Suitable Tow Vehicle for Kodiak Hybrid
My Ford Explorer has been my faithful tow vehicle for years but is now biting the dust. It's a 2003 and has had a long and happy life. My mechanic recommended a few replacement vehicles (Tahoe, Sub...
Forum Discussion
babamartha wrote:
My Explorer is a 6 cylinder. I'm looking for a reasonably young used vehicle.
Got it. Looks like you truck, IF equipped with 3.73 gears, was rated to tow anywhere from 5300 to 5800lbs. 4wd's had the lower ratings.
Max fully loaded weight on your trailer is 3750...dry weight is ~2500.
A newer Explorer would probably do it, but it would have to have the right tow package.
Same with a newer Grand Cherokee or Durango. Maybe a Toyota 4runner.
Make sure whatever you get has the proper tow package option, not just a hitch someone added on. They have pretty weak tow ratings otherwise.
Lots of half ton crew cab pickups would do the job easily if you aren't stuck on an SUV, even the V6 models. They get decent mileage now.
Even a Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon would pull that trailer as well as your explorer, if you get the new version with the 3.6 V6 or the little 4cyl Diesel.
Just an FYI, a new "gas guzzler" Tahoe is rated at 16/23mpg...your 03 V6 Explorer is rated at 15/21mpg. 8-10 speed transmissions and engine technology have come a long way!
