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I buried this post in another thread but decided it should probably be it's own thread here in the towing section. This is real world experience towing at the limit with an off road vehicle. Should give you some idea of what the Bronco will be able to do.
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We just rented and towed a 16' Airstream Basecamp from Florida to Breckenridge to Ouray, Co and back. The GVWR of the Airstream is 3500 lbs. Dry weight is 2600 lbs. Hitch weight of 410 lbs.
I have a 2015 Wrangler Sahara with a 3" lift and 35s. It has 3:21 gears. With different gears it is rated at 3500 lbs for towing. With the 3:21s it is only rated at 2000 lbs. I'm guessing that is due to the strain on the transmission since the suspension from the factory would be the same.
Clearly the Airstream was pushing, possibly exceeding, the stated limits of the Jeep.
Many will disagree with my conclusions, but here is my real world experience on this trip. The Jeep drove better on the highway. It tracked better with the trailer behind it. On flat ground I could hardly even tell the trailer was there. Acceleration wasn't bad as long as I wasn't in a hurry. Stopping was good.
I had a 7 pin connection installed along with an electronic brake controller. I kept an eye on the transmission temperature. It had a drop hitch with an anti-sway bar. I want to learn more about weight distribution hitches since the trailer did have the Jeep headlights pointing way too high. The one time we drove at night cars going the other way kept flashing at me thinking that I had brights on.
We had a few cases where we had to stop quickly or maneuver quickly due to other drivers. We had heavy winds. We passed and were passed by countless large trucks. The rig always felt stable. In fact, since the Jeep normally wanders and get buffeted on the highway it actually felt more stable and safe with the trailer behind it.
It did "ok" in the mountains. We were a bit better than most of the motorhomes. We even passed a few. The only time it was really bad was when we were stopped for construction outside of Ouray where the road is heading up to the pass. Taking off from a stop in the Jeep with big heavy tires, 3:21 gears, 5 speeds, and a trailer in tow was a challenge. Once the RPMs got high enough all was good, but it took a while to get there.
I personally have a hard time believing that the Bronco, 4 door in particular, cannot quite easily and safely handle right up to the stated limit and somewhat beyond. The better gearing, additional power, and 10 speed auto will make power a non-issue. The Jeep was stable and safe even when I had to react quickly to avoid drivers or animals. I expect the Bronco will be also.
There are of course other issues to consider such as liability if you are towing something above the stated limits and you cause an accident. As far as the capability goes though I will be completely surprised if you can't easily push the max rating.
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We just rented and towed a 16' Airstream Basecamp from Florida to Breckenridge to Ouray, Co and back. The GVWR of the Airstream is 3500 lbs. Dry weight is 2600 lbs. Hitch weight of 410 lbs.
I have a 2015 Wrangler Sahara with a 3" lift and 35s. It has 3:21 gears. With different gears it is rated at 3500 lbs for towing. With the 3:21s it is only rated at 2000 lbs. I'm guessing that is due to the strain on the transmission since the suspension from the factory would be the same.
Clearly the Airstream was pushing, possibly exceeding, the stated limits of the Jeep.
Many will disagree with my conclusions, but here is my real world experience on this trip. The Jeep drove better on the highway. It tracked better with the trailer behind it. On flat ground I could hardly even tell the trailer was there. Acceleration wasn't bad as long as I wasn't in a hurry. Stopping was good.
I had a 7 pin connection installed along with an electronic brake controller. I kept an eye on the transmission temperature. It had a drop hitch with an anti-sway bar. I want to learn more about weight distribution hitches since the trailer did have the Jeep headlights pointing way too high. The one time we drove at night cars going the other way kept flashing at me thinking that I had brights on.
We had a few cases where we had to stop quickly or maneuver quickly due to other drivers. We had heavy winds. We passed and were passed by countless large trucks. The rig always felt stable. In fact, since the Jeep normally wanders and get buffeted on the highway it actually felt more stable and safe with the trailer behind it.
It did "ok" in the mountains. We were a bit better than most of the motorhomes. We even passed a few. The only time it was really bad was when we were stopped for construction outside of Ouray where the road is heading up to the pass. Taking off from a stop in the Jeep with big heavy tires, 3:21 gears, 5 speeds, and a trailer in tow was a challenge. Once the RPMs got high enough all was good, but it took a while to get there.
I personally have a hard time believing that the Bronco, 4 door in particular, cannot quite easily and safely handle right up to the stated limit and somewhat beyond. The better gearing, additional power, and 10 speed auto will make power a non-issue. The Jeep was stable and safe even when I had to react quickly to avoid drivers or animals. I expect the Bronco will be also.
There are of course other issues to consider such as liability if you are towing something above the stated limits and you cause an accident. As far as the capability goes though I will be completely surprised if you can't easily push the max rating.
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