Towing a 'Big' Boat (for the Bronco)

[Laminar]

In Europe they tow more with less, and most of the trailers have surge brakes to make it possible to do so safely.

I wish people would stop bringing this up.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/towing-capacity.716/page-6#post-55916

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[Grumpy]

I wish people would stop bringing this up.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/towing-capacity.716/page-6#post-55916

These laws you are linking to involves today. What @Gnomad is referencing to is back in the day when we older folks were kids. Whole different world.

 

[cobro92]

Safety is one thing, sure. But nobody seems to be talking about the liability risk. If someone t-bones you in an intersection or cuts into your lane on the freeway and hits you (100% their fault) and their insurance company finds out you were overweight on a trailer, then they will for sure refuse to pay. You’d be screwed financially.

 

[OX1]

Not going to rip ya. Just it is not about pulling power, it is about stopping power. If you have to do an emergency stop because a kid runs in front of you, can you stop it fast enough?

This. I would do one axle of brakes at least. Maybe not legally required, but a huge help just in case.

 

[kodiakisland]

I don’t cruise at 2300rpm without a load, I can’t imagine doing it with. 2800-3000rpm is where I would be sitting if I was towing. It’s no wonder it was in full boost. The 2.3 is barely in its power band at 2300rpm and needs more rpm to get out of boost, even without a load on a flat stretch.

 

[Laminar]

These laws you are linking to involves today. What @Gnomad is referencing to is back in the day when we older folks were kids. Whole different world.

I quoted what I was responding to and he clearly used present tense verbs.

 

[Roger123]

Nice setup, in VA a tandem trailer needs brakes. Tow "ratings" are ridiculous, my Grand Cherokee is "rated" for 6,000#. Similar brakes, unibody, and way less power than the Bronco.

 

[MNBigfoot]

................... Oh and pulling the trailer with the boat on it out of the water.

Granted we don't see a lot of #4000+ boat packages here (ours are more in the #3000 range), but as an avid Ice-fisherman I watch suv's and 1/2 ton's, pull #4500 wheel-houses up icy boat landing every day in the winter, I don't understand what the concern would be with a roughly 300hp, 4wd with rear locker be in pulling a #4000 boat up a boat ramp. What is it about the Bronco that makes you think this may be to much for it?

 

[UNBROKN]

I towed this boat, with my dad in the passenger seat, approximately 70miles

All good. I think you giving the cars ahead some extra distance is the best idea. So many people have ZERO experience towing and try to drive as though they are behind the wheel of their Mustang or Focus ST. Be smart, drive safe, give yourself plenty of room.

I believe it's the open top aspect of the Bronco that derates the towing.

I think itis this along with the fact that the hitch on the Bronco mounts to a crossbar that runs between the frame rails. If it connected to both frame rails like most truck hitches do, I would be willing to bet that the tow rating would be a little higher. I do NOT want to have to much weight behind me that is only supported by 4 bolts on a hitch that is no bigger than a quart of milk. Beefier is always better.

 

[PrepVet]

Granted we don't see a lot of #4000+ boat packages here (ours are more in the #3000 range), but as an avid Ice-fisherman I watch suv's and 1/2 ton's, pull #4500 wheel-houses up icy boat landing every day in the winter, I don't understand what the concern would be with a roughly 300hp, 4wd with rear locker be in pulling a #4000 boat up a boat ramp. What is it about the Bronco that makes you think this may be to much for it?

I'm not saying "too much" but an area of concern. Pulling a boat out of water has it's own issues. I've seen 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks back sliding into the lake when attempting to recover a boat. I prefer the beefier the setup for that. My Ram2500 with an old wedgie is overkill for my little Bayliner but I still wouldn't use my Bronco for it.

 

[lakesinai]

Well I guess you don't really care about the safety of others and yourself. You apparently don't care about towing capacity of the Bronco being only 3,500lbs. Trying to convince others of your negligence is note worthy is a fail in my opinion. You might as well not even of posted this.

Well, Grumpy is correct, but the OP knows this already, and Grumpy rightly is living up to his name! I would highlight that the most important safety issue here IMO is the apparent lack of surge brakes on the 2 axle trailer. Is that true? Its illegal on Interstate Hwy, I believe. That does endanger the driver and others, not only when stopping, but is there is an accident or breakaway event, the safety chain is supposed to activate the brakes and stop the boat so it doesnt runaway and kill others. I didnt think it was possible to sell a dual-axle trailer w/o surge brakes. ANY GOOD TRAILER SHOP CAN ADD BRAKES TO 1 OR BOTH AXLES.

Granted we don't see a lot of #4000+ boat packages here (ours are more in the #3000 range), but as an avid Ice-fisherman I watch suv's and 1/2 ton's, pull #4500 wheel-houses up icy boat landing every day in the winter, I don't understand what the concern would be with a roughly 300hp, 4wd with rear locker be in pulling a #4000 boat up a boat ramp. What is it about the Bronco that makes you think this may be to much for it?

1. No brakes, no breakaway cable. 2. Not enough attachment area for the hitch receiver to the vehicle itself. Those are two safety issues.

 

[mehkanical]

Nothing brings out the pedantic safety patrol like a trailer over the artifically low tow ratings.
Granted that at anything over a common garden trailer should have brakes.
When I was a kid, our family towed a travel trailer all over Alaska with a Buick Skylark, which weighed less and had less power than our Broncos. It had brakes and a weight distributing hitch and towed that Shasta like a beast. In Europe they tow more with less, and most of the trailers have surge brakes to make it possible to do so safely.
I believe it's the open top aspect of the Bronco that derates the towing. UHaul policy is to not rent to a vehicle without a hard top over the passenger compartment.
If I were the OP I'd get the trailer brakes sorted out , that's common sense really.

Absolutely. My first big purchase for this boat will be surge brakes. Unfortunately the hubs will not accept them so I'll be swapping those. Torsion axles have seen better days so will most likely swap those too. Will end up being ~$3k but well worth it.

 

[Datoad]

22 foot Nordic, big block, over 5000# with trailer.
The Bronco pulled it just fine…….. in to the driveway and back into the garage to run it on the garden hose after a tune up.
I use an Expedition for actual towing.

 

[lakesinai]

DISCLAIMER - I do NOT recommend doing as you see here. This post is meant to inform and potentially discourage others. Fully aware you guys will probably rip me.

Bronco Specs:

Year - 2022​

Trim - Black Diamond​

Engine - 2.3L I4 (Sport Mode Enabled)​

Transmission - 7 Speed Manual (heh)​

Rated Towing Capacity - 3,500lbs​

Mods - 3" Spacer Lift and Sasquatch Wheels/Tires​

​

Boat Specs:

Year - 1998​

Model - Contender 21 Open​

Engine - 2017 Suzuki 200hp I4​

Towing Weight:

Dry Hull - 2,300lbs​

Engine - 500lbs​

Full Tank - 90gal x 6lbs/gal = 540lbs​

Trailer - ~1000lbs​

____________​

TOTAL = 4,340lbs​

​

I towed this boat, with my dad in the passenger seat, approximately 70miles home down a flat stretch of straight interstate with occasional short hills/bridges. So, how did it tow?

From dead stops, the manual transmission required light throttle blips and careful clutch slips to keep the 2.3L happy. The weight of the boat was obviously noticed by the 2.3L and the turbo need to stay spooled constantly (2000rpm +). The interstate on-ramp was inclined but the Bronco was still able to hit 60mph by the time I was merging. Once on the interstate, I left it in 5th gear and held a speed of ~65-67mph. At this speed/gear, the engine was around 2300rpm. 6th gear was not usable at this speed since the engine RPM was not high enough to spool the turbo. The trailer had no sway and the Bronco was not bossed around by it, even on a long bridge with a decent cross wind. At one point on this bridge, the evenly spaced bumps from the bridge segments began to, with lack of better term, "buck" the Bronco so I reduced the speed to get out of that rhythm. Hottest the engine got was ~220°F which appeared just above halfway on the gauge. Since the trailer does not have brakes (not a requirement for this size where I live) I left plenty of room between me and vehicle ahead. Once I was in town, it stopped the trailer "acceptably" but not great. I would recommend surge or electronic brakes.

I have launched a 21' Sea Hunt (deep-vee) which weighs a few hundred pounds less than this and the Bronco was able to pull it up the ramp, in 4WD, no problem. But, I will be launching the Contender this weekend so can report back how that goes.

My "home" port for this boat is 2 miles from my house through a residential neighborhood. Seldomly, I may tow it ~10 miles down a country road to a different launch. So for now, I'll stick with the Bronco but if I want to explore other areas of water, I'll be phoning my fishing buddies for their trucks.

For those who would like to know how manufacturers set their tow ratings, using the 2015 SAE J-2807 standards, I recommend this article: https://explorerrvclub.com/blog/sae-tow-ratings-system/

 

[cbrenthus]

Nothing brings out the pedantic safety patrol like a trailer over the artifically low tow ratings.
Granted that at anything over a common garden trailer should have brakes.
When I was a kid, our family towed a travel trailer all over Alaska with a Buick Skylark, which weighed less and had less power than our Broncos. It had brakes and a weight distributing hitch and towed that Shasta like a beast. In Europe they tow more with less, and most of the trailers have surge brakes to make it possible to do so safely.
I believe it's the open top aspect of the Bronco that derates the towing. UHaul policy is to not rent to a vehicle without a hard top over the passenger compartment.
If I were the OP I'd get the trailer brakes sorted out , that's common sense really.

I agree that the US has artificially low tow ratings, but there is a bit more going on to consider. First, back in the day with your family's Skylark, it was almost certainly a body-on-frame vehicle, and very likely had leaf springs. Both of these factors raise the towing capacity considerably. For a reference, look into RAM Power Wagons - they are a 2500 series truck, but with off road coil suspension and therefore lower tow ratings than some 1500s!

As for Europe, there are several factors that allow them to tow more - a tiered licensing system, less litigious, and lower speed limits for towing. Here is a great article on why the EU tow limits are higher for the same vehicle that I recommend everyone read as it explains towing dynamics and how they work with hitch weights: https://web.archive.org/web/20200922183139/https://oppositelock.kinja.com/tow-me-down-1609112611

Uhaul policy is simply because they are afraid that if you get in a wreck and flip, the trailer could hit you in the head with a soft or no top. At least, that is what I was told by a Uhaul location back in '07 with my JKUX. If it was a structural thing, then they wouldn't rent to Wranglers with hardtops (which I've done several times) because the fiberglass hardtops of the Wranglers and Broncos don't do a thing for structural rigidity.

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