3000lb+ boat tow with v6?

[blacktrac07]

Hey guys..have an 07 with the 4.0 that i'm going to be using to tow my 2400lb 21' Chris Craft .with the trailer and fuel and gear that total weight could be 3500lbs give or take. i'll prob be towing it under a dozen times this summer about 30min to an hour each way. Should i make any mods to my truck before doing so..such as tranny cooler etc? There are some wicked hills around the lake and i'm going to wish i had a v8 but it is what it is..even though ford limits the truck at 5500lbs,i want to avoid burning up my trans. what do you think?

 

[eppd00]

I would recommend a trans cooler when towing anything that heavy. Me personnally, if my vehicle did not have anything other than the cooler in the lower portion of the radiator, I installed an auxillary cooler. Towing generates a lot of heat.

 

[JohnnyO]

Look at what hitch you have too. A Class II is standard and good for 3500 lb. so you'd be pushing the limit of the hitch but not the truck. If you have the factory Class III then it will be fine.

 

[10uhcST]

check your brakes on a regular basis as well with that much weight and the mountains.

 

[blacktrac07]

ok thanks guys.. i'm starting to think my v6 is going to be too weak to tow the boat, ecspecially going up hill off a stop. it seems like it would take forever to get up to speed..guess i wont know til i try

 

[JohnnyO]

This was around 3000 lb., I didn't have any trouble with it on a 400+ mile tow. Moved my kids to my house from their mother's three years ago, it was packed inside. Only got about 12 mpg though.

 

[islandtrader]

FWIW: I tow a 21' Seacraft in the same weight range, and I have no problems. It's not the towing...it's the stopping. Be sure and allow for plenty of space if the trailer does not have brakes.

 

[JohnnyO]

It's not the towing...it's the stopping.

Very true. Normally I just tow my jetski, with the trailer it's about 1000 lb with a full tank of gas and I will say that the Sport Trac stops with it WAYYY better than the Ranger I had before. Gotta love 4 wheel discs.

 

[blacktrac07]

thanks for the replies and pic. did you guys have a trans cooler installed first? do you have v6's or 8's? that can be night and day

 

[islandtrader]

I am towing with a V-6 no cooler.

 

[JohnnyO]

They already have a tranny cooler. If you are going to regularly tow long distances you should probably get a bigger one though. Mine is a V6.
Generally you want to switch the Overdrive off when you are towing. Otherwise it will shift back and forth a lot which builds up heat in the tranny.

 

[mooshin]

JohnnyO - you got a V6 with no cooler, but what hitch were you using to move your kids back home? Class 2 or 3?

The only towing I've done with my V6 - no cooler (Class2), was pulling a Honda Civic to a body shop on a tow dolly.

 

[JohnnyO]

JohnnyO - you got a V6 with no cooler, but what hitch were you using to move your kids back home? Class 2 or 3?

I used the factory Class 2. It is good for 3500 lb.

 

[mooshin]

Thanks for the info. I think my biggest concerns always have to do with exceeding the tongue weight.

 

[browns1964]

Welded on Class II

Hey folks, need some help. Bought a 23' dual axle travel trailer (3300 lbs) to replace a pop-up camper. Current class II hitch is welded to the rear of the frame rails. New trailer has larger hitch ball. Dealer was going to install Class III hitch but since the old one is welded on how do I proceed? V6 Auto engine/tranny.

 

[JohnnyO]

Hey folks, need some help. Bought a 23' dual axle travel trailer (3300 lbs) to replace a pop-up camper. Current class II hitch is welded to the rear of the frame rails. New trailer has larger hitch ball. Dealer was going to install Class III hitch but since the old one is welded on how do I proceed? V6 Auto engine/tranny.

You CAN just put a larger ball on your hitch but a 3300 lb trailer is pretty close to the Class II limit of 3500 lb.

 

[browns1964]

Thanks Johnny. I'm taking it to a custom truck place this week.

 

[JohnnyO]

No prob. A 23' dual axle should really have a weight equalizing hitch, which means a Class III or IV hitch with a 2" receiver. IF you can find a shop that will do it, you can cut the Class II off the crossmember and weld on a Class III receiver in its place without replacing the whole crossmember. The crossmembers are no different between the factory Class II and Class III hitches.