Durango Deep Dive

Hey, I’m Chris, the shop manager here at KELTEK. After dozens of Durango upfits in the KELTEK shop, we want to take a moment and pass along some of our insight regarding installation nuances this vehicle has – which may have implications for your department’s budget and lead times. All vehicles present challenges for an upfitter, and the Durango is no different. KELTEK has identified 10 Durango installation dynamics for you to consider.  

1. Push Bumper

When adding a push bumper to a pursuit Durango, it takes a bit longer than normal to remove the front skin of the vehicle because there are screws that are not easily accessible. Reassembly presents the same challenge because the fasteners are barely accessible and fairly fragile.

2. Trim

Both the exterior and the interior trim packages take longer to deal with than other squad makes. The Durango requires more of the trim to be removed to accomplish the clean build for which KELTEK is known. Though Dodge gets the “clean build” aspect correct with their hidden screws within the trim, this is an additional time issue that impacts the overall installation time and cost.   

3. The Console

Plain and simple, the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) console is tricky to take out. The shifter is within the console, providing integration challenges for all of the needed squad technology within easy access for the officer. The Havis console shown below, though clean, illustrates the challenge with this vehicle – how many components can you identify missing from the pictured Durango below? (And how would you maneuver the shifter to include your department’s needed technology?)

4. Wiring

Durangos are not pre-wired for aftermarket add-ons that are the norm to most pursuit vehicles. Unlike Chargers, Explorers and Tahoes, Durangos are pursuit-rated but do not have the same tap options. Lighting options will need to be supported by an upgraded siren/light control module – KELTEK prefers the Whelen Carbide or CanTrol system.

Ford’s Interceptor pre-wiring loom

5. The Battery

The Durango’s battery is under the passenger seat – one of the least convenient locations for an upfitter. To provide a high level of integrity for your Durango upfit, the implication here is simple – additional hours to upfit your Durango.

6. Wire Harness

In addition to the trim issues described above, the vehicle presents challenges for the upfit wiring harness by not offering routing and placement systems for a public safety specific vehicle. In a nutshell, we must get very innovative in dealing with the KELTEK 180+ wire loom.

7. Howler

Placement options for a low-frequency siren does not exist on the Durango itself. In this instance, we’ll use Whelen’s “Howler” for example. The Howler location option on the Durango is limited to the push bumper. For example, with the Interceptor we can also mount, and hide, the Howler in the fender wells.

Making matters more challenging, choosing a push bumper mounted Howler eliminates the ability to put wraps on the push bumper and alters how we think about lighting a push bumper.  

We tend to shy away from solutions that limit our departments’ choices, but with the Durango, we experience this challenge, including the integration of a low-frequency siren.

The lower frequency siren also has a very limited amount of mounting options on the Durango.

8. Antenna

Because of the trim dynamics listed above, including headliner, it is simply more time-intensive to work on this area of the Durango as compared to other vehicle models. This also presents challenges to deal with the variety of antennas needed to support technology in the squad vehicle.

9. Lightbars

The complexity in working with the vehicle’s trim also impacts the vehicle’s lightbar installation. Due to the laborious nature of working with the trim and, specifically, the headliner, we duplicate the same challenges with the Durango’s lightbar.  

10. Weapons mount

There is only room for a single gun lock in the Durango’s cockpit, mounted on the front of the cage. A dual gunlock is just too tight, and the configuration eliminates other common must-have elements found in the console. Officer safety and ergonomics is a priority in each upfit we perform, and a dual gunlock configuration sacrifices both of these.

Our Durango standard is a single gun mount for a front-mounted rifle. If a shotgun is required, we often mount behind the driver or store/mount in the rear of the vehicle.

KELTEK is here to partner with your department in all of your squad projects, from upfit to technology integrations, and when paying for the project in a single invoice or over several years.

Our goal isn’t to dissuade you from choosing a Durango squad vehicle, but rather to educate you on the reasons additional labor is often needed for a Durango upfit. We are happy to work with you to understand your vehicle needs and goals, and to provide you a quote for any vehicle you are considering so you have the best information possible in making your departmental decisions. We are proud to serve those that protect us.