Explorer Sport Towing Setup

Hello all. I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. I am in the process of setting up my 01 explorer sport 2D/4WD, SOHC, to tow. Specifically, a 20' boat, motor, and trailer for a total weight of about 4300 pounds. The tranny is all set with an auxillary transmission cooler. I plan on getting a 5000lb rated receiver and hitch (draw-tite). I think the explorer manual says that trailer weights greater than 3500 pounds require a weight distribution hitch (WDH). However, I will be using a boat trailer with surge brakes, and the people I am working with say that WDH's will cause the surge brakes not to work. Non-functioning surge breaks would not be good. Suggestions from th e people I am working with have been made that if the trailer load causes extensive sag in the back end of the vehicle (i.e. greater then 2" or 3") either the boat could be adjusted on the trailer or the trailer axles could be adjusted. Another school of thought is that not using a WDH will not be a problem because the tounge weight of the trailer itself is no more than 200 lbs.
Has anyone come across this situation before? Any ideas? Thanks in advance and apologies for this long post.

Sincerely,
EL in CT

 

[FordLover]

You should verify your rear axle and find out if you have the 'tow package'. A weight distributing hitch is most commonly found and used on Travel trailers, because of their required 10-15% tongue weight. This pushes down on the rear end, lifts weight off of the front end, and can make steering scary. If you only have 200 lbs of tongue weight, you won't need a WDH. Just make sure your explorer is 'rated' to pull that weight, and with surge brakes on the trailer you should be fine.

 

[gijoecam]

First, to tow nicely, a trailer should have roughly 10-15% tongue weight. In this case, it means roughly 430+ lbs of tongue weight to be stable. Any less than that and it can tend to sway and bounce a lot more than is comfortable.

Second, you'll see in your owner's manual that the truck is rated to tow 4940 lbs (assuming it's an automatic, of course). In general, if the boat and trailer's estimated dry weight is 4300 lbs, then you add 50 gallons of gas, there's another 350 lbs, plus some fresh water, plus gear, your 4300 lb boat just ballooned to 5000 lbs. That doesn't leave you any margin for passengers in the truck either, given the 9000 lb gross combined weight rating for the Ex.

Third, according to page 144 of your owner's manual, it clearly states,

Towing a trailer over 1588kg(3500lbs) requires a weight distributing hitch.

That's pretty clear-cut. To tow that rig, you would need a weight distributing hitch.

That raises issue number 4: A WDH interferes with the use of surge brakes. I'm not aware of any WDH setup that allows the use of surge brakes.

I've used an Ex Sport to tow near those limits... I would not recommend it, especially for any long trips or freeway usage. My Ex was within the recommended ratings. The boat was at 7% tongue weight, and the entire rig weighed in at 4650 lbs. The Ex weighed in at 4300 lbs, and the axle load on the rear axle put it just 50 lbs below the rated max axle limit. It was within the specs... just barely, but it was within the specs.

I was on the way to the ramp when the surge brakes gave out (blew a steel line that had rotted out). That was a butt-puckering experience for sure!! I only had three miles to go to the launch ramp, at speeds no greater than 35mph, and didn't particularly enjoy those trips even at those low speeds.

So, the bottom line: Even if the truck is capable, it's really not the right tool for the job. That's experience talking...

-Joe

 

[ericlecko]

Thanks for the information Joe. I calculated the total towing weight of 4300lbs as: the boat (2050), full tank of gas (400), outboard motor (500), trailer (1200), and other gear (100). I think I'm within limits on the weight, and do need a weight distribution hitch. I'm looking into boat trailers with electric brakes, which don't seem to get effected by WDH's. Any thoughts? Thanks again. Eric

 

[gijoecam]

OK, given that info, you should be within your capacity, provided you aren't carrying much in the truck too... gotta watch the axle weights.

In terms of axles with electric brakes, there are plenty of options available, and their fnction would not be affected by a WDH setup. I don't know if you'll be in fresh or salt water, but there are a plethora of options available... disc brakes are nice and easy to flush if they're dunked in salt water, and work both up and down the ramp with the proper controller, but they're expensive. Drum brakes are the ol' stand-by and work fine provided they get regular check-ups, and some that are designed to be dunked even come with a flushing port system built into the backing plates. Dexter and Dico make the majority of the systems you'll see, and may even make the surge brakes you're looking at currently. They'll use a standard fixed coupler to connect to the hitch.

The bigger issue will be whether or not the trailer is capable of handling the forces imposed by a weight distributing hitch; not all can. You'll need to consult with the trailer manufacturer to find out for sure.

Hope that helps!

-Joe