Can the Bronco really only Tow 3500 lbs?

[22Badlands]

Lol so how much over 3500 can it safely tow?

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[c-dubb]

We got a 22 Palisade Calligraphy for my wife a few months ago so if my Bronco ever comes we'll have the same pair as you.
We gave it a lift and larger tires which I would totally recommend.

Bronco+Palisade is a good combo for a family. I recently switched from 2dr to 4dr because otherwise I don't think we'd ever use the bronco with the kids since that Palisade is such a nice family ride.

 

[Jdc]

The video on their site said 3500? Maybe it meant that it can hold 3500lbs of total gear? I'll have to look into it more then.

3 minute mark

 

[Jdc]

Also, don't know if you've seen this guy
https://www.bronco6g.com/2-door-bronco-towing-performance-report-from-towing-2500-3000-lbs/

 

[grtharris]

Mammoth Overland suspension capacity is 3500 lb.

• Timbren 3500HD independent suspension

 

[Exomodo]

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. I tow a 3,500 lbs. max gross (3,000 lbs. empty/dry) travel trailer around the country with a F250 and it does so with little fanfare. I tried the same thing with a 2000 Ford Ranger rated at 5,080 lbs. and I readily admit it was the second most irresponsible thing I've ever done with a motor vehicle.

 

[JollyFolly]

Wrangler is the same tow capacity. With that said, I do remember huge discussions on Jeep forums about the Wrangler having a higher stated tow rating for other countries than the US (5000 in Europe if I remember correctly), even though there were no mechanical differences. That just turned into lots of speculation whether it was that the US is very litigious in regards to auto related accidents, different safety standards used to measure, speed limits typically being lower in certain countries making it safer to tow heavier loads, or other things.
As @RagnarKon mentioned, there is alot in properly calculating what you can tow including payload, hitch weight, and GVWR so its not always simple. I know I will get blasted for simplifying it, but there it is.

So I had a wrangler, towed a 21’ Sportsman quite a bit…with added gear and people, it was pushing 4500lbs. I thought it towed just as well as the wife’s 4Runner. I did get nervous thinking the extra weight would pull me down the ramp, but overall I thought tow was fine.
btw - didn’t have any issues for the life of the wrangler.

 

[MrGreen55]

Let's hope that all 23's get the raptor tow package on the bronco

 

[Lakelife36]

Hey all, I'm gonna preface this by saying I'm relatively new to towing and the difference in gross weight and all the other numbers to consider. I've been looking at overland trailers to pair with the bronco and I have my eyes on one from a company called Mammoth overland. In their testing video they say that the gross weight is "3500 lbs so even the smallest vehicles should be able to tow it. I've seen one of our guys even use his Subaru." Or something to that effect. Which makes it sound like 3500 isn't a whole lot of towing capacity. Not only that, but if the bronco really can only handle 3500 I can't load any of my gear in or onto the trailer.

Does anyone have any real world towing experience with the bronco yet?

Am I just completely on the wrong track here and missing something?

A. 3500lbs is a pitifully small tow cap. Yes many many vehicles can tow much more than that.
B. Gross trailer weight is the maximum weight that the trailer can be when fully loaded. Dry weight is when it is unloaded.
C. Depending on your door count, engine size, and options, your Badlands is unlikely to even have 3500lbs tow cap. It's probably in the 3200s.
D. In a Badlands you also really have to watch your GCWR when towing. You'll only have ~300lbs of weight available to put in the Bronco when towing at your tow cap. Best thing to do to be sure is to weigh the truck empty (but full of fluids) and subtract that weight from the GCWR given in your owner manual. The difference is the total weight that you can both tow and haul and the same time.

 

[HeHateMe]

We got a 22 Palisade Calligraphy for my wife a few months ago so if my Bronco ever comes we'll have the same pair as you.
We gave it a lift and larger tires which I would totally recommend.

Bronco+Palisade is a good combo for a family. I recently switched from 2dr to 4dr because otherwise I don't think we'd ever use the bronco with the kids since that Palisade is such a nice family ride.

Wow! Three in the same thread. Wonder how many more in the forum?

We currently have a Volvo xc90 and Palisade. Will be storing the Volvo (it's a 2014) and I'll be using Bronco.

 

[Gabby]

So yes, 3500lbs but the 22' Raptor has reinforcements that ups it to 4500lbs. From what I've seen, the run diagonal bracers from the standard hitch to the sides of the chasis.

But like @Exomodo said, just cause you can doesn't mean you should. The Bronco slightly bigger than a light truck like the S10 & old Ranger, but is still a hard cry from a Canyonaro and F150/1500s put there.

 

[Russ.Gil]

3 minute mark

Weird. Guess I'm smoking crack. I could have swore they said 3500 thanks man.

 

[Russ.Gil]

Mammoth Overland suspension capacity is 3500 lb.

• Timbren 3500HD independent suspension

Ah that's what it was. Thanks dude.

 

[Russ.Gil]

A. 3500lbs is a pitifully small tow cap. Yes many many vehicles can tow much more than that.
B. Gross trailer weight is the maximum weight that the trailer can be when fully loaded. Dry weight is when it is unloaded.
C. Depending on your door count, engine size, and options, your Badlands is unlikely to even have 3500lbs tow cap. It's probably in the 3200s.
D. In a Badlands you also really have to watch your GCWR when towing. You'll only have ~300lbs of weight available to put in the Bronco when towing at your tow cap. Best thing to do to be sure is to weigh the truck empty (but full of fluids) and subtract that weight from the GCWR given in your owner manual. The difference is the total weight that you can both tow and haul and the same time.

Awesome thanks for that info man.

 

[aeolian]

The reason the same vehicle in other countries have a higher tow rating than in the US is because the US has different (and much safer) regulations for trailer weight distribution. In the US, it is required to have 10-15% of the trailer weight on the hitch. In Europe, their regulations are designed around having 5% of the trailer weight on the hitch.

With less than 10% of the trailer weight on the hitch, trailers are prone to dangerous oscillations aver ~ 60 MPH. In Europe, they compensate for that with lower speed limits required for vehicles towing trailers.

Don't go thinking that a 3500 lb tow rating means you can go ahead and get a 3500 lbs trailer though. First, your tongue weight is going to be limited by the tow vehicle's payload minus the weight of the passengers and cargo you have in the vehicle. Even in pickup trucks, this can markedly reduce the max tongue weight available for towing. Secondly, you need to consider the weight of the trailer fully loaded.

You'll need to do the math to figure out the max tongue weight available to you, e.g. for a Badlands 4dr + weight of relevant mods (that ARB fridge, recovery gear, etc.) + passengers and cargo typical for usage you are planning. From there, factoring in the weight of the cargo you plan to tow, you can calculate the max trailer weight to stay within the vehicle's limits.

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