Towed 6x12 cargo trailer with ease!

[vzqhsg]

Figured I'd test out the Bronco with a 6x12 cargo trailer for a local scout troop i've been a part of for decades. It's a 22 badsquatch, lux, tow, you get the point. Here's a pic without the Andersen weight distribution hooked up. it doesn't look like it, but the bronco squatted about 1 1/4 inches. This trailer is a touch over 3500 pounds and has about 450 pounds of tongue weight.

now with the weight distribution tensioned. (notice the extra chains running parallel to the trailer tongue). I tensioned enough to put me back to 1/4 inch of sag vs 1 1/4.

Did a quick road test since I don't have a brake controller in here (yet) and you can tell the bronco just wants to go! I went up to 60 MPH and did a few quick jerks of the steering wheel to make sure it stayed planted, and there's really no harshness to the ride.

here's a pic of the andersen hitch a little closer (they've changed the design on these around 2016, but i've had this one for quite a long time):

and here's a better side profile shot:

Now to order up a brake controller and wiring harness. Mirrors on the bronco allow me to see around the trailer without any issue. No way i would have been able to do this with my JLUR, i tried once and couldn't see around it, and it didn't feel comfortable pulling down the street.

another +1 for ford knocking it out of the park with the bronco.

Thanks for the info about towing. I have a 14x7 alum. enclosed and was wondering how the 2.7 works. Not sure how much you tow this trailer but here is a brake controller that a friend strongly recommends. He owns a travel trailer rental business. He uses this on 24-28 foot travel trailers with no issues. He has 3-4 of them. Here is the link on eTrailer. https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Brake-Controller/CURT/C51180.html. This way you don't have to wire the truck and it can be used on more then one truck.

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[gdp]

I rarely post but have to now because this is a serious safety issue that most people don't understand. No offense intended here but you guys do not know of what you speak.
RTazz17 already said it but I'll go further. Tow ratings are not based on towing in normal conditions. They are based on braking and frame support in non-normal conditions like windy or emergency braking, and the bronco is not up for it. Taking something over the tow rating on the road is just as irresponsible as drunk driving and you're endangering everyone on the road around you.

 

[mrjking2000]

I rarely post but have to now because this is a serious safety issue that most people don't understand. No offense intended here but you guys do not know of what you speak.
RTazz17 already said it but I'll go further. Tow ratings are not based on towing in normal conditions. They are based on braking and frame support in non-normal conditions like windy or emergency braking, and the bronco is not up for it. Taking something over the tow rating on the road is just as irresponsible as drunk driving and you're endangering everyone on the road around you.

I don't think you all read the stats. Trailer is 3700 pounds loaded. A whopping 200 pounds won't matter. Now hooking up to a 7500 pound trailer would be a stupid idea. But you have to know the weight you're pulling to be safe with it.

 

[gdp]

Look, I'm not here to argue with anyone, I'm just stating the facts. Your stated fact is that you're pulling an overloaded trailer down the road with boy scouts in the Bronco. And likely over the GVWR for the Bronco. Go for it if you know more than the Ford engineers and the NHSTA.

 

[BroncoSarge]

Overweight trailer, exceeding tongue weight over 60 MPH... PASS. I don’t see the need in recklessly placing myself and other drivers in danger. There is a difference between testing capabilities and blatantly ignoring safety standards.

 

[SCB FabWorx]

I have towed my Ranger around on this single axle trailer for several hundred miles with no issues at all. The weight of the trailer with the Ranger is right around 3,500-3,600#s. Badlands, 4-door, 2.7, sqatch.

 

[mrjking2000]

Overweight trailer, exceeding tongue weight over 60 MPH... PASS. I don’t see the need in recklessly placing myself and other drivers in danger. There is a difference between testing capabilities and blatantly ignoring safety standards.

Exceeding tongue weight? What? There's 980 pounds of payload on the bronco. Standard tongue weight is 10-15% and I was at 13. Well within the payload of the bronco even with me in it.

All the keyboard warriors on here just make me laugh. Just look at all the grossly overloaded squatting trucks out on the roads, and all these experts in here are worried about a 3700 pound trailer that was well within the payload rating of the bronco. Go back to bed Karen, it's not your day.

 

[NVCowboy]

I like the w/d hitch, and am looking at the brake unit listed above for my single axle 6x12 cargo conversion. I’d probably (with brakes and w/d hitch) tow 200+ for personal use all day long.
Scouts? Scout insurance? Knowingly exceeding Ford’s posted limits? Parents looking to sue me into poverty if something went wrong?
Roughly 5 person’s worth of stuff gotta go in another vehicle. I’m not being a Karen, just an experienced Scouter whose chaffed under the seemingly excessive safety regulations (each of which, I’m sure, has an injured or worse Scout with a lawsuit attached in the fully annotated version of the rule book, if there was such a thing). I might be less grumbly if BSA would publish a little horror story to go along with each pithy little rule. “Damn, that sucks, but now I understand.” I cringe when I hear most park rangers’ definition of a Scout Leader. “Well meaning adult who leads youth to their deaths.” Nope, nope, and nope. If the Bronco absolutely positively HAS to tow the extra 200 lbs, every single kid’s gotta ride in another vehicle. I’ve already come to terms that if heavy is required, then the Super Duty gets the nod.

 

[Jdyount]

Exceeding tongue weight? What? There's 980 pounds of payload on the bronco. Standard tongue weight is 10-15% and I was at 13. Well within the payload of the bronco even with me in it.

All the keyboard warriors on here just make me laugh. Just look at all the grossly overloaded squatting trucks out on the roads, and all these experts in here are worried about a 3700 pound trailer that was well within the payload rating of the bronco. Go back to bed Karen, it's not your day.

Just because someone else is doing something stupid doesn't mean you should...

Also, being over tow capacity isn't about "Can I pull it?" it's about "Can I stop with it?". Go ahead and slam on your brakes going 70 mph with your 700 lbs over capacity, I bet you $20 you bend your rear cross member.

People just don't understand physics.

What's funny to me is that someone is going to come on a public forum, that Ford has active representatives on, and announce they're doing something that will 1000% void their vehicle's warranty AND make them negligently liable in the case of an accident. Absolutely stupid.

 

[Ksjrb03]

Exceeding tongue weight? What? There's 980 pounds of payload on the bronco. Standard tongue weight is 10-15% and I was at 13. Well within the payload of the bronco even with me in it.

All the keyboard warriors on here just make me laugh. Just look at all the grossly overloaded squatting trucks out on the roads, and all these experts in here are worried about a 3700 pound trailer that was well within the payload rating of the bronco. Go back to bed Karen, it's not your day.

Your 400-500 lbs over towing capacity, depending on engine. And your 100+ lbs over tongue weight rating. Nowhere near "within the payload rating".

 

[BroncoSarge]

Exceeding tongue weight? What? There's 980 pounds of payload on the bronco. Standard tongue weight is 10-15% and I was at 13. Well within the payload of the bronco even with me in it.

All the keyboard warriors on here just make me laugh. Just look at all the grossly overloaded squatting trucks out on the roads, and all these experts in here are worried about a 3700 pound trailer that was well within the payload rating of the bronco. Go back to bed Karen, it's not your day.

You‘re over the payload and that can place other drivers in danger and I am the Karen… sorry I dont agree with you doing dumb stuff and thinking your immune to debate.

 

[ERock62]

I'd pass on towing that. Key is... can you stop and stop well.

I/We have a toy hauler and it's not heavy. 5200 dry. 9k loaded with water and our RZR. I towed it for about 6mo's with our old Tundra. It was within capacity and towed fine but got tossed around in wind. This was properly setup with a WDH and sway control.

We bought an F250 6.7L and it's night and day. Stopping/wind/hills does not matter.

I did 700mi towing over the weekend moving the MIL from SoCal to AZ. Rented a 20ft enclosed. We had insanely bad wind on the way back (unloaded). I would not even think of towing a small enclosed with our Bronco in that same situation.

I live in the land of seeing overloaded 3/4 ton trucks towing monster 5th wheels. I just shake my head.

 

[Freyer]

I'm reading this post and have some basic questions...hoping to get some good advice. I haven't towed much.

We are thinking about getting a small camper to tow behind my 2D manual base. I would need to add a tow package and see some of the options and the comments.

Beside that we are looking at the following trailer...KZ Sportsmen Classic 130RB with electric brakes.

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