Question about towing....
 

Spec's of truck:

2001 Ford Explorer XLT
V6
Automatic transmission
Optional 4:10 gears front and back
Stock ride height
Stock sized tires
Spare tire under truck gone


I would like to be able to tow with this truck - nothing crazy, just simple stuff like an ATV or two, small trailer with a ride on lawn mower, small trailer with coal etc (my neighbor heats his house with coal and it would be cheaper for him for me to pick it up). The towing trips will be as short as 10 miles to up to 250 miles (NJ to VT etc). I don't expect to have to tow a car or anything..... but you never know.

If I set this truck up for towing I want to do it right the first time.

Couple questions:
1) I've seen tubular and boxed style trailer hitch set ups - my experience with drag racing led me to believe that boxed is stronger/ less flex - should I get boxed?

2) Is there an easy way for me to see if my truck can easily be wired up for trailer brake lights etc? When I look at trucks that are set up for towing they typically have a visible plug - would I happen to have a hidden one under my truck somewhere?

3) Transmission cooler - should I do one? Back to my drag racing background - I had one in the bird and T/A because of increased heat in the tranny .... I expect that transmission temp's would increase with towing but I am unsure if the stck set up is good enough. If yes, what size?

4) Would it be silly to install a bigger rear sway bar due to handling characteristic's being changed?



I am recovering from back surgery currently so I am unable to crawl under the truck or do any of the install myself. Any help would be much appreciated.

Any other thoughts/ concerns?

I've used other vehcles to tow before so I have a bit of experience with driving (my wife has more experience) - so driving isn't much of a concern.

Thanks

1. id go with a boxed hitch, a lot of my friends tow stuff for me, and tow there own things, and they use a boxed set up

2. if you dont know if your truck has the tow package or w.e ford calls it, just write down the vin and head to your local dealer, they be able to tell you np. a lot of people come into my dealer for that.

3. not really needer per say if only towin whats described, but it wouldnt be bad to toss one on.

4. like befor, with towing the lighter loads, i dont think its needed

Careful on #4. A bigger rear bar will increase oversteer. So you may need to do f&r if for some reason towing requires more rear bar. That I am unsure about.

All those loads are light except maybe the coal. A yard of gravel is >2500 pounds, I bet a yard of coal is ~2000 lbs. Tell your neighbor to pay for delivery, don't be his delivery lackey. Does he have a 100 year old house lol. My parents house had a coal furnace when it was first built, then oil, now natural gas. And AAA+ tows cars better than your exploder.

WTH are you doing near an ATV??

He isn't going to be neat the ATV. That's my fun little toy. :)

Out friends' house is from the 1700s. It's the 2nd oldest house in town. And he's a big history/antique guy, so he is keeping the house true to the time period. He only heats with coal. They do a lot for us (with James not able to do a whole lot, and me not wanting to overdo it and hurt myself and us both be hurt, they come and do a lot of heavy lifting, moving stuff around, digging out gravel to make flower beds, clean gutters, etc etc. So helping them save some money and pick up coal for them is one of our ways to repay them.

I'm slightly surprised no one else caught this. Isn't it a little sad that I have more experience driving a truck and trailer? LOL :)

Then find out how much it weighs your exploder might not be up to it.

Genie we know who the brains of the organization, and now the muscle too lol

My V6 Explorer is rated at 3500 lbs. Depending on how much the trailer weighs you should be OK with the load of coal, and absolutely with the trailer/ATV combo.

I would look into the trans cooler because it will never hurt it, and can only help. Transmissions have been touch and go with Explorers, and the lack of low end torque with the V6 means it shifts a lot.

Not sure about the wiring but I would think you'd have to buy the wiring harness I don't think there's anything underneath. But like Mickey said I'd run the VIN and see if it happened to have the package.

TBH I wouldn't want to tow long distances with the V6. I've towed my jet ski around a lot this summer and even that slowed down the truck a pretty significant amount IMO and that weighs less a combined maybe 1000 lbs. The 4.0 is a reliable motor but when peak torque is at 3700 rpm it's not the best idea to tow with in a vehicle that already weighs north of two tons.

If you dont have provisions for trailer lighting they sell tail light converter boxes that are pretty cheap and allow you to set up whatever plug you want/need. I used one on my ML500 and it was a pretty simple install.

Only other thing I did is go with electric brakes on my trailer and progressive controller since I tow right at or just over the rating of my ML, which is 5000lbs and I tow a 1450lbs trailer with a 3600lbs car. But I've pulled alot with it and gone as far as 1000 miles one way to St. Louis last year with no issues.

I have a bit of experience towing. I towed my open trailer and car (just under 5000lbs) with an Astro AWD and Trialblazer. Encountered trans failure in both veicheles which were rated to tow 5000lbs. I think it has something to do with towing at or near max towing rate. I would not tow a car with the Explorer.

I would just get a hidden hitch for the Explorer matching the rate of what you plan to pull. I don't think your going over 2000lbs. A trans cooler isn't necessary but might make you sleep a bit better.

I picked up a '01 Mustang GT convert with an auto. I got a hidded hitch for that model and it fits perfect. Hitch receiver has a S-bend which clears the rear bumper cover. Car has a 1000lb factroy limit which is good for a wave runner and the other small trailer we have. Mustang will tow the stuff under 10 miles to the beach and back. I didn't add anything to the stang.

I was able to find a plug in (no cutting and splicing) wire harness for the mustang. The y-connection plugs into the left and right factory harness. I leave it rolled up in the trunk and then just run it out of the trunk to the trailer and shut the trunk lid.

Link to the hitches: http://www.reese-hitches.com/

My wife has at least as much expericnce towing as myself. She takes the 2500 Silverado crew cab with her 30' 5th wheel trailer by herself to go camping. Should say used to. Trailer was sold this spring.

my 98 explorer was not a tow package but had a factory plug under the pass side tail light that u plug a harness into that u can get at pepboys. Mine a v6 stick shift and i have towed many cars on the back of mine without any promblem and i have the 4:10 gear option and the reciver for the hitch bolted right in got mine from 1800-hitch-it