[fcatwo]

I can understand why you like the "Stow and Go". We had an opportunity to rent one for a week earlier this year and found it to be a really nice, plush vehicle. However, Like all minivans, they are car-based and weigh about 1000lbs more than the cars they are descended from. IMO this limits their tow ratings compared to truck-based vehicles like you Explorer. It's difficult to keep a TM/minivan combination within the manufacturers GCWR. We towed our 2619 with no problems for three yrs and 20,000 mi with a Honda Odyssey but had to leave the 2nd and 3rd row seats from the Odyssey at home and pack the TM lightly to keep within the GCWR.

I suspect the different opinions you'll get on "towing-power" will depend a great deal on what people are comparing them to. We came down from a pickup/5th-wheel to the Odyssey/TM and found the Odyssey to be at least as strong as the pickup. YMMV