Can I Tow Safely?

 he two most common questions I see when looking for RV information are; “What kind of RV should I get”, and “Can I tow (insert an RV model here) with my (insert vehicle here)?”  I have talked a little bit about getting an RV in a previous post, so I will address tow vehicles here.  I’m limiting this to Travel Trailers since that is the class that would have the most towing issues/problems.

Most RV manufacturers are making their entry level RV’s as light as possible, so that most trucks and SUV’s can pull them.  Whether they can pull them safely is the real
question.  There is so much information out there about towing, vehicle tow limits, and weight limits that I could turn this into a 15 page dissertation, but I won’t. I want to keep this short so will only discuss some critical issues that you MUST know.

Most people who are looking to buy an RV already have a vehicle and they don’t want or can’t afford to buy a new one, especially on top of buying an RV.  So they look for an RV they can tow with their current vehicle.  Unless someone was really thinking ahead and knew they would be towing an RV, they wouldn’t necessarily have a capable tow vehicle.  The first thing you should do is know what your
vehicle is capable of.  I will give you a for instance, using my own vehicle, a 2006 Ford Explorer. 

Things to Consider

Engine size and axle ratio are the top two items to consider. The first thing I do is search the internet, typing “2006 Ford Explorer Towing” into the search engine.  I find this site: https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/2006RVguideApr08.pdf  and in the document I see this “Most capable Explorer ever with improved payload and up to a 7,300-lb. towing capacity”.

We have the larger 4.6 liter V8 engine, so right away I assume that I can tow 7,300 pounds.  One thing I learned in the Navy that you never assume, because it makes an ASS out of U and ME.  There are factors that you must consider, even though on the surface it looks like my vehicle can tow up to 7,300 pounds. 

The document has a chart later on (pg. 20 in above pic if you’re interested) where you can find out how much you can tow, with 7,300 being the maximum IF you have two things; the correct engine size and the correct axle ratio.  To find your engine size, just open the hood and look at the hood.  There should be a sticker with emissions data and the engine size on it.  You could also look at the top of the engine.  Most times it’s readily visible right on the top. 

A more difficult way is to look up the VIN data.  The VIN is located on the driver’s side on the dashboard, but visible through the windshield.  You then have to look up that on the internet.  The 8^th digit in the VIN relates to engine size, but you have to decode it. (You could use this link: https://www.vehiclehistory.com/ ). 

Now you need to find the axle ratio.  This information is on the sticker on the
driver’s side door jamb. 

Not safely in my case…

Again, it is a code that you have to look up.  In my case it is a code of 45 which crosses to axle ratio of 3.55.  Looking at the chart on pg. 20, you can see where my vehicle can only tow 3020 pounds, not 7300 pounds!  The RV we want weighs 4220 dry weight and has GVWR of 5200.  So my Ford Explorer is NOT capable of towing it safely.  Chris and I are looking for a sufficient vehicle and I have my eye on an F-150, but think maybe we should look at F-250 in case we ever want to upgrade to a “heavier” RV in the future.