Ratio of tow weight vs. vehicle weight

[Sinkoumn]

I'm just curious if there is any conclusion as to what the proper vehicle weight is vs. tow gross weight.

Mainly, I currently tow a SS Nautique with a 99 Ford Explorer (tow package etc). I'm guessing the GTW of the boat + trailer is about ~4500lbs; so my question is whether or not it is "safe" to haul the boat with my current vehicle. I vaguely recall hearing/reading about the proper tow vehicle weight vs. the weight of trailer in tow and I am just looking to see if anyone can shed light on my situation - it is looking more and more likely that I will be able to upgrade in the next few months by way of a new company car, so I'm just deciding if I need to go bigger (heavier) or not (I'd rather not go bigger do to parking and cost of travel, but if it is a necessity for towing safely I would glady change).

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much,
MSO

[DanielC]

RE: Ratio of tow weight vs. vehicle weight

Your tow vehicle has gross towing weight information in the owners manual. If you do not have your manual, any Ford dealer should be able to find out for you, but as soon as you get on the lot, thay will want to sell you something new.

[MNSuperAir]

RE: Ratio of tow weight vs. vehicle weight

4500lbs for an explorer sounds like a bit much. I bet your max tow weight is close to 4-5klbs. Doable but probably not the safest.

[rleinen79]

RE: Ratio of tow weight vs. vehicle weight

I pull a 97 SNOB with a 02 Exploerer with the v6. Owners manual says max towing is 5750 with v6, 7500 with v8. That being said, I don't believe it. Mine does OK around town, but ask it to hold 70mph on the highway, and it really has to work. I estimate the weight of my boat and trailer to be 3500-4000 lbs with gas and equipment, etc. I definitely wouldn't want to put another2000 lbs behind it. When we get rid of the Explorer, we're going to look at Expeditions and Yukons. Now the question is, will they fit in the garage?

Rob

[NautiqueJeff]

RE: Ratio of tow weight vs. vehicle weight

I have a diesel Excursion, and it is GREAT for towing. It even fits in a standard garage!

[Rick]

RE: Ratio of tow weight vs. vehicle weight

I'm pulling my 2000SN with an 05 Tahoe. The boat and trailer weights 4K ( Take yours to a public it's worth the $6.00 to find out exactly what it weighs) I then went to look at what would tow 4000lbs. I lookesd at the explorer and was confused by V6 vs V8 versus rear axle ratio. The Tahoe is rated at 6500 lbs and I took the boat 1300 miles round trip to tahoe this summer and it felt like it wasn't even there.

[M3Fan]

RE: Ratio of tow weight vs. vehicle weight

I'm towing with an 06 4Runner V8 4WD. The max tow weight is 7300lbs. This is the only Mid-Sized SUV I would tow an SN with, and that's about 3500-4k lbs. worth of weight. For the V8 version, Toyota wisely incorporated all-time 4WD, special weight distributing hitch, and large trans oil cooler from the factory. So it's a lot more than just the engine. The brakes are also outstanding (and larger on the V8) and feel like they could stop a locomotive. It also has a body-on-frame truck design and solid rear axle. I'd have to say the only other mid-sizers that would be comparable for towing would be the LR LR3 and the Tourag V8. Other than this small handful of mid-sizers, I'd go full-size if I were you, especially with that large boat.

[Kurpski]

Ditto to M3Fan. I tow our SN196 behind a 05 4Runner w/ V8, works like a dream. I towed 300 miles from NW PA to DC, through the moutains (East coast mountains/hills) with no problem at 70 mph. I did leave in 4th vs. overdrive most of the way to eliminate excessive shifting in and out of OD going up the hills. No problem with power or braking, drove like it was barely there.

[M3Fan]

Ditto to M3Fan. I tow our SN196 behind a 05 4Runner w/ V8, works like a dream. I towed 300 miles from NW PA to DC, through the moutains (East coast mountains/hills) with no problem at 70 mph. I did leave in 4th vs. overdrive most of the way to eliminate excessive shifting in and out of OD going up the hills. No problem with power or braking, drove like it was barely there.

Yep, I leave 'er in 4th as well. That reminds me though, the truck also has a 5 speed auto trans which is still a pretty rare feature in this segment. I get about 13-15MPG towing, and that's no joke. 19-21 not towing. The engine has variable valve timing, drive by wire, and a bunch of other tricks which you usually only see on luxury cars. It also starts itself just by flicking the key forward, which I love.

[MNSuperAir]

I agree with M3, brakes are probably the most important. Not being able to drive 70 is annoying but not being able to stop is dangerous. The other part is how stiff the frame and suspension is on the tow vehicle. You don't want it to get sloppy when your trying to avoid a pothole. With that said I have a Diesel Ram 2500, tows from MN to Dallas once a year like a dream.

[ag4ever]

Vehicle weight is not the biggest concern for towing. The two biggest factors for how much weight a vehicle can tow are 1.) wheel base and 2.) brakes. Notice I make no mention of engine power, as even a garden tractor can pull a trailer, just don't ask it to go really fast.

The shorter the wheel base of the tow vehicle, the more the trailer will steer it. That is why crew cab trucks tow so much better than vehicles like a Jeep Wrangler.

If you don't have great brakes, then it really does not matter how fast the vehicle can tow the trailer. You gotta stop!

I started out towng my SANTE with a '94 F-150 with the 302 V8. It did the job just fine, and I never felt unsafe towing with it. I just did not like how loud the engine was when towing at 70 MPH. I traded it for a Diesel F-250, and now it just loafs along at 1800 RPM at 70 MPH. Stopping, no problem even without trailer brakes. Trailer steering the truck, not on your life. Towing with extreme overkill is a dream, but I would not hesitate to tow with an explorer if that is all I had.

I have even been toying with the idea of trading my F-250 in on a 4-runner, and it sounds like it would be a great tow vehicle too, but I would bet it would not handle as well as the 250 with a trailer behind it.

[M3Fan]

I have even been toying with the idea of trading my F-250 in on a 4-runner, and it sounds like it would be a great tow vehicle too, but I would bet it would not handle as well as the 250 with a trailer behind it.

Only one way to find out- tell your dealer you want to see how it tows your rig on the test drive. I'm sure they won't mind. The 4Runner is not as "serious" of a tow vehicle as that 250 but I'd bet it has a whole lot more modern technology in the drivetrain and suspension which may surprise you in the towing stability department. For me, I needed a vehicle that would be a good daily driver, good winter car, get good gas mileage, and tow the boat, and this car fit the bill for me.

[redelf75]

DOn't forget to check your axel ratio too, but that would be taken into account in your manufactured maximum tow capacity. If you're not comfortable with meeting Ford's specs, check out AAA for more on towing.

[auskier]

Well I'm one of those that push the limit. I tow my 97 SN 196 (~3800lbs.) with a 4x4 97 Jeep Cherokee Sport, Inline 6 engine, manual transmission and pretty poor brakes.

Honestly I’ve never had a problem. I’ve made multiple trips of over 1000 miles towing with this truck. I can run 70 on the interstate until I hit a pretty big hill, and I can run 60-65 in third gear up pretty much any grade. I have four wheel low for pulling up the ramp and I don’t even have to give it any gas, It will idle up the ramp.

I have added a timbren ses suspension enhancement system, that made it much more stable. I also added disc brakes to the trailer, without trailer brakes I would not tow with this truck.

If you like driving your Explorer make sure you keep up the trailer brakes, and you might look into air bags or some kind of Suspension enhancement and I would think your Explorer is fine. I don’t want to drive a really big truck and I really don’t have the money for one at the moment (I chose to buy a boat with my money Yellow_Flash_Colorz: ) So, I spent a really small amount making the truck I had a little better.

[gotpwr]

You guys need to stop drinking the Toyota kool-aid. A new Explorer will tow very similar to a new 4Runner. When you compare the specs side by side they are almost exactly the same: BOF, V8, Tow rating, except the Explorer has more horsepower, IRS, and a 6 speed automatic as well as all the "tricks you only see on luxury cars".