Towing and wiring.

[VenneM05]

I'm probably asking a dumb question, but I was wondering what my towing capacity is for my '03 XLS 4.0 V6. I was wondering really what I can tow without having any problems. I have (2) two sleds now and haven't towed them yet. I just want to make sure I won't kill my baby (my explorer). I was also wondering the best wiring kits/applications I can do myself. I am mechanically inclined, but want to do it right and make sure I don't f-up anything. Previous owner put on a 2-inch reciever, but some how the wiring was taken out. Any help would be great.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the towing section.

 

[Verno]

Drivers door sticker will give you weight ratio's.
How heavy are the sleds, how heavy is the trailer they will be on? If you are looking at over 3000 lbs I would recommend trailer brakes, which would be a 5 wire round rather than a 4 wire flat.

 

[jrford]

You might be able to add the round 7-pin look in a junkyard, the plug is passenger side under the behind the bumper and under the tail lights.. .

How much does it all weight?

Check your door for an Axle code, if its a 45, which means 3.55's gear ratio, its technically 3200lbs, it should have had a small hitch. Now with mine (v8), i also had 45 axle code and a small hitch but I replaced it with the Class III out of a junkyard and mine came with the trailer harness 7-pin, and it all bolted and plugged in.

Now people have said they pull more than 3200lbs without any problems, i would guess so long as it wasn't often or far. . .just keep the O/D off and take your time . .

 

[gijoecam]

To answer that question, you must first determine the gear ratio of your vehicle's driveline, than consult the owner's manual. It's there in black and white (along with step-by-step instruction on how to calculate the maximum towing weight for your particular vehicle).

Don't have an owner's manual? Try www.motorcraft.com to find a free PDF-copy of it.

That being said, for a V-6 2wd:
3.55 gears: 3200lbs
3.73 gears: 3500lbs
3.73 with the class III towing package: 5820lbs

4x4 V-6
3.55 gears: 3400lbs
3.73 gears: 5380lbs

-Joe