PIU Towing

[Carverspeed]

Got a police edition explorer, 2014 awd. Can I put a hitch on and tow some snowmobiles with it? Appreciate your input.
Jeff

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum Jeff.
I'm guessing that the Police Interceptor Unit could fall under the same restrictions as the retail Explorer in that with an aftermarket installed hitch the tow limit is 2000 lbs.
Not sure what a snowmobile weighs but if you use the 2000 limit then you can figure how many you can safely tow. I know that the PIU has some additional features that the usual non-tow retail Explorer does not, so that might make a difference. I think that you would likely still have to install the tow/haul button.

Peter

 

[KayGee]

up to 2,500 lbs for PIU (no need for tow/haul button)

pg 183 - http://www.fordservicecontent.com/F...-Owners-Manual-version-3_om_EN-US_03_2014.pdf

 

[Eric Z]

And the retail with tow package is 5,500 lbs and the PIU hasmost of that hardware, so.... A pair of snowmobiles should be no problem.

 

[peterk9]

And the retail with tow package is 5,500 lbs..........

Close. With the factory installed class III tow package, the retail's towing capacity is 5000 lbs using a weight distribution hitch.

Peter

 

[ish]

I purchased my 2013 explorer this past Friday & it came with a hitch

 

[KayGee]

I purchased my 2013 explorer this past Friday & it came with a hitch

Okay. You have piqued my curiosity with such a vague statement.

Retail or PIU?

Factory or aftermarket hitch?

Are you by any chance a connoisseur of fine gourmet blueberries?

 

[ish]

PIU, I haven’t looked into if it’s aftermaket or not, I’ll update with what I find. Living in nyc I know police would sometimes put bike racks on the back for the bike cops

 

[KayGee]

It is very simple to tell the difference - factory hitch is part of rear bumper and aftermarket is not (under bumper).

 

[ish]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SJHKnLE4jiB6qtgj6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MMCeL7J3gCRvuWSF7
Mine is factory I believe

 

[jmr061]

Class 1 (According to Ford - Even though video says III) OEM Hitch Add On....
BB5Z-19D520-AA

 

[ish]

Class 1 (According to Ford - Even though video says III) OEM Hitch Add On....
BB5Z-19D520-AA

This looks exactly like what came on my PIU

 

[KayGee]

So, Ford accessories is basically selling the OE hitch in a kit form for the aftermarket.

Stupid rhetorical question, but why would LE/Fleet go through the trouble of installing a Ford accessories (basically OE) hitch instead of just bolting on a true aftermarket hitch? The Ford part is more expensive and more labor intensive?

Also stupid and rhetorical, but I hope there are some markings or other disclaimers that identify them as class 1 as it seems like it could be awfully confusing to someone that bought a vehicle equipped with the ford accessories hitch and tried to tow 5K pounds...

 

[fireball 440]

My PIU came with the factory hitch hidden behind a panel in the rear bumper. Looks like it's never been used.

 

[MadCarDisease]

New guy here, and I used the search function! Greetings from San Francisco.

So....I made an appointment for a U-Haul hitch for $150 for April 15. It is rated at 4000 lbs for trailer weight, but I see that the limit for the PIU is actually 2500 lbs. The Uhaul hitch attaches with a few bolts to the hollow square subframe member. Then I see the factory part BB5Z-19D520 for $220 in this thread. It seems like installing that would allow me to haul up to 5500 lbs, no? Other than legal reasons...is the 3000 lbs trailer weight difference down to how the hitch attaches? The factory part has a few more bolts and attaches to rear body AND subframe, so that means a larger trailer is possible? Why isn't everyone doing this, instead? Particularly since the PIU has an upgraded drivetrain. Is it down to a fussy and longer install with having to cut moldings?
I will mostly use hitch for bike rack and towing a motorcycle trailer, so under 2500 lbs initiially, but I wanted to get a medium-size Airstream down the road as a companion for my 2015 PIU with a 3.7 litre engine.....

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
Once the vehicle leaves the factory without the tow package, there is no way you can legally change the weight it was initially built to tow, The factory tow package consists of more than just the hitch.

Peter

 

[MadCarDisease]

Welcome to the Forum.
Once the vehicle leaves the factory without the tow package, there is no way you can legally change the weight it was initially built to tow, The factory tow package consists of more than just the hitch.

Peter

Thank you for the welcome and your response. I realize that I will not be able to legally change the weight rating, but I'm still trying to figure out what my practical limit would be. The hitch from U-Haul mounts "under" the bumper to the subframe, whereas the Ford part attaches to the body AND the sub frame, so the hitch comes out through the "middle" of the bumper. I was trying to figure out if the additional attachment points are the thing that makes it rated higher. Here's the Ford part, and you're correct that it includes the body valance and other bits, even additional hardware. The video in this thread shows a pretty fussy installation, including having to cut the existing bumper with a Dremel wheel, so it is clearly a bit of a hack. Just trying to figure out if the Ford part would be more sturdy than the U-Haul one, if i chose to ignore the manufacturer 2500 lb towing limit (at my own risk).

2012-2015 Ford Explorer Trailer Hitch, 2\ Receiver BB5Z-19D520-AA | GetOEMParts.com

2012-2015 Ford Explorer Trailer Hitch, 2\ Receiver BB5Z-19D520-AA

www.getoemparts.com

 

[03WIExplorerLtd]

Thank you for the welcome and your response. I realize that I will not be able to legally change the weight rating, but I'm still trying to figure out what my practical limit would be. The hitch from U-Haul mounts "under" the bumper to the subframe, whereas the Ford part attaches to the body AND the sub frame, so the hitch comes out through the "middle" of the bumper. I was trying to figure out if the additional attachment points are the thing that makes it rated higher. Here's the Ford part, and you're correct that it includes the body valance and other bits, even additional hardware. The video in this thread shows a pretty fussy installation, including having to cut the existing bumper with a Dremel wheel, so it is clearly a bit of a hack. Just trying to figure out if the Ford part would be more sturdy than the U-Haul one, if i chose to ignore the manufacturer 2500 lb towing limit (at my own risk).

2012-2015 Ford Explorer Trailer Hitch, 2\ Receiver BB5Z-19D520-AA | GetOEMParts.com

2012-2015 Ford Explorer Trailer Hitch, 2\ Receiver BB5Z-19D520-AA

www.getoemparts.com

Or at the risk of others. Its negligence if you were to be in an accident.
There are other things in the drivetrain that are not beefed up(coolers etc).

 

[dna1776]

That was a decent video for the rear impact bar upgrade to get an OEM hitch. Although there was a link to OEMFordparts for the 11-5 kit, I saw no similar kit for 16-19 rigs. There was a bare bumper/hitch, but no plastic panels for the upgrade. Granted the '16s have slightly altered panels. Also, the youtube author is seen installing a 4 pin and 7 pin trailer connectors in his presentation, but shows no specifics on the harness. From what I could gather, there was only a 4 pin harness listed for sale along with the bumper/hitch assembly. I did not see or was able by searching to come up with a harness for 16-19 models that sports both connectors (attached a jpg of such a harness for another '16 model year Ford vehicle using similar set up) . If you all know the whereabouts of the Explorer's compatible harness, please advise. One other issue in this task is additional airflow as discussed in another thread. I see a front valance panel being sold for Explorers with tow pkg. It has a rectangular cutout on the RHS, I assume to expose the trans cooler to additional air pressure. The cutout is only about half the size the transmission oil's heat exchanger, so does that mean Ford concludes that is enough addtional air flow for pulling 5000 lbs of extra weight?

 

[peterk9]

That cutout is to allow for air to cool the PTU and also the rear turbo. Behind that cutout is the air duct. Lower grille cutout?

Peter