Ford Flex w/ Tow package, a 3023 and 575 # tongue weight

Hello! I have been a longtime lurker but this is my first post. I recently purchased a 2006 3023 with the thought that my 2013 Ford Flex Ecoboost with the tow package (4500 lbs total, 450lbs with weight distribution hitch) could tow it. The person I purchased it from claimed around 3,800 lbs wet (minus the onboard water tanks being full) and the local scales confirmed that number. Unfortunately the tongue weight, according to my Sherline 1,000 lb tongue weight scale, is when loaded with (2) Interstate Deep cycle batteries and (2) full propane tanks a staggering 575 lbs! We took it to a local shop to verify the weight and they came up with the same #, 575, so I am confident it is accurate.

Now we are in the scenario of either purchasing a new tow vehicle or of selling the trailer and trying to find a lighter one (we'll weight it with my new scale before closing the deal this time!). With ignorance of the tongue weight we did tow it from Salt Lake to Phoenix with no issues. We tinkered with the WD hitch when we picked it up, getting back 75% of the squat on the rear tires and nearly 100% on the front tires. Those WD hitches are amazing! But, as I understand from reading on the boards, the WD still doesn't change the fact that I exceeded the tongue weight that my vehicle is rated by quite a bit.

When we removed both batteries and both tanks we were able to get the tongue weight right at 450ish but, by putting them in our TV, we then had only 40 lbs for passengers and gear so that won't work.

Any ideas on any clever redistribution of weight strategies or must I face the laws of physics? :-)

Thanks so much! These forums have been an amazing source of information!!!

I know I'm going to get blasted for this, but..... I think a lot depends on towing conditions. I tow a 3023 as well, and I tow with a minivan. I travel really light, but I'm sure it weighs around 4000, like everyone here states. I use a WDH. My van, a Chevy uplander, tows amazingly well. I drive on relatively flat terrain, so I feel comfortable with my setup. I do have the full towing package, and everything still checks out fine with my van. I wouldn't worry.

I should add total combined weight of trailer and TV is about 300 lbs under the total allowed.

I plan on towing it in the Rockies most of its life so I'll be up high at times and on more than my fair share of mountains.

I'm considering an Expedition, 600 # tongue weight w/o a WD hitch, 900 with one, and lots and lots of extra TV+trailer capacity vs my Flex.

To your point it did tow effortlessly, about a 1 mpg hit to my mileage and the car never felt strained. Power was excellent, we sat at 55-60 all the way home and, had I never weighed it, I'd never have thought twice about hauling it all over the place. But...now that I know I am way over, I'm not so comfortable hauling it around.

[Redtail Cruiser]

Hi Sauropod,

Welcome to the forum and we all started out as "Lurkers".

The Expedition is a very capable vehicle, but if you like your Flex I would look into upgrading it's capability first before trading it or your TM. You should do some research on the rear suspension and see what kind of upgrade you could do. Adjustable shocks or airbags come to mind. Might not be enough, but combined with a heavier duty WDH, could get you to your weight capacity. That certainly sounds less expensive than upgrading a tow vehicle or down grading your trailer IMHO

Good luck and keep us posted

I have the Fastway e2 WDH FA92-00-0600 (etrailer.com) which is rated up to 6k and 600# tongue weight. It works admirably. I have bounced around on the 'net looking for upgrades to the Flex but, thus far, I have located nothing that I am confident in actually working. The trailer doesn't sag the car, two separate trailer places have looked at my hitch setup and say it is flat, doing its job, but both said my weak point is the weight on the hitch itself. I'm not sure how to beef that up on a unibody plaftorm like the Flex.

You hit it on the head about downgrading the trailer though. My CEO (ie. the wife) has, to quote her, "grown attached" to the 3023 which is code for "we aren't getting rid of it" :-) so I am keen to learn of upgrades to the Flex that could get me to almost 600 lbs on the tongue.

I have read, I believe, all of the towing forum comments and two camps emerged, the "it'll work even if one is over, just drive cautiously" camp and the "limits are put in place by engineers and you want a vehicle that will, ideally, give a buffer to those limits". The argument for the former is "as long as one drives carefully all is well" (presuming 575 lbs on my tongue will do no harm, I'm do not know if that is true or not on the Flex) and for the latter tis "might as well be safer than sorry, tow with excess capacity (versus on the edge) and you'll have a better experience". I think I'd be ok even if it was 490 lbs on a 450 lb weight but 575 is just so much over it scares me.

I was shocked at the tongue weight, is that normal for a 3023? It is about 18% of the total trailer weight.

Thanks again everyone!

[Redtail Cruiser]

Found this thread in our "search" tool .there are many others as well

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=12552

Sorry wrong link,here is the right one.


http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10652