Tow capacity will keep me from switching...

[Lakelife36]

I am sticking with tow package comes with class III hitch and integrated brake controller requires 2.7 and A10. 5000 lbs is sufficient.

The Ranger does more than that with the 2.3L and 10A, and the general consensus here is that it's not the powertrain that's the limiting factor for towing. Why would it need the 2.7L and 10A?

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[John B+9]

Greetings Aussieshed, noticed you have an Alpha Stelvio. Off-thread, but can't help asking - how are you liking it? Spent significant time working in Switzerland over the past couple of years and noted they are popular with the mountain road drivers. I read in Car & Driver the Stelvio architecture will be the platform for the new Jeep Grand Cherokee (https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g28985154/future-cars/?slide=18)

 

[Cmeyers186]

Yeah I'm not sure why people were expecting this to be a tow rig. I mean the Bronco heritage has roots in high-speed desert racing. That kind of suspension doesn't lend itself to towing capability. And like you said it already meets/exceeds the Wrangler capacity.

Also since the 2 door and 4 door both have the same listed towing capacity I'm fairly certain that number was chosen as a placeholder/stopgap until they have an actual concrete number while still being able to say they can do better than Jeep.

Edit: So my guess with the supposed "towing package" we've seen as a possible option, is that the 4 door will come in closer to 4/4.5K

Doesn't have to be a tow rig...but it would be nice to throw some "hitch" accessories on it!

 

[LarryZiegler]

Doesn't have to be a tow rig...but it would be nice to throw some "hitch" accessories on it!

There are plenty of hitch accessories that can be added, such as a couple of jet skis, a small boat, a tent trailer, teardrop, and even an R-Pod sized travel trailer. People are expecting more than this vehicle is rated to tow.

 

[Cmeyers186]

There are plenty of hitch accessories that can be added, such as a couple of jet skis, a small boat, a tent trailer, teardrop, and even an R-Pod sized travel trailer. People are expecting more than this vehicle is rated to tow.

Totally agree. Main issue with tow /no tow hitch availability is not tow capacity however, it is GVWR considerations. I look at it this way - if I can add a winch to my 4DR FE - I should certainly be able to add a tow hitch in lieu of the winch...let me choose one or the other. Same for roof rails. The towing capacity is what it is and while 3,500 isn't much - it is enough for me since I only want to be able to put a rack for a cooler, fishing gear, and such - and maybe a hitch mounted hammock for my days at the beach.

 

[Lakelife36]

There are plenty of hitch accessories that can be added, such as a couple of jet skis, a small boat, a tent trailer, teardrop, and even an R-Pod sized travel trailer. People are expecting more than this vehicle is rated to tow.

We certainly are expecting more than it's rated to tow, but that's because some of the tow ratings are silly. Do you seriously believe that it makes sense for all wheelbases, gear ratios, and suspensions to be capable of towing the same amount? Answer honestly here.

I just clicked on the smallest R-Pod on the website at first glance and it shows a 2700lb dry weight with 340lb tongue weight. That was my first click though and with some research you very well may find lighter ones. There may be small trailers that you can tow at under 3500lb weight, but the max tongue weight and GCWR that come with the 3500lb rating are going to screw many people over really fast.

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

How many toys does one need to bring when they play? Bronco would be all the toy I need.

Joking aside, just how much weight are people wanting to tow?

4700 like the FJ Cruiser would be nice.

 

[2Jeeps&PatriotX1]

There are plenty of hitch accessories that can be added, such as a couple of jet skis, a small boat, a tent trailer, teardrop, and even an R-Pod sized travel trailer. People are expecting more than this vehicle is rated to tow.

Dry weight - 2200lbs
Loaded - 3395lbs
Tongue weight - 400lbs

 

[cbrownabq]

Ok, this is my first post on here. But, 3500 is a joke. I’ve been rockcrawling since the early 90s and there is no reason you can’t have suspension flex combined with a tow rating that’s better than a Subaru.
-4-runner is currently 5000, 4th gen was 7500 with v8
-keep grand Cherokee 7200
-Jeep Gladiator- 4500
-Toyota FJ-5000
-Nissan Pathfinder-7000
All of these can have awesome articulation, ride well and have coil springs in the rear (except pathfinder).

The bronco drivetrain isn’t an issue with good power and durability. Slightly stiffer springs and a real hitch would fix this issue on the bronco. I’m also hoping this rating is just a placeholder until they give (at least the 4-door) a real row rating that doesn’t suck.

 

[ZackDanger]

Ok, this is my first post on here. But, 3500 is a joke. I’ve been rockcrawling since the early 90s and there is no reason you can’t have suspension flex combined with a tow rating that’s better than a Subaru.
-4-runner is currently 5000, 4th gen was 7500 with v8
-keep grand Cherokee 7200
-Jeep Gladiator- 4500
-Toyota FJ-5000
-Nissan Pathfinder-7000
All of these can have awesome articulation, ride well and have coil springs in the rear (except pathfinder).

The bronco drivetrain isn’t an issue with good power and durability. Slightly stiffer springs and a real hitch would fix this issue on the bronco. I’m also hoping this rating is just a placeholder until they give (at least the 4-door) a real row rating that doesn’t suck.

Unfortunately Ford has answered directly that the 3500 is not a “place holder.” That is the final rating.

The question then becomes, how willing is the Bronco and aftermarket community going to be to upgrade the hitch and push the limits.

 

[Djdmustang]

Like many of you, I really was anticipating the new Bronco launch. I was extremely impressed by the engineering and design feats made by Ford. It’s a very good looking rig.

I watched the release getting more and more excited UNTIL I read the towing capacity. This was a really key opportunity to pull away two large segments of buyers(existing pickup owners and current Jeep owners). With both segments, I think towing capacity was a big deciding factor. I live in Florid, and the ability to tow a boat when needed is critical. For that reason, you see a lot of pickup trucks. You also see/hear a ton of Jeep owners wondering why they paid 30-50k for practically no towing capacity.

3500 lbs is NOTHING. It doesn’t even match the Ford Ranger.

I, like most Americans, don’t have the money to plop down 40-50k on multiple vehicles to serve multiple purposes.

I hope someone at Ford will read this and consider it for the future.

Well the new Defender 90 tows 7,700 lbs and has soft “air” suspension. Not sure how they achieved that. I personally am not interested in the Defender due to the incredibly complex software design for off road use, plus shocking sticker price. It’s not as reliable in my opinion for long term, not as good looking as the Bronco but let me tell u it drives great! Even though the Bronco tows far less it’s speculative that it can tow more than indicated. Perhaps they are still trying to figure that out.

 

[Broncodave]

Damn it! I've been getting excited about off-road towing and now find out I can't do it!

 

[PSUTE]

Been discussed ad nauseum up in here. I will have no problem waiting for an after market class III or IV hitch with suitable suspension/cooling system and doubling the rated tow capacity. Even if I never exceed 3500, it will be more stable and safer than the tow package Ford is putting out. Looking at how they designed it, 4 bolts in the middle of the rearmost cross member is bullshit. No weight/torque distribution happens....

 

[LarryZiegler]

Been discussed ad nauseum up in here. I will have no problem waiting for an after market class III or IV hitch with suitable suspension/cooling system and doubling the rated tow capacity. Even if I never exceed 3500, it will be more stable and safer than the tow package Ford is putting out. Looking at how they designed it, 4 bolts in the middle of the rearmost cross member is bullshit. No weight/torque distribution happens....

I believe you will also have a hard time finding a true Class 3 hitch. As the Bronco hitch design seems very similar to the Wrangler, I have only found a Class 3 hitch with a max load rating of 4500 lbs for the Wrangler and it uses the same mounting points.

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