2-Door Towing - Safe and stable?

[akturbo]

Looking for real-world unbiased feedback, how stable is the 2-door towing? White-knuckle experience? Smooth as silk?

I searched around for info, found mostly tow capacity and "it's not a tow vehicle" arguments. No sh!t, I don't tow with my lifted 4-door on 37s, have a 1-ton for that, but that's not going to solve the use case here. I don't have anything light enough to tow with the Bronco, no clue how it does towing.

My wife wants a 2-door Heritage and a small camper, Safari Alto Condo, 2k lbs dry. I know towing and all the mechanics of the Bronco, looking at the short wheelbase of a 2-door I don't see how it could possibly be safe enough to send my wife across country on her own. Over the last several years she's taken the kids on a 28-state (SUV) and a 48-state (class B) road trip, bit of a road warrior. I suggested she just uses my Duramax crew cab long bed...got the look of daggers. She wants her own Bronco/camper after having a Class B and shopping for new ones. At min I'd have to upgrade shocks/springs, probably Icon CDEVs, better tires and I think I saw a rear sway bar is now out.

Thanks!

Sponsored

 

[HighVelocity]

It's serviceable. I've towed my 3500lb GVWR open 5x10 trailer with ~2000lbs of crap in it over the mountains between Montana and Western Washington a few times and it's plenty capable.

However, there isn't a lot of frontal area on this trailer. It would be a different story with an enclosed or travel trailer.

As with any towing, being smart with your speeds and being in the right gear going down grades, etc. is even more important with this combination.

 

[Bmadda]

I towed a 5x8 enclosed trailer to Moab and back...was fine, but kinda felt like my hood was pointed upwards (I have eibach springs on that one). I regularly tow an 18ft aluminum fishing boat with my other one and the 2dr is the vehicle of choice for that as it's real nice manuvering in small boat launches! As long as you follow weight guidelines it's a good tow vehicle!

 

[mpeugeot]

It's fine up to about 70 mph with my Sunset RV camper Sunlite Classic 16BH (16' camper 2450# dry). Above 75, it's doable, but much more relaxed at 70 mph and below.

Obviously, I would expect a 4 door Bronco to tow better, but my 2 door wasn't horrible towing... Nowhere near as good as my long bed F-150 though.

 

[TX-Dennis]

I just towed a 5x8 U-Haul enclosed cargo trailer containing my sons worldly goods to San Antonio for him this weekend. Guessing it’s around 2800 lbs. loaded. It was quite stable at 80mph on I 10. Gas mileage sucked, though. Got 12.5 on the way down with the trailer. 18.6 on the way home without it.

Mine is a two door Wildtrak.

 

[Jawbox]

I have a 4 door Big Bend and hauled my T@B 320 camper from Minnesota to Arizona and back. No issues driving highway speeds of 70+ or going up and down mountains.

Personally, I don't think I would have wanted to do that with the two door. I would want to find a smaller and lighter camper if I was determined to go two door.

 

[Boreal]

I’ve got about 30,000kms racked up while hauling my 2000lb homebuilt 5x8 camper (loaded up) around. Approx. 220lb tongue weight.

Usually floating between 4&5 gears (MT) with a “stock” badlands non squatch. The springs have been swapped to 4DR/2.7L/Auto/Tow for a bit of extra spring rate.

The 2.3L enjoys the 2.6-3.5k rpm range while haulin… letter sing. As far as the critiques go, she still squats In the rear with a full rig… but it’s stable annd strong enough for everything I’ve come across so far! At times I wish for a tad better brakes, the camper can push a little while riding the gears on real steep/long gravel descents

 

[Lobster]

I’ve got about 30,000kms racked up while hauling my 2000lb homebuilt 5x8 camper (loaded up) around. Approx. 220lb tongue weight.

Usually floating between 4&5 gears (MT) with a “stock” badlands non squatch. The springs have been swapped to 4DR/2.7L/Auto/Tow for a bit of extra spring rate.

The 2.3L enjoys the 2.6-3.5k rpm range while haulin… letter sing. As far as the critiques go, she still squats In the rear with a full rig… but it’s stable annd strong enough for everything I’ve come across so far! At times I wish for a tad better brakes, the camper can push a little while riding the gears on real steep/long gravel descents

 

[Lobster]

Love your lightning.

 

[BlueWaffle]

This was a terrible experience...


...but... everything about this is WRONG lol


I knew that before I drove 150 miles to get the damn frame.. it was just too good of a deal to pass up.

48mph the entire way home on the freeway.. thankfully there's no traffic that far north at that time of day lol.

 

[Twister22]

I have towed with both 2 door and 4 door. Feels so much safer with the 4 door!

 

[Ziemann]

Yep- she squats. But is very capable as a tow vehicle.

I tow around 5000 miles per year. I tow my boat, popup camper, ATV trailer, and 2 placed enclosed snowmobile trailer. I tow in blizzards in Michigan's U.P., and through steep hill country without issue (I do have the manual transmission). All of my trailers are in that 2500-3500 lbs range loaded.

Frankly, I wouldn't tow any more weight than I am towing, but it's been a great tow vehicle for our recreational toys.

My fuel economy is acceptable, and the power with the 2.3L is plenty- especially being able to control RPM's/shifts with the manual transmission.

I've towed with Wranglers (and Xterra's, Troopers, Montero's, Tacoma's) in the past, and the Bronco is much more capable. BUT! She does squat.

Just use common sense.

 

[RIDE]

Quick rant: My take is peeps need to make logic be their guide while towing. Just b/c it has a tow rating and a receiver, many folks think the limiting factor is HP to pull. Being blunt, is it’s not about whether or the rig can pull it or not. It’s about how safely it can pull it and making sure you can stop it if/when needed. The 2door has the shortest wheelbase of all models. But even if a trailer meets the tow rating, how long is it? A long trailer has leverage against a short wheelbase and if it’s loaded incorrectly, if it fishtails, it can drag you off the road. Years ago I passed an accident where a 2dr wrangler was pulling a 22’ boat in stop and go traffic. Traffic stopped unexpectedly, the jeep couldn’t arrest that momentum quick enough and the boat pushed him into the back of a dump truck in front of him. On collision, the boat slid forward the trailer and the bow was resting in the back of the jeep. Had there been kids in the back, they wouldn’t have made it, but all I could think as I passed was how did that guy not have seen the risk before he hitched it up. All I can say is be safe out there and make good decisions.

 

[mpeugeot]

If you want to tow more than the 3500# rating of the 2 door Bronco, I would suggest that you would want 4 significant upgrades.

First, a fully floated rear axle, second additional bracing under the rear frame to triangulate the rear frame and hitch mount, third a load leveling hitch, and finally tow mirrors.

Unfortunately, the wheelbase still is too short for serious towing at maximum interstate highway speeds. Like I said, for a bigger trailer, 70 MPH is a good top speed to consider.

 

[akturbo]

Thanks, this sounds positive! No plans to go over limits, I'd install a brake controller for sure and an anti-sway hitch. The trailer I picked can be towed by just about anything and has electric brakes. The one she wants weighs too much IMO. My pick is the Safari Condo Alto (1991 lbs and very aerodynamic), she likes the Coachman Vintage Cruiser 17SCD (2800 lbs, too much like a standard camper). I'd think the Alto would be no problem, I'm not on board with the Vintage (except the price). Based on the feedback the Vintage isn't a good fit, maybe she'd go for the Alto if we get it wrapped to match her HEL Bronco...that we don't own yet. We don't use our current RV anymore, over 50' bumper to bumper, time to downsize to 2-person setup.

Sponsored