Can a 2007 Chrysler Town & Country Van Pull a 2010 Lark 7x16 Trailer

Question

Question:

I need to move my home furnishings from California to Montana. I have a 2007 Chrysler Town and Country van without a factory tow hitch. I am interested in purchasing a 2010 Lark trailer 7x16 I have found from a private party that appears to be in good condition. Will the TandC be able to tow this trailer? Here are some specs. • 2000lb tongue jack • 2” X 4” Tongue tubing and main rail • 16” on center • 4” structured z channel • 2 3500lb axle with brakes • 32” door with a height of 67” • 80” wide inside flooring • RV flush lock and bar lock • 68” X 75” ramp • Studs on the outside of the trailer are 16 on center • Tubing is 1” X 1 1/2” for the trailer • Door and window tubing is 1” X 3” • Overall height is 96” 8 feet • 8” from the axle to the ground • 5 ½ inches on the leaf spring to the ground • Stone guard on the front is standard 24” height and in the center • Tires st205-75d 15 • Break away kit on all trailers with brakes • Galvanized aluminum roof • 14,000lb coupler • The tongue is 20” from the front of the v-nose

asked by: Jon H

0

Expert Reply:

The towing weight capacity of your 2007 Chrysler Town and Country ranges from 1,700 lbs to 3,800 lbs depending on what your Town and Country is equipped with. You can consult your owner's manual to find out your specific towing weight capacity and if you don't know what your Town and Country is equipped with you can take your VIN to a dealership and they can let you know.

Since the trailer that you are interested in looks like it could have a Gross Vehicle Weight rating (GVWR) of up to 7,000 lbs (you can find the exact GVWR located on the trailer) your Town and Country will not be able to pull it while it is fully loaded - you will need to find a lighter trailer. You will need to find a trailer with a GVWR that your Town and Country can safely pull or make sure that you only load the trailer you are looking at so that it doesn't exceed the weight capacity of your Town and Country.

With that being said, I can still help you to get your Town and Country setup for towing.

I recommend the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver part # C13362 if you do not have Stow-N-Go seats. This hitch receiver has a 400-lb Tongue Weight (TW) rating and a 4,000-lb Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) rating. Even though this rating is higher than what your Town and Country can tow you will still be limited by the weight capacity of your Town and Country.

If you do have Stow-N-Go seats then you will want to use the Draw-Tite part # 75305 instead. It has a TW rating of 350 lbs and a GTW rating of 3,500 lbs. When used with a Weight Distribution (WD) system those increase to 400 lbs TW and 4,000 lbs GTW. Keep in mind that your lowest rated component (either the hitch receiver or your Town and Country) will be the limiting factor for weight.

You will also need a Ball Mount, Hitch Ball, and Wiring. For a ball mount and hitch ball I recommend using the etrailer.com Ball Mount Kit for 2" Hitches # 989900. It comes with 2 Ball Mounts; one with a 3/4 inch Rise or 2 inch Drop and one with a 2-3/4 inch Rise or 4 inch Drop. It also includes a 1-7/8 inch Hitch Ball, 2 inch Hitch Ball, hitch pin with clip, and a storage bag. You will want to check out the attached article on choosing the correct Ball Mount to make sure that either of the Ball Mounts in this kit will work for you.

For wiring I recommend the Tekonsha T-One # 118300 which will give you a 4-Way flat connector for the lights on a trailer. An installation video has been attached for you to review of this product.

If you find a trailer that uses electric brakes then you will need to install a 7-Way on your Town and Country as well as a Brake Controller. You can install the 7-Way using the Universal Installation Kit # ETBC7 which will include everything you need to install a Brake Controller. I recommend the Prodigy P3 # 90195 Brake Controller for you to use as it is very user friendly and reliable. I have attached an installation video for this combination on a 2014 Town and Country for you to follow as well.