Re: towing capacity? Reply #15 – April 09, 2005, 10:51:01 PM I just looked at my '88 owner's manual, & it doesn't show anything about a Class 2 hitch, which mine has, but it does mention a Class 1, with a 2000# gross trailer weight limit & a 200# tongue weight. The info applies to both 3.8 & 5.0 engines. Class 2 hitches are limited by the powers that be to 3500# trailer weight & 350# tongue weight, but the manual does not mention them at all, only Class 1.The 2.3 turbo engines have a bold-print warning to not tow a trailer at all because it will cause engine damage. A local Ford shop foreman told me the guy who brought his TC in for a warranty repair on his smoking 2.3 got a $3000+ shock when he came to pick it up. Seems it had a trailer hitch on it, & his warranty promptly got voided. OUCH!!!The manual also says a trailer weighing over 1000# should have brakes. Having pulled an 1800-pounder (empty weight) a few times, I'd say it's not such a bad idea. The only time I ever had a real problem was when I had the tailgate (expanded-metal) vertical & it got a little squirrelly on the freeway. Something about trying to drag the broad side of a barn down the road at 75mph, I guess. It also tends to get the temp gauge up to the high side of normal, too. Tossing the tailgate onto the trailer floor fixed it right up.It also warns if you're in hilly country & it hunts between 3rd & 4th gears, to put it in D until you get back in the flatland. I personally never use OD when towing, hell I rarely use it when not towing. Quote Selected
Re: towing capacity? Reply #16 – April 10, 2005, 08:53:54 AM Quote from: jimfulcoThe 2.3 turbo engines have a bold-print warning to not tow a trailer at all because it will cause engine damage. A local Ford shop foreman told me the guy who brought his TC in for a warranty repair on his smoking 2.3 got a $3000+ shock when he came to pick it up. Seems it had a trailer hitch on it, & his warranty promptly got voided. OUCH!!!That is because without boost the 2.3 barely has enough hp to pull the car. Hanging a trailer on it and keeping the turbo spooled up is gonna fry the turbo and/or engine.You could probably get away with a small trailer pulling A Jet Ski or two on level ground, but not in the mountains. Quote Selected
Re: towing capacity? Reply #18 – April 18, 2005, 07:54:54 PM I not getting a truck! I ended using my company truck to tow the trailer instead. I just thought a RWD vehicle could easily do it. Quote Selected
Re: towing capacity? Reply #19 – May 02, 2005, 02:01:22 PM My LTD towed several small, fully loaded 5x8' U-hauls and open 5x10' trailers on 100 mile highway trips and city streets with no trouble, no tranny cooler AND used OD once I was cruising on flat land. It ran smooth at 65-70 mph, and got about 17 mpg highway. The engine operated at about 200 instead of 190 and I manually shifted the trans from D to OD when I felt necessary. This was from the years of '99-03. Engine and trans still run fine to this day. Quote Selected
Re: towing capacity? Reply #20 – May 14, 2005, 09:32:47 PM I'm more than sure you can do it. When my 84 Turbo coupe was my buddies and it had the old evething motor, brakes, clutch. We towed a 85 ceilca just fine and we also towed a 87 VW golf GTi. Both times we had no problems. When we rented the car dolly the U-hual guy did ask what we were gonna tow and we lied and told him both cars had no motor or tranny and we said that would be below the 1200lbs his book gave. Mine came with the hitch when my buddy bought it. chcek it out Quote Selected
Re: towing capacity? Reply #21 – May 26, 2005, 04:31:23 PM didn't read all the posts, fyi.I towed some pretty heavy stuff with my old 5.0 cfi, i never had a problem 'cept for rear end sag with heavy loads. not sure about a 3.8.. Quote Selected
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