Re: [A/S] Tow vehicle???

["Harvey Barlow" <harveybarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Anthony,

You are probably not going to be pleased with my answers.  I'm afraid you
are understandably looking for someone to tell you your Explorer will make a
fine towing vehicle.  Someone on the list probably will but most of us will
disagree.  Ultimately, the decision is yours and only yours to make.

The definition of a tow vehicle is not absolute as it will vary with the
needs and expectations of the owner/user.  But generally speaking it is a
long wheel base vehicle with truck frame, springs, brakes, wheels, tires, an
engine that produces high torque at low engine rpm, and a transmission
designed for heavy duty  service.  Other factors such as alternator
capacity, wiring, fused outlets, cooling system capability, etc. are
important.  A short wheel base vehicle such as an Explorer will not be
directionally stable under the dynamics of towing.  The brakes will not be
adequate to safely stop the trailer in the event that the trailer brakes
become disconnected or fail for any reason.  The springs will be soft for
the tongue weight but that can be compensated for with the hitch you
mentioned.  The small 4.0 liter V6 may produce 250 pounds foot of torque,
which is marginally adequate, but at what rpm?  I think that engine produces
its maximum torque at 3000 to 3500 rpm which means that to utilize maximum
torque you will have to use a gear that will spin the engine at that rpm.
More important is how much torque is produced at 55 mph in 4th gear (since
you will not be able to tow in overdrive.)  Towing a trailer you will
probably find that your transmission will make a forced, full power down
shift to third gear on every slight grade and frequently to second gear.
You may experience your Explorer straining at full throttle in low gear at
15 to 20 mph with traffic stacking up behind you on even moderate grades.
Every component of the Explorer is going to be under great stress.

Each of the weight figures you provided is probably accurate but may not
provide a realistic picture.  It is important to know the actual
"ready-to-travel" weights of puller, passengers, trailer, full tank of fuel,
propane, food, clothing, camping gear, personal items, etc.  The actual
weights are usually somewhat surprising to most of us.  I will bet you a
nickel that you will find the gross combined weight of Explorer and Bambi,
loaded for travel, meets or exceeds the gross combined weight rating of the
Explorer.  An old copy of Ford's Trailer Towing and RV Guide lists the GCWR
of a 4.0 Explorer with automatic transmission as 9,000 # with 3.55
differential and 10,000 # with 3.73 gearing.

A list member just wrote on the list of his opinion of towing with a Land
Rover SUV in the last several days.  You might want to look for his post as
his experience might be relevant.

Because you asked, I have offered my opinion and it is based on my
experiences and preferences.  It IS POSSIBLE to tow a Bambi with an Explorer
but it may be unsafe in some situations, it may cause accelerated wear and
failure rates of tow vehicle components, and you may be very disappointed
with your purchase after the dealer cashes your check or forwards your
finance contract.

I wish you the best in your Airstreaming experience.

Harvey