Ratio of tow weight vs. vehicle weight

[Flux]

Necessity for your tow vehicle is really what you make of it. I live in the desert in Cali. Our closest lake with good water and a place to camp is 100 miles, up and over the grapevine. Our preferred spot is about double that and add alot of hills etc.

When I load up the family, the dog, a bed full of gear, and trailer the boat, I love safety and power. I got an F250 Diesel this year and I don't think I will ever go back. To put it simply, I wanna get there with ease, not fight some underpowered short axled truck. Alot of it depends on how far you have to go, how fast you need to get there, and how many hills are in your way. The F250 Diesel is a monster and is very fun to drive on the highway, it just hums along and never seems to run out of power. Barely even notice the boat is back there except on takeoff.

I would say an expedition is a good choice with the 5.4 litre and will take 80% of what you throw at it with ease. The other 20% you will go a bit slower is all.

It really depends on where you are going. If I had a quick trip down the road to the lake, I would not care if I had a big truck. Getting on the interstates and going over passes, then I want something as safe as possible.

[ag4ever]

If it were not for the fact that I do tow some large trailers once in a while, I would have already pulled the trigger on a 4runner. I am just not sure if I am ready to give up the utility of a truck, the extra power a diesel has, nor the ability to tow goose necks and 5th wheels.

I did however just pickup a Toyota Camry hybrid last week. From what I can tell the Toyota Kool-aid is a lot sweeter that that bitter crud that Ford keeps dishing out. I have had numerous Ford vehicles, and while most of them have been fairly trouble free, they are just not as nice as the Toyota. Also I did have a Ford that was a pure nightmare.

When buying the car I asked about a Toyota Diesel, and the salesman said that they are thinking about releasing one in the near future. If, or when that happens, I will be the first in line to get it.

[Rick]

Trailer boat magazine www.trailerboats.com has a listing of all towing vechiles for 2007 in the December isssue every year or on their web site for the last several years. I used to tow my 4K SN with a Chevy Venture with the 3L V6. I wasn't going over the mountains very fast but towed San Diego to Lake Tahoe every year with no problem. I second all the words about trailer brakes. If you have good trailer brakes you could tow with a garden tractor to quote a previeous poster.

[gotpwr]

....I have had numerous Ford vehicles, and while most of them have been fairly trouble free, they are just not as nice as the Toyota....

That's your perception, I have no issue with that, but to say a 4Runner is going to be a significantly better tow vehicle than an Explorer is ridiculous.

When buying the car I asked about a Toyota Diesel, and the salesman said that they are thinking about releasing one in the near future. If, or when that happens, I will be the first in line to get it.

It got pushed back to 2009 at the earliest. Toyota is delaying new products to address the quality issues that have been creeping up lately. It seems that Toyota's growth is finally catching up with them.

[Mikeski]

I have two tow vehicles, my Tahoe and my Silverado pickup (longbed standard cab). The Tahoe has the 5.3L V8 and the Silverado has the 4.3L V6. Before you ask why anybody would buy a Silverado pickup with a V6, it just happened that way. It came as a cheap used temporary solution that I just can't seem to get rid of because it's cheap and handy, not to mention gets 20mph. The Tahoe is by far a superior tow vehicle even with it's shorter wheel base. The coil spring rear suspension just works better to absorb the lumps going down the highway. The longer wheelbase silverado bucks like a horse with or without the boat, the bilstien shocks helped but not much. As long as there are no hills the truck does surprisingly well. It's gearing allows for decent acceleration down the freeway onramps usually getting up to the speed limit by the merge if the throttle is mashed. The Tahoe does much better holding the boat at highway speeds up moderate grades. If I had to tow up a big grade on a regular basis, I would pop for a heavy hauler with a diesel.

I have never been able to get comfortable in any japanese vehicle with my size 12 shoe... always an arguement with the wife when it comes time to buy a car, thankfully adjustable pedals were available when we bought the Tahoe, her current daily driver.

[DanielC]

Tow vehicles

My current boat, 1997 Ski Nautique, single axle trailer. My tow vehicle, 1996 Ford Aerostar extended van, with trailer towing package. My van has 140 k miles on it. I did have to get a head gasket replaced in the summer of 2005, on a trip from Portland, Or to Lake Shasta. The van spent my vacation at the Ford dealer, instead of the parking lot at Bridge Bay. I did have the drum brakes on the trailer upgraded to disc a few years ago, best thing I did. The van gets around 15 mpg, towing, freeway, not climbing serious hills.
I have towed a few Super Airs (the real ones, not the wide beam party barges they are calling a super air) aroung town, and it does ok. Not the fastest, but it is ok.
I am dissappionted that Ford decided to give GM a monopoly on rear wheel drive compact vans. Ford also decided to give GM a monopoly on boat motors also. I thought I heard Ford is losing lots of money lately, didn't I?

[Sinkoumn]

RE: Tow vehicles

Thanks so much for all the input ya'll, I fully appreciate it! But on another note, seeing as though winter is already here (in my mind because there is no riding left with out full 2mm gloves/boots, and a drysuit), is there anything that I could do to the vehicle that I currently have (the 99 Explorer) to make it safer for towing?

I am not doing any serious towing - i.e. 100+ miles in any direction. I basically tow anywhere from 5-20miles to lakes that we ride on here in MN, and assuming that I end up keeping my current tow vehicle would you have any suggestions as to what I could pony up on and add onto my tow vehicle - i.e. brakes, suspension, etc, etc?

I completely miss riding, and coincidentally get rather bored with the newly found time I have while waiting for snowboarding season to start... so I am just trying to look at all the options that I might have for towing next riding season (hopefully early April :???: ) assuming that I don't get a new vehicle through work (which is unlikely, but just want to cover all the bases).

Thanks again to you all that helped out with your contributions, as well as, to the future insights! :grin:

[Rick]

RE: Tow vehicles

I would check to see that your ride has a factory towing package. That includes a tranny cooler heavier suspension and sometimes even a 3.73 rear end versus a 3.35 or 3.23. You can look in trailerboat and see the ratings for the different configurations. You might want to change the differential ratio. If you don't have one a tranny cooler would be worth every penny.

[DanielC]

RE: Tow vehicles

Once again, check information on your vehicle. It should be on the drivers side door frame, or contact the local Ford dealer with your VIN. I do not know how many hills you have to up and down, but if your max trip is only 20 miles, I doubt it you really need an aftermarket tranny cooler. I would spend the money on regular maintance, Change engine oil, Tranny oil, oil in the axle, or axles if four wheel drive. Keep your brakes in good shape, also. Find a truck scale so you have an accurate weight on your boat, loaded, with gas.

[ag4ever]

RE: Tow vehicles

As I recall, the 99 had the solid axle in the rear, not the current IRS. If that is the case, a set of air bags could help the sag in the rear if you have any and firm up the ride a bit while towing.

A trans cooler is a good idea no matter how short the trip.

Good trailer brakes!

Keep the fluid in the various components changed and fresh, but not overly often. Axles, by the book or if they get water in them. Trans every 30,000 miles as ford transes are notorious for going out if neglected. Engine every 5000 miles.

Other than that, just do it.

The '99 explorer will tow fine, but I would not call it ideal. I also don't care for the IRS of the current explorer, so that is why I perfer the 4runner (well one of the reasons, most of the others are very personal).

[rleinen79]

Re: RE: Tow vehicles

Trans every 30,000 miles as ford transes are notorious for going out if neglected.

Boy, I learned that this year. Bought an 02 Explorer 2 years ago with 36000 miles. At 53,000 this year, I thought the transmission was slipping. The dealer diagnosed it (incorrectly) as the transfer case, so they replaced that under the extended warranty. 2 days later, same thing. Next, they replaced the rear differential, again, under warranty. 3000 miles since, and no problem. Thank God it had that warranty!

Rob

[M3Fan]

That's your perception, I have no issue with that, but to say a 4Runner is going to be a significantly better tow vehicle than an Explorer is ridiculous.

Almost as ridiculous as this comment.

[Fast351]

Re: RE: Tow vehicles

Boy, I learned that this year. Bought an 02 Explorer 2 years ago with 36000 miles. At 53,000 this year, I thought the transmission was slipping. The dealer diagnosed it (incorrectly) as the transfer case, so they replaced that under the extended warranty. 2 days later, same thing. Next, they replaced the rear differential, again, under warranty. 3000 miles since, and no problem. Thank God it had that warranty!

Rob

Heh, a transfer case due to an incorrect diagnosis. I bet someone's *** got chewed over that. I bet the cost on the part alone is over 3K on that thing.

[gotpwr]

Almost as ridiculous as this comment.

Please explain.

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.

While you're at it please explain how Toyota engineers have redefined the laws of physics by developing a weight distributing hitch that has no additional connections to the trailer beyond the hitch ball. Last time I checked, a trailer hitch ball behind the rear bumper is a simple moment arm no matter how it is connected to the frame of the vehicle. Once you answer that we can move on to why the 4Runner, LR3, and Tourag are the only decent mid-size SUV tow vehicles.

[ag4ever]

Who cares?

Apparently you are just way to upset that a few of us just don't like the Ford Explorer.

Get over it!

I would personally not include the LR3 or Tourag in my list of top mid size tow vehicles though.