Let me add my experience with a combo that is not supposed to work according to questionable advice Ive seen posted here and elsewhere. The Explorer is one of the best lightweight towing vehicles Ive had/used to date, including several pickups and a Suburban.
I recently pulled a 3023 from California (Bay area) to Utah with my 1998 Explorer Sport- a 4x4 short 2-door version of the Explorer which has the 4.0 six-cylinder ohv engine equipped with the tow package and WD hitch. The SUV also has an aftermarket overload spring installed. In addition to the trailer, I also carried 250Lb of cargo in the "SUV's trunk". The biggest difference (for towing) are OEM 4.10 gears and tranny cooler, although I have large 33" tires that reduces the overall "equivalent gear" closer to a 3.8 ratio. The Explorer has a very effective 5-speed transmission that does a very good job staying in the engine's torque zone.
Result: I thought the performance was outstanding- 55 mph over Donners Pass (steep grades, ~9000 ft as I remember), around 70 mph elsewhere on flatter ground w/very good gas mileage (abt 17 mpg) considering the situation. FWIW, I found that locking out the overdrive also served as a decent engine brake on downgrades.
The TM is everything it has been advertised as- I love it- better handling performance than I expected! I had no problems at all with sway or wind, I found the combination effectively stable and predictable. The short wheelbase makes backing the trailer a breeze.
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