I'm a newby on this forum,so please be gentle.I'm a divorced one income guy that would like to get back into camping with a travel trailer. I have a 07 Mercury Grand Marquis with a class 3 hitch,10,000# GVWR transmission cooler, Prodigy brake controller. I tow my 3300# fish&ski boat without any problems.My question is,why does todays sedans have such low tow ratings? Is it the way todays sedans are designed,engineered,& manufactured or some other ploy to get us to spend more on more expensive vehicles? I think my Mercury has a 1500# tow rating but tows my boat wonderfully with almost 55,000 miles on the Mercury so far it has been a great car and is my daily driver. I'm looking into the possibility of buying a small lightweight travel trailer(less than 4500#)to use to go camping in.
I think the low tow ratings are because modern cars don't have real frames. they have a sub-frame in the rear to hold the rear axle, a sub-frame in the front to carry the front suspension and engine, and the body is one big welded chunk. I don't believe uni-bodies are as strong as body-on-frame construction for towing.
I could be wrong, it happens frequently, but that's what I think.
It is interesting to note that nearly all "heavy duty" pickups and SUVs are body-on-frame construction.
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I would check your figures on the car again. I'm reasonable sure that your GVWR is nowhere NEAR 10,000 lb. My HD F150 is only 8200 lb. and it's the baddest half ton out there. Your car would be more capable than most 3/4 ton trucks. It's possible that you mean the GCVWR is 10,000 lb. but even that would make it higher than most any cars and many SUVs.
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Earlier LTDs and Grand Marquis on similar structure still had tow ratings on order of comparably powered 1/2 ton pickups. The lower tow ratings came along about the same time as extended drivetrain warranties.
In the 60's we towed with full size cars with comparable power, about 2/3 to 3/4 of the weight of today's vehicles. There were no official tow ratings, warranties were a few months, less than 6000 miles, and we knew that we would be replacing U-joints, rebuilding rear ends and automatic transmissions after a five to ten thousand miles of towing (actually, we'd try to trade before that).
When require of the manufacturer that a car is going to last a long time, the manufacturer is going to change the definition of what is appropriate use.
Most cars are generally built to maximize fuel economy for their size. They have axle ratios and transmissions more designed for mileage than towing. In the old days (60s and 70s for me), when mileage was not nearly as important, there were some full size sedans with good towing abilities. BUT, mileage is more important these days. The vehicles built for towing generally don't get great mileage. Your car may pull your boat OK because it is streamlined and does not have the frontal area of most RVs. I think you would be making a big mistake trying to pull a travel trailer with a car rated at 1,500 lbs.If you want to tow a TT, get a vehicle designed for towing and not mileage (go by tow ratings) I wish you the best of luck.
Looked into towing with our 07'Grand Marquis. Unlike most cars the GM still has the sub frames like its 1970's counterparts. But here's the rub. Rear end is a 2.73 ratio which is really to small for towing, but great for MPG. If possible upgrade to a later Model Mustang rear end which is probably in the 3.25 to 3.52 ratio range. TCM, (that's transmission control module), will need to be re-program with new shift points and the ECU or at least the VSS response codes will need to be updated. Otherwise the Merc is a great platform for up to 10K trailers. You'll need new shocks and probably need rear air leveling if not already equipment with it. And those standard touring tires got to go. Serious towing means the brakes will need more frquent change outs. If I remember correctly they are ceramic performance so they are up to the task, but the load will wear them down in half the time of normal.
As always, your not going to win any races up the hills, but you'll be fine.
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If a travel trailer would too heavy for my Mercury Grand Marquis would a popup be a better choice than the travel trailer? Less weight and more aerodynamic or is the popup too much for the Mercury also?
campingguy62 wrote: If a travel trailer would too heavy for my Mercury Grand Marquis would a popup be a better choice than the travel trailer? Less weight and more aerodynamic or is the popup too much for the Mercury also?
Pop-ups do tend to be an easier tow than a similar sized TT due to the lack of wind resistance...
If I were going to tow a camper with a sedan that's the direction I'd go...
BManning baking in Phoenix
2008 Ford Super Duty F250 XLT, 4x4, crew cab, 6.75' bed
5.4L V8 300hp/365ft-lb, 5sp Torqshift, 4.30 AAM gears
9400lb GVW 11200lb tow
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4.4L 311hp/325ft-lb, 6sp Aisin, loaded
6100lb GVW 5000lb tow
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