Explorer Reliability Issues?

One should note that U-Haul will not rent a trailer to someone towing with a Ford Explorer. They don't consider it a "safety issue", but it is a direct result of lawsuits from accidents involving this combo (Explorer + U-Haul trailer).

Check out the A/C. I have heard several complaints that the 2005 Explorer A/C blows cold air only on your feet!

The max tow trailer weight depends upon the engine size (V-6 or V-8), the axle ratio (3.55 or 3.73), and the size of the wheels (16" or 17") and 4X2 vs. 4X4. Note that on some Explorer models (and this is typical of other manufacturers too) if you take the GCWR minus the curb weight of the vehicle, you come up with a max trailer weight that is LESS than that listed. Oh, yes, add the weight of gas, driver, passengers, and cargo in the Explorer to reduce that number even more.

Check out the specs (> Well, we've almost pulled the trigger on a brand new 2005 Explorer. What

Please elaborate on how wheel size influences max tow weight.

Thanks in advance.

Richard -

In Nov '01, I bought a 2002 Explorer 4-DR XLT with the (kinda small) V-8 and factory towing package. The latter seems to include a 3.73 LS rear end, 5-speed overdrive automatic trans, Class III hitch and 7-pin connector. It is rated to tow somewhere around 7000 pounds - which it will NOT COME CLOSE TO DOING if you venture out of the flatlands of the midwest. For this reason I would not consider the 4.0 V-6 if you expect to tow.

At the moment, I have about 85K miles on it (we drive a lot). Perhaps

20K of that involved towing low-profile camping trailer which I weighed put on a scale and found about 3500 pounds. The vehicle has been adequate, but no more than that, pulling this trailer into the high Sierras and over Loveland Pass and Vail Pass in Colorado. The combination of steep grades and high altitude just kill the engine's output.

Overall, this has been a great vehicle. I replaced the OEM Michelins at about 80K, and just last week replaced the OEM battery. I change oil religiously every 3K, but other than that haven't had to do anything to it. My only complaint is that the tranny REALLY REALLY needs a Tow Mode

- it behaves very improperly when the camper is behind it. (I think this is the 5R55W trans.) I also wish it had a tranny temp gauge (but that's minor) and an extra tranny cooler.

I hope to get another 80K out of this vehicle, and don't see any reason why I shouldn't if the tranny holds up as it has so far. At that time, if the new models have a Towing Mode, I will probably replace it with another Explorer - otherwise, I may look around.

Bill Jeffrey =========================

Richard M> Well, we've almost pulled the trigger on a brand new 2005 Explorer. What

I believe max tow rating is related not just to the actual size of the wheel, but to the size of the brake rotors and pads which come stock with the larger wheels from the factory. This is just a guess. If you look at web sites which list different models of vehicles (such as my Expedition), they list different GCWR with different wheel sizes (17 inch vs.16 inch), as well as axle ratios, engine sizes, etc. Some of the limitation in towing ability is in the braking ability of the tow vehicle.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Cowles"

I used to have an V8 AWD Explorer which we used to tow our 25' TT about

5000#. It towed it just fine as far as power goes. The only thing I noticed was that on a long hill the air conditioning would start to blow warmer air and then cool back down when we crested the hill. I also towed with a hensley hitch since the wheelbase is so short on the Explorer. Would not have tried it without one.

I now have a F150 Supercrew that tows the trailer with power and control to spare. I still use the hensley. It also lets us move to a larger trailer when ready.

If it were me, I'd forget about the Explorer and move to the F150 Supercrew. Basically you get a more powerful truck, with more room, with a longer wheelbase, with better brakes, etc. for about the same price as the explorer. The only down side to the supercrew vs. the explorer is the enclosed and heated bed on the explorer. The f150 has a 5.5' truck bed. I have it covered with a cap but it is separate from the cab. So if you have a dog or something that you want out of the elements, the the supercrew wouldn't provide that.

IMHO hav> Well, we've almost pulled the trigger on a brand new 2005 Explorer. What

....snip

It's not surprising that your Explorer couldn't cope with the mountain passes. Based on my readings, you have to derate the capacity of a vehicle anywhere from 2% to 4% per 1000 feet of altitude above sea level. So for Loveland Pass (~12000ft altitude), that means you lose anywhere from 24% to 48% of towing capacity - which makes towing your

3500lb camper kinda iffy.

Jean

I've heard you lose about 2% of your power for each 1000 ft of altitude, but never heard about derating your towing capacity for altitude. The brakes, powertrain (except for power) and suspension don't change with altitude. The loss of power is self-limiting concerning towing.

I think the loss of AC is because trhere's a vacuum switch that cuts power to the compressor when the vacuum drops beyond a certain point - as when pulling hard, for example.

Why don't you just add an aftermarket tranny cooler? We bought a 2002 Isuzu Trooper new new in April of 2003...rated to tow 5000lbs, and we tow an 18" travel trailer that the title says is 2400lbs empty. The auxilliary tranny cooler (bought from Adavance or Autozone, can't remember for sure which) went on around the same time I was putting on the hitch and accessories. My theory is that it's cheap insurance! Even though the Trooper has a 10 year/120k drivetrain warranty... :-)

It has a "power mode" button, which definitely helps. It tends to upshift too quickly without it...I've gotten to the point I like to just leave it in that mode all the time. Problem is it then likes to downshift way to quickly if you have to punch it...

Did you replace the OEM Michelins with the same thing? Just wondering what to put on the Trooper when it finally wears out its original shoes (only up to 16k so far). It's got 16" Bridgestone Dueler's on it now...

Wesley

I used to have a similar problem with a 1978 Ford van I used to drive...towing or on a long acceleration, it would throw the front heat/ac system up on the windshield instead of the dash, and the rear heat/ac would turn to heat. I was told it was a vacuum leak somewhere in the system, but no one could ever pin it down and wasn't worth a bunch of $$ to figure out.

What is a "hensley hitch"? I've not heard of that before...

Wesley

Two ways -

1) Larger wheels and tires effectively lower the gear ratio.

2) Larger wheels and tires weigh more. This is a double hit to your braking an acceleration. When stopping you not only have to burn off the extra forward inertia added as a result of the extra weight of the larger wheels and tires, but you also have to burn off the extra rotational inertia. Bigger tires and wheels are both heavier and have a larger diameter

- this makes them a better flywheel - which is not a good thing when you are trying to change speeds (either slowing down or speeding up).

Ed

I don't think they use a vacuum switch anymore. I think it is just built into the PCM logic. When you go past a certain power level, the PCM cuts off the compressor and at least in some cases, the alternator as well.

Ed

I believe the brakes will not be as effective at high altitude becasue the less dense air will not cool them as well.

Ed

Wesley, if you leave your PowerMode on all the time, you probably restrain the lock converter of the Overdrive to kick in .

Mel

Wesley a écrit:

some info on their site.

The way I see it, it's a no-sway Weight Distribution hitch

sounds like they try to simulate the hitch as if it was a Pin hitch (same as for a 5er)

Mel

Wesley a écrit:

Thanks. Basically, the smaller the wheel/tire the easier to pull/stop.

I saw a 2004 or 2005 explorer pulling a Uhaul last weekend. I wondered about that because I tried to rent one once for my 2000 XLT and was denied. Are you sure the UHaul policy is not related to the model year? Could be that this guy knew someone at UHaul or got someone who didn't know better.

-troy

Here is the statement from the UHaul web site just now when I pretended to try and rent a trailer using a 2005 Ford Explorer RWD as a tow vehicle:

"This vehicle is not authorized to tow U-Haul equipment. U-Haul does not rent behind this tow vehicle. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. Is there a different vehicle that you can use for towing?"

"tfandango"

Jean -

You are exactly right about that. In situations like that, I would kill for a decent supercharger that would boost the pressure back up to something near sea level.

I've looked. There are a lot of shysters out there selling mini-blowers that are too small to do much of anything. There are also a lot of leave-rubber-at-the-light kind of macho dorks who think of a supercharger as something to get a burst of power to leave someone else in the dust. But boosting intake pressure above sea level for more than a few seconds is liable to harm an engine that isn't designed for it. What I am looking for is something that will bring pressure back to sea level and no more, and can operate for a half hour at a time without hurting itself or the engine, as I negotiate a mountain road. Haven't found anything.

Any ideas?

Bill

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Jean wrote: