new guy with an old trailer

By the time you get the family, all the gear, and the trailer hitched, I'd bet you'll be close to overloading the payload of the Explorer. I had a LTD Edition and it was a great platform for moving the family around but wasn't much of a tower.
You'll probably have some time while doing the restoration work to the trailer. I'd suggest you look around for a truck that will pull the trailer. If your budget is low, find an old beater in good mechanical condition that you can love for it's ugliness.