Hey got a couple of questions. I have a 95 EB Bronco 4x4, 5.8L. I am going to be installing a lift soon. I don't know if it will be going with a 4 or 6" lift and 33's or 35's. More likely 33's. I was talking to my father in law the other day and he said if I was going to tow a camper that it isn't a good idea to have it lifted and that I need to keep it stock. Now I have seen pics on these web sites of guys pulling car trailers with vehicles on them and of pulling campers. Not saying I am going to pull a 8000#, 30' camper either. I know it's a short wheel base vehicle. I think I can handle pulling a fairly nice camper with it as long as I use the stabilizer bars and such. OK! OK! to my questions...Do you think it will be ok to pull a camper as long as I don't over do it? 2. Do you guys think or know of any issues pulling a camper with the vehicle lifted??

 

Measure the amount of hitch drop you need for your camper without a lift, add the amount of lift to see the new drop required then scan the link below from a previous topic about reduced towing capacity with excessive drops.


https://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/DCForumID1/446.html

I pulled a 4000 pound trailer around the Colorado Rockies with a 96 rig like yours without any problems. You will need good trailer brakes and a weight distributing hitch. Keep in mind that bigger tires will change the final drive ratio, so take that into effect when considering towable ratings.

 

Thanks Ranger Rat, I figured I would have to get a longer drop hitch. and "IF" I towed a big enough camper that I would need the weight distribution sys I would get it. I would definatly be safe about it. Don't want to wreck and cause injure to anyone...especially my sweet ride.....:+

 

>Hey got a couple of questions. I have a 95 EB Bronco 4x4,
>5.8L. I am going to be installing a lift soon. I don't
>know if it will be going with a 4 or 6" lift and 33's or
>35's. More likely 33's. I was talking to my father in
>law the other day and he said if I was going to tow a camper
>that it isn't a good idea to have it lifted and that I need
>to keep it stock. Now I have seen pics on these web sites of
>guys pulling car trailers with vehicles on them and of
>pulling campers. Not saying I am going to pull a 8000#, 30'
>camper either. I know it's a short wheel base vehicle. I
>think I can handle pulling a fairly nice camper with it as
>long as I use the stabilizer bars and such. OK! OK! to my
>questions...Do you think it will be ok to pull a camper as
>long as I don't over do it? 2. Do you guys think or know of
>any issues pulling a camper with the vehicle lifted??
>


I tend to agree with your father in law. Center of gravity on a lifted truck tends to be higher than normal (more so on a vehicle that has a high center of gravity stock). It doesn't make a bit of difference whether the vehicle is stock height or lifted 4-6" it's still inherently unstable (short wheelbase, narrow track, high body)but staying at stock height will give you a safety cushion(not much of one but you have one) vs. lifted if you insist on towing.


OR LIFT THE HECK OUT OF IT and get another TRUCK to tow with.

Larry

 

You will probably need to regear with 35s, and 33's will make it fairly underpowered. So if it's over around 3500lbs, you'll want to regear which gets expensive. Would be cheaper to buy a cheap set of rims, and put the small tires on the crap rims, and just throw those on when you need to tow, and put the big tires on when you arn't towing. A 4" lift should be ok, but the weight of the thrailer is also a huge factor.


Primary rig is Green Thunder:
95' F-150 XLT 4x4, 302, 5 spd, MSD 6A, Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust, Sunroof, Clear corners w/ Diamond headlights, CD player with 2 10" subs and some 32" BFG Muds .

Check out my Gallery for a look-see.

Then theres:
99' Mustang GT 4.6L
88' F-250 Heavyduty 4x4 351/c6
95' Mercury Cougar 4.6L V-8
80' E-350 300/6 with a
3 spd column shifter. Weighs around 7,000lbs w. 65mph top speed, who wants to race me!

 

I don't recomend towing much at all with the short wheel base broncos or blazers, and I don't care who all has done it with no problems. I have done it with big problems and it scared the s%#$@t out of me. Lifting it makes it even worse! Ask yourself...
why the lift? Looks? Don't bother.
How safe is too safe? I don't care how many stabelizers or whatever you have I would not let my kids ride with you, would you let yours?

Be safe...
Be smart...

 

depolstra, I have had lifted trucks, broncos all my life. I have installed them myself. I have never had a problem with them. I don't drive crazy and when I have children with me weather it's friends or family's children I drive safe. I have towed ski boats with a Ranger w/ 4" lift and 32's and 79 f-150, 4" lift w/ 33's and have never had a problem towing them or just driving them with the lift. I don't know that I will ever have a camper and if I do decide to purchase one I WILL MAKE safety concern when purchasing.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 04-Sep-02 AT 02:09 PM (EST)]I would much rather tow a 20 foot dual axle camping trailer with a Full size bronco than these IDIOTS on the road today towing them with them LITTLE trucks (Explorers, nissan Pathfiders/pickups, Xterras, Jeep Cherokees, s-10 blazers, Toyota suvs/pickups, ETC) In the past 3 weeks, I have seen the aftermath of these go-carts towing big / long campers.. one of them the Pathfinder was HANGING off or the hitch as the trailer was lay'd down on its side.

It should be illegal to sell a camper of that type to those "little" trucks which all have identical or SHORTER wheelbase than a bronco.

 

>Hey got a couple of questions. I have a 95 EB Bronco 4x4,
>5.8L. I am going to be installing a lift soon. I don't
>know if it will be going with a 4 or 6" lift and 33's or
>35's. More likely 33's. I was talking to my father in
>law the other day and he said if I was going to tow a camper
>that it isn't a good idea to have it lifted and that I need
>to keep it stock. Now I have seen pics on these web sites of
>guys pulling car trailers with vehicles on them and of
>pulling campers. Not saying I am going to pull a 8000#, 30'
>camper either. I know it's a short wheel base vehicle. I
>think I can handle pulling a fairly nice camper with it as
>long as I use the stabilizer bars and such. OK! OK! to my
>questions...Do you think it will be ok to pull a camper as
>long as I don't over do it? 2. Do you guys think or know of
>any issues pulling a camper with the vehicle lifted??
>

Don't forget that with larger tires you effectively decrease your rear-end gear ratio. 10% larger tires take a 3.73 to about 3.50. And 3.50's go to 3.10 and that is EXTREMELY hard on automatic trannies and drivelines. I had 4.10's in my F-350 PSD but when I went to 36" tires I started burning up trannies towing my 30' trailer because I basically had a 3.20 rear axle ratio. And if you'll check your tow rating anything below a 3.55 axle cuts your tow capacity way, way down. So it's not just the lift, it's the tires too.

Ken, 98 E-350 V-10 XLT ClubWagon 4.10 gears=10,300 lb tow rating (3.73 cuts it down to 8,600, big difference in the same vehicle)

 

Thanks Ken04 and everyone for replying. I doubt that I will ever be towing a large camper. I don't think it would hurt anything to pull a small pop-up. My father-in-law just bought a F-250 PSD, :P He plans on buying a 5th wheel camper next year or so. They were telling me not to do it but it's because my wife and FIL don't want me to lift my Bronco. I love lifted trucks and that is the way it is. If I had it PSD I would probably put a small lift on it as well... But anyways thanks guys for helping me out..

 

>Thanks Ken04 and everyone for replying. I doubt that I will
>ever be towing a large camper. I don't think it would hurt
>anything to pull a small pop-up. My father-in-law just
>bought a F-250 PSD, :P He plans on buying a 5th wheel
>camper next year or so. They were telling me not to do it
>but it's because my wife and FIL don't want me to lift my
>Bronco. I love lifted trucks and that is the way it is. If I
>had it PSD I would probably put a small lift on it as
>well... But anyways thanks guys for helping me out..
>
>

Hey man, it's your life, your rig and your choice. I personally think a moderately lifted Bronco is awfully good looking. As long as it's 2-4" and it's done right with good, quality parts you will have no problems towing a pop-up, or even something a little bigger. Just don't crank it up into the clouds and then hook up to a 10,000 pound, 30' trailer, cause then it WILL be dangerous. Common sense should always be the rule when we're doing things like this. You sound like a pretty well balanced guy with a good grasp of what's safe and what's not. So go ahead, lift your Bronco a bit to make it "yours". Pull a nice little trailer in a safe, sane manner. Just remember that as as your raise your rig, your center of gravity raises. The only time that gets dangerous for most of us who don't drive like idiots is in an emergency manuvering situation. If when you lift you can increase your wheel track, or your width a little by using reversed wheels (backspacing is what the wheel companies call it) it will help alot in making your vehicle more stable if you ever do get into a panic situation. Put 3-5,000 pounds of trailer hooked to the back of a short wheelbase vehicle and you can certainly see why some folks think it's too dangerous to do. I never, ever tow over 60 MPH. I see idiots that do pulling a 35 foot fifth wheel that way, way overloads their 3/4 ton pick-up and just hope that they never get into a position where they're hard on the brakes and having to manuver around a stalled vehicle in their lane in the freeway. Use your head, and you'll be OK.

Ken E-350 V-10 XLT ClubWagon