Towing with a Bronco

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Jul 26, 2005 | 11:20 AM

rml127

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Towing with a Bronco

I have a 90 bronco with a 302 and the mazda 5 speed. I need to tow two campers, a 30 and 32 footer. I only need to tow them each one time about 60 miles to our camp. I'm thinking about buying a hitch and trying it with my bronco. I currently use it to tow a 20 foot pontoon boat and it does very well except for steep hills. I'm worried about the additional weight of the campers and the durability of the 5 speed. If I set it up correctly and use swaybars and take my time do you think the bronco will survive? I did use it once to tow a car on a carhauler from Long Island to Upstate NY and everything went well. I still can't believe I did that off the bumper.

Jul 26, 2005 | 11:59 AM

Casey

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You probably can make it, but it's going to be an exciting ride! The engine and trans are not the big worries, it's the short wheelbase. I towed a 33' trailer with a Bronco, and it was some of the scariest driving I've ever done. Soon after that I sold the Bronco and bought something with a longer wheelbase.

Jul 26, 2005 | 02:03 PM

rml127

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I know the short wheelbase will be an issue. If I do it I plan to take my time and drive slow, I learned an important lesson about tongue weight when I started towing my boat. I had very little tongue weight and the trailer started fishtailing so bad we nearly crashed. Once I adjusted the tongue weight it actually tows pretty good now for a short wheelbase vehicle. I need 4 wheel drive and the short wheelbase to get the campers up a steep gravel hill. I was reading the owners manual and saw that the tow capacity with the 5 speed is pretty low, I was thinking it was because the trans. was weak.

Jul 27, 2005 | 02:11 AM

aurgathor

Cargo Master

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From: Lynnwood, WA

Yes, the M5OD is definitely weaker than, say, the ZF that found in the 250, for instance. The other is that the ZF comes with a granny gear which makes it easier to get moving, but as long as you don't to stop on the uphill, that shouldn't be too big of a deal.

Jul 27, 2005 | 08:01 AM

jowilker

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From: Creedmoor, North Carolina

rml, You are referring to a once tow, not a long term use.

Get the right size ball and hook it up. You already are thinking slow & eazy.

Your tranny could be in great shape or about to go south, the single use shouldn't effect it. IMHO

John

Jul 31, 2005 | 05:01 PM

Jeter 94EB302

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Joined: Jun 2005

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From: Vandenberg AFB CA

I have a 94 Bronco 302 and I'm looking to tow a popup camper weighing 2900#. The Chilton's manual gives a recommended HP to weight ratio of 35:1 (HP*35-GVW= max trailer weight for towing). This does not allow for much of a trailer.

Here's my math:
200HP*35=7000
GVW inlcuding passengers & luggage=4700#
7000-4700=2300#

Has anyone seen or heard of this. My Owner's Guide states the GCWR for my 5.0L vehicle w/E4OD and trailer is 11,500# and the max trailer weight is 6600#. This sounds better and more in line with a truck's designed hauling capacity. Other than a small 7'x9' trailer, I've never hauled a load with my Bronco and I want to be sure I don't jack it up.

My manual also says I need Super Cooling for any trailers weighing over 2000#. Anyone know what this is?

Thanks.