2007 Ford Explorer 4.0L V6 5-speed Automatic

[villain2000]

Originally Posted by jdorant

ok, so I am brand new at this and I appreciate all the feedback. It looks as though I was led to believe from my dealer that I could tow up to the 7,000lb range when in fact my vehicle is only rated to tow 5200 lbs. The dry weight of my TT is 4,655. So I am under if my TT is empty with no fluids in it. I did not plan on a new TV this year but it definitely is on the radar for the next year. Maybe sooner if I can work things out. My wife might not be too happy because she was supposed to get the next new car, and does not want a pickup truck. I hope I will be OK with my current TV for this year. We do not go out a ton, maybe 3 or 4 trips this summer and not very far so I will have to keep my fingers crossed this year.

Go slow and invest in a transmission temp guage. Maybe even see if its possible to install a larger cooler so that you can get more coolant flow back to the trans. You may even want to join this forum - http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/ . These are great guys who may be able to give you a few suggestions on what to do. Good luck with everything. Hope I wasnt too annoying!

[LongIslandCamper]

Originally Posted by jdorant

ok, so I am brand new at this and I appreciate all the feedback. It looks as though I was led to believe from my dealer that I could tow up to the 7,000lb range when in fact my vehicle is only rated to tow 5200 lbs. The dry weight of my TT is 4,655. So I am under if my TT is empty with no fluids in it. I did not plan on a new TV this year but it definitely is on the radar for the next year. Maybe sooner if I can work things out. My wife might not be too happy because she was supposed to get the next new car, and does not want a pickup truck. I hope I will be OK with my current TV for this year. We do not go out a ton, maybe 3 or 4 trips this summer and not very far so I will have to keep my fingers crossed this year.

Just remember that any cargo will add up too. Packing the fridge, bringing clothes, games, chairs, plates, etc....

[jdorant]

Originally Posted by villain2000

Go slow and invest in a transmission temp guage. Maybe even see if its possible to install a larger cooler so that you can get more coolant flow back to the trans. You may even want to join this forum - http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/ . These are great guys who may be able to give you a few suggestions on what to do. Good luck with everything. Hope I wasnt too annoying!

Ok Villain... you said I get to go TV shopping, well thats what I did. Thanks, my wife is going to kill me!

I put a deposit down on a 2011 F150 XLT 4 Door Crew Cab Short Bed 5.0L V8 32V MPFI DOHC Flexible Fuel Trans:6-Speed Automatic.

Do you think this will cut it? It definitely will make me feel more comfortable while towing.

Ok lets go all, tell me what you think or if I should look at other options for towing my X23J. And no villain, you weren't too annoying. I am brand new to this and I appreciate everyones advice. I have this truck on hold with a deposit for the next 24 hrs!

[villain2000]

Originally Posted by jdorant

Ok Villain... you said I get to go TV shopping, well thats what I did. Thanks, my wife is going to kill me!

I put a deposit down on a 2011 F150 XLT 4 Door Crew Cab Short Bed 5.0L V8 32V MPFI DOHC Flexible Fuel Trans:6-Speed Automatic.

Do you think this will cut it? It definitely will make me feel more comfortable while towing.

Ok lets go all, tell me what you think or if I should look at other options for towing my X23J. And no villain, you weren't too annoying. I am brand new to this and I appreciate everyones advice. I have this truck on hold with a deposit for the next 24 hrs!

Guess what? You are buying my truck! Pretty much the next vehicle I am buying when the time is right. I do love the idea of the Ecoboost, but I have been hearing great things about that 5.0. The only thing I would suggest at this point is to make sure the truck has the tow package. You will be amazed at the pulling ability of that Coyote motor. The longer wheelbase is goiung to give you a much more pleasant ride, too. Enjoy!

[LilWilly]

Originally Posted by jdorant

The transmission seemed a little funky on the ride home. Took a 30 minute break and then seemed fine the rest of the trip.

On your 30min break did you keep the engine running?
A fellow Jeeper/Jayco owner told me that leaving the motor running during breaks or during check in at your destination will help the the cooler bring the tranny back to safe temperatures and reduce the possibility of tranny damage. When the engine is shut off, the temps will increase without the cooler running and can damage the transmission.

[jdorant]

Originally Posted by villain2000

Guess what? You are buying my truck! Pretty much the next vehicle I am buying when the time is right. I do love the idea of the Ecoboost, but I have been hearing great things about that 5.0. The only thing I would suggest at this point is to make sure the truck has the tow package. You will be amazed at the pulling ability of that Coyote motor. The longer wheelbase is goiung to give you a much more pleasant ride, too. Enjoy!

It does have the tow package but not the pre installed brake controller. I picked it up today and can't wait to get the controller in it and take the TT out. I'll keep you posted on how it handles. Now I have something to compare too.

LilWilly... I did not leave the engine running. Didn't think of that but it does make sense. But I no longer have to worry about that as the explorer is history.

[Russell]

My Explorer has the smaller axle ratio so I max out at towing 3500 lbs so I did some extensive research on weight limits and what my capacities are. What's also very important is the GCWR. Gross combined weight ratio. Go to a CAT scale. This will 100% be your best bet. Go here to locate one in your area http://catscale.com/cat-scale-locator
To get your GCWR, weigh everything on your way out to your next camping destination. Make sure you have a full tank of gas, load up the truck and trailer... pack everyone and everything you would normally take on a trip. The nice thing about these scales are they're made for 18 wheelers so there's 4 or more separate pads that can weigh each axle if you park it just right during one weigh-in. And usually for an extra couple bucks you can unhook your truck and weigh the tongue of the trailer separately to make sure that's acceptable too. All these things will help you make a well informed decision on weight ratings. Good luck!
BTW... sweet F150. I sure am jealous. Hopefully I'll be getting something similar soon.