Parts Needed to Tow a Trailer with Brakes Using a 2006 Dodge Durango  

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Expert Reply:

I was not able to locate an exact towing capacity for your 2006 Dodge Durango online but I do have a way for you to determine this. What you are going to want to do is open the driver door and look for a white info tag which will display both the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and the gross combined weight rating (GCWR). If you take the GVWR and subtract that from the GCWR that will then give you your maximum towing capacity.

Assuming the gross trailer weight (GTW) is within the maximum towing capacity of your vehicle you will need a trailer hitch, wiring harness, ball mount, and brake controller in order to tow it. For a trailer hitch I recommend the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver part # 75292 because it is a custom fit that installs using pre-drilled holes in the frame rail.

Then for a trailer wiring harness, I recommend using the T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness part # 118381 if you have the factory tow package or part # 118390 if you do not have the factory tow package which are both plug and play options. Since you will most likely be towing a trailer with brakes you will also need a 7-way trailer wiring harness for which I recommend using the Universal Installation Kit part # ETBC7 as it actually plugs into the 4-way and has the rest of the wires you need for the brake output and 12 volt power.

For a brake controller, one of my favorites is the Tekonsha Primus IQ Trailer Brake Controller part # TK90160 because it has integrated safeguards which protect the vehicle, trailer, and controller in addition to containing a lifetime warranty. If you have the factory tow package then you can also use the Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers part # 3020-P which makes the brake controller plug and play.

If you are unsure of whether or not you have the factory tow package you would need to call the dealer with your VIN as it is not always as obvious as one might think. Please note that the above trailer hitch is only rated for towing up to 6,000 lbs without a weight distribution system. Since you will be over this figure you are going to need to use a weight distribution system which then bumps the trailer hitch's towing capacity up to 9,000 lbs. In order to choose the best system for you, you will need to find the loaded tongue weight of your trailer and add that to any cargo stored behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle. Using the average tongue weight of a 7,000 lb trailer it is likely that you will want to use a system rated for 700-1,000 lbs for which I recommend the Fastway e2 Weight Distribution System part # FA92-00-1200 that has a total tongue weight range of 800 - 1,200 lbs.

I have attached review videos for you as well.

expert reply by: Conner L

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Randy

11/11/2018

What was in the link gave me what I needed to know equipment wise. Truck has factory tow package and is pre-wired for the brake control, even supplying the pigtail to splice to the controllers pig tail. The one you sell pre-done makes more sense. (listed in Conner's reply). It has both the 7way and 4 way plugs from the factory. It's GVR is 6600 pounds and GCWR is 14000. Vehicle weighs 4731 pounds empty, and published towing capacity is 8650 pounds. So with the recommended equipment - brake controller, and a weight distribution system - my question is this - I'm thinking of purchasing a used travel trailer to replace my class c rv. The larger, the nicer, the heavier. Am I crazy to consider a 30ft one that weighs 7040 pounds according to the title? Is there a rule of thumb - such as keep within 75% of capacity - or? I understand how much junk you have in the trailer , truck and how it is loaded affects all of this.

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Conner L.

11/11/2018

Anytime you find the towing capacity for a vehicle online you need to use caution as these figures can vary depending on vehicle options which are not always taken into consideration. The only true accurate way to determine towing capacity is to take the GCWR and subtract the GVWR which if the figures you provided are accurate means you have a maximum towing capacity of 7,400 lbs. If the trailer you are referring to has a dry weight of 7,040 then I do not think this would be a good choice for you as the gross trailer weight once loaded would likely exceed the towing capacity of the vehicle. No matter the circumstance, I can't recommend you exceed the towing capacity (GCWR-GVWR). The length is rather a moot point as there are no restrictions for this outside of what you are comfortable hauling.

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