Towing and pulling

[69Explorer69]

i looked around here but couldnt find anything about towing..i have a 94 4x4 xlt with 2inch lift with shackles and coil spacers.it also has 31x10.50.15.Its all bone stock so far besides the tires and lift kit.I plan on towing a pop up that me and my wife just got for $500 i think it weights no more then 500 pounds if not less.the truck cam with the heavy duty tow package i think i looked at it and looked around and its the biggest one you can get.

IS it ok to stay with the stock trans for awhile?
Should i stick the stock tire size back on when i do tow it?
Whats the length of time i should have before i have to rebuild the trans to heavy duty parts?

sorry so many questions i just dont want to get stuck some where becasue i decide to not do something right

 

[HKUNZ]

Think of it like this. Explorers can seat 5 people comfortably. At about 125 pounds, a group of wonderful looking young ladies can go to the mall and shop for shoes and purses and what not. Thats over 500 pounds of hotness. So I'd say that pulling 500 pounds wouldn't be that huge of a problem for your truck. I've personally pulled much more than that.

 

[little x]

If you back out of this 91-94 section and scroll down you'll come across an entire area titled "Towing with explorer and ranger based vehicles". It will have all the info you need.

What ratio gears do you have? If they aren't 4.10's then you probably want to swap tires when ever you tow.

How many miles do you plan on towing the trailer? If it's anything more then around town (which I assume it will be with a pop up camper) then you should install an extra trans cooler. It will keep your trans turning for many extra miles down the road. (This is assuming you have an auto trans)

My fiance grew up just down the road from you in Middletown.


Edit: While the trailer doesn't weigh that much your also putting extra strain on the drive line (especially at high way speeds) do to increased wind resistance. So comparing towing a 500 lb trailer to hauling your 500 lb aunt in the back seat (or five 100 lb hotties) isn't exactly accurate.

 

[Flip4ford]

Please explain more on aqiring the truckload of hotness mentioned above. I am very interested!

What gears are you running-- and which trans? Remeber the camper weighs 500lbs empty- with no gear/kids/dogs/and of course the hotness.

If you have an auto (a4ld) then I would put in a tranny guage so you could pull over and let the truck cool if the tranny is hot! Plus a larger tranny cooler. Get the best cooler you can afford. Best tips I can give you. Spending 100ish now is better then a tranny rebuild later.

 

[HKUNZ]

Well to explain the hotness. I simply ride around on the beach in my truck. They basically come flocking to it. And going to parties and meeting women helps too haha.

 

[FarmTruk]

A 500 lb pop-up trailer will be nothing, although your lbs estimate seems light to me. Even if it's a bit heavier, you won't even know it's there.

That truck's rated at 5,200 lbs towing capacity, and you posted it does already have the towing package (tranny cooler, wiring, class III hitch, and 3.73 gears).

Same as my X. It won't even breath hard.

With 31" tires, you may want to tow in "D" rather than "OD", however.


edit...may you meant "500 lbs" as the max weight the trailer is designed to carry?