03 towing HELP

[deadeyedevon77]

Hey Guys, Ive hunted thru the forums and havent found an answer on this, ive got an 03 2wd with the tow package(bigger reciever), manual says it will tow 7,200lbs, seems high to me. i want to tow a 5,700lb TT, will it do it? ive heard people tell me "no way", and ive had people tell me "sure it will". you guys know best, help me out.

 

[GreenMando]

Hey Guys, Ive hunted thru the forums and havent found an answer on this, ive got an 03 2wd with the tow package(bigger reciever), manual says it will tow 7,200lbs, seems high to me. i want to tow a 5,700lb TT, will it do it? ive heard people tell me "no way", and ive had people tell me "sure it will". you guys know best, help me out.

I thought 03's with a V8 had a max of 5000, V6 of 3000. There is a table of factory loads on one of these threads, maybe in the stickies.

 

[gijoecam]

I thought 03's with a V8 had a max of 5000, V6 of 3000. There is a table of factory loads on one of these threads, maybe in the stickies.

All '03s are not rated the same. Please consult the owner's manual for detailed towing specs. Unless someone come up with a way to accurately reproduce that information (which I still haven't seen on the 'net).

Hey Guys, Ive hunted thru the forums and havent found an answer on this, ive got an 03 2wd with the tow package(bigger reciever), manual says it will tow 7,200lbs, seems high to me. i want to tow a 5,700lb TT, will it do it? ive heard people tell me "no way", and ive had people tell me "sure it will". you guys know best, help me out.

Assuming you have the 'factory' trailer tow package, not just a class-III receiver bolted underneath the stock 1-1/4" receiver.... and, assuming you have the 4.6L V8, Not the 4.0L V-6, then yes, that truck is rated to tow up to 7180 lbs. (The V-6 is only rated to tow a max of 5820 with the Class-III trailer tow package) Per the owner's manual, any trailer over 3500 lbs will require a weight distributing hitch as well. Make sure the trailer can accommodate it. (Odd are it will be able to, but make sure of it)

Now, that being said, If the camper in question weighs an ACTUAL 5700 lbs, then yes, it should be within the truck's capabilities and rating... but just barely (more on that in a minute)

If, however, you're looking at a camper with a 5700lb 'dry' weight. That likely doesn't include the weight of any of the 'optional' items, like a stove, fridge, furnace, water, propane, battery, awning, etc. or any of your stuff, like food, drinks, cookware, lanterns, fire poker, BBQ grille, fresh water, gray water, black water, etc. etc. etc. Add that stuff in, and your 5700 lb camper is now likely pushing 6500-7000 lbs.

Now, also keep in mind that the 7180 lb tow rating for your V-8 2wd Explorer is based on a gross combined weight of 11,600 lbs and does not include the weight of passengers and cargo in the vehicle (and generally only estimates 150 lbs for the driver alone). Add in some extra for you, the wife, the two kids, and their carseats, Rover, a cooler, suitcases, duffel bags, sleeping bags, firewood, etc. and your 7180 lb towing capacity has suddenly dropped to 6500 lbs.

So, on paper, it would appear that it *should* be well within the vehicle's capabilities. In reality, the rig will be operating at 9/10ths or more, and speaking as someone who's operated a rig at those limits, it's not very pleasant. I personally wouldn't want to haul that rig cross-country like that.

Now, all that being said, what are you looking at towing?

 

[FordLover]

I have a 7,000 lb tow rating and 700 tongue weight with weight distribution since my explorer is a 4x4.

These are my TT's specs:
Dry Weight: 3988
GVWR: 7494
Carrying Capacity: 3048
Hitch Weight: 494
Axle Weight: 3494
Tire Size: ST205/75R14
Exterior Length: 23' 1"

My explorer pulls this trailer with what I consider 'ease'. I won't win any drag races, but I've never felt the truck struggle with the weight, which I estimate to be somewhere around 4,800 lbs. ready to go down the road.

I do live in Texas where hills are are not a concern. Honestly I don't think I'd be comfortable pulling a whole lot more, and wouldn't be willing to tow near the 7,000 lb. limit.

The biggest complaint I have is the width of the truck, makes the rearview mirrors useless. Need tow mirrors for sure.

I don't see how you can tow that trailer and not be well over on tongue weight, since tongue weight, hitch weight, and all cargo need to be considered. My trailer has 500 lbs tongue weight, plus 50-100 lbs of batteries, weight distributing hitch and 100 lbs. worth of cargo in the explorer put me right at my tongue weight limit.

 

[gijoecam]

I don't see how you can tow that trailer and not be well over on tongue weight, since tongue weight, hitch weight, and all cargo need to be considered. My trailer has 500 lbs tongue weight, plus 50-100 lbs of batteries, weight distributing hitch and 100 lbs. worth of cargo in the explorer put me right at my tongue weight limit.

Tongue weight is irrelevant once you install a weight distributing hitch. It's still important to aim for between 10 and 15% for towing stability, but in terms of the tow rating, once the WDH is connected, it's distributed over all three axles. At that point, the gross axle weight ratings and the actual axle weights are all that matters.

I think you mean that it would be impossible to NOT be over the 500lb tongue weight on a weight-carrying setup... right?

 

[deadeyedevon77]

the trailer is 4800lbs dry, it is a factory class 3/4 tow package, 4.0 v6,the axle code is D4. so it should tow 5800lbs(with wieght dis. hitch), right? that would give me 1000lbs for passengers and other stuff. sounds like i might be maxing it out a bit, i dont plan on going much further than 130-140 miles with most of them highway. What do you guys think?

 

[gijoecam]

I'm sure it'll be close to the rig's limits, but again, you'll likely be right near its limit. For a one-time trip, it'll likely be fine, but I probably wouldn't make a habit of it myself. The 4.0L is gonna be humpin' its tail off to get it moving and get it up and down the hills, but it *should* do it.

 

[deadeyedevon77]

thanks

 

[1_v8_merc]

You'll be fine, companies underrate their towing numbers for liability reasons.

 

[gijoecam]

Common misconception.

I assure you that liability plays very little part in the tow rating. I've seen the testing with my own four eyes. Tow rating 'creep' from model year to model year is generally a result of one of two things: Subtle changes to components, many of which may not be visible to the naked eye (like better materials or components inside a trans, t-case, or differential), or when testing results out-perform expectations. Some part of it is a result of educated estimates, some is a result of direct testing, and some small part is liability.... but it's the minority, I assure you.

 

[nitro71]

Drive slower than usual. Maintain a much larger following distance. I can't comment on the weight you are towing but I tow my boat in my 94 Explorer and I have to pay attention to those things to safely tow it.