Okay, trying to narrow down a camper (trailer) and just making sure I stay within my limits.

Van has a GVWR of 8800 and front axle of 3550 and rear of 6084.

Looking at a 7-7,500 lb trailer.

Has new tires, shocks and runs like a champ. Nothing mechanically wrong with it. Am thinking of adding a second trans cooler and if needed, will do so.

But can not find anything for the life of me to show any towing capabilities or anything.

Trans code is G, Axle code is 33 and springs are RQ.

Anyone have any advice or point me in the direction I need?

Thanks

 

Transmission is the 3 speed C6, with 3.54 open gears, a good combo for towing/highway.


That thing must have the mighty 460 under the doghouse right?


I can't find any specs, but I can assure you, it will pull it just fine. Just give your self extra space when braking, as the brakes in these older rigs aren't great compared to some more modern models. You should be in your limits, or even if you are a lil bit over, nothing that you'll get pulled over for.




Do not add a "2nd" cooler. Right now in stock setting, you should have 2 so to speak. First one being the bottom of the Rad, then out from there, and into a air cooled cooler behind your grill.



You can't add another cooler on top of that, your line pressure will drop to much.


The factory Aux. ones (air cooled ones, behind grill) are never big enough, remove that one, and replace with the biggest one you can find/fit there!

 

for a trailer of that weight, i would want trailer brakes!
as for tranny coolers, there was a thread here not too long ago that concluded that having the most possible cooling isn't ideal, but rather to keep the fluid in its optimal temperature range, for which you can either guess or add a transmission temp gage and upgrade your cooler if needed from the info it provides.
that said, i haven't studied temps on mine, so john may be right for this application, especially if you're in a hot climate

 

Best thing, would be a tranny temp gauge, AND a electric fan on the tranny cooler. That way you can keep on eye on the gauge, and lets say just running down a flat highway, it stays around 180* witch is the perfect temp, then that's fine, but once you get into stop and go city driving, or in mountains, and you see your temp going up, flick on the fan, and there you go.

 

I must say a 3.50 is awful high for towing such a load, I don't care engine size, anything over 2000 lbs should have trailer brakes and you need a heavy trans cooler when towing anything.

 

Well, the trailer we are looking at has brakes on both axles and comes in at 5600 GVWR, so hopefully not that much of a load.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

Look in your owners manual. It should have all of the information that need in regards to rated towing with a paticular engine / transmission / rear axle ratio.

It will also have your paticulars truck's GCWR which is needed to figure out what you can really tow -

IE - Take the tare weight of YOUR truck, as equipped from Ford. It should have FULL fuel tanks. Then add the load that you have in YOUR truck, add the two numbers and then subtract that number from the listed GCWR for YOUR truck and what you left over, in simplified terms is what you can tow without exceeding Fords recommendations. Note that Ford doesnot recommend towing over 10k with a bumper tow, regardless of the rating (probably because Ford never offered more than a 10k hitch in these years)

You also need to make sure that you have the proper towing fear, a hitch capable of the weight being towed and it is important to make sure that YOUR trucks GAWR's are not being exceeded withe trailer hooked up & loaded. (I doubt that you will exceed with a E350, but with single rear tires, your rear axle rating is the one most restrictive part of your truck as to payload)

Note that you will NOT find anything on the saftey certification plate regarding the GCWR, all you will find is the GAWR's (F&R) and the GVWR. These are required by law to appear. This used to be called the warrenty plate for us old timers, but the important difference is the warrenty plate had recommended #'s, while the saftey certification plate has legaly binding numbers.

D~

EDIT - Do not be confused when someone tells you that Ford (or anyone else) rated a truck TO tow say, for example - 11k. They are never rated in this way, instead it is a "will tow up to" rating - IE - the heavier your truck is loaded (or if it has 4x4, or more options) the less you can tow because you have to be carefull to not exceed the recommended GCWR.

To get the maximum tow ratings always means the lightest trucks for a given engine / transmission / ratio. NO 4x4's, NO supercabs, NO crewcabs - or in the case of a E350, the shortest available wheelbase and a stripped cargo style!

 

That is well within your trucks GCWR without even looking!

D~