Never exceed the published GCWR.
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Originally Posted by Glenn in TN
This is probably not really a TM question! We now have a 2001 Ford Excursion. With the 5.4 litre engine, it will tow 6100 to 6400 # depending on which rating you read. With the 6.8 V10 or the Powerstroke diesel it can carry 10,000+ #. It seems like we have a good engine and we take it around town more than we tow with, so the MPG's are much better (@$2.05/gallon reg. unleaded in Memphis this week!). If our frame (and probably transmission) are good enough for 10,000 #, what would hurt if we went to say 7000# or more with a trailer?
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What would hurt is engine/transmission longevity as well as acceleration capability. Given the never ending pressure from marketing departments to post high tow rating numbers, Ford's engineers undoubtedly had a very good reason for choosing the relatively low GCWR that's associated with a 6100 lb "tow rating" for the 5.4L engine. First, the transmission that goes with the 5.4 is highly unlikely to be the same one bolted to the 6.8L V10...Ford (like GM) has several different automatic transmissions and the lighter duty ones are definitely not strong enough for heavy towing. Secondly, the Excursion is a very heavy vehicle and the 5.4L engine is not a very big powerplant for all that mass...the net result is if you exceed the GCWR by much, you will have incredibly poor acceleration...quite dangerous if you're trying to merge onto a busy interstate and run out of on-ramp long before you have reached the speed of the traffic.
So unless you know exactly how and why Ford's engineers calculated the GCWR (and associated "tow rating") for a 5.4L Excursion...and you have the in-depth engineering knowledge and assets to re-engineer the vehicle (and manufacture/install heavier duty components as needed), I would strongly suggest you not exceed the published GCWR.
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Ray
I use my TM as a base camp for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and climbing Colorado's 14ers
The Trailer: 2002 TM Model 2720SL ( Mods: Solar Panels (170 Watts), Dual T-105 Batteries, Electric Tongue Jack, Side AC, Programmable Thermostat, Doran TP Monitor System)
The Tow Vehicle: 2003 Toyota Tundra V8 SR5 4X4 w/Tow Package (Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Prodigy Brake Controller, Transmission Temperature Gauge)
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