Frustrated with online car shopping!

Probably not.
Upgrading a hitch is easy. Is there a difference in fluid coolers, etc. between tow packages?

No offense but, why would you want to tow with an Explorer? The Excursion would do much better. I had a 2010 Explorer as a work vehicle. Not bad but, it didn't strike me as a capable tow vehicle. The Excursion is a much more capable vehicle.

I looked at the Explorer. Five thousand max won’t tow much and a short wheelbase too. Traverse is similar.

coolmom42 wrote:
I am looking for a Ford Explorer with the class III hitch. This hitch is part of the Platinum package, but not a lot of those available, and they are pricey.

I know the class III hitch is an option on the Limited version of the Explorer, and have found 3 ads that specify it. But most ads just say "tow package" or "tow hitch." That's not helpful at all, since there is also a class II hitch, along with a tow rating of 2000 lb.

Is there any way to tell from the VIN exactly what hitch/tow package is on a vehicle?

I am not aware of a VIN decoder, however when I purchased our last vehicle I used TrueCar.com.

If you select the level of trim you want it will guide you through to choose a color and then if you select the Options tab in the lower left there is an option to 'Build Your Own'. This will allow you to select the Class III tow package.

In my case we specified what we wanted and sent out the information to allow a dealer with a matching vehicle to contact us. A local dealer called me and we test drove the car. I wanted a different color and so they had a matching car brought over from another dealer. I had printed out the 'true car' price and used that as my base for negotiating and it went very smoothly.

Quick question. Do you know what you want to tow? There are some folks on this forum who can provide some good background regarding the capability of the Explorer relative to the size of the trailer. A new Explorer is a sizable investment so there may be an advantage in clarifying how well it will handle the trailer you have in mind. Manufacturers tow ratings are typically based on towing a flat bed type trailer with the minimum wind resistance and tongue weight. Travel trailers push a lot a wind and have more tongue weight than a flat bed.

Good luck,
Stu

Excursions have not been manufactured since 2005.

The VIN doesn't include the options that can be built into the vehicle. You need to look at the option codes. On GM these are the RPO codes recorded on the sticker inside the glove box. For Ford I think they're called "option codes" and included on a sicker on the driver's door jam, and I think the code you're looking for is 535 (Class IV Tow setup).

If you do a Google search for "Ford Option Codes" you should be able to find lists that document all the options.

austingta wrote:
Excursions have not been manufactured since 2005.

I mix up the Ford Ex... nomenclature all the time. And we own one.

Perhaps he meant Expedition.

Just have the hitch you want installed. I certainly wouldn't upgrade by $3-5k just to get a $300 hitch.

Unless there is something else that you are looking for.

I have a 2014 Explorer. In 2014 the option code for the Heavy Duty Tow Package was 52T. Short of having a dealer look it up, I don’t know of any way of finding the RPO code on an Explorer (advantage GM). The tow package comes with a Class III hitch and can tow up to 5000 lbs if you have a WD hitch. The advantage of getting an Explorer with the tow package is that you will get an oil cooler as well as selectable Tow/Haul mode option. It also comes wired with both 4 and 7 pin connectors.
For the OP, I believe the 2015 Ford Explorer SPORT comes with a class III hitch as standard equipment. The other trims for that year have it as an option.

PDX.Zs wrote:

austingta wrote:
Excursions have not been manufactured since 2005.

I mix up the Ford Ex... nomenclature all the time. And we own one.

Perhaps he meant Expedition.

Yea, I meant Expedition.. Old people..:W