Towing Capacity of Ford Explorer
We are upgrading from a tent trailer to either a Hybrid or Travel Trailer. We have a 2013 Ford Explorer with the towing package - 5000 lb towing max. I am not sure how to determine the towing capacit...
Forum Discussion
Always plan to have to tow the maximum possible legal weight in the trailer - GVWR.
Not the UVW weight. That is almost always too light if from the brochure. The actual sticker on the individual trailer is a real weight as it left the factory floor - usually that weight does not include full propane tanks, battery, spare tire or any water in any tank.
You always need to travel with some water in the black and grey tanks - a couple gallons. The biggest reason for buildup problems in the tanks is too little or no water. You will also almost always want a few gallons in the fresh water tank - for a stop on the road enroute to the CG or if the wife/ kids need to hit the bathroom before you get all the connections done.
Yes, that trailer is too heavy, and too big for a Ford Explorer.
Now the UVW weight should be the weight of the trailer not hooked up to a tow vehicle. The weight on the axle(s) and the weight on the tongue jack.
The actual hitch weight can be best figured by weighing the rig and the TV. Weigh the first time with the TV on the two axle pads on the truck scale and the trailer on the trailer pad. The second time, the trailer splits the two cab pads and the TV is not on the scale. The third time - drop the trailer and weigh the TV only.
Subtracting the TV only weight from the weight of the two TV axles in weight # 1 gives you the actual toungue weight. And it also tells you how much weight shift there is between the two axles. Most TV will have less weight on the front wheels while hooked to the trailer. That means less braking power from the TV, and less steering control as the front end of the TV is lifted a bit.
Another concern is the carrying capacity of the TV. It is on the door sticker. That trailer list a tongue weight of 434 lbs. I bet it is really closer to 550 lbs.
The Explorer may not have that much carrying capacity.
EDIT - some companies list that number as Payload capacity. The Ford Explorer has a Payload Capacity of near 1,500 lbs. That includes the weight of fuel, any options added to the Explorer, any tools in the vehicle, and the weight of all the people in the vehicle. Two adults and two kids is usually close to 500-600 lbs.
550 lbs for tongue weight, 500 lbs of people, 50 lbs of tools, 100 lbs of options on the Explorer, 150 lbs of fuel = 1,350 lbs - which means you can only add 150 lbs of camping stuff, clothes, toys, charcoal, ice chest, drinks to the Explorer.
That trailer is almost identical in specs to the 2012 Grey Wolf 26BH which I had. Identical floor plan. It is one of the most popular floor plans/ sizes for first time RVers.
My tongue weight on that trailer was 597 lbs - part of that because I added a second battery. The UVW weight when I drove it off the dealer lot was about 5,400 lbs, and reduced the carrying capacity to less than 2,000 lbs.
However, I had a 2008 F-150 Crew Cab with at 'towing capacity' of 8,800 lbs, and I had a very good weight distribution/ anti-sway hitch.
Weight wise I was within the capacity of the truck to tow. However if I started getting wind gusts of 10 mph over the base winds - the trailer would shove the truck around. The truck was simply too light weight to stand up to the pressures of wind on over 300 square feet of trailer sail area.
Not the UVW weight. That is almost always too light if from the brochure. The actual sticker on the individual trailer is a real weight as it left the factory floor - usually that weight does not include full propane tanks, battery, spare tire or any water in any tank.
You always need to travel with some water in the black and grey tanks - a couple gallons. The biggest reason for buildup problems in the tanks is too little or no water. You will also almost always want a few gallons in the fresh water tank - for a stop on the road enroute to the CG or if the wife/ kids need to hit the bathroom before you get all the connections done.
Yes, that trailer is too heavy, and too big for a Ford Explorer.
Now the UVW weight should be the weight of the trailer not hooked up to a tow vehicle. The weight on the axle(s) and the weight on the tongue jack.
The actual hitch weight can be best figured by weighing the rig and the TV. Weigh the first time with the TV on the two axle pads on the truck scale and the trailer on the trailer pad. The second time, the trailer splits the two cab pads and the TV is not on the scale. The third time - drop the trailer and weigh the TV only.
Subtracting the TV only weight from the weight of the two TV axles in weight # 1 gives you the actual toungue weight. And it also tells you how much weight shift there is between the two axles. Most TV will have less weight on the front wheels while hooked to the trailer. That means less braking power from the TV, and less steering control as the front end of the TV is lifted a bit.
Another concern is the carrying capacity of the TV. It is on the door sticker. That trailer list a tongue weight of 434 lbs. I bet it is really closer to 550 lbs.
The Explorer may not have that much carrying capacity.
EDIT - some companies list that number as Payload capacity. The Ford Explorer has a Payload Capacity of near 1,500 lbs. That includes the weight of fuel, any options added to the Explorer, any tools in the vehicle, and the weight of all the people in the vehicle. Two adults and two kids is usually close to 500-600 lbs.
550 lbs for tongue weight, 500 lbs of people, 50 lbs of tools, 100 lbs of options on the Explorer, 150 lbs of fuel = 1,350 lbs - which means you can only add 150 lbs of camping stuff, clothes, toys, charcoal, ice chest, drinks to the Explorer.
That trailer is almost identical in specs to the 2012 Grey Wolf 26BH which I had. Identical floor plan. It is one of the most popular floor plans/ sizes for first time RVers.
My tongue weight on that trailer was 597 lbs - part of that because I added a second battery. The UVW weight when I drove it off the dealer lot was about 5,400 lbs, and reduced the carrying capacity to less than 2,000 lbs.
However, I had a 2008 F-150 Crew Cab with at 'towing capacity' of 8,800 lbs, and I had a very good weight distribution/ anti-sway hitch.
Weight wise I was within the capacity of the truck to tow. However if I started getting wind gusts of 10 mph over the base winds - the trailer would shove the truck around. The truck was simply too light weight to stand up to the pressures of wind on over 300 square feet of trailer sail area.
