Towing capacity question

[Randbo]

Hi, experts,

My wife and I are trying to decide between a Class C and a travel trailer. The key question is will our 2001 Ford E-150 van tow a travel trailer comfortably?

Our van has a 5.4L V8 engine with a 3:55 gear ratio. It is rated at 12,000 pounds GCWR and has towing capacity of 7,000 pounds. We are looking at the Rockwood Mini Lite 2509S with a dry weight of 5,170 pounds. I have a weight distributing hitch installed on the van with a max gross trailer weight of 10,000 pounds and a max tongue weight of 1,000 pounds. The van has rear air shocks. I would buy a sway bar hitch and a transmission cooler.

It seems like the van will tow the trailer on paper but what kind of experience will I have towing it up a mountain for example? I don't want to strain the van engine, etc.

Thanks for your advice.

[tatest]

Ford lists maximum towing capacity for passenger vans based on GCWR - weight of empty van with full fuel and driver, pretty much industry standard for rating passenger vehicles if there are no factors calling for a lower rating. So how much of that maximum is actually available will depend on how much load is in the van. My E-350 with the same engine (but 3.73 gearing) gets a 6000 pound tow rating because the van is just that much heavier.

You can overstrain the engine as tuned for the van, it won't put out any more power than it is designed to put out full time. That's not necessarily the case for some performance tunes in special versions of pickups and some SUVs, but in the van the engine is limited to 100% duty cycle ratings. I don't know about the transmission, which rating of the E4OD got put into the E-150. I would definitely consider an accessory transmission cooler if you don't have the factory tow package with the heavier radiation and cooler from E-250/350 vans.

I suggest locking out overdrive. With the ratios in my E-350 (60-series version of the transmission) and slightly lower final drive, that has me running 2800 RPM at 70 MPH, rather that the 2000-2050 I see in overdrive. For towing, I can live with the extra noise, it is essentially the same RPM my 6.8 V-10 cruises at in overdrive, and means about 40% more HP available as you get to full throttle at that speed.

[Las_Vegas_Proud]

I have a 2003 F150 with a 5.4 2v and 3.55 gears. I was going to get a 5500lb dry weight trailer which would have been around 6-6500 loaded and was talked out of it by the guys on the F150 forums. I am glad I didn’t get it. Instead I got one that is 3600lb dry weight and am at around 4300lbs loaded and am pretty happy towing it. The 2v engines are dependable but just don’t have the guts to comfortably tow a large heavy trailer.

[time2roll]

I have been pulling a 7880 GVWR trailer with a 2001 5.4 for more than a decade. Been over the Rockies, Sierras, Siskiyou and plenty more. Yes it slows a bit with grade and elevation. Slowing down is not inherently unsafe.

I did swap in some 4.10 ratio gears to keep the RPM up a bit.

In general I recommend keeping the trailer GVWR within the tow rating. If close do not expect to load a bunch of heavy items in the tow vehicle.

Probably fine if you are patient. For many a newer and more capable vehicle will give a better experience.

[MFL]

Thanks for posting back. I think you have made the right decision. Keep active on the forum, and best of luck finding something a little more capable!

Jerry

[Randbo]

Thanks for the great advice. The only sticker I found on the van shows a front GAWR of 3,400' and a rear GAWR of 3,800'. The GVWR is 7,000 pounds. According to a Ford payload capacity document, the maximum is 1,920 pounds. I found another comprehensive calculator on changinggears.com. Based on the values I researched for the van and calculated for the estimated load in the van, I think the dry weight of the trailer will already maximize the van's capacity. That doesn't give me any cushion for added performance going up hills, etc.

Sounds like we will have to shop for a new vehicle with more towing capacity.

[mowermech]

I don't play the numbers game, but I can relate my personal experience.
I towed an old 19 foot travel trailer with a 1976 Ford E150 Club Wagon, 351CI V8 engine, auto tranny. We went into the mountains of Central Montana on 2-track dirt roads, we went over the Continental Divide several times on paved highways, with no problems. No WD hitch, no "sway control", it just worked.
Prior to that, we had a 1975 Ford E150 Club Wagon, and towed a 15 foot camp trailer in the mountains of North Central Wyoming. We even towed it to Tucson and back. Again, no WD hitch, no "sway control", no problems.
OP, if your van has P rated tires, I would replace them with LT load range D or E tires, and go for it. If you (or the van) are not happy with the towing performance, then you can think about re-gearing the differential to 3.73 or 4.10, or replacing the van.
Good luck.

[MFL]

The old 5.4 2V was a good dependable engine! A powerhouse it was not!! If you are very patient, it will pull the trailer, after adding proper tow equipment. If you really plan to tow any mountain grades, you will not be a happy camper. Unless you can get a run, 1st gear likely on 7 percent grade. Payload may be an issue, but IMO, you just don't have enough power to comfortably pull a 6K+ loaded high walled trailer.

Jerry

[Grit_dog]

First, I’ll assume the van is in good well maintianed condition.
Chassis will handle a 6000lb plus trailer fine with a wdh. Those engines like to rev, so it’s ok to winder up and keep it there.
It will not be able to pull moderate grades without losing speed. 2nd year will be tops for any hill really.
But the most important thing to consider is how good of shape is the van? That will pretty much max out it’s capabilites.

[theoldwizard1]

Long time E150 owner

Randbo wrote:

Our van has a 5.4L V8 engine with a 3:55 gear ratio. It is rated at 12,000 pounds GCWR and has towing capacity of 7,000 pounds.

With that ratio, I am guessing you do NOT have the HD trailer tow option. The HD trailer tow option include a 3.73 rear axle, a HD radiator, and auxiliary transmission cooler and a 7 pin trailer connector in the rear plus break out wiring for the brake controller under the dash.

These are all NECESSARY if you are going to be towing over 4,000 lbs.

I am not a fan of air shocks, but you can add a leaf to the rear spring pack for very little cost.

[bikendan]

Were there yellow payload stickers back in 2001?

[troubledwaters]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
Towing capacity for a truck/ van is more often limited by the carrying capacity than the tow 'capacity' or the GCWR.

Your van should have a max payload number on the door sticker. Take that weight, subtract the following:
1 - Weight of a full tank of fuel
2 - Weight of all the people who will be traveling in the vehicle
3 - Weight of any clothing or personal items they will carry in the vehicle
4 - Weight of any tools in the vehicle
5 - Weight of any camping gear, toys, etc you will put in the vehicle
6 - Weight of the vehicle weight distribution hitch

The number left is the amount of carrying capacity you have for the tongue weight of the trailer.

Many times vans end up with a negative carrying capacity even before the trailer tongue weight is added.

One thing which helps tremendously is if the transmission has a "Tow/Haul" mode that can be engaged. That does shifting on a different basis than regular travel. It makes a significant difference on wear and tear on the engine and transmission.

Payload sticker already accounts for a full tank of fuel. You do not need to subtract that.

[handye9]

As others have noted, it's not a simple tow capacity compared to trailer weight.

Payload (AKA "max occupant / cargo weight") is what the tow vehicle is rated to carry. Trailer tongue weight, along with the weight of a weight distributing hitch, is counted as cargo weight on the tow vehicle.

Advertised tow capacity, does not include passengers or cargo in the tow vehicle. As you add weight (people, pets, cargo, etc) to the tow vehicle, it's available payload and tow capacity are going down, pound for pound.

Here's a link to a calculator that may help.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Towing capacity for a truck/ van is more often limited by the carrying capacity than the tow 'capacity' or the GCWR.

Your van should have a max payload number on the door sticker. Take that weight, subtract the following:
1 - Weight of a full tank of fuel
2 - Weight of all the people who will be traveling in the vehicle
3 - Weight of any clothing or personal items they will carry in the vehicle
4 - Weight of any tools in the vehicle
5 - Weight of any camping gear, toys, etc you will put in the vehicle
6 - Weight of the vehicle weight distribution hitch

The number left is the amount of carrying capacity you have for the tongue weight of the trailer.

Many times vans end up with a negative carrying capacity even before the trailer tongue weight is added.

One thing which helps tremendously is if the transmission has a "Tow/Haul" mode that can be engaged. That does shifting on a different basis than regular travel. It makes a significant difference on wear and tear on the engine and transmission.

[Bobbo]

What is the payload capacity of the van?