Ford Bronco Towing a C-Cory 22 is a no-no? What The?

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ldsills

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I dont undertsand it. Ford list the towing capacity of a Bronco with a 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine and 10 speed transmission at 3500Lbs. Most C-dories from what I have read weigh an estimated 4400lbs with trailer.

One would think a 380-415 lb-ft of torque engine with 10 gears to choose from could tow more.

Does anyone have any insite on this. Does anyone tow their C-Dory with a new Bronco?

Larry
 
My 22 ready for Alaska weighed 5360 lbs. I think the wheel base is to short. It will probably tow it just fine you just might burn up a trans mision or two. Just depends on how much money you want to pour into it. With the short wheel base might be a little squirrelly.
 
Remember with your tow vehicle it is not just going, you need to consider stopping power/handling as well.
 
ldsills said:
I dont undertsand it. Ford list the towing capacity of a Bronco with a 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine and 10 speed transmission at 3500Lbs. Most C-dories from what I have read weigh an estimated 4400lbs with trailer.

One would think a 380-415 lb-ft of torque engine with 10 gears to choose from could tow more.

Does anyone have any insite on this. Does anyone tow their C-Dory with a new Bronco?

Larry
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There are several things that matter when towing - horsepower, braking and ability to handle the tongue weight. As mentioned above, the weight of a fully loaded 22 on a galvanized trailer is typically closer to 5000 pounds +/- a few hundred pounds depending on fuel load and how much gear one carries. Typical tongue weight is 9-15% or about 500 lbs for 10% of a 5000 lb trailer. Tongue weight is often a limiting factor for smaller vehicles. There are several things one can do to improve the towability:
1) An aluminum trailer will be several hundred pounds lighter than a galvanized (it will also cost a lot more).
2) Airshocks or other suspension modifications can increase the ability to handle the tongue weight.
3) Weight-distributing hitches will also help with tongue weight issues.
4) Electric over hydraulic brakes on the trailer will help with braking.

That said, towing something over the rated weight for your vehicle may have insurance implications if you get in an accident and need a payout.
 
With 12-13 inch vehicle rotors and surge brakes on the trailer stopping or constrolling the trailers should not be an issue.

In fact the trailer brakes if set up right; they will be doing the slowing down more then the vehicle as it should be to prevent jackknifing. None-the-less stopping should not be a concern with a Bronco. Neither should be the torque of the 2.7L EcoBoost V6. I just don't understand where Ford is coming from. Especially since they allow almost a thousand pound more with the Raptor version with 3.0l engine installed. Which the Raptor body is the same and probably less of a towing vehichle due to its higher center of gravity due to its off road lifting.

In fact if you compare the Bronco to the heavier Yukon with a 5.7 and torque of 385ftlbs. Yet the Yukon with a 5.7 and the heavy chassis that engine can tow 5-6000lbs.

IMHO I believe Ford is underestimating their Bronco towing ability with their high torque 2.7L EcoBoost and 10 speed transmission. Especially when Older similar size Jeep Cherokees are used as a comparison.

Yet as mentioned you have to careful these days insurance companies may not pay out if the vehicles Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is exceeded.

Thus it looks like the Yukon will do the job for me. After the Yukon its time to find a 22 I think.

Larry
 
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I agree, longer wheel base is better. Also I don't know how the hitch is attatched to the frame. Any good trailer shop could upgrade the hitch. The engine, HP, Torque are fine. You can manually select the high gear, to avoid lugging the engine. Also weight of the tow vehicle is important.

Some of those factors can be addessed with an after market axle mounted hitch--but I would not use a Bronco to tow a full sized 22 C Dory long distances. However to the ramp a few miles away, probably not an issue (except the insurance, which is questionable.)

As for surge brakes, vs electric over hydraulic--the E/H is far superior to stop "wagging" or the extreme "Jacknife". The E/H is controlled by the vehicle operator and can be independant of the tow vehicle.---the surge is dependent on the braking effect of the tow vehicle--let off the brakes on the towing vehicle, and no surge brake effect.

Comparing the Yukon LX vs the Bronco is apples to organges. Bronco wheelbase is 116.1 inches; curb weight 4000 to 4500 lbs, vs the Yukon xl (which I used) of 134.0 inches and weight of 5700 lbs to 6500lbs. When I towed the 25' C Dory with the Yukon, I had the hitch beefed up. Adjustabe capacity Air Ride shocks were added to the rear axle (I had used a weight distribution hitch on a Ford Excursion earlier).
 
IMO, you need to consider the stopping ability of the tow vehicle for situations where the trailer brakes fail or only partially work. Brake failure on trailers that regularly get soaked in water (especially saltwater) is not unheard of.
Yes, good maintenance of the brakes helps a lot to prevent this, but it is not a guarantee. It just takes a broken or intermittent wire to prevent EOH brakes from working.
 
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