Can this tow a Viper in an enclosed trailer

[dwhitt]

Looking at a 2003 Lincoln Aviator (same size as Ford Explorer with more power) which has AWD and the 302 horsepower 4.6 V8 (believe it is the old Cobra engine as it is all aluminum)

It can tow 7,100 lbs. (tongue weight limited to 710 lbs. whatever that means)

Has a class III/IV hitch - The Aviator weighs roughly 4,900 lbs itself

I assume my Viper is 3,500 lbs. and an enclosed trailer is another 3,200 lbs if I go with a 20 ft version

Is this too close for comfort??

 

[Mark Red GTS Cooper]

Give me a call, I have a 5.9 Durango, and it can be a little tough on hills, check your PM

Mark

 

[pauls]

Three problems. To short of a wheel base. too much tongue weight for the vehicle and even though it has 300HP, it has no torque in the towing range. You can white knuckle this combo for short trips but your looking for trouble on cross country outings. More (power, torque and a long wheelbase) is always better when towing. These small SUVs end up being driven by the trailer vs you driving the load.

 

[MichaelP]

Pauls what do you think about the Ford Explorer V8 but using an open trailer weighing 1500lbs?

 

[Matt M PA]

You really need a full-size SUV of truck to tow a car and trailer. It's not only the towing capacity...but the weight of the tow vehicle that will also help.

Also..tongue weight is the max allowed of weight to be on the ball of the hitch. I used a weight distributing hitch on my Bronco with no trouble towing a 22' Haulmark enclosed.

 

[MichaelP]

You really need a full-size SUV of truck to tow a car and trailer. It's not only the towing capacity...but the weight of the tow vehicle that will also help.

Also..tongue weight is the max allowed of weight to be on the ball of the hitch. I used a weight distributing hitch on my Bronco with no trouble towing a 22' Haulmark enclosed.

Thanks for the info Matt.

Do you say the Ford Explorer V8 is a full size SUV?

 

[matt lankford]

get the avaitor and put a Kenne bell blower on it. its the same motor as the new mach1

 

[MichaelP]

You really need a full-size SUV of truck to tow a car and trailer. It's not only the towing capacity...but the weight of the tow vehicle that will also help.

Also..tongue weight is the max allowed of weight to be on the ball of the hitch. I used a weight distributing hitch on my Bronco with no trouble towing a 22' Haulmark enclosed.

Matt are you saying the Ford Explorer V8 is or isn't a full size SUV?

 

[luc]

Michael,

the explorer is not a full size SUV but a mid size,

Full size would be an expedition and a excursion would be an extra full size.

That said, if you have an open trailer you will be fine towing the Viper.

The probem with enclosed trailer is not much the weight but the frontal aera that offer o LOT of wind/air resistance.

What you need for towing is torque,not horsepower.

Luc.00GTS

 

[fuelman]

I think the Aviator will be challenged to tow your Viper and trailer, especially a closed trailer, the weight and the trailer will be higher than the truck creating more drag. As mentioned in this post, you need more torque than HP, as well as weight, long wheel base and the wider width. My boat and Trailer weigh in around 5500 lbs, my Mountaineer with a 5.0 had trouble towing up hills and on the highway the trailer determined where the truck would go. When I changed to an Expedition this all went away, I could have towed the boat across the country.

For the V-10 Nationals I talked Larry Macedo into towing my car on an open trailer with his 2500 series Hemi Ram Truck from Florida to Kentucky, it was awesome we could cruise at 85 mph and we zipped through the mountains, you might consider looking at one of these it has all comforts of a luxo truck, plus it is a Dodge.

 

[Cudaman]

Plus people will ask you at traffic light....Do you have a "Hemi" in that Dodge and you can say Yes....But the Viper in the trailer will eat the truck alive.
Cudaman

 

[MichaelP]

Thanks Luc.

BTW what type of trucks are used to tow those 2 car open carriers?

 

[b3rndtt0ast]

my guess, to tow the big 2 car carriers would be a 1ton, or 1.5 ton truck.

 

[brianflynn]

It is to much weight for the vehicle. you need atleast a f250 or lincoln navigator.

 

[MichaelP]

It is to much weight for the vehicle. you need atleast a f250 or lincoln navigator.

Bryan is this in reply to the original post?

 

[pdmracing]

The navigator is too small too, get a real truck

 

[Bandit3]

I've towed my viper with our 2002 Escalade. My opinion---the 5.3l does not have enough torque. The up side is, it got 16 mpg. When we used the 96 Tahoe-- it was perfect-- the 5.7 chevy engine has enough torque to do the job. John

 

[jrkermode]

My 2 cents on towing.

Maximum tow ratings are typically the absolute maximum load possible with a single 160 lb driver and NO other weight whatsoever. Any additional passengers, cargo or accessories (winches, full size spares, lunch!, etc...) need to be deducted from the max tow rating. (http://www.trailerlife.com has tow ratings for all models offered in the United states)

A long wheelbase gives the tow vehicle more "leverage" over the load. Similarly, a multi axle trailer is more pleasant to tow than a single axle trailer.

Stiffer suspension reduces unwanted oscillations of the entire rig. In my opinion, the soft suspension of luxury SUV's make for a scary towing experience.

It is important to do the math on GVWR, hitch weight and axle ratings. It's real easy to exceed the factory ratings, especially the load ratings of the OEM tires.

A weight distributing hitch and sway control make a difference even on light loads.

Electric trailer brakes make a really big difference in the stability of the whole rig.

The power or weight of the tow vehicle has never been that big a deal for me. Sure, it affects how fast you get from one place to another, but it's all the other stuff that determines whether towing is a pleasant or white knuckle experience.

 

[pdmracing]

I have had towing accidents before, & I average 17 to 24 K miles towing a year for the last 10 years,E mail me if yo want more advice. If it can be done wrong, I have done it!. An El Camino will tow a viper with an enclosed trailer, It dosent mean its a good idea! Its the stopping power that is the big thing. You can pick up a ram 2500 or an F 250 for under $27k or so . If you need an suv get a 2500 suburban or 2500 Avalanche or for a cheep alternative get the Excursion.The Lincoln navigator is based on an f 150, which will do it , but it dosnt have the big brakes or other heavy duty stuff the 3/4 ton trucks do. Last weekend I did a 2100 mile tow to the glen, my good friend came with me. He had just totaled his rig on the way to a vintage weekend just 2 weeks prior. He had been giving me grief about my 2003 v10 F250 Crew cab that I had bought last december, saying that it wasnt that much better than the 93 lightning I was towing with prior. After his first 250 mile stint he turnrd & looked @ me & said ,"this is a Safety item expense isnt it!, I didnt know what I was missing". Yes , yes it is. The big motored f150 pulled like a train, It did everything well, except panic stop in the rain. My F250 has the crew cab, sport package(black monochrome), posi, 6 disc cd, Camper package(sway bars), chrome wheels w big tires, V10, running boards , cloth captian chairs, It stickered for 34k , I paid 26300 after 2500 cash back. The hemi was about the same, but the Ford had 425 ft lbs & had more stuff for the same price at the time.

 

[luc]

Very good point about braking.

I tow a 24 feet enclosed trailer that weight,fully loaded with the race car,tools and spare parts a little over 10.000lbs
Tow truck is a 2001 Yukon XL 3/4 ton with the 8.1 liter,rated to tow 12.000lbs

Coming back from a race,on a very slight downhill,driving about 60mph, I had to do an emergency braking for a light that turned from orange to red in about 1 second.

I stopped fine but did notice that I had to apply more force than usual to the brake pedal and heard a kind of groaning nose from the master cylinder/booster.

To make a long story short,when I plugged the trailer electrical connector to the truck,I did not push it far enough and had no brake at all on the trailer.

I dove 60 miles without even noticing it,
The new generation Suburban/Yukon XL 3/4 have fantastic brakes,4 wheels discs with huge calipers and Hydroboost spel?
Instead of using engine vaccum,they use the power steering.
also with a /4 ton you get stonger frame and suspention,better cooling,better tranny and with the 4.10 gear ratio,a full floater rar axle.
For those that know the Grapevine on highway 5 by LA,I can go uphill,fully loaded, at 65/70 mph,that said someting for the engine .

Luc.

 

[pdmracing]

The same thing happened to me in dr Jimmys chev 3500 last year, same type of weight, I was towing to VIR & no one would let me pass , when I pulled in for gas I found out why, The trailer plug cam disconnected, I went th elast 150 miles with no trailer brakes. That aint happening in a 1/2 ton vehical.