Tow Vehicles/TM match

BL

blueslide

Guest
I have a 2010 Ford Flex Ltd with class 3 factory towing package. What is the largest TM I should consider with this setup?
 
I agree. We have a 2014 Flex SE...pretty much base model. I bought the factory hitch after the fact and had it installed and went to get the tow wiring with brake controller and we tow our 2720. Bringing it home and taking it camping last weekend had no problem towing it.
 
Tow vehicles/TM matcch

manual spec = 4,500# max wt. 450# max tongue wt.
 
My 2720 on scale ready to camp was 3980lbs. Tongue is 430 lbs.
Full propane and no water in tanks. Sounds like you would be pushing your flex ?
 
Agreed: mine is rated for 500/5000 (can take more and be inside the limits but is a standard rating) and my '06 2720SL was 435 lbs (measured) on the tongue with about 1/4 tank of water and 3/8 of a propane tank (other was empty).

Would like a 2922SD but suspect that would be pushing it. As it is everything plays nicely together.
 
Thank you all so much for the information supplied. So now we focus on the 2720. You have all been very helpful and it is much appreciated
 
That's a good TV...

kengiesige said:
I have a 2005 2720SD I bought last Oct. in the Colo. Mountains & passes I need a TV with towing rate of 6,000 lbs. & cargo weight of 500 lbs. I bought a new TV 2 weeks ago it's
a 2014 Ford truck F-150 with a club cab & short bed it will give me plenty room for the stuff I take camping & plenty of power to tow my TM you guy's are in the flat lands so you don't need this much power & you can maybe need less than 6,000 tow weight the truck is about 11,000 tow weight ----Ken
Click to expand...

I would think that more is better. Even if you are in the flat lands doesn't mean you won't want to go to the mountains sometime....right? So better to have more power even if you aren't going to the mountains. That way your TV doesn't have to work as hard no matter where you go.
Sure a more economical vehicle will save on gas, but when towing anything, you're going to want more power and that economy car would be at it's power limit and straining to get going. That's when things break, and that's the last thing your going to want on a vacation! So get something with plenty of reserve towing capacity and power.
Just my thoughts on this subject....
Tom:)
 
[email protected] said:
I would think that more is better. Even if you are in the flat lands doesn't mean you won't want to go to the mountains sometime....right? So better to have more power even if you aren't going to the mountains. That way your TV doesn't have to work as hard no matter where you go.
Sure a more economical vehicle will save on gas, but when towing anything, you're going to want more power and that economy car would be at it's power limit and straining to get going. That's when things break, and that's the last thing your going to want on a vacation! So get something with plenty of reserve towing capacity and power.
Just my thoughts on this subject....
Tom:)
Click to expand...

Not everyone needs a towtruck, i have towed with cars/ suv for forty years. No issues and no breakdowns, average 17000 miles pulling each year, east of the mississippi . Everyone is different and tows differently with different needs. Drive what you want, I save fuel costs year round when not pulling😀😀.
 
You can tow in mountains with a V-6. Modern engines put out a lot of power. Towed a Coleman pop up in Alaska with a V-6 truck and I've pulled our TM through the mountains in PA 4 times now and can it does fine.
 
That is the difference. When I started towing things long, long ago, big (400 cid) V-8s were king but transmissions were 3-speeds and power died much above 4k rpm. My 72 400 produced 200 hp.

Cut to today. My V-6 peaks at 6400 rpm and has 90% of the torque max from 1800 rpm up. Weight is a bit less than my 72 A-body wagon. Rating is 290hp. 5 speed lock up (new ones have an 8 speed).

This means from 20-60 mph I can put more torque on the ground than my '72 wagon and have 2000 rpm cruise at 70 (wagon was 3000 rpm). 17-18 mpg towing in the flats vs 12.5.

And a car I can just flip the fob to for valet parking.

The next stage I believe is engines like the Ford Ecoboost 3.5 with turbo and direct injection so mine is obsolete already. These are the good old days.
 
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