anyone tow w/ a durango?

I am currently looking for a tow vehicle. I was wondering if anyone uses a Durango. I am not set on getting one, but you can get them really cheap. Any thoughts?

Depends on what year. I have an '03 w/ the 4.7L V8 and it doesn't cut it on the hills at all. Flat ground it seems to be working the trans to hard. Got a new GMC and solved the problem. The newer ones with a hemi are probably cool i would think.

I have a supra 21V. I tow with a 99 durango with the 5.9L.. It does fine. It has some other issues non tow related, but that's beside the point.

I did have to get a pair of helper springs to help level the ride. Cost somewhere around $100. I never tried to tow the boat without them, but judging by how much the rear end dropped WITH them, they were needed.

Dura--NO! I had a 98 with the 5.9, and the power was OK. When you could keep it out of the repair shop. They had notorious issues with the intake plenum gaskets (on the 5.9), front end ball joints, and rear pinion bearings (at least on the 98's). The engine made OK power, but when I sold it for a Sequoia, I was surprised to find that the Sequoia with a 4.7L towed my boat with the same amount of power. Neither one is in the same league as a newer Hemi, I'm sure. The fuel mileage was very diappointing for the size of vehicle that the Durango is; I got about 12-13 mpg around town and 8-10 towing. Hopefully Dodge has improved the reliability with the newer Durangos.

Durango recently made the list of fastest depreciating vehicles, retaining around the mid 40% of its value after 2 years...I can't find the article right now. You can pick up a slightly used one for very cheap. However it sounds like they aren't the most reliable things out there.

I have a 2000, 4.7L with 110k miles and have had zero problems with mine. I have towed 5k-10k miles and it does very well except for large hills. Mine gets 14 mpg and 10 mpg towing w/no overdrive.

I tow w/ an 05 4.7 works great never any problems also had an 02 towed fine as well

I had an '01 Dodge Dakota Quad cab with the 4.7L engine and thought it did a good job towing. I switched to an '01 Durango with the same engine and was very disappointed. The short wheel base really makes a difference in the amount the boat pushes the rig around. Power wise it was Ok, but I think the gearing ratio was different so that's why most people say pulling up a hill is not good.

I tow with a 2006 Durango (Hemi). No problems, although gas sucks. I can do 75 up the grape vine if i wanted to. Although I wish it had stiffer suspension. It tows great.

The brakes tend to wear out fast so that's an item to pay attention to if you get one. The ride is really good if it's a 2WD and not bad if it's 4WD.
Tim's comment on the Quad Cab is right on. You have a couple of choices for final drive ratio so try to get the higher ratio. The limited slip diff makes a big difference so try to find that.

I tow with a 00 5.9L Durango. It tows pretty well. I've taken my boat from KY to NC and was able to maintain 70 mph in the mountains. Currently, I only tow about a max of 30 miles and that isn't very often, but it does well enough. The four wheel drive definitely comes in handy. If you have steep or loose ramps, this is a must. The only issues I have had have been minor. One window no longer works, the paint on the front grill failed, stuff like that. It's got 135k on it and is mechanically in great condition. Biggest downside is fuel consumption if you plan on using it for a daily driver. Mine only gets about 12-14mpg. A friend of mine has the 4.7L engine and he claims around 18 mpg.