In the towing guid for my 03 explorer it says to reduce the GCWR and the Max Tow load by 500 lb when equipped with the V8 AND the 3rd Row seat AND the Auxiliary Climate Control.

Can anyone tell me why this combination reduces the tow capacity?

Thanks .... Taffy.C

 

It reduces tow capacity because of the extra weight. Apparently the 3rd row seat, Aux. A/C, and V8 makeup the 500lbs. Ford is talking about. That would be why the tow capacity is decreased.

 

Ford assumes that if you have the third seat, then you'll also have 2 more passengers in the vehicle. The more weight you have in the truck, the less you can tow. It's the same reason why 4WD tows less than 2WD. A lot of people assume you have more pulling power with 4WD, but you don't. And, since the 4WD components add weight to the vehicle, this lessens the amount that you can tow. Gross Combined Weight (GCW) is something everyone should consider, but they rarely do.

 

That explains the reduction in tow capacity - but why the reduction in GCWR??

 

I posed your question to Ford. So far the answer I received was a thank you for my question. I will share any answer I get. Meantime I want to make 3 guesses. I think the answer lies in the climate control not the seat.

Guess 1 The Engine just doesn't have enough moxie to pull 11600 lbs and drive 2 air conditioners.

Guess 2 The condenser is either bigger or gets hotter thus limiting the effectiveness of the Transmission cooler behind it.

Guess 3 The stuff mounted under the body limits the action of the rear suspension.

 

Thanks Titan,
Guess you found your way here too. Let me know if they ever respond to you - I would be fascinated. The dealership I purchased from doesn't have a clue.

The thing I find really confusing is that the 500lb weight reduction is not applied if you have the v6 engine - although that has a lower GCWR to begin with anyway I guess.

 

The 500 lb reduction also confused me. That is one reason I made sure I bought a model w/o the 3rd row seat. One possible explanation is that the rear seat and A/C might reduce might reduce the tounge weight of the trailer since they add weight to rear of the vehicle. If Ford uses a certain percentage of trailer weight as tounge weight, that could reduce the tow rating as well as GCWR. A V6 may not have enough tow capacity for tounge weight to be an issue.

 

It could be, but they normally assume a tongue weight of one tenth of the trailer weight. So a reduction of 500lb in the trailer would only equate to a 50 lb reduction in the tongue - not really significant enough given all the other variables like bodies, luggage, etc.

I appreciate everyones thoughts. I wish they would tell you all this stuff in the manuals before you purchase. The towing info in the owners manual says nothing about this. Another thing is that it would be nice if Ford gave some thought to option weights when they build a vehicle. With a full tank of gas, my 03 V8 Limited has only 950 lb of payload capacity left - the weight of all the options I guess. Thats OK for me because its only my wife and me travelling and we can put our luggage in the trailer - so we have just enough payload left for the tongue weight. But I'd be pretty hopping mad if I had bought this for towing and had a larger family. I probably would have skipped some of the options if I had realized I was going to have so little payload capacity left.

Ah well - we only learn by experience I guess.

Taffy.C

 

Taffy C, my thinking is the reverse logic of yours. In other words, a 50 lb reduction in the amount of tounge weight the vehicle can handle (caused by the rear seat & AC) means a 500 lb decrease in trailer weight and GCWR. Or something similar to that. What do you think?

 

Here is Fords Blow off answer Answer to your question.


Thank you for your message of 02/21/03 regarding your 2003 Ford
Explorer. We appreciate the time you have taken to write us inquiring
about the effect of the third seat on the vehicle's towing capacity and
GCWR.

Thank you for your interest in our product. The Explorer is the best
selling SUV for 11 years in a row now.

As the Customer Relationship Center (CRC) is not a technical facility,
inquiries of a technical nature are generally referred to our
dealerships. Our dealerships' staff are highly trained experts with a
focus on Ford and Lincoln-Mercury products. In the rare case where a
staff member of any dealership is unable to answer a technical question
regarding one of our products, there are resources available exclusively
to them from Ford Motor Company where answers may be obtained.

We regret that we are unable to provide the information that you are
seeking, but the safety and continued proper operation of your vehicle
are of the utmost importance to us. Therefore, we do not wish to
speculate in technical areas.

Our resources indicate that the closest Ford dealership to you is Gordie
Boucher Ford of Menomonee Falls, and they can be contacted at (262)
255-9010. To locate additional Ford dealerships in your area, please
access www.fordvehicles.com, then select the "Locate Your Dealer" icon
from the "Research" heading. You will then be prompted to enter your zip
code or dealer name to obtain a list of the five closest dealerships in
your area.

Your satisfaction is valued. Our goal is for you to enjoy the many Ford
products and services in the years to come.

At Ford Motor Company, we consider the satisfaction of our customers as
one of our most important objectives. If you have any other inquiries
or concerns, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to
address them.

Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company.

Sincerely,
Corrina
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center

Original Message Follows:
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Category of Query/Concern: Vehicle Operation and Measurements
Site Escalating From: fordOwnerConnection
Description of Issue/Concern: Why does the V8 explorer reduce its
trailer towing capacity and GCWR When it has a third seat. does anything
apply to the V6 Entire Conversation:

 

Thanks for the info Titan - what an amazingly huge amount of words to say "we're not going to tell you"!

Taffy.C