2008-2016 Town and Country Towing Capacity Chart and Guide
Trailers can be fun to live in. You get to go almost anywhere you want and have a little luxury along for the ride. Plus, they save on hotel and other costs. the only problem is that your vehicle may not have the towing capacity to handle those trailers you have your eye on.
If you own one of these vehicles and are just beginning your RV experience, then it is wise to know all the important details when it comes to towing weight, etc. having the right amount of ability is essential if you are going to have a relatively trouble-free vacation or retirement.
To learn more about the towing capacity of these different models of Town & Country vehicles, just continue to read our article. We have created a quick comparison chart to make it easier for you to get all the facts.
Town and Country Towing 101
Town And Country Towing Capacity Chart
| Model year | Towing Capacity | GVWR | HP | Torque Foot-pounds | Engine size | transmission |
| 2008 | 3600 pounds | 4600 pounds | 253 | 262 | 24 valve, 4 liter | 6-speed automatic |
| 2009 | 3600 pounds | 4800 pounds | 197 | 230 | 3.8 liter, V6 | 6-speed automatic |
| 2010 | 3800 pounds | 5000 pounds | 197 | 230 | 3.8 liter, V6 | 6-speed automatic |
| 2011 | 3600 pounds | 5000 pounds | 283 | 260 | 3.8 liter, V6 | 6-speed shiftable automatic |
| 2012 | 3600 pounds | 5000 pounds | 283 | 260 | 3.6 liter V6 | 6-speed shiftable automatic |
| 2013 | 3600 pounds | 5000 pounds | 283 | 260 | 3.6 liter, V6 | 6-speed shiftable automatic |
| 2014 | 3600 pounds | 5000 pounds | 283 | 260 | 3.6 liter, V6 | 6-speed shiftable automatic |
| 2015 | 3600 pounds | 5000 pounds | 283 | 260 | 3.6 liter V6 | 6-speed shiftable automatic |
| 2016 | 3600 pounds | 5000 pounds | 283 | 260 | 3.6 liter, V6 | 6-speed shiftable automatic |
Do All Town And Country Limited Have a Towing Capacity?
Yes, all Town and Country Limited have a towing capacity. In fact, almost all cars and small trucks have towing capacities. There will be loads that are too heavy for the Town & Country. As you can see by the chart, the towing capacities for all those model years stay at 3,600 pounds.
The maximum weight capacity includes gear, supplies as well as all passengers. You cannot go above those weights or you will be asking for trouble. It is just not safe to tow more weight or haul more weight than is listed in the owner’s manual.
When you are towing with your T & C minivan, if you can call it that as the wheelbase is fairly larger than the original minivans, make sure to have the right ball, the right hitch, and safety chains.
Keeping your trailer safe is part of being a responsible driver. Plus, by making sure you are under the towing capacity of the Town & Country vehicle, you are keeping your family safe.
Can a Town And Country Tow a Pop-up Camper?
As long as the weight of the pop-up camper, your supplies, equipment, and passenger weights are under the maximum payload and tow weight limits, you can tow a pop-up camper.
However, not all pop-up campers are light. Some reach up to 3700 pounds making them too heavy for your Town and Country van. The weight range of most pop-up campers is between 800 to 3700 pounds.
The basic style of pop-ups will weigh between 800 and 2150 pounds. The next level up, the A-frame type, will weigh between 1560 to 2430 pounds. Then the off-grid, hybrid, or extreme sport pop-up campers will be the heaviest. They weigh anywhere between 2100 to 3740 pounds.
These weight ranges will help you plan out the supplies and equipment you want to bring along. But first, add all the weights of the passengers together and this is one time you cannot undervalue your wife’s weight.
Accuracy does matter when towing a trailer. There are other factors involved which we will get into in the next section. Most pop-up trailers do not have those extra factors. Watching your weight is essential when using a non- pick-up truck as your tow vehicle and even then you have to be careful as well.
Can a Chrysler Town And Country Tow a Trailer?
This question is similar to the previous one. As long as the trailer does not weigh more than the towing capacity, then your Town and Country van can tow it. But there are some hidden factors when towing a trailer. We will get to those in a moment.
We have added a second chart to help you understand trailer weight and what size you can safely tow:
| Trailer Length | Dry Weight- pounds | Gross Trailer Weight- pounds |
| 13-foot | 1200 to 1600 | 2000-2200 approx. |
| 16-foot | 1750 to 2600 | 2500+ approx. |
| 17-foot | 3700 | 4250 |
| 19-foot | 3800 | 4750 |
| 20-foot | 3900 | 5000 |
| 23-foot | 4000 approx. | 5750 |
| 26-foot | 5500 | 6750 |
| 30-foot | 6000 | 7500 |
We left out longer trailers simply because they are just too heavy for your Town and Country van. But these few examples show you that your minivan is limited in the size of trailer you can tow.
16-foot travel trailers would be the longest you can go and you would have to plan very carefully about the supplies and equipment you bring along for the ride. Now for those hidden factors that you need to consider.
Most trailers will have freshwater tanks and if they are up to 48 gallons, then you are looking at adding 400 pounds to the totals given above. Then you have to factor in the weight of the gray and black water tanks.
They will add weight to your trailer. Usually, you will add fresh water to the freshwater tank before you empty the other two tanks, depending on the use, of course, these tanks' weight combined will lower the number of passengers, supplies, and equipment you can bring along.
Generally, a trailer weighs about 250 pounds per foot in length so you can do your own calculations before you start your search for a trailer.
Can a Town And Country Pull a Boat?
Yes, you can pull a boat but many owners do not try it. They prefer different more powerful vehicles to do their towing. The Town and Country will tow a boat as long as you keep the weight under the towing capacities.
The length of the boat is not a factor here except for maneuverability. You will have to factor in the weight of the boat trailer and the boat before hooking up. Plus, you should have a tow package installed if one is not installed at the factory.
The tow package provides you with larger brakes, a cooler for both the alternator and the transmission as well as other features that make towing easier. The tow package is vital to towing any trailer or camper.
The problem you will encounter when towing a boat is if you are going to put the boat into the water. Some Town & Country vehicles may not be able to handle the incline of those boat ramps. They spin their tires and give you other headaches.
But that may not be a problem you encounter as it does not happen all the time. You will be the best judge of that and if it is a small boat, you should not have any problems at all.
What Can Affect The Town And Country Towing Capacity?
The first item that will affect the Town & Country’s towing capacity will be the tow package. Without it, the LX model is only rated to tow 1600 pounds. That is a 2000 pound drop from the towing capacity when the tow package is installed.
You are looking at towing mini trailers only when your vehicle does not have a tow package installed. This drop will be present in all Town and Country models when they do not have a tow package either.
Then the weight of the passengers will affect your tow capacity. The more people you have in the van the less you can tow. The gross trailer weight will reduce tow capacity if you put in too many supplies and equipment, as well as passengers.
This is why it is important to be accurate when you are adding all the weight of all the passengers. If the weight of the passengers, supplies, and equipment is very high, you will pass the gross vehicle weight. This means you either jettison some of those three or you lower the weight of the trailer.
You have to plan carefully to make sure all the weight, including any hidden factors like freshwater tanks, does not exceed any of the capacities your vehicle has.
Chrysler Town And Country Tow Package By Year
This is something that may need to be read from the window sticker on your specific Town and Country van. The tow packages are fairly standard when it comes to the equipment they provide.
One tow package includes larger brakes, coolers for the transmission and alternator, possibly a larger radiator, and the trailer light harness. The 2009 was said to have a heavy-duty radiator, the trailer tow harness, transmission cooler, and load-leveling suspension.
You may also get an engine oil cooler in some tow package versions. It will all depend on Chrysler as to the different features that are included in the tow package. What is your biggest concern will be if the tow package was standard or an option on your specific year and model of this van.
When you don't have a tow package the weights in the chart above don't come into play. You will not be able to tow that heavy of a trailer, etc., without one. You can check with the Chrysler dealer near you what equipment will come with the tow package slated to be installed on your specific year and model.
You may find out that the tow packages did not change very much from year to year. That is because the changes were not needed given the motor size did not change very much.
Town And Country User's Manual Download Link
Because this model of van has been made for a very long time by Chrysler, you will find that getting a manual is not going to be that difficult. There are lots of links that have popped up in a quick online search.
Here is the first place to check, just click this link. Then you can try this link and see if they have your year and model. A third option will be found at this link. For our Canadian readers, you should be able to find a manual through this link.
Since Chrysler is still in business making cars, you should contact them directly. They should have manuals in stock or on the internet for easy downloading.
Towing Terminology
GCWR- Gross Combined Weight Rating- This is the weight of the tow vehicle and trailer combined.
GVWR- Gross Vehicle Weight- the total weight of passengers, supplies and vehicle weights.
GTW- Gross Trailer Weight- total weight of trailer and cargo.
TW- Tongue Weight- the total weight at the hitch. This should be 10% of the trailer weight.
Curb weight- The weight of the empty vehicle- the trailer or vehicle is totally empty and has no passengers or cargo inside.
Dry weight- the tanks are all empty. There are no fluids in the vehicle. Basically, this is the same as the curb weight with minor adjustments.
Some Final Words
Some people do not like towing with their Town and Country van. They may not think there is enough power in those engines to get over the mountains safely. While the van is rated for a nice trailer weight, you need to make sure you have the tow package or you won’t get over those mountains at all.
It is your choice to use this vehicle for towing but keep in mind you have to go small when you tow a trailer.
