My '02 with the V8 and the towing package is rated at just north of 7000 pounds and will tow it all day long. I think that the '00-'01 is rated at a bit less with the V8 and like 4000 lbs. with the V6. Two cautions though:_JD_ said:Is the Explorer capable of towing 2500 lbs w/o a towing package? With the millions of these things out on the road I'm thinking I can pick up a '00- '01 on the cheap and use it as a towing/tire picker-uper/dog/girlfriend and friends hauler.
Thanks for the info- why the U-haul issues w/ the Explorer?NMRJock said:U-Haul recently stopped renting trailers to pull behind Ford Explorers.
I didn't mean to sound cavalier in my post. I know that there's not much I can say in an internet forum to convince you, but I do try to be as safe and courteous a driver as I can be. The only evidence that I can offer is my clean driving record and the single accident that I've had in years (I was rear-ended in construction).Cale said:I'll sound off as a father and ER Physician here. Be safe. Working on trauma victims is not hard. The hard part is going to tell the children, mothers, fathers, wives, whatever, that their loved one died because they were stupid. That is the worst part of my job. Do a track day. It may not be you that is at fault. It may be a drunk, or someone gabbing on a cell phone but people do unpredictable things that make you take evasive action. Anticipate and get your thrills on an unoccupied road. I'll admit my own penchant for speed, so I have raced SCCA and I work on the medical side of the racing industry. Soapbox off...
Yep. I called and got a prepared statement that said that it was not a safety matter but a corporate policy that applies to all years and models of the Explorer, blah blah blah. I asked if they rented to the Mountaineer and they said 'yes,' so I asked them if they'd rent me a trailer if I just slapped a Mercury badge on my truck because that's how Ford does it. They were not pleased.sonza68 said:It's not the truck itself since they will still rent trailers to Mountaineer and Aviator owners (essentially the same as an Explorer). It has to do with the trouble they've had with Explorer owners in the past, something to do with accidents and damage claims.
Semi Trucks are allowed on the autobahn (though not many SUVs thankfully). I spent a lot of time in Europe (dated a girl for 4 years from Germany) and trucks are allowed on the highway. One thing that is different is that most trucks are not allowed on the highway during the weekend. They need some special permission to do so. One of the reasons that the autobahn is safe is because it is incredibly difficult to get a German driving license and the rules are followed very closely. My ex-girlfriend told me that passing on the right is strictly enforced with a stiff punishment. One sad thing is that more and more stretches of the autobahn now have a speed limit. It was amazing to see people actually follow the rules and traffic flowed much more smoothly even though most of them are only 2-lane each way. I miss those roadsLittle Bastard said:The reason the Autobahn is soo fast and relatively safe is because semi trucks are not allowed on it. And you hardly see any SUVs.
If the freeways were like the Autobahn 150mph ALL DAY LONG!!!![]()
Neil
I guess that I give that impression as well. I should have said something like 'The greatest system of roads.'Odog said:I think I saw the same documentary. Yes, it is an amazing system of highways. In the US's defense, we have MUCH more highways and it would be too expensive to build them as elaborate as the German system of highways.
One thing I noticed with some people is that they think the Autobahn is just one road. Everyone always says 'the Autobahn' and some people assume it is one road. To be honest I used to think that too. I have had to explain this to many people.