towing V20 w/explorer

[labii]

I have a 1999 Ford Explorer . The hitch on the bumper says that it has a towing capacity of 3500 lbs . That should be very close to what the boat , motor , and trailer weighs . I have towed the boat short distances but have never pulled it out of the water . I am planning a trip in July to pull it about 5 hours away. My question is does anyone know if I should have a larger hitch installed or should I be ok ?

[chumbucket]

While I think it would probably tow okay, and I would probably only do it a couple of times, for the long run, I would consider a frame mounted hitch that would be rated for a little more weight. I'm sure the truck can handle more than 3500 lbs, but only with the right hitch. Plus, you would really be putting a lot of undue stress on your bumper. A frame mounted hitch would also pull a little more smoothly since some of the load is transferred further up under the truck. Plus the better hitch really doesn't cost all that much. Good luck with it.

[bigshrimpin]

Yeah . . . Your explorer can handle much more than 3500, but you're right at the limit with the 3500lb hitch. Also the tongue weight on those class II hitches is usually only rated for 300 lbs which could easily be exceeded by a person standing on the tongue of the trailer.

1920 lbs Boat
320 lbs Fuel (60 x 6 lbs)
450 lbs Engine
50 lbs battery
200 lbs misc. junk
700 lbs trailer
------------------------------
3640 lbs total

[labii]

I keep my boat in a dry stack marina so it is rare that I pull it behind my truck . I knew that I was pushing it . Another problem is that I do not have brakes on my trailer. I am going to look into larger hitch and brakes . No more than I pull my boat I my be cheaper to rent a surburban to tow it down there . Thanks

[bigshrimpin]

Labii,
* * I just moved my boat 35 miles yesterday with my "new to me" 1999 Isuzu Rodeo. *The Rodeo came with a uhaul class 2 hitch (rated at 3500lbs) . *I was going to take it off, but I thought I'd talk to the local uhaul dealer first. *He told me that the hitches actual limits are above the rating that they print of the sticker and as long as your within a few hundred pounds of the limit then you "should be fine". *So . . . last night I tested it out. *I hooked up the boat . . . jumped on the tongue of the trailer a few times before leaving the lot (probably not that smart, but the hitch seemed rock solid. *So I circled the block 4 or 5 times and then headed to cambridge towing the boat. *I hit some great pot holes along the way too and arrived in cambridge without a "hitch" nuk nuk nuk. *

*

[labii]

BigShrimpin , Thanks for the reply . Do you have brakes on your trailer ?

[macojoe]

Brakes on a boat suck!! Thay are always messing up. Unless you have a huge boat that you are moving around you don't need them. I have been towing my 1974 V20 for 10 years with none. And I tow every where. I don't leave in the water so a trailer is a must.

[bigshrimpin]

Labii . . . I don't have brakes on my trailer either. *The rodeo stops the v20 surprisingly well without trailer brakes. *Downshifting is fantastic when you're trailering a boat, but I do worry about not having brakes when towing in traffic on the highway.

[AirborneJarhead]

I just towed my V-20 I/O from Daytona Beach to Charlotte, NC. What a haul! Usually a 7 to 8 hour trip. Took me over 12 as I stopped regularly to shoot grease into the hubs. Tow vehicle was a Dodge truck with a class 3 hitch. I am surprised at how heavy this boat is!
Does anyone have an idea of the appx. weight of the V-20 with the 5.7 liter Mercruiser?

Thanks

Rick

[chumbucket]

AJ, check out some of the history and brochures on the home page. They give most of the stats there.

[reelapeelin]

mine is 4600 lbs...boat, motor, trailer, full fuel

no brakes first year then added to keep from warping rotors on tow truck...tandem axel...put Tie-Down stainless disc units on all 4 wheels and used their 6000 actuator tounge system works real good...no more warped rotors

if your axels have 4-bolt flange on ends, these units will bolt on faster than you can say panic stop from 75 mph!

[AirborneJarhead]

Hope you guys are still following this thread! ???

Rap...I sent a query to Wellcraft re: the weight of my boat and they came back with a dry weight of 3120 lbs! I have a duel axle Load Rite that seems very heavy to me...I figure I gotta be pushing at or past 5k with boat, trailer and gear.
The trailer HAD brakes but they are now hunks of rust that serve as nothing more than ballast!

[macojoe]

I weight my boat last summer with a full load. Boat motor trailer full 40 gal gas and it came in at 4073 #
The truck is fine but get a frame hitch!! About $120 but you will be safe!!
The truck will be fine. I have a full size 1990 Chevy Blazer 6000# and a 5.7 Fuel injected. The trailer is a single axle no brakes. I go just fine! But when wet I can slide a little got to be careful. But my truck is 2000# more then the Boat so thats a great help.

[Seakindly]

This is right at the top of my boat to do list.

I tow with a 2001 Explorer, and I need to get a real hitch like I have on my old van.

I haven't weighed my rig, but with the trailer it is probably around 4800 on a 5400 GVWR trailer.

I got the last hitch installed at u-haul down in florida, but that was almost 20 years ago.

Any suggestions?

[macojoe]

U-Haul still does it. About $150 I am sure. I f you have the no how and tools and time you could buy one and install on your own.
I did mine about 5 years ago and it was about $100. Mine is kind of small for what I do. It is a Class 3 so the boat is fine. But i tow a 9000# camper to. But I have tow bars for evening out the weight.

[reelapeelin]

Re: above post of mine...look real hard at Kodiak brakes if you do need to add 'em...at one time I was happy with Tie-Downs, but I gotta tell ya I'm re thinkin'...good luck either way...

[Seakindly]

Yeah, UHAUL is probably still a good way to go.

I was talkin to jaysea about this, and he says I should get a hitch that will bolt on without drilling. I would rather avoid having my frame drilled if the result is just as good, if not better.

Any opinions:

TO DRILL OR NOT TO DRILL??
THAT IS THE QUESTION.

[macojoe]

No need to drill! They have hitches to fit just about anything on the road! weather you buy and install or they do there is no holes to drill.
Some trucks might have to unbolt the bumper and then reinstall them. some hitches bolt in part to the bummper part of the frame.

[Seakindly]

Since the Explorer is supposed to be the most sold SUV on the planet ( the V20 of SUV's :D), there should be a hitch that fits exactly.

Is a bolt on as good and safe and secure as a drilled installation?

[chumbucket]

Yeah, the bolt on is fine. They purposly place the holes in the frame for hitch mounting and there are plenty of hitches made to exact fit. Should be a couple hour job tops.

[Seakindly]

Oh, the holes are already there. I thought it was some kind of u-bolt installation, if you didn't drill. Great.

I've been dealing with other issues since I interupted a punk breaking into my truck saturday night. :o >:( >:( >:(

[chumbucket]

Hope the punk was looking point blank at your two friends, Smith & Wesson. ;)

[Seakindly]

No such luck. :'( We caught each other by surprise. :o

I never saw anyone pedal a bike that fast with a load in their pants.

[shicks007]

I have a 76' v-20 with a 140 eviinrude and a single axle trailer. I pull it with a 98' ford ranger 4x4 5 speed and a 3:73 gear. My only problem is the 5 speed with these gears...it feels a little weak. If it wasn,t for my 4x4 low range I believe I would strugle coming up the ramp. Other than that it works well.

[marioc11]

I had a 94 explorer 4x4 for towing my V20 with the 5000# hitch from Uhaul. It towed fine for short distances to the ramp, <40 miles. The one time I had to double back for something, made the trip longer, and the tranny got so hot it dumped the fluid out the relief valve.

I had the tranny cooler and always towed carefully. I guess I was towing about 3600# + passengers (600#). After I deciphered the Explorer manual, I was way over the 3400# max towing for the vehicle when I added gross vehicle weight + trailer. Just a word to the wise.

No damage to the tranny, but it was a scary ride home with very clunky shifing. I just upgraded to a Yukon XL. Boy, what a difference in towing and braking.

[Seakindly]

You really need to read and understand your owner's manual, whatever your tow vehicle may be.

Mario, I can't speak for a 1994 Explorer, but my 2001 has a greater trailer tow capacity than you are reporting for your 1994.

Depending on your engine and rear axle, the 2001 Explorer is rated to tow anywhere from 4740 pounds to 6620 pounds. That is with a frame hitch - the bumper hitch is only rated for 3500 pounds. Also limited to fifty square feet of frontal area of trailer (for camper applications).

[marioc11]

SK, You are so right about knowing what the capacity of your vehicle is before towing anything. Just having a frame hitch doesn't always mean your vehicle can handle the same weight as the hitch. I never realized how much weight in gas alone I was carrying!

Fortunately, I had the transmission checked and there wasn't any damage. She was shifting super smooth with a fresh fluid change.

I threw this thread for those new to towing. It was a quite a learning experience for me.

[macojoe]

I have never thought about the tow vechile??? I just hook up and go!! ::)
Of coarse I have always had a monster of a truck any way!!
My Ford F150 with a Triton V8, is the smallest tow vechile I have ever owned!

And the last 2 including this one has tranny cooler and engin oil cooler. I change all fluides all the time!! I do the oil and filter every 3000 miles and I have the tranny fluid and screen done evey spring. Maybe a bit over kill on the tranny but its cheap!
And never never tow in OD (over drive) You can burn out a tranny real fast!!

But you guys with a smaller truck really need to keep a eye on things!! Don't take much for things to heat up on a 80* afternoon in Cape traffic!!
Also I never tow with the Air on!! Just more of a strain!!

[Blue_Runner]

I've got a V-8 Jeep Grand Cherokee with quadratrak full time 4 wheel drive. Anybody got any experience with towing the V-20 with a Jeep? I think it should tow just fine. Its stopping that I'm worried about!!

Thanks,
Blue

[chumbucket]

Well my computer phobic friend tows his '83 V20 Steplift with a 2002 GC and it does just fine even stopping. He has the 6 cyl in his.

[Blue_Runner]

I guess I won't worry about it then.

[Jester]

Okay, I've had a lot of experience with trailers, brakes, and the whole 9-yards lately, so here's my 2-cents.

1. Although you may not NEED brakes to stop a boat as light (relative term) as the V-Step20, a lot of states are now requiring them on trailers of a certain size, especially tandems.

2. The brake actuator on my new boat's trailer was shot, and the old drums didn't look much better. Since I'm going to be doing a lot of long hauls with this new boat I looked into replacing the brakes. I spoke with the Load-Rite factory guys and they said "DISC" is all they install now and they urged me to replace the old drums with disc. I'm fortunate in that I go right by Eastern Marine Distributors on my travels up to the new boat's location in NJ.... and they are the biggest (and maybe the least expensive) trailer parts place on the East Coast. New stainless-steel disc brakes with new hubs, bearings, etc., $99 each. And they're in Delaware, no sales tax!!

Check out: http://www.easternmarine.com/

2. I just put a Class III (6000lbs/10,000lbs with weight distributing stuff) Draw-Tite that bolts directly to the frame (with 6 bolts) in existing holes for $136. It took about 35 minutes to inststall.

Check out: http://www.etrailer.com

The site askes your vehicle and shows you all the hitches that fit, and give you installation tips (like installation time, level of difficulty, and drill/no drill).

That's my bit.