Comfortable towing with E250

[carringb]

You don’t need to worry whatsoever about braking. Starting with the 2008, all the Econolines got the big brakes. Stability is more a function of proper trailer loading, so as long as you have enough payload to maintain 12-15% tongue weight, you’ll also be fine there.

FWIW - I have to borrow my dad’s 5.4L E350 once to tow my 11,000# toy hauler (when I blew up my diff the first time), and it got the job done.

[nyyankees588]

No experience with toy haulers specifically, but I worked for a company that built custom travel trailers (think Airsteams, but made of wood). The trailers were dual axle (on a boat chassis), weighed about 5k lbs. I towed the trailers with my 2003 E250 numerous times from Seattle out the Yakima Canyon & the Olympic Peninsula with no issues. I was honestly pretty surprised... outside of the noticeable slog when going up prolonged grades, the van hardly blinked while towing. Comically, MPG also didn't take much of a hit. Went from 12mpg to 10mpg while towing in most cases. I had worse experiences towing the same trailers with newer, empty 3/4 ton pickups.



Van stats at the time were: 5.4L, 225/75/16 tires, 3.73 gears, van weighed ~7,300 (right at GVWR, the rear axle was definitely a bit over its weight rating while towing).

[SMB123]

Originally Posted by dhally

Our van has stock suspension and tires, so 245/75-R16 I think. I'm sure it will go up the hills maybe in 2nd gear, I am more worried about drivability, braking, and stability. I don't know how far we'll go. For sure up into the local mountains up to 200 miles. But if we like towing, we might decide to take it to the East Coast to explore National Parks. With our big bed and ebikes.

In that case it might be a great puller. The trailer will have a set of brakes which requires a controller. Those brakes with van brakes should be safe within limits.

The two things to get ready for - tail wagging the dog - longer trailer with shorter wheelbase. Prevented with shorter wheel base (edit - trailer to wheelbase ratio). Also get a good weight distributing hitch. The traditional ones are fine but the newer Equalizer style are great.

The second thing is getting sucked into semis. When a semi passes you - it will feel like it's sucking your van and the trailer into it. It's usually not dangerous but it's a hell of a sensation to get used to (which I never did). That's the white knuckle part. If you have a trailer that's sized favorably for your overall rig it's not as bad. When you push limits they will push you.

[Orv]

Originally Posted by carringb

You don’t need to worry whatsoever about braking. Starting with the 2008, all the Econolines got the big brakes. Stability is more a function of proper trailer loading, so as long as you have enough payload to maintain 12-15% tongue weight, you’ll also be fine there.

This is probably obvious, but just to clarify, you will still need brakes on the trailer. They're legally required on trailers this size in many states. Surge brakes meet the letter of the law but electric brakes handle a lot better and give you the option to manually engage just the trailer brakes to control sway. If I were doing this I would invest in an electric brake controller for the van.

[dhally]

Originally Posted by Orv

This is probably obvious, but just to clarify, you will still need brakes on the trailer. They're legally required on trailers this size in many states. Surge brakes meet the letter of the law but electric brakes handle a lot better and give you the option to manually engage just the trailer brakes to control sway. If I were doing this I would invest in an electric brake controller for the van.

For sure planning to add electric brakes. I keep thinking tandem torsion axles with 4 brakes.

[carringb]

I prefer torsion axles on pavement, but off-pavement, they don’t do as well because the axles don’t equalize, which means they don’t “walk” over obstacles like rocks or bumps. Each tire has to climb whatever it is, and you can even feel that in the van. Regular leaf springs do reasonably well if you add Dexter rubber equalizers and lubricated bolts, and shocks.

[dhally]

Originally Posted by carringb

I prefer torsion axles on pavement, but off-pavement, they don’t do as well because the axles don’t equalize, which means they don’t “walk” over obstacles like rocks or bumps. Each tire has to climb whatever it is, and you can even feel that in the van. Regular leaf springs do reasonably well if you add Dexter rubber equalizers and lubricated bolts, and shocks.

Good to know! I really like the torsion axle on my 5x8 aluminum flatbed trailer, mainly because it is smooth when unloaded or lightly loaded. Don't have much experience with tandem axles.

[Vanzila]

Originally Posted by dhally

Looking for experiences with towing a toy hauler with an RB E250. We have a high top, 5.4 liter engine, and 4.11 ratio rear end. We weigh under 8000 lb, so a trailer weight of 5,000 lb keeps us within spec. Max trailer weight spec is like 7500 lb.

We want a toy hauler to fit a queen size bed, a couple ebikes, and occasionally a motorcycle or 2. We would still use the kitchen in the van.

Single axle vs. dual axle?
how big/heavy is practical? We want to go down the road OK and access some semi-rough camp sites. We would still take the van alone sometimes.

It will do great. Like most others here have told you make sure you are loaded correctly and your 5.4 will be great. Do not over load your trailer or your rear axle.