Did Dakota towing change for 2005?

Compare the cited 2005 figures on this page with the 2004 record. They are stored separately.

Which configuration hits the maximum?

The 6,950 lb conventional maximum is printed for the 4.7L V8 (A5), Club Cab, 6.5' Box bed, 4WD, 3.92 axle, Laramie.

What tongue weight should I plan for a 2005 Dakota?

At the cited 6,950 lb conventional maximum, an illustrative 10% assumption produces 695 lb of tongue weight. This is not a recommended percentage or a measurement; follow your trailer and vehicle instructions and measure the actual load. That load counts against payload and the rear axle rating.

Index · Dodge · Dakota

2005 Dodge Dakota

The highest conventional-hitch rating for the 2005 Dodge Dakota is 6,950 lb, the top of 18 rows transcribed from Dodge’s 2005 Dodge Dakota Base Weights/GCW/Payload (Body Builder Guide). That row is printed for the 4.7L V8 (A5), Club Cab, 6.5' Box bed, 4WD, 3.92 axle, Laramie. Most configurations are rated lower: 16 of the 18 transcribed conventional-hitch chart rows for 2005 are below 6,950 lb. Across 18 manufacturer chart rows for 2005, ratings run conventional 3,750 lb to 6,950 lb; the engine, cab, axle ratio and package on your truck decide its number.

conventional4.7L V8 (A5), Club Cab, 6.5' Box bed, 4WD, 3.92 axle, Laramie.6,950 lb

The build table for 2005 is not transcribed. This page will not multiply trims, cabs, and engines into trucks the order guide did not list.

Hitch	Cited maximum	Configuration	Source grade
Conventional	6,950 lb	4.7L V8 (A5), Club Cab, 6.5' Box bed, 4WD, 3.92 axle, Laramie.	OEM chart

Highest rows among 18 transcribed chart configurations. Most trucks of this model year are rated lower; find your exact configuration in the table below.

Source: Dodge, 2005 Dodge Dakota Base Weights/GCW/Payload (Body Builder Guide), 2005 Dodge Dakota Base Weights/GCW/Payload (Body Builder Guide) tables (all pages). Ram/Dodge Body Builder guide weight & trailer-tow chart (rambodybuilder.com). Chart notes define Max Trailer = GCWR - curb weight - 150 lb driver allowance, rounded to nearest 50 lb.

Spec sheet

6 of 25 fields cited; 1 estimate. Field index

Cited fields may cover selected trims or only part of a measurement. Read the configuration and source beside each value; a cited field does not mean every version is researched.

Towing

Conventional maximum: 6,950 lb. 4.7L V8 (A5), Club Cab, 6.5' Box bed, 4WD, 3.92 axle, Laramie.Dodge source
Gooseneck maximum: Not transcribed for this model year.
Fifth-wheel maximum: Not transcribed for this model year.
Tongue or pin load: 695 lb tongue at the 6,950 lb conventional maximum. Illustration at 10 percent conventional and 15 percent in-bed, not a measured load or recommendation. Follow the trailer and vehicle instructions; actual load may be higher.Estimate
Weight distribution: Not transcribed for this model year.
Trailer frontal area: Not transcribed for this model year.

Weights

Payload: Not transcribed for this model year.
GCWR: 9,300 lb (Club Cab, 6.5' Box, 3.92); 9,300 lb (Quad Cab, 5.3' Box, 3.92); 9,000 lb (Club Cab, 6.5' Box, 3.55); 9,000 lb (Quad Cab, 5.3' Box, 3.55); 8,500 lb (Quad Cab, 5.3' Box, 3.55)Dodge source
GVWR: Not transcribed for this model year.
Front GAWR: Not transcribed for this model year.
Rear GAWR: Not transcribed for this model year.
Curb weight: Not transcribed for this model year.

Body

Wheelbase: Not transcribed for this model year.
Bed length: 6.5' Box, 5.3' BoxDodge source
Bed width and depth: Not transcribed for this model year.
Cab-to-axle: Not transcribed for this model year.
Overall length, width, height: Not transcribed for this model year.
Ground clearance and angles: Not transcribed for this model year.
Fifth-wheel clearance: Not transcribed for this model year.

Power

Engine, horsepower, torque: Not transcribed for this model year.
Transmission: Not transcribed for this model year.
Fuel type and tank: Not transcribed for this model year.
Drivetrain: 4WDDodge source
Axle ratio: 3.92, 3.55Dodge source
Tow package: Laramie; ST; SLTDodge source

Bed, tongue weight, and wheelbase

The trailer rating is one limit. The bed has to fit the load, the tongue or pin has to fit in payload, and the wheelbase is the column the chart uses.

An illustrative 10 percent of the 6,950 lb conventional maximum is 695 lb of tongue weight. This is not a measured load or recommended percentage; actual load may be higher.

Bed capacity · Tongue and pin weight · Wheelbase · GCWR, GVWR, and GAWR. Wheelbase is not transcribed for this year. See the spec sheet for the sourced GCWR and its configuration.

Estimate payload margin and bed volume · How these limits work together

Change from 2004

Conventional: 6,600 lb in 2004, 6,950 lb in 2005 (+350 lb).

Generation

Third generation

2005 is year 1 of this generation (2005–2011). Redesigned Dakota. Sold as the Ram Dakota for its final 2011 model year.

2005 towing by engine

Lowest to highest printed rating for each engine across 18 transcribed chart rows. A missing hitch means the chart did not print one for that engine, not that it is zero.

Engine	Conventional	Chart rows
4.7L V8 (A5)	5,650–6,950 lb	6
4.7L V8 HO (A5)	6,850–6,950 lb	2
4.7L V8 (M6)	5,200 lb	2
3.7L V6 (A4)	4,300–4,700 lb	6
3.7L V6 (M6)	3,750–3,800 lb	2

Highest-rated configurations

Trailer	Engine	Cab / bed	Drive	Axle / package	GCWR	Evidence
6,950 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 (A5)	Club Cab, 6.5' Box	4WD	3.92 · Laramie^{note 1}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4x4 Club Cab Laramie ND5P33 - 6.5' Box", row 4.7L V8 (A5) axle 3.92
6,950 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 HO (A5)	Club Cab, 6.5' Box	4WD	3.92 · Laramie^{note 1}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4x4 Club Cab Laramie ND5P33 - 6.5' Box", row 4.7L V8 HO (A5) axle 3.92
6,850 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 (A5)	Quad Cab, 5.3' Box	4WD	3.92 · ST^{note 2}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab ST ND5L84 - 5.3' Box", row 4.7L V8 (A5) axle 3.92
6,850 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 (A5)	Quad Cab, 5.3' Box	4WD	3.92 · SLT^{note 3}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab SLT ND5H84 - 5.3' Box", row 4.7L V8 (A5) axle 3.92
6,850 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 HO (A5)	Quad Cab, 5.3' Box	4WD	3.92 · SLT^{note 3}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab SLT ND5H84 - 5.3' Box", row 4.7L V8 HO (A5) axle 3.92
5,750 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 (A5)	Club Cab, 6.5' Box	4WD	3.55 · Laramie^{note 1}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4x4 Club Cab Laramie ND5P33 - 6.5' Box", row 4.7L V8 (A5) axle 3.55
5,650 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 (A5)	Quad Cab, 5.3' Box	4WD	3.55 · ST^{note 2}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab ST ND5L84 - 5.3' Box", row 4.7L V8 (A5) axle 3.55
5,650 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 (A5)	Quad Cab, 5.3' Box	4WD	3.55 · SLT^{note 3}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab SLT ND5H84 - 5.3' Box", row 4.7L V8 (A5) axle 3.55
5,200 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 (M6)	Quad Cab, 5.3' Box	4WD	3.55 · ST^{note 2}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab ST ND5L84 - 5.3' Box", row 4.7L V8 (M6) axle 3.55
5,200 lb Conventional	4.7L V8 (M6)	Quad Cab, 5.3' Box	4WD	3.55 · SLT^{note 3}	—	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab SLT ND5H84 - 5.3' Box", row 4.7L V8 (M6) axle 3.55
4,700 lb Conventional	3.7L V6 (A4)	Club Cab, 6.5' Box	4WD	3.92 · Laramie^{note 4}	9,300 lb	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4x4 Club Cab Laramie ND5P33 - 6.5' Box", row 3.7L V6 (A4) axle 3.92
4,600 lb Conventional	3.7L V6 (A4)	Quad Cab, 5.3' Box	4WD	3.92 · ST^{note 5}	9,300 lb	PDF page 2, "Model Lineup", section "Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab ST ND5L84 - 5.3' Box", row 3.7L V6 (A4) axle 3.92

GVWR 6,010 lbs. Body code ND5P33. GCWR cell not cleanly extractable; omitted.
GVWR 6,010 lbs. Body code ND5L84. GCWR cell not cleanly extractable; omitted.
GVWR 6,010 lbs. Body code ND5H84. GCWR cell not cleanly extractable; omitted.
GVWR 6,010 lbs. Body code ND5P33.
GVWR 6,010 lbs. Body code ND5L84.

Chart source: Dodge, 2005 Dodge Dakota Base Weights/GCW/Payload (Body Builder Guide). The evidence column gives each row’s page and table.

Find your exact configuration (18 rows) →Download 2005 rows as CSV ↓

What changes the number

Engine and transmission
Cab, bed, and wheelbase
Two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive
Axle ratio and tow package
Conventional hitch versus fifth-wheel versus gooseneck
People, options, and cargo, which spend payload the chart assumed was empty

Questions

How much can a 2005 Dodge Dakota tow?: The highest conventional-hitch rating for the 2005 Dodge Dakota is 6,950 lb, the top of 18 rows transcribed from Dodge’s 2005 Dodge Dakota Base Weights/GCW/Payload (Body Builder Guide). That row is printed for the 4.7L V8 (A5), Club Cab, 6.5' Box bed, 4WD, 3.92 axle, Laramie. Most configurations are rated lower: 16 of the 18 transcribed conventional-hitch chart rows for 2005 are below 6,950 lb.
Did Dakota towing change for 2005?: Compare the cited 2005 figures on this page with the 2004 record. They are stored separately.
Which configuration hits the maximum?: The 6,950 lb conventional maximum is printed for the 4.7L V8 (A5), Club Cab, 6.5' Box bed, 4WD, 3.92 axle, Laramie.
What tongue weight should I plan for a 2005 Dakota?: At the cited 6,950 lb conventional maximum, an illustrative 10% assumption produces 695 lb of tongue weight. This is not a recommended percentage or a measurement; follow your trailer and vehicle instructions and measure the actual load. That load counts against payload and the rear axle rating.

Compare with

Compare the 2005 Dakota with any truck and year →

2003 · 2004 · 2006 · 2007 · All Dakota years