temccarthy1 wrote:
Do not agree with " Need a vacation" that the Bullet 230BHS is too heavy for your Explorer with a towing pkg.. It is 4370 lbs dry. Your explorer most likely can tow 5000. You should NOT need to bring 500 lbs of food and clothing in the trailer.. Buy the food when you arrive. Pack the clothes in the truck instead of the TT if you need to.. It is important that you get a TT that is big enough for your family of 6. A 19 ft one is not! The worst mistake you can make is to buy a trailer too small and want to trade it 3 years down the road and lose your butt in depreciation. With a weight distributing hitch, you should have plenty of cushion on your tow capacity with your Explorer matched up to the Bullet 230 BHS and have plenty of room for your family to enjoy for many years,,, especially when the kids are teenagers and will not put up with sleeping on the floor in a 19 footer and being on top of each other. Check out the 230 BHS at your nearby Keystone Bullet dealer.. See what the family thinks of it!
Klynnw,
While I agree with the fact you should try to have the largest trailer possible, the last thing I will suggest is to be that close or the more likely case, OVER your tow rating when you have 4 young kids who will only get HEAVIER with time, putting you further over the tow rating. Upgrading the trailer in a few years is not much different than buying to large of a trailer, and finding out that you need to replace the '13 Explorer with a more capable tow vehicle, which now is about 3yrs old (model yrs!). If you are in a position to replace the Explorer along with buying the trailer, then it's a new ball game! Lol
Understand a lot of times the manufactures will list the "BROCHURE DRY WEIGHT" of a trailer to make it sound lighter than actual by not including some "Mandatory Options" in the brochure dry weight. Our trailer has a dry weight of 7600lbs, but the yellow payload sticker (trailers have them also, so look for it!) states our trailer rolled off the assembly line at just under 8000lbs (798xlbs, trailer is stored for the winter, can't remember the exact amount- noaccess until spring). This yellow sticker does include the weight of the propane, but still haven't figured out if the battery is included or not. From everything I have found the manufactures do not include the propane tank(s) or battery in any of the "brochure" dry weights.
As I mentioned, the tow ratings only included the driver (at 150lbs) up until recently (last model yr or two), so any passengers and cargo added to the Explorer (defeats loading the clothes and food in the Explorer!!!) decreases the tow rating by the same weight.
Just as Terry stated in his post.
Terryallan wrote:
You will only have 630lb to load camping stuff for 6 people. Plus. Remember every pound you put in the Explorer over the 150lb driver. comes off the tow capacity.
The 3300lb APEX leaves you 1700lb before you top the Explorer's tow capacity. Plus the 4500lb GVWR is still under the capacity of the Ex. to be safely UNDER your capacities. The APEX is a good fit.
And yes, the Explorer probably has more than enough POWER to tow 5klbs, but the question isn't can it tow it (forward), it is can the Explorer CONTROL the trailer. Crosswinds can be a challenge, passing semis and other rv and box trucks, etc.... This would be the "Tail wagging the dog" phrase of when a trailer is to large for a tow vehicle. Another other thing to consider is the longer the trailer with a shorter tow vehicle wheelbase, the less stable the towing can/ will be. But the longer the tow vehhilce's wheelbase is, the more stable the tow is with the same trailer.
Also check the weight rating of your hitch. Should have a tongue weight rating when using a wdh.
While just the food, bedding, and clothes may not add up to 500lbs, there is also pots and pans you may take, plates, silverware, cooking utensils, cups (?), grill (?), camp chairs, games, toys, fresh water hose, sewer drain hose, 30amp extension cord (?), wheel chocks, some form of blocks to level the trailer at the campsite (lego levelers or wood- 2x8 (10 or 12)), etc. Not to mention if you are camping where the is not any fresh water hook up, 43g of water weighs over 300lbs, unless you are going to camp without any water, or worse filling the fresh water tank 5g at a time! The weight adds up very quickly!!! While not all are the same, it seems the average camper adds about 1klbs to thei trailer before they know it.
So if you are that close that you need to go buy the food and drinks after setting the trailer up at the campsite, it is just to close for your family's safety IMHO.
And as mentioned, your kids will only get bigger, AND HEAVIER. BUT, there is always having them gain the tent experience when they get a little older, making more room in the Apex! Lol
If you go with the 230BHS, I would suggest taking a second vehicle with all the cargo (coolers, toys, chairs, etc) and kids.
Try this, load what you think you would take in the Explorer cargo wise, and with all the passengers, go weigh your Explorer at a scale, CAT Scale if possible. Subtract that numer from 9980lbs (fwd) or 10,160lbs (4wd). That is what is left per Ford's specs for your trailer weight.
As I mentioned, when at the dealer look for the yellow sticker stating the as built weight!
And do not believe any dealers that say, "No problem, you'll be fine towing that!!!" As they will try to sell you the biggest trailer possible.
There have been many who have been right at or over one rating or another, myself included! I was over the gvwr of our 2010 Chevy 1500 all loaded up by about 200lbs, and just under the rear axle rating by about 50lbs, with 2 growing twin boys who were only 8 at the time. That was towing ~7200lb trailer (about 920lbs tw) with a 9500 (or 9600- can't remember the eact amount) lb tow rating!!! Well under the "TOW RATING" as you can see.
Good luck deciding!!!
