Hi,
My wife recently fell in love with Bambi and has started looking for one to call her own. Before going to a dealer I needed to know if anyone is using a v6 suv with a 19' Bambi and how does it do? We have '03 Explorer V6 4x4 with class 3 hitch. The manual states towing limit is around 2500 lbs for this model?
ALso does anyone know what a 03/04 19' Bambi weights?
oh, i have so many questions, but will try to search first,
marek
The bad news is that even the empty weight* of the modern Bambis would exceed your Explorer's trailer tow limit by more than 1,000 pounds - - see Airstream Weights and Measures . The GVWR** for most modern 19' Bambis is in excess of 4,000 pounds. Even the Vintage (1961-1964) Bambis would exceed the trailer tow limit of your Explorer, but by a smaller margin. You would be hard pressed to locate even a Vintage Airstream (Wee Wind, etc.) that would be under 2,500 pounds when loaded for travel.(IMHO)
*Empty weight is the weight of the base trailer without options, fluids (water, propane, etc.), and empty waste water tanks.
**GVWR is the maximum that the coach can weigh when it is loaded for travel and still be within the manufacturer's design parameters.
Good luck with your decision!
Kevin
__________________
Kevin D. Allen WBCCI (Lifetime Member)/VAC/Free Wheelers #6359 AIR #827
1964 Overlander International/1999 GMC K2500 Suburban (7400 VORTEC/4.11 Differentials)
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre/1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible (8.2 Liter V8/2.70 Final Drive)
Definitly wouldn't recommend it. Our vintage 17ft weighs almost 3000 loaded, and I know the new trailers are even heavier, so you would definitly exceed your recommended towing capacity. We pull with a full size ford van with a 351 v8, and even than can definitly slow down in the mountains, so I doubt you'd be happy with the performance even if you did go for it. Sounds like you need to start shopping around for a tow vehicle!
We spent a great deal of time doing that after discovering our Bronco was too short a wheelbase to pull the trailer we wanted. There's lots of information on the forum about selecting tow vehicles, so look around. Good luck, I can tell you it was worth all the trouble. We love travelling with our airstream!
I currently have an '03 Bambi and it's gross weight loaded is 4600lbs. I have a very robust V8 and I can tell you that I know it's back there.....a V6 with such a short wheelbase, I'd have to say it might do it, but it would be ill advised.....
Eric
__________________
Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq and millions of others are by far the most popular with about 70 million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans and that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form. -NY Times 1991
It's not the V6 that is going to keep you from pulling that new Bambi. It's the anemic tow rating of your particular model of Explorer. The new Bambis weigh about 3,800 lbs empty -- way over your tow rating. Check to see if the tow rating increases with a tranny cooler or some other dealer-installed option, otherwise you are probably out of luck. You'll need a differently equipped/rated tow vehicle to pull any modern Airstream.
Ford has other Explorers very similarly equipped with much higher tow ratings. Sometimes the tow capacity for an otherwise capable vehicle is de-rated because of a one "weak link" in the vehicle -- a manual transmission, the wrong differential, or just plain liability concerns. It's ironic that the truck manufacturers never de-rate a truck because of its high center of gravity (and hence higher roll-over propensity) but they will always do so if they think they might get stuck with too many warranty repairs.
i revisited the manual and 2500 is for KGs and the lbs limit is actually 5400lbs...why ford manual puts KGs infront and LBS in ( ) for a US vehicle is interesting. And the total GCWR is 10,000 lbs.
i also confirmed my explorer came with a class 3 trailer tow pkg. Is this good or bad? Can it be upgraded if bad or need better?
The current a/s site does not have Bambi specs listed for weight is kinda weird too. It just has n/a.
We would mostly be hauling and packing for weekend beach or mountain trips. Some boondocking in the NC mtns. We have been tent campers and wanted to upgrade to a small trailer like a bambi.
sorry for my metric/lbs confusion on initial post,
marek
The Ford web site shows the V6 4X4 Explorer rated at 5,380 lbs with the optional tow package (class III/IV hitch, 3.73 axle). The class III/IV hitch will be fine for towing a Bambi. All you need is a brake controller, a weight distributing hitch, and a Bambi!
We tow a 2003 25' Safari Six Sleeper with a 2002 Explorer V8 4X4 with the tow package. We are close to the limit as the trailer gross weight is 6,300 lbs and my Explorer's max tow capacity is 6,500 lbs (ours has the rear heat/air which subtracts 500 lbs from the tow rating). However, it tows fine.
Note that the manual says to subtract 2% from the GCWR for each 1000 feet in elevation. So as you climb mountains you should toss out unruley children, your rock collection, and your gold coins. In reality, you just end up going a little slower at altitude.
This time of year you should be able to get 20-25% off list price on a new Airstream, although you will need to check with several dealers to get them playing against one another.
That's more like it. Class III hitch is what you need, and a 5,400 lb tow rating puts you in the right class. The Bambi will weigh 4300-4500 lbs once you get a full water tank and a few things in the trailer.
Now the question is performance. What kinda hp and torque does that V6 put out? Is it the 3.0 or 4.0 liter? I had a 3.0 V6 Ford Ranger and it was a gutless thing that could barely get out of its own way, whereas my 3.5 V6 Honda Pilot is a joy with 240 hp and 222 ft-lbs of torque. (Not all V6's are lame, which is why I always shudder when people on this board rush to say you MUST have a V8.)
We tow a 20 foot argosy with the same pathetic vehicle and a v-6 stick. The argosy weighs a little less than the bambi. We added a stabilizing hitch, a brake controller and mirrors. We are careful to tow with the tanks empty and haven't had any problems. Have fun.
__________________
77 Argosy Minuet, 6 metre
77 Argosy 24, Rear door
AIR 3181, WBCCI/VAC # 5575
Quick Links
Linear Mode
