Need advice on towing

[dmf3k]

I'm new to the forum and new to towing so I'd appreciate any advice/tips/stories/good jokes.

I have a 1990 Bronco II with manual transmission and a 2.9 L rebuilt Jasper engine. The chassis has 170,000 miles on it and the engine has 60,000. I've been doing some aggressive preventative maintenance getting her ready for a cross country move from Fort Benning, GA to Fort Lewis, WA. Most recently I added an engine oil cooler. I'm hoping to tow a 5x8 single axle u-haul trailer the some 3,300+ miles.

I plan to take it slow, the longest leg would be 400 miles, driving no faster than 55, and stopping at national parks along the way. I could dolly it, but the rental would be $1000+ more and it wouldn't be nearly as exciting.

I was wondering if you guys think the bronco could handle such a long distance journey? I'll inevitably hit mountains going west. What else can I do to get the car ready? or will such a long, stressful drive do damage to the car?

Here are the specs:
Curb Weight: 3300 lbs
GVWR: 4300 lbs
GCWR: 6000 lbs
Gross Trailer Weight: 2000 lbs
Driver, Passenger and Cargo: 600 lbs
Rear GAWR: 2450 lbs
Rear Axle Ratio: 3.73

Thanks for any help.

 

[wildbill23c]

You shouldn't have any issues with your trip, especially having the manual transmission.

A fellow member over on the ranger station: http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77801&page=10 post #96 has a Bronco 2 that he tows a travel trailer with. So I'd say a small 4' x 8' trailer wouldn't harm anything. Just remember it'll take longer to stop so leave a larger following distance and escape route just in case.

Make sure your fluids are all topped off and keep extra with you. Make sure you have good tires, and a good spare, and that they are properly inflated. Don't try and push yourself to go faster than you feel comfortable driving. The Bronco 2 is a high center of gravity vehicle and due to its smaller size will be pushed around pretty easily with the trailer's weight plus any wind and passing trucks.

 

[dmf3k]

Thanks for the quick response, Bill. You've given me some confidence. I'm really just worried that the drawn out stress on the 2.9L engine hauling 2,000 lbs would be too much.

I'm planning to take it slow. There's no rush for me from stop to stop so I think I'll quite enjoy the scenic cruise on the interstate at 55.

Other than the engine oil cooler, a tune up, and upgrading the rear leaf springs, is there anything else you can think of to make the haul easier and safer?

 

[wildbill23c]

You should be pretty much set. Not much to it. Are you driving your Bronco 2 quite often now? If you aren't having any issues with it if you drive it all the time now, then you should be fine on the trip.

Put new belts and hoses on before you go, seems like the most common fail is a belt or hose on a long trip LOL.

My grandparents had an 84 Ford Ranger that they pulled a 13' travel trailer all over the country with up until 1989 when they bought a larger trailer and a larger truck. They never had any trouble and that truck had the 2.8L V6 and automatic transmission. It did just fine, never had any transmission trouble. It was given to me several years later and I drove it for a few years before selling it...oh how I wish I could get that old truck back knowing now what I didn't know then about the carburetor and computer mess that ford had thrown into them .

Nothing I can really think of that you would need to change. If its not giving you any issues right now, a long drive shouldn't bother anything, it'll do just fine. These older rigs will do more than people give them credit for.