Towing a tent trailer

[DWB_Dodge]

Hi there,

I have a 2002 Grand Caravan with a 3.3l motor. Last summer we got a Rockwood Premier 10 foot tent trailer for family vacations. Well, the trailer weighs around 2200 lbs, no problem, loaded it up, put in the wife and kids, still no weight problem.....that was last summer. This summer, I have noticed that the van is riding lower in the back, chains are dragging so i had to tie them up differently, same amount of stuff with the exception of a microwave which I figured was offset by less toys for the kids, kids are a little bigger though. Even without the trailer and just the family, the van is sitting much lower and the ride is not as good (kindof bouncy) so I am assuming that the suspension in the back is getting weak. I made no suspension changes to the van for the trailer and there are no torsion bars to distribute the weight due to the small size of the trailer, not that it matters since I notice it without the trailer anyway.

Last weekend, I noticed that when I hitched up the trailer, the weight took it clear down so the bumpers rested on the axle. I had already distributed some of the stuff in the trailer to change where it was weight wise and take some load off the tongue. This is not good, not good at all. What have you done to improve towing on your van? I have been looking at airbags, the Roadmaster Active Suspension, etc. and need to make some changes, just not sure which change to make, and hopefully with not a whole pile of cash either. I dont' really want to upgrade to a bigger vehicle at this time, just got it paid off.

Thanks,

Dwight

[mopar fan]

Well I don't have a van, but the first and cheapest thing I would do is replace the shocks with a good quality set of overload shocks. If that doesn't help you could go to with a helper leaf on your spring pack. I'm assuming your van has leaf springs.

[RetsaM]

Hello,

Just go to
http://www.timbren.com/
I will try DVR05096 soon
and I have received very good comments.

Regards,

[vipergg]

Take a look at these may be just what you need .

The Monroe® Sensa-Trac® load adjusting shock absorber with PSD (position sensitive damping) and the Safe Tech™ system combines our exclusive precision tapered grooves in the pressure tube with application engineered valving and Fluon banded piston to improve the ride, handling, and safety characteristics of the vehicle.

These units also include a heavy gauge calibrated spring for extra control and comfort. A new pair of Monroe Sensa-Trac load adjusting shock absorbers can assist in maintaining ride height when up to 1,200 lbs*. of additional weight is loaded. These units are ideal for light trucks that carry varying loads or tow trailers.


http://www.monroe.com/products/mp_detail.asp?cat=Sensa-Trac&detail=Load%20Adjusting%20Shock%20Absorbers

[TomQuick]

I have a '97 caravan. This spring, I installed a hitch so that I could tow a small trailer to carry my camping gear in. After installing the hitch, I noticed that the receiver tube was sitting pretty close to the ground with the family in the van. I too was looking for a quick, and inexpensive way to get the rear end up off the ground. I visited my local Auto Zone, and spent some time with them. It turns out that Monroe makes a set of air shocks for the '97, but they say not for ABS vehicles. Funny enough, all the other shocks that are listed for the '97 fit with or without ABS, so I grabbed a pair of the air shocks for $60. I put them in around the middle of July, so I've had them for about a month and a half now. They did a fine job of holding the rear up even with the trailer attached, and I haven't noticed any problems with the handling or braking. I think that I will eventually get a pair of add a leaf's, but the air shocks did the job at least for this summer.

[XDGT03]

I could not find a set of airshocks made for t my 98GC from monroe or gabriel or anyone. I got a set for a 95 Ford Aerostar and they work fantastic. Get a set of polyurethane rear swaybar bushings while you are at it. Makes a world of difference.