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LETSGOBRANCO

Outer Banks
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Gary
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Outer Banks
I am sure this has been done before but humor me.

My family and I are considering packing up and seeing all this former great country has to offer.

My wife and I have just begun to see what our bronco is capable of handling.

We want the biggest lightest camper our bronco can handle.

I am curious what other people's experiences are. I was dissapointed it's max tow is only 3500 lbs.

Is that a hard number? Can it really tow more like 4k?

Any and all info is appreciated.

It would he My wife myself My infant and our dog marv :)
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V1Rotate

Wildtrak
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Clubs
 
It’s definitely a hard number if you ever get into an accident and insurance or the authorities start weighing stuff..
 

MyDogGoldie

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Charles
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It's not just about what it can pull, it's about what it can stop. I would't even get close to the max tow rating of any vehicle with an empty trailer. You need to factor in the weight of all of your stuff, everything from dishes, propane, water, firewood, bedding, tools, food, camp set-up, etc.

I wouldn't tow a travel trailer heavier than 2000lbs dry weight with a Bronco. Especially if you plan on visiting anywhere with mountains.

What is the fully loaded weight of both your trailer and your Bronco? That number needs to be under the GCWR.
 

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mjcutri

Heritage
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It's not just about what it can pull, it's about what it can stop.
...
Every time one of these threads pops up, this argument gets made. Are you telling me that a Ranger with a 7K towing rating somehow has brakes that are twice as good as the Bronco's? Of course not.
The brakes are the not the weak link in the Bronco's towing capacity. Yes, when towing, your stopping distance is going to increase, and you should never tow more than the rated capacity, but the brakes are more than capable of stopping a 3,500lb trailer.
 

RoLyMa27

Badlands
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I am sure this has been done before but humor me.

My family and I are considering packing up and seeing all this former great country has to offer.

My wife and I have just begun to see what our bronco is capable of handling.

We want the biggest lightest camper our bronco can handle.

I am curious what other people's experiences are. I was dissapointed it's max tow is only 3500 lbs.

Is that a hard number? Can it really tow more like 4k?

Any and all info is appreciated.

It would he My wife myself My infant and our dog marv :)
Watch some of this guys videos.
 

vzqhsg

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Badlands
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Badlands
Clubs
 
One article said it starts @ $75K. Not sure if that's US or AU. Can stay at a lot of nie VRBOs for that kind of money.
 

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MyDogGoldie

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Every time one of these threads pops up, this argument gets made. Are you telling me that a Ranger with a 7K towing rating somehow has brakes that are twice as good as the Bronco's? Of course not.
The brakes are the not the weak link in the Bronco's towing capacity. Yes, when towing, your stopping distance is going to increase, and you should never tow more than the rated capacity, but the brakes are more than capable of stopping a 3,500lb trailer.

Maybe 3,500lb trailer with nothing in it. But if you include fresh water, clothes, firewood, propane, wastewater, tools, camp chairs, stoves, tables, drinks, bikes, bedding, and all the other stuff you stuff into a trailer trailer, now you need a trailer that weighs that much less than 3,500 lbs.

I am just saying this out of caution as someone who tows a travel trailer regularly. It's super sketchy to be going down a 7% grade near towing maximums. It only takes a small amount of inattention before catastrophe happens. I regularly tow a travel trailer with a 4250lb dry weight with a 5.0L V8 F150 and I wouldn't recommend anybody tow heavier than that when you factor in all the gear, mountain passes, etc.

You might have a different experience, but, I wouldn't recommend to people to tow over the GCWR especially pulling a travel trailer over grades with your family inside.
 

mcinfantry

Badlands
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Lee
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Badlands
Clubs
 
Every time one of these threads pops up, this argument gets made. Are you telling me that a Ranger with a 7K towing rating somehow has brakes that are twice as good as the Bronco's? Of course not.
The brakes are the not the weak link in the Bronco's towing capacity. Yes, when towing, your stopping distance is going to increase, and you should never tow more than the rated capacity, but the brakes are more than capable of stopping a 3,500lb trailer.
You are 1000 percent right,

as usual …………

a corvette has more horsepower, better transmission, stiffer suspension, way way better brakes than a full size truck therefore unarguably can tow a 5 horse trailer
 

mcinfantry

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One article said it starts @ $75K. Not sure if that's US or AU. Can stay at a lot of nie VRBOs for that kind of money.
My wife and I do just that!
 

Snacktime

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Figure out what you need, how many beds, toilet and toys. You will find that with a 3500lb camper you will struggle with overloading. This is what 3 tents, 8 sleeping bags and food for 12 looks like. It gets out of hand quick.

Ford Bronco Need RV Recommendations PXL_20230702_174828952
 

mjcutri

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Both of you completely missed my point.

1. I already said you should never tow anything above the rated capacity (GCWR)

2. The brakes are not the limiting factor of the towing capacity on the Bronco. It's most likely structural (as seen by the additional bracing for the Braptor hitch with it's 4,500 lb rating)

Modern brake systems are mostly limited by rotor size for most normal vehicles and they are mostly the same across trucks and SUVs. The Ranger has the EXACT same brakes as the Bronco, but has a 7,500 lb tow rating, more than twice the 3,500 lb. rating of the Bronco.

Also, the limiting factor of the towing of a Corvette is also obviously NOT the brakes.
The biggest difference between a pre-C8 vette and a silverado was the frame, suspension, and wheels/tires. Not the brakes, not the engine, not the transmission, etc.

Also, trailer brakes are a thing and any trailer over 3000-lbs must have brakes on all wheels in most states.

https://www.rvtravel.com/trailer-brake-laws-50-states-1100/
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