Trailer towing advice

[quailchaser]

We are considering getting rid of our F150. This would mean I may need to use the Montero for occasionally towing my horse (maybe once a month or so). I don't have a horse trailer yet, but I am looking for a small 2 horse that would be in the 4000lb range total including horse and gear. I have pulled two atvs on a heavy duty trailer with lots of gear to the tune of about 3500 lbs before. After that trip I added an auxiliary trans cooler and already had trailer brakes. The trans got hot when I was going slow on the switchback dirt mountain roads. I found a class III hitch I can use once I lower the exhaust about 1 inch. I would also use a weight distributing hitch with sway bars. Is there anything else I need to consider? It is a freshly rebuild 3.5L. I'm thinking of a new radiator just to be safe. Are there any upgrades available?

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Personally, I would keep the truck for towing.

 

[calicamper]

Keep the truck. I had horses for yrs and then moved to sail boats. Towed a 3500lb all up double axle sailboat rig in a Grand Cherokee and a Montero. I thought we were going to die in the Montero and the Jeep rear hatch was binding a flexing the whole trip. Horses are heavy, the trailers are heavy and the gear is heavy. Keep the F150 not to mention any shop can fix an F150 easily. A Montero parts are getting hard to find and you need someone other than a domestic truck type to work on them.

 

[quickfarms]

Personally a F150 is light for pulling horses. In addition to the trailer being heavy, the gear is heavy and the horse is heavy and they move around.

 

[nckwltn]

Yeah... Montero has enough power to get itself, passengers and some gear around.... Not much left over.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

[calicamper]

I suggest keep Ford.
For an amusement, you might look at horsebox towing in Britain and europe.
Its staggering the small cars they will use.

Except that my German Horse Olympian friend says that the euro light trailers and tow rigs have a history of being high risk lots of animals lost to auto accidents.

She tows with a 09 Land Cruiser and what would be very comparable 4 horse US spec Trailer. Her horses are worth more than her ranch.

Having slid through an intersection with two big Quarter Horses in an extra wide heavy duty trailer behind a 1ton Dodge I'd say stick with the F150 and pack light.

 

[rxinhed]

The mere thought of pulling horses with a Montero should just even give pause to the thought, make go go 'duuuuuh', and end with dismissal of the idea.

 

[Michael Brown]

I agree with everyone else. I have used my Gen 3s to tow my race car on an open trailer, but it is 2500-3000lbs total with gear. Any more than this is unnecessary strain on your driveline. Also the V6 suffers horrible gas mileage when towing (9-10mpg), so you aren't saving fuel.

Honestly, if you are regularly towing 4000lbs, then you really need to look into a diesel truck. That much weight will eventually wear out anything outside of a light duty truck (2500-3500 types), even the Ford V8 with regular towing. Look for 1997-2003(first quarter production) F250/350 trucks with the 7.3L engine.
https://flagstaff.craigslist.org/cto/d/ford-xlt-super-duty-club/6222125165.html

 

[Swank Force One]

Our gen3 towed a car on an 18' hauler just fine. Felt great, got 14-15mpg with me driving. ~4500lbs.

I wouldn't use a Montero as a dedicated tow rig that you tow with constantly, but it does just fine and the tow rating in the Nanny State reflects that.

Obviously a worn out Montero will do pretty badly anyways.