Towing with a Sport Trac... | Ford Explorer Forums

  • Register Today It's free!

Towing with a Sport Trac...

97awdx

Well-Known Member
Joined
April 3, 2004
Messages
393
Reaction score
3
City, State
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA
Year, Model & Trim Level
1998 XLT
What is the tow rateing on an 05 Sport Trac, has anyone towed anything substantial with one?
 






5300 lbs. with a proper hitch (i.e., proper height for weight distribution). Keep the width of the trailer nearly the same as the truck. I don't recommend anything wider than six feet, and six feet is pushing it as is, especially if the trailer is longer than eight feet.

I haven't towed anything substantial per se, but do pull a 5x8 mid-side trailer that has a capacity of two tons. I haven't maxed out the tonnage, but around 1-1.5 tons, the Trac was capable. Just expect lower gas mileage and the ordinary concerns--proper braking distance, a hard-working engine when climbing mountains, etc. I see you're from Scranton, so probably you're more than familiar with I-81's climbs when going south through Hazleton or north towards Syracuse.
 






towing w/05 sp trac

I pull a 16' utility trailer, with dual axel's electric brakes,with Kuboya BX24tractor bucket & backhoe. Attachments are also loaded on occassion combined cgvw 4950.to 5100. On flat land,I run with O/D (highway;s)etc. and shift to no O/D on hills and inclines. Dealer claims this is the way to go and should not cause any problems, now or down the road.
 






I've pulled a 18'x8' trailer loaded with 1989 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. I estimated the total weight of the Waggy and trailer to be between 5500 and 6000 lbs. Other then initially taking off (I've got 35s with stock 3.73 gears and a 5-speed stick), it pulled great. Enough power to accelerate and maintain highway speeds and the Trac pulled the trailer great as far as handling. As long as you load/balance the trailer correctly you shouldn't have any handling problems. I don't know if I would pull this load across country, but I pulled it for 80 miles without a problem. Gas mileage for me when towing that heavy of a load is between 10 and 12 (compared to 15-16 unloaded).

I have a good brake controller and the trailer I pull has brakes so everything stops fine. If you don't have trailer brakes make sure to give yourself plenty of distance. I do pull a 4000# boat fairly regularly that has no trailer brakes and it does ok. I usually only pull it 5-10 miles at a time but if it had brakes I wouldn't hesitate to pull it long distances.

Basically, you should have no problem pulling as much weight as your Trac weighs. As long as you load everything properly and use the proper equipment you'll be fine. Most importantly remember that you weight twice as much and are 2-3 times as long and drive accordingly. Its no turbo diesel but it is more then capable.
 






Featured Content

Back
Top