I have a 2002 4.6 Supercab, with 3.55 Gears.

When I bought the truck I never intended to get a travel trailer. The bug has hit my wife and I, so now I find myself in an akward position of trying to understand exactly what I can tow safely and comfortably.

The Tow guide states that this set up can pull 6900#. It may pull that much, but not comfortably. I have pulled a utility trailer with 80 2x4x8''s and I thought the truck was gonna have a cow.

So the question I pose, since everyone has different thresholds of safety and driveability, is what do other drivers with the same setup tow comfortably.

Please no flames, please equate boats to #'s, snowmobile's to #'s, travel trailers to #'s.

I don't want to spend $10,000 ++, and them find that I have to go spend another $40,000 to get a tow vehicle to handle my trailer.

All comments are welcomed. Thanks in advance.

 

I tow a #4500 TT that has a GVWR of #5000. It's 22', but I do have the 5.4........

My "tow rating" is #7700, but I could not imagine towing something that heavy with my truck. As it is, when I'm all hitched up and loaded, my truck is at it's GVWR of #6250 anyway, so I really 'can't' go much heavier on the trailer anyway.

IMO, you should not get any trailer with a GVWR greater then #6000 at the max. The only reason I say that is it's not just the weight you have to worry about, it's the wind resistance that'll "kill" your performance.

If you think about it, the frontal area on any TT is like having two 4x8 plywood panels standing straight up in the air. That produces a lot of drag that your engine has to overcome in addition to the weight. So, towing a #4500 boat would be much easier to tow then a #4500 TT because of that.

I can cruise @60 mph in third all day and have all the power I need for hills and such. On the hills that I do have to downshift into second, I still am able to maintain a steady 55 mph without having to floor the pedal. If I push the pedal more, I will speed up, but the rpms are getting close to 4000 at that point and there just is no reason for that. Now, if I was passing a slower vehicle, then I would. The main thing is that I CAN pass going uphill if I need to.

If I were towing at the max, then that's just that.... MAX.... Sure, it'll still tow it, but you won't have any reserve left over when you need or want it..... Here's what I tow. It's great for just a couple. No bunks!

 

That was the quality reply I was hoping for.

From my prior experiences with the truck, I thought the rating was overly optimistic.

I will definitely take this and any other advice provided to heart.

Especially when the "dry weight" of the trailer my wife has selected is 4925#.

Thanks again.

 

Hi I have a 2001 4.6 4x4 with 3.55. I have a 19 foot TT that ways 2900lbs empty. When loaded it pulls great even up hills. I had a 95 with a 302 and there is no comparison. I take this trailer up a lot of hills and it does not drop in speed much. I would say this set up is great.

 

I wouldn't go over 75-80% of what your truck is rated for. If you're travelling over flat terrain, you might be able to get away with more. When you look at RV's, ask the dealer to let you give it a test drive hitched up (assuming you already have a hitch). This will give you a good idea of what towing it will be like. I tow a 6500# travel trailer, plus the wife and 2 dogs and I can't hardly tell it's back there.

 

way to go we got the bug about 2 yrs. ago.
I've got a 97, SC, 4x4, 4.6, 3.55
I pull a 26' travel tralier 5800# emty
it's about max for our trucks
you should have know problems if you use a load eq.and sway bar
on your hitch set up.

 

Just thought that I would add that you should go ahead and invest in a good transmission cooler at the very least, and maybe even look into a mild shift kit or valvebody. Hope you find the answers your looking for in the this thread!

-Brian

 

Good advice here, I'd add that pulling comfortably is more than trying to reach a max weight. Have a quality hitch, weight distribution system, either a good sway control system or rear sway bars on your truck. A large tranny cooler and firming up the shifts, I like the flip chip myself, economical when I'm not towing. Also don't forget a quality brake controller. Having confidence in your rig to get you there and back makes all the difference in the world. If you troll the RV sites, don't get too excited about what some of the members say you need to tow, some of them are a bit annal about there rigs! Enjoy RV'ing, getting there is half the fun.

 

I pull a 3000lb boat a couple times a year. The engine has no problem at all. But I do have an issue with the feeling that my rear end is being wagged a little too much. I probably not want to tow more than about 4000lb distance traveling. But If I was just going 10 miles or less I'd have no problem going to 6000lb.

 

I just found this thread.

I am in the market for a used Expedition (99-00) 4WD with either a 4.6 or a 5.4 engine. There seem to be a lot of 4.6s out there...

The only towing I would do with it is to borrow my parents' 23' Airstream once or twice a year, which weighs 3500# dry, 4500# full. With a regular load of two adults, one small child and regular "stowage", would I be straining the 4.6 too much?

- Vince

 

Vince, it really depends on how you drive. I notice 2000 pounds on the back of my 5.4L F-150, which weighs 500 pounds less than an Expy. So, I would not consider te 4.6L in one. But, I admittedly have higher demands than many people.

 

Geno, good replies.

Vince...

All good info. here. Not always possible, but if you could get same tow rig..one with 4.6L and one w/5.4L towing same weight, then.....

Take a short, mixed drive. Flat/hills, various grades etc. Then after that, ask yourself which eninge would you rather have?
Just a solo drive would tell alot.

Maybe that's why you see more 4.6L for sale?

Better to have more (stock) hp/tq and not need it VS needing it and not having it. JMO! I know, been there/done that.

Good luck to all on what ever you decide. OT