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Could I tow this?

Cased

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You have to wonder if those shocks for the hoss with the internal dampener that stiffens the shock would be out of sorts if you put too much bumper weight on.

Rounding a corner with them loaded wouldn't let the inboard shock " stiffen" increasing body roll
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Eggsalad

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With what we know now could I tow this? I’m trying to find a travel trailer that my wife and I could use with a Bronco. She wants to go with me and she has settled on this lightweight trailer. I’m no expert so I’m asking the smarter people in the room
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3000lbs dry seems good. 90" wide you may need addon tow mirrors, 320lbs dry tongue weight may be too much for the ClassII hitch (don't have the tongue weight specs yet from Ford), wet tongue weight will probably be close to 400lbs.
Agreed. You could get away with it if you're careful about loading it. If the empty/dry weight is 3000lb, and you fill the fresh water tank, you're already at 3320lb. That doesn't leave a lot for your gear, clothes, bedding, etc. You might have to limit how much water you keep onboard while traveling. Either way, you'd be right at the Bronco's limits.

I have no doubt that either engine will pull the weight just fine, I expect the limit is driven by suspension loading and stability at highway speed. If you run at the limit, I would recommend that 1) you use a weight distribution hitch, 2) you augment the hitch with a sway control device, and 3) consider installing airbags in the rear coils to help level the load. But the later point should be determined how well it carries the trailer in the first place. All of that goes without saying that you invest in a good trailer brake controller.
1) and 2), with the factory ClassII hitch a WDH may not be a good idea because it's mounted on a frame crossmember. There's been debate on 4Runner forums (5000lb tow capacity, but also mounted on a frame crossmember) about WDH usage. Some are fine with it, others skeptical. My 4Runners have been V8's with a factory frame-rail mounted ClassIV with 7200lb tow capacity so I can't comment. Better if Ford offered a frame-rail mounted hitch so there's no question about it.
3), the shocks are inside the rear coils, so airbags would have to be mounted on the axle tubes I guess.

I'd be more concerned with the GCVW - that includes you and your gear.
Yep. Ford hasn't published GVWR, GCWR. We don't have much info. Only estimated curb weights and apparently no plan to increase tow capacity. Trailering folks may have to do a lot of juggling to haul even a small 19' as well as people, gear, food, etc.

You will definitely need leveling bars with the tongue weight.
As I said above, a WDH may not be a good idea with a crossmember mounted ClassII hitch. Depends on the terrain traveled I guess. A smooth, graded road where the trailer isn't bucking and twisting could be fine. First time I towed was a 3400lb dry trailer with an '05 Tundra with a ClassIV frame-rail mounted hitch. I left the Equalizer WDH hooked up when we transitioned from smooth roads to some rougher BLM roads in Nevada. 30 miles later that Equalizer had bent its bar mounts on the trailer frame.

Yes, I was ignorant about WDH usage offhighway, but imagine what that would have done to a crossmember mounted hitch.
And oh, don’t get the factory hitch. You will probably want to upgrade to a class III.
Maybe get the factory hitch for the pre-wired 4/7 pin connector, then upgrade to a ClassIII. Not a good situation Ford has put us in frankly. With the drivetrain and frame the Bronco has people should not be wondering if they can adequately tow a 3400lbs wet travel trailer.
 

Lakelife36

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Yeah, if I could pull it, I would definitely go with the E20BHS. The slide really opens up the dining area.

It's a jump in weight though and unless the Bronco 2.7L 4-door gets an updated tow rating of 5000lb and a higher hitch rating, it's not going to work.

E19BH: Hitch Weight of 360lb and UVW of 3088lb.
E20BHS: Hitch Weight of 455 lb. and UVW of 3513 lb.

The E19BH will already be borderline once loaded.
Remember the Ranger tows 7,500lbs with the 2.3L so it is NOT the engine that's the problem. Now granted we dont know what the engines and transmissions will have for cooling but given that this vehicle is newly built from the ground-up and they can cool the 2.3L in a Ranger that can't even fit the 2.7L, I can't see how they wouldn't be able to keep everything ticking along in the Bronco.
 
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tbirdbrian

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You know, one important factor I have not seen mentioned here is the weight of the tow vehicle. The tow rating of a vehicle is usually greatly affected by it's weight. Which is why an F350 can usually tow more than an F250 with similar engine and transmission. The F350 weighs more.

Towing is not the same as pulling. I had a '79 F150 with a 460 and it could pull a battleship through a swamp if it had to. But it couldn't control the battleship on a windy freeway. The weight of the tow vehicle affects its ability to safely control AND stop a load on a trailer.

My F150 is a perfect example of that. That truck had no problem pulling a full size car on an open car trailer. But at highway speeds, in windy conditions and/or heavy braking, the tail would start wagging the dog. The comparatively light, light duty pick-up with an empty bed simply didn't have the mass to safely control a heavy trailer.

As a comparison, the V10 in my Excursion is no more powerful than the 460 was in my F150. But my loaded 4x4 Excursion weighs 7600 pounds! I can pull (and stop) safely without even feeling the trailer behind me.

So, long story short, don't be surprised if the different model Broncos have slightly different tow ratings. A 2.3L Base model 2 door is going to weigh considerably less than a 2.7 equipped First Edition 4 door so tow ratings should be different. If I was considering towing a camper at or near the maximum 3,500 lb rating, I would definitely aim for a v6 4 door for the extra weight.

Food for thought.
 

The Pope

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Yes, the weight of the tow vehicle is important and is a factor during winds and with heavy trailers that don't have trailer brakes.

As to the Bronco's weight, it has been estimated elsewhere on this form, but it hasn't been brought up much within all of the different Tow Threads as the common believe is that the Bronco weighs roughly the same as the Ranger.

A more common believe is that the Bronco's suspension is the reason for the low currently released tow numbers for the Bronco.

So.... we sit here typing on our keyboards speculating why it is what it is and we will continue to do so until FoMoCo tells us why it is what it is.
 

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AK0311

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The 3500# limit is why I'm looking at getting a small aluminum cargo trailer and making my own camper.
A. I don't need or use most of the features in most RV's.
B. Keeping what gear I take simple saves weight. More capacity for needs.
C. I can get larger tires so I can take the trailer on some "improved" trails, not just limited to on the road system campgrounds.
D. I can keep the profile lower, equal to the Bronco roofline, helping my fuel economy when on the Highway.
 

High Proof

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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 did have a 7 pin connection installed along with an electronic brake controller. I kept an eye on the transmission temperature.

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.

Ford Bronco Could I tow this? 118791297_10222873045044339_1085547007831856770_n
 

zedster

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With what we know now could I tow this? I’m trying to find a travel trailer that my wife and I could use with a Bronco. She wants to go with me and she has settled on this lightweight trailer. I’m no expert so I’m asking the smarter people in the room
Ford Bronco Could I tow this? 118791297_10222873045044339_1085547007831856770_n
What model of the Sonic Lite is this?
 

zedster

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Nice! I just picked one up this past weekend and towed it from Idaho to Las Vegas. 660 miles. Any issues with the spare hitting your power jack? What hitch are you using?
 

Lxatoledo

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Yessir! I'm looking at campers now myself. The bronco is rated to tow 3500lbs.
Can you or should you? No freaking way IMHO....I towed a 16' flatbed and it was "educational"
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