onecrazyfoo4u Posted April 17, 2014 Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 Just took a trip back home from Idaho to California driving the DJ. Just recently installed the Curt class III hitch and wiring kit so this was my first time towing anything. The trailer itself was 900lb dry. I put a 800lb piano in it and a couple hundred other pounds...total was probably right at 2000lb. I towed it all 1000 miles going about 70mph average. Averaged about 19mpg the whole way. Was hoping for better considering I get 28mpg on this same trip with about 600lb of people and cargo in the DJ. Does 19mpg seem reasonable to 100% highway driving at 70mph pulling 2000lbs? My impressions were it was a much bumpier ride than I had expected. Not sure if it was due to the crappy uhaul trailer, or if it's because I have a DJ crew without the towing package. I could easily feel every bump in the road and feel the hinging movement of the trailer hookup. I was getting bumped around pretty good. Is that what you should expect when towing in the DJ? Overall I was hoping for better mileage and a better ride. But at least it got the job done and got the bohemith of a piano to my home! Do you all experience similar results when towing? I was wanted to get a little pop up camper trailer. But I'm re-considering after this experience. Unless a popup trailer gets better mileage and isn't as bumpy of a ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted April 17, 2014 Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 For the mileage you also have to consider the drag that is created by the trailer. I'm assuming it was a closed trailer so there is a lot of surface area that is dragging through the air. Your issue with bouncing was probably due to too much tongue weight. Roughly 10% of the weight you tow should push down on the tongue. Too much tongue weight and you bounce, too little and the trailer sways... Either one of those is bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecrazyfoo4u Posted April 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) Yeah, it could have been overloaded on the tongue weight. They only way to properly secure the piano (on rolling wheels) was to put probably 70% of the weight up front, or 500lbs or so I'm guessing. I didn't have any other option with that giant piano and being able to secure it properly. Hopefully I didn't hurt anything on the DJ! It was the big enclosed trailer. Maybe a little popup camper with a lower profile would get better mileage then...and the weight would be distributed properly. Edited April 17, 2014 by onecrazyfoo4u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted April 17, 2014 Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 Yeah, it could have been overloaded on the tongue weight. They only way to properly secure the piano (on rolling wheels) was to put probably 70% of the weight up front, or 500lbs or so I'm guessing. I didn't have any other option with that giant piano and being able to secure it properly. Hopefully I didn't hurt anything on the DJ! It was the big enclosed trailer. Maybe a little popup camper with a lower profile would get better mileage then...and the weight would be distributed properly. Sounds like that's all it was... When I used to tow a 30' camper I had weight distributing bars on my hitch that would transfer some of the tongue weight over the front axles. It was a night and day difference over just having it hitched to the truck without them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 I have a small pop-up camper that I have towed with my '99 300M and with the Journey. I could easily feel the camper when towing it with the 300M. The Journey handled it far better. The '99 300M has about 138,000 miles on the original shocks and has a lot more wallow in it under load as a result. I thought the ride and handling with the camper in tow was quite stable and non-intrusive. Plus, the extra two ratios in the tranny and extra HP and torque made the car much more responsive with the camper in tow than the M did. Our camper weighs 1200 lb dry. With my family and all our gear in the car we were easily over 2000 lb. I did not measure fuel economy. I would expect, as Lobitz68 pointed out, that your mileage will improve with a pop-up as the aerodynamic drag will decrease. Our Journey is taller than the camper and as such it breaks the wind over the top of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 By the way, the Trailer Tow Prep Group provides nothing in the way of suspension upgrades. It simply adds the wiring harness and an engine oil cooler. Mine is also a Crew. If yours is FWD, then you and I have the same suspension setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecrazyfoo4u Posted April 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 Thanks a lot for the info...gives me hope on getting a popup camper again. I may try renting one for a weekend first to see how we like it and how it pulls before splurging on the purchase. Does anyone have mpg results from pulling a popup trailer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Dude Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 I haul my trash as there is no pick up here, and there is bounce, and you do feel the movement, but the 100-200 lbs. of trash is all the way in the back of the trailer. Also don't forget wind resistance plays a big part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis9935 Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Op so did it downshift every 2 minutes? Mine on the interstate seems to downshift when it even sees a incline coming! I couldn't even imagine what it's like with more weight behind it. Apparently the 3.6 with its high (Highway milage) gearing just doesn't have enough low end torque to support the weight. My 2005 Xterra with 33" tires had 280ftlb torque and that thing could keep gear and speed towing my quad and loaded down trailer & loaded back end up large Hills @ 75 mph. Anyone else notice theirs doing this? DodgeCares 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecrazyfoo4u Posted April 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 It wasn't that often, but when driving into a headwind or up slight inclines it would downshift all the time. I just used the manual shift to avoid it most of the time and to get better mileage. It was annoying how often it would downshift when not necessarily needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ FROM MB Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 I pull a 3000lb travel trailer and do not have any issues besides 10mpg while towing into the wind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis9935 Posted July 11, 2014 Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Really? There's no way it doesn't downshift to 4rth or 5th. Mine does it with just me and a incline, it revs so low on the interstate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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