OK you'll have to forgive me if these questions have been asked before, Im kind of new to towing and just got my 2000 F-150 with the tow package. Here's a few questions:
1) Any idea how much the towing package is actually rated at (with the 2000 F-150, 5.4L v8 engine,and 3.55 gears)? What if I tow MORE then the vehicle is rated at?
2) What all does the towing package include? I've been told obviously the hitch, some heavier duty shocks, and a heavier duty cooling system.
3) Any idea how hard it is to add an electric brake controller, or perhaps one exists in the vehicle already?
4) Whats the most anyone has towed with an F-150 without damaging anything?

I am looking at towing my Ford Explorer with a flat trailer with my F-150 through the mountains of Colorado and California, just want to see if it would work properly .

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Matt Adams
Littleton, CO
1994 Ford Explorer, highly modified ( http://bart.is-s.com/~explorers/madams/ )
2000 F-150 XLT Supercab 5.4L Auto w/ 3" dual exhaust, rhino lining, custom stereo, off-road and tow packages, and much much more! (no page yet)

 

I'll try answering some of your questions:
1/ GCWR 5.4 - 3.55 axle
13000 lbs max (w/16" tires or 4x2 P275 17" tires)
12,500 lbs max (w/ 4x4 P265 or LT265 17" tires)
The combined weight of the towing vehical (hitch, passengers & cargo) and the loaded trailer must not exceed the GCWR

2/ Class III trailer towing group: 7-pin wiring harnness connector, frame-mounted hitch receiver, HD electrical/cooling group, and heavy-duty shock absorbers.
HD electrical/cooling group includes: 72 amp-hr. battery, super engine cooling, auxiliary automatic transmission oil cooler

3/ I used an electric brake for my trailer in my old F150 and now have it mounted permanent in my new truck. They're not difficult to add. Do a search here and you'll run accross some info on that. There was some confussion about the colors of the wires but you will find all that if you do a search.

4/ The F150 can pull way more than it's rated for and usually it wont hurt anything. You mentioned mountains so I would try to stay in the truck's range for pulling and most diffinatily add the trailer brakes. My husband was pulling a loaded trailer w/his F350 when the trailer brakes went out. He was almost standing on his brakes trying to stop that load. Needless to say, what stopped him ended up being the car in front of him. And he wasn't over loaded.

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2k F250 CC SWB 6 speed 4x2 Diesel XLT Super Duty, Woodland Green
Power Mirrors, 3.73 LS, Captains Chairs, ARE tonneau top, rear privacy glass
TT Pkg, Class IV hitch, sliding rear window, running boards, mud flaps
265/75/16 AS OWL tires, am/fm/cassette/cd, rechargable MagLite
Clarion APA 5240 amp, Memphis speakers:Components front, 5x7 rear, 10"sub
SuperChip, Stepshields, Ventshields on windows, rubber bed mat
rugged liner bedliner on tailgate, quick disconnect jumper cables
unaFORDable (decal on tailgate) Western Diesel Turbo Brake (whoa boy)
Finally gauges!!: Pyrometer & Boost on the A-Pillar mount

 

Tina, I tow a little over 6,000 lbs and had the trailer brakes go out once. Oh man, was that scary. It really does feel like you can't stop it.

Matt, towing an Explorer on a trailer shouldn't be too much of a problem. I've towed 5,000 lbs from sea level to 5,000' without a problem. The truck handles it just fine. Coming down is another matter, though. Even second gear wasn't enough to keep me from braking constantly.

Depending on how steep the mountain is, I'd make sure you get a tandem axle trailer with brakes on both axles. You'll need it when you're driving downhill.

If a tandem axle trailer has the brakes on only the front axle, don't buy it. The designer doesn't know diddly squat if they set it up that way. If they put brakes on only one axle, it has to be the back axle. Because of the geometry involved, the brakes are more effective on the rear axles because of how the weight is transferred when stopping.

Otherwise, go with the best and get a dual axle trailer with torsion bar suspension. Can't be beat. Costs more, but worth the price.

 

In terms of adding the controller, your dealer should have given you the kit that has the wiring harness and the extra relays and fuses for the brake wiring, as well as the 6-pin to 4-pin adapter for standard trailer harnesses. If not, call the salesman and complain because it should have been a part of the package. It comes with simple instructions on how to connect the harness to the controller.

You shouldn't have any trouble towing your Explorer on a U-haul trailer. I used to tow my 4600 lb boat with my 97 4.6 with no problem. Acceleration was a bit sluggish, but the 5.4 in my 00 should take care of that. I also towed my friend's thunder-chicken from Detroit to Boston on a U-haul with no problem. It tipped the scales at 4600 lbs, plus trailer, plus all the cr@% packed in it. You should have absolutely no problems at all with it. Also, if you plan to use a u-haul, see if you can borrow an adapter from someone who has rented from them before. They usually need a special adapter for their lights and it's not worth buying it if you never plan to rent one from them again. (Incidentally, u-hauls have trailer surge brakes. Not as nice as electric, but less work to set up for rentals.)

Tina did an excellent jb of answering everything else, I think. Let us know if you have any other questions and how the truck handled the trip.

Good luck!

-Joe-


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98 Explorer (Lemon Law Case in Progress)

'00 F-150, X-cab, 4x4, Lariat, Off-road, Trailer Tow, Holandia Sunroof, built 11/99 picked up 10/00!Clear Corners, Manik Stainless Steel 1-piece brush guard, Custom CB wiring, Uniden PC76-XLW CB radio with K-40 Magna-Mount antenna (for now), 1 set of 165 watt KC Daylighters (for now... more on the way) Custom switch mounting plate and overhead console.
List of planned mods: Clear tails, color matched trailer hitch with stainless steel ball, torsion bar tweak, bug deflector, spray in liner, and a tonneau of some sort...

93 Probe GT teal, OE rims painted to match, bone stock drivetrain.

 

Your truck should have come with a little harness that hooks under the dash and connects to a current-model brake controller.

I use one by Tekonsha called the Sentinel model (which I can recommend -- as it is adjustable while you drive) -- and I have stuck it to the panel over the transmission hump with double-sided hook-ring (aka Velcro) tape. It actually looks good.

You'll lose 4% of your HP for each 1000 feet above sea-level -- so you will feel it a bit winded as you go up the mountains -- however, since it's fuel is electronically managed, at least you won't be huffing rich like things were back in the days of carburators.

Ensure that you have a good electrical ground on your trailer -- don't rely on the connection thru the greasy ball -- and you might avoid the 'super-pucker' that you get when your trailer brakes go out on you -- even if it's momentary -- due to a poor connection.

Happy Towing!



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Y2K™ 7700 4x4
Jim - N8JG@Hotmail.com

Toreador Red, Keyless XLT SC SB 5.4L E4x4 4wDisc/ABS, 3.73LS, Skid, HD 7700# Towing, LT-245's on Chrome, Tube-Steps, Captain's, 6CD, Tonneau, named: "Nick"

 

You might want to buy a weight distributing hitch. A heavy trailer will handle much better on a long haul with a weight distributing hitch. Your setup is basically the same without the trailer, almost all of the weight distributing setup goes on the trailer itself. Look around here or on the net to get an idea of what they are. You will also need a 4 to 4-1/2" drop on your hitch.



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2000 F150 XLT 4x4 Short Bed. Amazon Green, 5.4L, SuperCab, ORP, Tow Package, Sliding Rear Window, Electronic Shift, Keyless Entry, LT265-70-17 Tires, Clarion Pro Audio, Herculiner Bedliner, Air Silencer Removed.

1994 SVT Mustang Cobra. #1032 of 6009. Black coupe with black leather int., 3.73 rear, Bassani Exhaust, Aluminum D/S, Bridgestone RE-71 255-45-ZR17

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