towing horses with X

I have just picked up a 99 Explorer XLT 4D - 4x4 with a 4.0 SOHC, 3.55 rear axle. It has a class 3 hidden hith with a Voyager brake controller, a trany cooler and a KN filter, I believe the rest is stock. Id like to see if it would tow a double horse trailer with dual axles and electric brakes. The trailer weighs 1935 Ib empty with tack gear and we often only trailer one horse at a time bringing the weight to 2940 Ibs. If we travel with both horses - which would be rare - it could total 3800 Ibs. I figure we could add in another 500Ibs for a driver plus 3 passengers.

Do you think the Explorer can take the weight and would it be to much for it to handle.

Thanks
Noel

 

[techieman33]

I have just picked up a 99 Explorer XLT 4D - 4x4 with a 4.0 SOHC, 3.55 rear axle. It has a class 3 hidden hith with a Voyager brake controller, a trany cooler and a KN filter, I believe the rest is stock. Id like to see if it would tow a double horse trailer with dual axles and electric brakes. The trailer weighs 1935 Ib empty with tack gear and we often only trailer one horse at a time bringing the weight to 2940 Ibs. If we travel with both horses - which would be rare - it could total 3800 Ibs. I figure we could add in another 500Ibs for a driver plus 3 passengers.

Do you think the Explorer can take the weight and would it be to much for it to handle.

Thanks
Noel

Your explorer is rated for 4500lbs, so you should be fine, it sounds like you've already taken care of the extra things that you'll need to do to be able to pull it. Though a trans temp gauge would help, heat is what kills these trannys so you would want to keep an eye on it.

 

[nrigs]

Thanks for the input
a trany temp gauge sounds like a good idea.
What would make or type would you sugest and what would be the temp range I could expect while towing.

Noel

 

[GreenMando]

Cars I have owned with tranny gauges have ran at 185. Temp will rise under loads.
The whole assembly acts as a heat sink so normally engine oil temp will equal tranny temp.
Each vehicle has their own heat range, so drive it without trailer and see the average temp so you have a baseline.

At ten years old your tranny fluid may need changed. I had a talk with my friends that own a 4x4 shop about power flushes. Even thou they are not tooled up for it they recommend it. They said if your tranny fluid was fresh most transmissions will run near forever. On a normal fluid change most of the fluid stays in the torque converter.

 

[gijoecam]

Cars I have owned with tranny gauges have ran at 185. Temp will rise under loads.
The whole assembly acts as a heat sink so normally engine oil temp will equal tranny temp.
Each vehicle has their own heat range, so drive it without trailer and see the average temp so you have a baseline.

At ten years old your tranny fluid may need changed. I had a talk with my friends that own a 4x4 shop about power flushes. Even thou they are not tooled up for it they recommend it. They said if your tranny fluid was fresh most transmissions will run near forever. On a normal fluid change most of the fluid stays in the torque converter.

DO NOT FLUSH!!!! A fluid exchange, sure, but do NOT under ANY circumstances let them flush the trans. It causes way more problems than it solves (especially in a trans that's working fine to start with).

Nothing more than regular pan drops, fluid, and filter changes are necessary to keep the trans running for a long, long time.

-Joe

 

[Al from SC]

temp gauge

I put in a Scan Gauge 2 that can moniter the temp and a bunch of other things. (got that off the site from someone else, so it is not an original thought) I have been pleased with it though I am still figuring out everything it is capable of. The website does not show it able to support all functions on these explorers (mine is a 98 5R55E) but I have found mine seems to have all functions.

 

[BKennedy]

Is your horse trailer aluminum? I have a steel two horse trailer that weighs 3,500 pounds empty. The only problem with towing horses in a fairly light tow vehicle with a light trailer is you are going to feel it every time the horse shifts its weight or moves around. Make sure the tongue weight is under the limit for the Explorer since horse trailers have the axles far to the rear of the trailers to center them where the horses stand.

 

[nrigs]

Took one of the horses out for a ride today in the trailer and the X worked great. It handled very well up and down hills on a 20 mile trip. Kept the OD off and kicked it hard up hills at 50 mph. Very empressive these X's.

Noel