milbers says. The only thing about which I would be concerned is pulling up a slick boat ramp in 2WD.

 

Thanks for the replies and tips! I wonder if the Aspen has the same tranny for both the 4.7 and the Hemi.

 

Both hemi and 4.7 have the 545RFE transmissions in them.

 

If you're worried about the handling with a heavier boat you might want to consider a weight distribution hitch. They have a pretty high quality selection at Reese Hitches if you're interested.

 

Hi, new to the Chrysler community and owner of a 2007 Chrysler 5.7 Hemi for past two years.

Looking to tow a 24 foot trailer for the first time. Seems that the rating should be sufficient to tow, but I'm wondering if there is a break control built in or if I need to buy an aftermarket one?

It had the tow package, but reading the owner's manual didn't help me specifically to this answer. Any one know the answer?