Questions on towing with a short wheel base

[tjdonahoe]

Fix it, there are some back yard boys that can do it a lot cheaper, fuel prices are on the way down 2.73 here still going down. I have owned the 69 302 and a 77 351 m both were good and worn out with 100000 miles on them....Also were weak in the power....

[koosdhr]

There are other arguments that make the Bronco a less than desirable towing vehicle.

1. Even the unmodified Bronco chassis stands relatively high on its wheels and the suspension has a relatively long travel. And the standard tires have high walls, allowing for even more movement. The more your vehicle can move in relation to its wheels, the less stable your towing combination is going to be.

2. The Bronco has a relatively long rear overhang, causing the distance between the rear axle and the ball of your tow bar to be relatively long. Combined with the short wheelbase, this gives your trailer a lot of leverage to play with the Bronco.

The combination of a lot of room to move (1) and a lot of leverage (2) will cause the Bronco to have trouble keeping your trailer under control.

[LesMesa]

I tow my 25’ International with a ’96 Bronco equipped with the factory tow package. I’ve also improved transmission cooling. I have the trailer brake and weight distribution hitch meticulously set up, and the Bronco tows the dual axle trailer with ease and stability. I've never had any issue with keeping the trailer under control - as with everything else, drive at safe speeds.

Would a long wheelbase be more stable – absolutely, but nothing beats the Bronco for backing the trailer into tight spots. The Bronco isn’t unstable (I think there is some confusion with the Bronco II) but a longer, heavier vehicle will be more stable.

If you’re looking at Bronco’s, only consider the 351w EFI, as it had a lot more torque than the 302. I think the 351w is a very reliable engine, but any time you get involved with a ~20+ year vehicle there will be expenses. I’ve restored my Bronco back to almost new condition, a process that has cost more than $3,000. If cost is a concern, you’re almost always better fixing the truck you have. If I had started towing on a regular basis first, I would have gone for a larger truck given the 6,600 GVWR and 12,000lbs GCWR, but the Bronco is the tow vehicle I have, and it does the job.

Broncos in good shape, that haven’t been lifted or off-roaded to death, are becoming rare. They attract almost as much attention as an Airstream. The combination does look good together.

[PaulnGina]

I agree..... Although I wouldn't tow our Avion 34W with our 1981 Bronco 302 (no appreciable distance, anyway), I DO LOVE to use it to maneuver the trailer in the back yard. The tight turning radius along with the 4x4 comes in real handy. Our back yard has a slight slope that I have to contend with..... 4x4 + low makes it real easy.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by PaulnGina

I agree..... Although I wouldn't tow our Avion 34W with our 1981 Bronco 302 (no appreciable distance, anyway), I DO LOVE to use it to maneuver the trailer in the back yard. The tight turning radius along with the 4x4 comes in real handy. Our back yard has a slight slope that I have to contend with..... 4x4 + low makes it real easy.

What sort of hitch receiver on the B?

[paulwhite]

I guess the obvious answer is hook it up and give it a short run; you will know very quickly if its towable;

[PaulnGina]

Originally Posted by slowmover

What sort of hitch receiver on the B?

(Previous entry by paulwhite makes my brain do funny things, since my name is Paul White....)

Our Bronco has a Ford receiver hitch that is rated to 10K pounds. Not as beefy as the Class V Curt receiver hitch I had on my F250 before I had the custom rear bumper made, but it is fairly stout. Maybe a Class IV? If I needed to tow the trailer a short distance, I'd be OK using the Bronco. But I sure do like the F250 PowerStroke better!!! ( size really does matter...!!! LOL!! )

[C Johnson]

Originally Posted by koosdhr

There are other arguments that make the Bronco a less than desirable towing vehicle.

1. Even the unmodified Bronco chassis stands relatively high on its wheels and the suspension has a relatively long travel. And the standard tires have high walls, allowing for even more movement. The more your vehicle can move in relation to its wheels, the less stable your towing combination is going to be.

No higher than an F150 but tires do play a role in stability. Get better tires.

Originally Posted by koosdhr

2. The Bronco has a relatively long rear overhang, causing the distance between the rear axle and the ball of your tow bar to be relatively long. Combined with the short wheelbase, this gives your trailer a lot of leverage to play with the Bronco.

The combination of a lot of room to move (1) and a lot of leverage (2) will cause the Bronco to have trouble keeping your trailer under control.

The rear overhang is actually less than an F150 or an F250 by about six inches or so.

1978 and up are full size Bronco's based on the Fseries chassis. Skip the 302 and opt for a 351. The 90's Broncos with EFI (and in 96 OBDII) would make a decent tow vehicle if you were a Bronco nut infected with aluminitus as well. Most all late 1996 Bronco's came with roller motors(rollers on lifters and roller cam). This gives them a longer life and better mileage. I have towed my Caravel with my 1996 Bronco and it does fine in town just on the ball no W/D. On a long trip W/D would be a must have.

[C Johnson]

Originally Posted by slowmover

What sort of hitch receiver on the B?

FYI, I installed a class IV Curt receiver hitch on my 1996 Bronco. Very well made.

[kscherzi]

Get a 2003 or later Ford Expedition. Its a much better tow vehicle than the Bronco with similar utility. Get the 5.4 engine, plenty powerful.

[wvstreamer]

Scott,
You have one of the best TVs for the money and the 7.3 is one of the least expensive to maintain. Didn't notice how many miles on it but with good maintenance that engine would be good for several hundred thousand miles. If the rest of the truck is good, and engine sound, fix it BUT get a couple of estimates and do your homework. My 96 Powerstroke 7.3 is just getting into a good stride with the 03 classic and mileage is good towing or empty. Filters are cheap maintenance and so is running good fuel with a quality additive. Have a good diesel mechanic look the truck over and give you options. Powerstroke Nation is also good advice. Let us know how it goes. There are a lot of us 7.3 fans out here and they are getting harder to buy because of their long term reliability and ease of repair. If yours would be for sale...lots of legitimate buyers. Good luck!

[PaulnGina]

Hi, Scott. We've been having a good time offering our 2-cents here in your thread! What's the latest with your PowerStroke? ( I hope you're fixing it!! )

[wvstreamer]

Me too! A 7.3 PS is a terrible thing to waste.

[tjdonahoe]

I took a quick look on ebay new injectors were $127 and a set of cups are $54 or for $359 get a cup set with removal tool and o rings ,I don't believe all would be bad,

[msmcv51]

Originally Posted by handn

My first rv was a 22 foot Hi Low and an 89 full size Bronco. It towed o.k. and should do O.k. with your light weight vintage Airstream. The Bronco is a F-150 with a car body.
The Bronco was not a reliable car. Its 351 engine was problematic. I had problems with fluid leaks, power windows, water pumps, the list goes on.
I was glad to see it go at 80k miles in 2004. It is hard to see how reliability will have improved with 11 years of use under its belt. It is probably in the great auto parts yard in the sky along with most of its kin.
I would fix your power stroke, it will be cheaper in the long run.

I have a question for you. We have a 1987 Sovereign 25 footer that has a towing weight of 6020 lbs. If you conceder that a light weight classic trailer, than what do you conceder a heavy weight classic trailer?

[frscott]

Update on the original question as to whether to sell my F-250 or fix it, I found a mechanic that worked for only $60 an hour (as opposed to $200 which seems the norm) and he replaced the injectors and cups for $2300.00, so I am keeping the Ford. Expensive work, and I am still wondering if I should find a gas powered TV, but there is nothing like the F-250 powerstroke in every condition.

[C Johnson]

That's good news. Those 7.3 pstrokes are good trucks. I have a '95 F250 but it's gas.

[wvstreamer]

Good news Scott. Guess you have a keeper! (And a new mechanic)

[PaulnGina]

I'm soooooo glad to hear that you saved your PowerStroke! I think we steered you in the right direction! (How about some pictures?!)

I bet that every time you hook on to that Airstream with that PowerStroke, you'll be glad you kept it.

[cwf]

Ya done good! Now, just have fun! and run some cleaner once in a while..