Tow Rig Forum

Hi there. I have a 4.0L 2002 2WD Sport Trac with a 4.1 rear dif and Class 3 hitch. Have towed 2000 lb tent trailer successfully for 3 years and am upgrading to a 19' Rockwood Roo Hybrid RV w/brakes. The trailer specs are 3300 lbs dry and 4600 lbs gross. I am expecting considerable wind resistance with this RV. Any feedback from Sport Trac owners on towing RVs would be appreciated. Best regards, R. :salute:

Hello. I am a new member today. Took a ride in my sons Explorer and liked the feel and the ride. His is a 5L XLS, 4 dr with tow package. Now, what model and specs would be best in a 1999-2002, for very occasional use to pull my horse trailer, which is a fairly light bumper pull 2 horse weighing 3400 lbs empty. Don't usually have more than one passenger and my cattledog; don't usually go far from home (30 kms) but want to do the odd horse or pony delivery which could be anywhere in Ontario. Don't have to hurry or go fast, just want steady and reliable. Horses weigh up to 1500 lbs, ponies much less. Would prefer under a 5L engine for gas consumption, but don't want to destroy it because its not up to the job either. You...

First off, I know the safety police will arrest me, but I'm still considering hauling a very big boat with my Explorer. Maybe. I've already logged a lot of experience hauling this for several summers a few years ago: That boat weighed 4,300lbs dry. I estimate that loaded with fuel/fluids and the trailer added, it had to weigh at least 3 tons. IIRC my '99 Explorer 4x4 with tow package was rated at 5,680lbs (?) so I was a little over the rating. We are shopping for a bigger cruiser for this summer and really want to go up to a 25 footer (classic two-footitis, for you fellow boaters that know what that is LOL). The dry weight of the model we are looking at is 5,100lbs. That means I'm probably looking at a 7,000lb+ haul...

I have a 2013 Explorer and new to towing. The Explorer came with a factory installed tow package and a back up camera and sensor. I would think the trailer would cause the back up sensors to scream when backing up. Is there a way to disconnect the sensor when pulling a trailer? Thanks in advance for any help.

I sold my F250 and travel trailer last year. I bought a 09 Explorer XLT v6 4wd with towing package and 3:73 gears. The owners manual says it is engineered to tow 5,200 lbs as equipped. Unexpectedly we are looking at travel trailers again. We found a smaller trailer that weighs 3300 lbs empty. I know the aerodynamic drag is a bigger issue. Has anyone pulled a full size camper behind their Explorer? Thanks for your input. Trailer is a Crossover by R-VisionTLX-230BH

Hi all, I have a bit of a problem. My 4 pin plug for my trailer wiring has been ripped off the wires. Can anyone tell me (or link me to) the color codes for what wire is what? I have searched the forum with no luck. I need to fix this tomorrow so I can use my trailer. Online all I find are the replacement ends with these colors (see attachment). Thank you, Brian This is a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer.

the rear end of my 98 sport is low compared to the front. I would like the rear to sit level or higher then the front. What could I do about this?

I have a need for an enclosed trailer in the 10-16 foot range, but I have some wants that no one seems to make in a trailer that size. Wants: Gooseneck hitch 10-16 foot deck length Ramp rear door Camper style side door (ability to open from inside too) Two axle Ability to convert interior to a "living space" when cargo it out Basically I want something like this, only gooseneck pull. http://www.ebay.com/itm/UNITED-7x14-ENCLOSED-MOTORCYCLE-TRAILER-w-CAMPER-FEATURE-/300604951352?pt=Trailers&hash=item45fd738b38 Anyone know of a company that makes something similar to this or even a company that makes a gooseneck enclosed trailer that's not a mile long I can modify for what I want? The reason I want the gooseneck is...

just got done with a long awaited-for project on the explorer today! I went to Pick-a-Part and pulled a Uhaul hitch from a 95 and put it on my 98 and wired it up. it took me almost 4 hours including getting the part, but I move slow. the only problem is the left turn signal in the trailer harness is not working. does anyone know where that factory "light converter" is? I don't know what its called but it takes the signal from the brake lights and the turn signals and puts it in one circuit. I think this may be the problem.

Great link to the transmissions and transfer cases section- http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239360

Just joined your group in hopes of learning more about this 2002 Explorer XLT. I just purchased it (as now 2nd owner) with 127,000 miles. I bought this because it was previously a tow vehicle behind an RV with 4 wheels on the ground. As a 4WD automatic, It requires a "Neutral Tow Switch" installed (Which it has). My question is simple. How does it function what does it do? Is there anything I need to do different, other than look at it and say 'yep there it is!" I am hoping it is just "plug and play" and the plug part is complete. There are no instructions. I went to the local Ford Dealer, They discontinued the part but listed a simple diagram. They were clueless on what it does or did. Even though it looks cute under the dash, I am...

Hi, Im looking to beef up my suspension on my explorer. I would like to increase the towing capacity. Have any suggestions?

Towed the travel trailer home after a weekend of camping and ran into some difficulty backing the trailer up. Normally, we would back in then remove the weight distribution bars from the hitch. Today, I needrd to allow the awning some time to dry out, so I rolled it out and figured I would get ahead of the game and go ahead and remove the weight distribution bars while I waited for the awning to dry. Jumped into the Mounty and started to back up the trailer and it seemed to react completely different, in that it seemed to make turns much quicker and seemed harder to keep straight when backing up. Am I just imagining this or does removing the weight bars cause the trailer to react more quickly and make it harder to back up? Took me much...

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum. I found it while researching the above subject. I have a 1996 4D 2WD automatic XLT Explorer. We just purchased a 24' Class C RV which has a chassis and hitch rated for towing vehicles up to at least the size and weight of our Explorer. Our initial idea was to trade in the Explorer for a newer, smaller SUV that would be purchased specifically for towing behind our RV. With the economy like it is, I'm now having second thoughts. Since our old Explorer (now 13 years old) is still in great shape, I'm trying to determine whether it can be towed safely or not, and if so, what equipment and/or modifications I need to do to make it all happen. I would appreciate very much any information/knowledge anyone...

Are there any opinions on the ease of towing with the SOHC powered truck over the OHV engine? My 97 OHV is a little weak on the hills pulling our camper (a little under 2K lb) and I've been thinking of finding something else. I know that the V8 is hands down the strongest engine but the SOHC is easier to find and does get a little better mileage. Just trying to decide if I would really be any better off with another V6.