Tow Questions 2008 Sport Trac V8 4x4

[PUPTENT]

Howdy - first post, looking for right forum - I'm anticipating purchasing a Sunny Brook Harmony trailer soon, 18' 6" length, 7' 6" width, 9' 4" height, 4500# fully loaded for a week of camping:

1. How will this duo perform?
2. What kind of mileage is reasonable?
3. How will it handle mountains? from SF Bay Area (sealevel) over the Sierras and the Rockies to eastern Colorado once a year?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

PUPTENT and wife
Novato, California SF Bay Area

 

[JohnnyO]

A V8 Trac is rated to tow about 7000#, so I wouldn't worry about it.
With the mountains and all, I'd say you'll probably get 8 mpg at best. I towed a 3000# trailer on relatively level Interstates moving my kids back to PA and got 12 mpg in my V6.
Switch the OD off. Consider a cat-back exhaust to pick up some hp and mpg.
I've never been out west but I hear those are some big mountains. Tracs have a tranny cooler but consider getting a bigger one and I'd flush it once a year.

 

[GreenMando]

Check and make sure you have the tow package installed by Ford. If not you will want to install a external transmission cooler.
The trucks with the tow package came with the wiring harness for the brake control, plugs into the wiring harness under the steering wheel. You will want to pick up a controller.

My father in law keeps a 3/4 ton ford just for the times he takes his fifth wheel out. The plate would fit in his new truck but he likes the redundancy I think.

 

[brown986]

Can you or anyone recommend a good source for a transmission cooler? Buy the one from Ford that comes with the towing package or an aftermarket unit?

Thanks.