How much weight will my new Explorer carry?

[Jon Burns]

I have been an Explorer owner for 61/2 hours having just bought a 1997 4.0 liter V6 today. The car is superb and runs like a dream. It has 53000 recorded miles on and cost approx $10,000. (Which is a bargain over here - England). I have just read through the owners handbook and found with suprise that the maximum payload is just 455 kilograms - approx 1000 lbs -surely this is a little on the low side. Five big guys could weigh more than this without their camping/fishing/shooting gear. I'd appreciate any comments on this.

 

[aldive]

I have carried 4 large men and 12 scuba tanks ( about 60 pounsa each ) as well as the other dive equipment many times with no troubles.

Good luck......

 

[Alto]

You can carry as much as you want just remember that your new Explorer handles alot different with 5 people in it than it does with just you.

About 6 months ago there was a news report about it. People where getting in accidents and saying it was the Explorers fault when actually they were Driving like they were Europeon Road testing.

Your Explorer can carry about 145 Cases of Beer (This useful bit of information was supplyed by someone on this site). You can carry as much as your suspension can handle. Ford just puts that in the manual to cover themselves. Just like they recomend only Stock Tires. Anything over what Ford Recomends is just there way of covering there butts.

 

[mosinman]

I too have wondered at these seemingly low numbers. I have read that Ford considers this the weight that an Explorer can handle without affecting handling. The EX suspension can take much more weight, but for liability reasons, Ford has chosen the conservative numbers you see in your manual. I have also exceeded this limit many times with no ill effects. VERY HAPPY to hear people still shoot in the UK. I assumed your government no longer tolerated such freedom.

 

[Fischer]

Check in your owners manual. I know that my 95 XLT with the tow package I can tow a trailer up to 5,000lbs. I have the class IV hitch with a 2" ball..

Now the vehicle weighs about 5,000 lbs so the GVW (which here in the states means Gross Vehicle Weight) I cannot exceed something in the park of 9995 lbs...

So with car and trailer I cant weigh more than about 10,000lbs all in all.

I am not sure what the actual GVW is for the vehicle as a single entity. Your axle is stout though it is probably your leafs that will sag and bottom out. F and B springs are the stiffest and these came with the Explorers with the tow package.

I believe these #'s are based on the ability to stop when loaded and start on an 18% grade. That is why also the manual trans. versions have a much lower towing capacity, not that the drivetrain can't handle it.

 

[mosinman]

Hey FISCHER, He was talking about payload, not tow-weight. The amount of weight you can put IN your EX.

 

[MyExpWork]

I have put 1400 pounds in the cargo area of my EX with no problems.

I bought a bunch of cememt bags and the trailer was already maxed out at 1400 pounds. I only drove on surface streets so don't know about highway speeds, but I didn't notice anything that would make me beleive I couldn't do it again.

It felt fine.

Good luck.

Brian

 

[jjue]

I've had approximately 1000 lbs. in sound equipment plus me driving and a 225 lb. person in my passenger seat in my '97 Mountaineer, and the sag was bad. After doing that a few times, I ended up installing air bags sicne I pull trailers & I didn't like the sag there either. These SUVs are now the "soccer-mom-mobile;" therefore, those of us who actually use our trucks suffer. Engine-wise, I like my 302 much more than the OHV V6 in the '94, but you should be fine.

 

[Jon Burns]

I think that this just about covers all the angles to this one. So thanks to every one that responded.