Towing with '03 eb

[Fish Man]

Hey everyone. My dad is buying a boat so I was looking for a class III hitch for him to put on his explorer. He has the class II right now. This boat is something like 4800lbs. We were both under the impression that we would need a class III hitch for it. However he was reading something saying that with class II you can tow 6000lbs. Now I dunno if thats true but he will only be towing the boat from storage approx 2-3 miles, and dropping it in the lake for the season. No more than that ever. So I was wondering 1, is class II gonna be able to handle that and 2, if so where can I find (whats the part that goes into the reciver that you put the ball on?) well one of those that will fit the class II hitch but still hold a 2 5/16" ball? The thing he was reading said "A class II hitch can be used with loads up to 6,000 pounds if heavy-duty balls with large shanks are used" so this got us wondering. Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[FordLover]

The hitch is only designed to handle 3500 lbs of weight connected to it. When you exceed that amount (probably about 10-20% over engineered for safety) all bets are off.

The boat weighs 4800 lbs. But how much will it weigh when it's filled with fuel, safety equipment, ski stuff, fishing stuff, food, drinks, stereo, etc. etc...

God forbid anything ever happens and somebody decides to investigate, and it's proven you exceeded the safety limits of your equipment, you might be held liable for damages, or even somebodies life. And insurance can decline coverage if you weren't adhearing to their requirements in your policy.

Anyway, for the few hundred bucks it's going to cost you to set it up correctly, you should do it the right way, and you won't have to worry about it. And you won't be limited to short distance pulling.
And I've never seen a large shank 1 1/4" draw bar.

 

[blichy]

Safest bet is get the Class III. Don't assume that the boat will never be pulled more than the 2 miles to the launch--you guys will decide to take it elsewhere at some point. Regarding the shank size, a 2 5/8" ball has a 1" diameter shank (the Class II recievers use 1 1/4" drawbars, with a max tow weight of 3500 lbs.).

 

[02mountaineerv8]

I have an 02 Mountaineer V8 class ll Hitch. Towed over 7,000 pounds over 300 miles with no problem at all. I wouldn't be scared to do it again, the truck did great and had more then enough power to pull and stop the truck when needed. Actually, this Mountaineer pulled 7K better then my 04 F150 does.

 

[Fish Man]

thanks for the info yall. i was trying to find a class III but when i was having some difficulty I thought i'd ask about that. guess i'll keep looking for a class III. thanks again, was really helpful

 

[fordnut]

I just put a Class III hitch on our '03 XLT. Truck has the Class II hitch standard. Bought the Class III from Advance Auto Parts for approx. $100. It is a Reese, and it bolts on right below the factory hitch. Then I bought the 2" drawbar with the 2" ball already installed from Wal-Mart as a kit for about $25, also a Reese.
The camper I tow has electric brakes, so I had to change out the pigtail to a 7-pin connector. Ordered part #3C5Z-13A576-BA and just unplugged the factory 4-pin pigtail and plugged in the new one. In case anyone is wondering, the connector to plug in a trailer brake controller is behind the glove box taped to another harness. I have the Prodigy controller and it came with a harness to plug right into the trucks wiring.
Hope this info helps....

 

[JohnnyO]

The boat weighs 4800 lbs. But how much will it weigh when it's filled with fuel, safety equipment, ski stuff, fishing stuff, food, drinks, stereo, etc. etc...

I don't see anyone mentioning the weight of the trailer. Gotta count that too.
A Class II ain't gonna get it, buy a Class III and be done. I have a Hidden Hitch, I like it. Tucks close to the bumper and doesn't hang way down like the cheapo universal units. Cost $119.

 

[mattyk6]

If anyone has a picture of the 1 1/4" mount and the 2" mount directly below it, I'd love to see it.

With aftermarket hitches, you can only get the 2" hitch to mount below the 1 1/4" hitch on an 05 Explorer XLT (the Sport Tracs are different - I wonder what that different is).

Thanks,
Matt

 

[FordLover]

I don't see anyone mentioning the weight of the trailer. Gotta count that too.
A Class II ain't gonna get it, buy a Class III and be done. I have a Hidden Hitch, I like it. Tucks close to the bumper and doesn't hang way down like the cheapo universal units. Cost $119.

I assumed 4800lbs. was boat and trailer, added together.

 

[rowekmr]

Hello Group
I am in the market for a 26' boat and trailer that probably weighs 6500#'s. I need to tow it for only a few miles a few times a year. Could a 98-99 XLT 4X4 with the SOHC and 4.10 ratio handle that (how about 3.73). I plan to drive very conservative and stop carefully. Or would I have to get the 5.0 AWD (do all have the 3.73 axle)?

Thanks in Advance
Joe
rowekmr@aol.com