mirrocraft16
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2023
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 32
- LOCATION
- NJ
I think a lot of vehicle tow ratings are pretty much nonsense. I have a 2005 Grand Marquis, its got a rated towing max of 1,500 lbs. I've got a 1995 Crown Victoria, same car, less hp, weaker version of the same transmission, but its rated at 5,000 lbs.
The only big difference is the rear suspension style. The Mercury has a 7 link rear set up, the Ford has four trailing arms. The '95 struggles with anything over about 2k lbs and the transmissions in those years had some issues.
The 2005 Merc pulls like a freight train, came with a factory receiver hitch and factory trailer wiring.
I've towed 5k with the Merc, but would never attempt it with the older CV.
I hauled a Holiday Rambler Camper from NC to NJ a few years ago, (bought it on a whim while there for work). It towed just fine, no brakes and all.
I never once felt it was unsafe or that i couldn't stop it in a reasonable amount of time. I hardly felt the trailer behind me, even in the hills.
Both of these vehicles share their power trains with an F150, same motor, trans, and 8.8" rear axle, both are full frame vehicles yet they rate the newer models at 1,500lbs.
The older car didn't come with a hitch, i had to make one as Ford didn't have them, the older car didn't have provisions for a trailer brake controller, yet the '05 does.
Its doing the car no harm towing the weight, and so long as the load is well balanced, it pulls just fine. The biggest limit is tongue weight, where as the older model can take more weight on the hitch. Its nothing a pair of load EQ bars won't fix or just some common sense in loading the trailer.
When I hitched up the camper down in NC, it was a bit heavy on the tongue, and I figured it may hit on some driveways, so I filled the graywater tank with water half way, which leveled the trailer enough to make it look right but not so much hat the hitch got light, which would induce a lot of swaying on the highway.
I'd hook it up, give it a try and make adjustments as needed and use your head when it comes to stopping and launching the boat on the ramp.
The only big difference is the rear suspension style. The Mercury has a 7 link rear set up, the Ford has four trailing arms. The '95 struggles with anything over about 2k lbs and the transmissions in those years had some issues.
The 2005 Merc pulls like a freight train, came with a factory receiver hitch and factory trailer wiring.
I've towed 5k with the Merc, but would never attempt it with the older CV.
I hauled a Holiday Rambler Camper from NC to NJ a few years ago, (bought it on a whim while there for work). It towed just fine, no brakes and all.
I never once felt it was unsafe or that i couldn't stop it in a reasonable amount of time. I hardly felt the trailer behind me, even in the hills.
Both of these vehicles share their power trains with an F150, same motor, trans, and 8.8" rear axle, both are full frame vehicles yet they rate the newer models at 1,500lbs.
The older car didn't come with a hitch, i had to make one as Ford didn't have them, the older car didn't have provisions for a trailer brake controller, yet the '05 does.
Its doing the car no harm towing the weight, and so long as the load is well balanced, it pulls just fine. The biggest limit is tongue weight, where as the older model can take more weight on the hitch. Its nothing a pair of load EQ bars won't fix or just some common sense in loading the trailer.
When I hitched up the camper down in NC, it was a bit heavy on the tongue, and I figured it may hit on some driveways, so I filled the graywater tank with water half way, which leveled the trailer enough to make it look right but not so much hat the hitch got light, which would induce a lot of swaying on the highway.
I'd hook it up, give it a try and make adjustments as needed and use your head when it comes to stopping and launching the boat on the ramp.
