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Kevin Sereda

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Jul 28, 2009
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Location
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I am planning to buy a camping trailer which the GVWR is 4341 and the sticker on my door says my GVWR is 5800, so in theroy i should be ok, so any body else towing the same and what are your thoughts

Thanks Kevin
 
once the trailer is loaded down with supplies etc it will be tough... You're trac will tow it... just might not like it going up hill or in a head wind... Kind of like mine... doesnt stop me though



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As Big D eluded to, the Trac will definitely tow it but you'll darn sure know it's back there. With travel trailers is not only the weight, but also the wind resistance from the large front profile of the trailer that adds to the towing load.
 
The REAL problem may be be going downhill. Brake failure is a a real possibility, and happens frequently, specifically on steep downhill grades. Just a precaution to keep you safe.
 
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Thats a nice rig there Big D. Kinda looks like the trailer i am looking at. I am looking at the shamrock 19 by flagstaff. the gvwr is 4341 and the base/dry unit weight is 3070, hitch weight is239 and the axle weight is 2831
 
I towed a 2005 starcraft 215SB hybrid with my old 04 ST, It did OK but you will soon be in the market for a V8.

steve
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I have a V8 and I love it. Tows perfectly. Totally loaded with the front deck FULL, the bed full of fire wood and the back seat full, I'm in the neighborhood of 5K lbs.



Cruise set to 75 mph on the highway, I get 14mpg. Around town, drive like an old lady.



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I would look into an aux tranny cooler, a good brake controller, and load equalizer/sway setup for the hitch.



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here's mine, I've towed it probably 16,000 miles so far since 2003....
 
STanner's advice should be well taken. After 16K, sounds like he's "been there, done that".
 
I am planning to buy a camping trailer which the GVWR is 4341 and the sticker on my door says my GVWR is 5800, so in theroy i should be ok,
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This is going to sound rude, but this is not my intent. By your statement alone, you are saying you have no idea what you are talking about.



Trailer is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is 4341 LBS. So the most the trailer can weigh to be safe is 4.41 LBS.



The GVWR (again...Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of your vehicle is 5800 LBS. This is not your towing limit. This is the maximum your vehicle can weigh. This has NOTHING to do with the towing limits.



The towing limits for a 2004 Explorer Sport Trac is 5000 LBS for a 4x4 Trac and 5300 LBS for a 4x2 Trac. This is listed in your owners manual along with many websites.



The biggest hurdle in towing an RV trailer is the frontage of the trailer, not so much the weight. I have towed my flat bed trailer weiging in at 8,000 LBS, I know weight has little with normal driving. Sure more weight = less accelleration having a large trailer to pull is harder than weight.



Something to remember, GVWR stands for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. It has nothing to do with the trailer towing limits.





Tom
 
Yes you are right Tom, thats why i am here to find out , Well i did a little looking into it and the towing is 5080 if properly equiped, the hitch i plan to get has those torsen bars( i think they are called that) or statizer bars, would that be proper hitch? So in your opinion will i be able to pull that trailer.

Kevin
 
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Pic from when I was moving my kids from their mom's in NY. Borrowed my bro-in-law's Harley trailer. It was packed full, probably 3000 lb total, I never knew it was back there even with the V6. I do run a Gibson exhaust and K&N for a few more hp. Normally I just tow my jetski.



Kevin -- the "torsion bars" you're talking about are the equalizing bars on the hitch. I would recommend an equalizing hitch for any trailer over 3000 lb. plus trailer brakes and a brake controller. And of course new shocks.
 
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+1 on Caymen's statement on frontal area. The ST manual states 40 ft^2 more than the base trac area, which isn't a lot. The trailer in my pic is 7-1/2 ft wide, and 9 ft tall. It sits low to the ground, and it is with in the 40 ft^2 spec.. The length is kind of inversed, IMHO, the longer the tongue, the better it will tow. Mine is really stable, and has not swayed once, although i have friction sway control... I would strongly recommend LT tires if you are towing anything that big. The LT tire's sidewalls are much stiffer...
 
The length is kind of inversed, IMHO, the longer the tongue, the better it will tow.
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The length really means nothing when it comes to towing. When you tow something, once you broke the wind, there isn't anything else but the weight. Buying a big size short trailor because it is small thinking you are going to be better off is not going to happen.





Tom
 
I meant that the longer trailer, since the tongue is longer will tow better IMHO.. You are correct, once you break the wind, the rest is irrevalent... A shorter trailer will have a greater propensity to 'wag' the truck, especially when you tow with a shorter wheelbase truck such as a regular explorer or sport...
 

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