Brand New - TT Weight question

^^^ Here you go OP.

beaker305 wrote:
Hello everyone, brand new here and to RVing in general. Here is my story and I hope some of you can provide some insight:

I just recently purchased a 2017 Ford Explorer 4wd V6 with the class 3 towing package. The towing rating is 5,000 lbs. I went to an RV show last weekend and found a travel trailer that I loved and saw that it came in at 4500 lbs....500 less than my vehicle is rated for. I signed the buyers order and planned to pick it up this coming weekend. Over the past few days I have been educating myself on all things RV and came across a lot of mixed information about towing and weights. (Especially that vehicle manufacturers overstate towing capacities and RV manufacturers understate trailer weights) I'm afraid now that my vehicle won't really be able to tow this trailer and I'll be stuck once I get to the dealership to pick this up. Shame on me for not doing enough research ahead of time, but it ended up being one of those impulse decisions. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

We also have an Explorer. We have the 2015 Explorer with the 3.5 normally aspirated engine, AWD, and the tow package.

We have 5000 lbs tow rating and 1398 lbs of payload (from the yellow tire loading sticker on the door jam).

You really don't have enough truck to tow that large of a trailer. These cars, and I mean cars because they have unibody structure, not a ladder frame structure as the previous based truck based Explorers, only have a tongue weight rating of 500 lbs. This alone leaves little tow capacity since most smaller single axle travel trailers have a higher 14% tongue weight.

500 lbs divide by 14% = 3571 lbs. That is "LOADED" trailer weight. Take away 1000 lbs to 700 lbs for food, battery, water, clothes, gear, trailer options and you're "BROCURE" dry weight is only 2500 lbs to 2800 lbs. That's what my 12' boxed, no slide, pop up weighed. You are looking at trailers like Rockwoods Rpod, Rockwoods Geo Pro and Jayco's Hummingbird trailers.

Just get a good brake controller like the Prodigy and a good weight distribution hitch like Blue Ox Sway Pro.

Good luck.

boosTT wrote:


Lookup SAE J2807.

It may have been over rated previously by Ford.

Nope, if you had followed the thread below the Ford towing guide indicates it has never been rated under that spec.
There are many people, myself included, with many mant kilometers experience with the old Explorer. It was not over rated.

Redwoodcamper wrote:
Although I try to adhere to the tow ratings of vehicles, and encourage others to do the same, the vehicle isn't the biggest part of safe towing. It's crazy to me how much emphasis people will put on a stamp on the doorframe, and how little people worry about driving skill. I don't encourage it but I have towed many tens of thousands of miles over tow ratings. For 15+ yrs. Without any Scarry moments or accidents. Sometimes near double tow ratings. I wouldn't do it again today, but the biggest part of safety is the driver.
It's the same principle that's wrong with newer traffic laws and safety standards. Instead of teaching someone better driving skills, they try to put a band aid on the problem by making speed limits slower and bumpers better.
Don't get me wrong. Most new members buying a trailer should get a warning and should know the differences in ratings. Thanks for helping folks out and trying to keep the roads safe. But the bottom line isn't always as black and white as people think.

I agree. General information is good and you definitely need it. But when it comes right down to it you need to know what you're doing when towing. The best equipment means nothing in the hands of inexperience and ignorance. A lot of folks on here have given some great information and I believe there is enough to make an intelligent decision on what the poster needs.

horton333 wrote:

boosTT wrote:

Frame, suspension, wheels are different. It may have plenty of power, but that's not the only thing that matters. Does the old explorer ride the same?

The new frame is more rigid (not that the old was weak), the tires have much stronger sidewalls due to much lower aspect ratio, suspension significantly upgraded. Of course there is more than just the better power, there are numerous other advantages (especially getting rid of that weak POS transfer case on the old ones like mine). You forgot the brakes too, huge improvement on the new Explorer.
Hint as alluded above there is one thing worse than when it was a 7,200# rating , I really doubt any of the several people above who made such strong comments on how bad it is can figure that regression out - but I'll just throw that out that there as there is one I'm aware of (manageable actually).
No: I cannot see how anyone can justify this advertised huge decrease in capacity, unless you have slavish belief in marketing numbers. It is capable, unless something silly done like cramming 7 adults in too.

Lookup SAE J2807.

It may have been over rated previously by Ford.

Although I try to adhere to the tow ratings of vehicles, and encourage others to do the same, the vehicle isn't the biggest part of safe towing. It's crazy to me how much emphasis people will put on a stamp on the doorframe, and how little people worry about driving skill. I don't encourage it but I have towed many tens of thousands of miles over tow ratings. For 15+ yrs. Without any Scarry moments or accidents. Sometimes near double tow ratings. I wouldn't do it again today, but the biggest part of safety is the driver.
It's the same principle that's wrong with newer traffic laws and safety standards. Instead of teaching someone better driving skills, they try to put a band aid on the problem by making speed limits slower and bumpers better.
Don't get me wrong. Most new members buying a trailer should get a warning and should know the differences in ratings. Thanks for helping folks out and trying to keep the roads safe. But the bottom line isn't always as black and white as people think.

We were at our dealer yesterday picking up our TT after some warranty work was done. I was wandering the store and picking up some things when a gentleman began asking me questions about towing. Turns out he was about to sign for a used TT. He told me he was driving a Ford Ranger. He was buying a 2002 Keystone 21'. I went through all the towing ins and outs and what he will need to tow and what he needs to install. I asked about towing capacity for his truck and he didn't know. Yet we was ready to hook up and drive away. I stayed and watched as he drove away with a sag that was probably leaving the hitch 6-8 inches from the ground.
This was not an ignorance occurrence, but an arrogance occurrence. I believe there are plenty of potential RVers who don't know what they need to. But when someone tells you the deal and you just drive away like nothing happened, then arrogance takes over.
I applaud this poster for coming here and asking. And they received plenty of feedback and information to educate them enough to make a safe and educated decision.

horton333 wrote:
You are entitled to your opinion but...forgive me if I disagree.

No worries, you're forgiven. :W

SoundGuy wrote:

horton333 wrote:
Anyway the damage is done.

In your opinion, but many others would define this as "good advice". ;)

So using information demonstrated to be wrong about how Ford products are tested, from the Ford official towing guide foot notes on test methouds, is defined as "good advise" by "many others"??
You are entitled to your opinion but...forgive me if I disagree.

horton333 wrote:
Anyway the damage is done.

In your opinion, but many others would define this as "good advice". ;)