It depends on the engine/transmission in the van. I'm not sure about the later year models but at least the first couple of years the towing package was only available on the higher end option/model packages.
One reason was the half shafts. The higher end Windstars got heavier half shafts. We found this out the hard way when a friend broke one and the dealership ordered the "stock" half shaft twice before we dug into the parts book and found the correct half shaft for the higher end model.
jtbeck wrote: It's on page 22 of the pdf you linked to.
It clearly states that #3,500 is the max. It's also on page 17.
It depends on the engine. For a 2000 Windstar (which is what I've got), the 3.0 liter engine is rated at #2,000, but the 3.8L is rated at #3,500.
Page 22 clearly shows the max for a Windstar VAN to be 2000#, the Wagon has a max of 3500#
Yes, page 17 has a max for windstar at 3500, but when you go to page 22 you note that is for the wagon.
Well.......I've got a 2001 Windstar and the owner's manual clearly states 2000#, 3500# if equipped with trailer tow package. Gross Combined weight listed as 7000# and 8500# respectively.
The issue of the beefier half-shafts was listed as part of the tow package for the earlier Windstars (I also had a 1995 model) but is not listed as part of the trailer tow package for the 2001. The most significant item on the tow package list is the tranny cooler.
My 2001 does not have the trailer tow package. I added an aftermarket Class II hitch and aftermarket wiring adaptor (DO NOT use a standard kit but only one specifically designed for a Windstar). I've been towing an 8ft box Viking pop-up for the last six years, 1500# empty, about 2000# gross with absolutely no problems. Very stable, stops very straight (no trailer brakes). Yes, on long hills you may need to slow down sometimes but I'm in no hurry. Get about 19mpg towing on highway versus 24 w/o pop-up. So satisfied with set-up that I've stuck with the Ford minivans and last year also got a 2005 Freestar as the main tow vehicle. The 2001 is now our around town driver. If you get any bigger pop-up than mine, I would definitely recommend trailer brakes and having an after-market tranny cooler installed. Any decent tranny shop should be able to install the cooler.
Always go with the Owner's Manual for tow capacity. The tow guides, even the Ford ones, are too general in nature. The OMs can be downloaded for free from Ford.
Some items in tow packages are unseen. My 98 Ranger has stuf like power steering cooler in addition to auxiliary transmission cooler and a wired relay for the trailer lights. I don't know what they might have changed in the suspension. BTW, the hitch that came with it was the reinforced step bumper. I added my own Class III receiver hitch to it.
A 2001 Windstar with the 3.8 can handle a popup. Caddywhompus has the details on the transmission improvements (I thought the big improvements were made in 2002, but I might be wrong). I towed our 2700 lb (loaded) 12 ft Jayco with a 96 Windstar 3.8 with an added transmission cooler and it did a great job. I now tow with a 2004 Ford Freestar 4.2 and it does an excellent job. I do have trailer brakes, which I highly recommend.
2004 Ford Freestar 4.2 liter
2003 Jayco Qwest 12A
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jtbeck wrote: It's on page 22 of the pdf you linked to.
It clearly states that #3,500 is the max. It's also on page 17.
It depends on the engine. For a 2000 Windstar (which is what I've got), the 3.0 liter engine is rated at #2,000, but the 3.8L is rated at #3,500.
Page 22 clearly shows the max for a Windstar VAN to be 2000#, the Wagon has a max of 3500#
Yes, page 17 has a max for windstar at 3500, but when you go to page 22 you note that is for the wagon.
Sorry Bro, You have faulty information.
There are no Windstar wagons. I have seen vans referred to as wagons on occasion when they are passenger vans (Seats and windows) as opposed to cargo vans. I wonder if that is what the footnote is referring.
Windstar vans with 3.8 liter motors (the vast majority) have towing ratings of 2000/3500 (with/without tow package) from the factory. The towing package is very easy to retrofit in this case.
'04 Ford Freestar (Primary tow vehicle) '05 Subaru Forester (Backup tow vehicle) '65 Bethany popup (best popups ever made!) Looking for a tow vehicle Minivan towing
I found out it's a 2001 Windstar with 3.8L engine. sounds like based on that info it could tow 3500lbs if it was fitted with the tow pkg.
How much does the tow pkg cost to install?
doko
You can easily retrofit all the items needed to tow safely with a little money and elbow grease (if you can turn a wrench).
Here's your shopping list:
Class III hitch (skip class II or 2.5)
Trailer wiring kit (get from dealer ONLY)
Brake controller (Inertia activated is fine in this case)
Now, for the bad news. You probably do not have the upgraded transmission Ford made available in 2002. This isn't a show stopper, I know plenty of people who use pre-2002 Windstars for towing without trouble, but it does mean you are at increased risk of transmission headaches in the future if you aren't smart and take some precautions. So, to address this issue you need to add the following items that I would otherwise have listed as optional:
Transmission Cooler (Stacked plate style)
Transmission flush and fill with Synthetic fluid
OK, that gets as basic towing ability out of our van. If you do all this yourself, expect to pay around $500. If you pay someone else, double it.
Now, for the trailer. The important thing to remember about towing is that weight is NOT the only thing to worry about. Most of the forum has a hard time getting their head around this, but you can mitigate a lot of weight issues by having the right equipment and expectations. For example, pulling a 3500 pounds popup camper will be A LOT easier than pulling a 2000 pound full-height-and-width travel trailer.
When looking for a trailer, try to match as many of the following as possible:
Electric brakes
Torsion beam suspension
Low Profile
properly balanced (12-14% tongue weight when loaded for travel)
13" tires (C-rated if you can find them)
Capable of being used with a Weight Distributing hitch
An awful lot of newer popups will have electric brakes, but many old ones do not. I added them to mine.
And last, for the hitch connection. If you have a properly balanced trailer with the ideal 12% of tongue weight that weighs 3500 pounds loaded for travel you will have 420 pounds of tongue weight. (This is why I advise skipping the class II hitch which will be limited to 350 pounds of tongue weight) This much tongue weight WILL sag the back of your van, especially if people ride in the 3rd row. To address this, we use a Weight Distributing hitch. These devices use spring bars to transfer some of that weight to the front axle (and a portion back to the trailer) which causes the van to settle evenly front and rear. Without this, the rear sag will cause your front axle to get light which affects handling and traction, only made worse by the FWD. With the WD hitch, everything settles evenly, and the front axle maintains it's steering geometry and traction. I strongly urge you to consider adding a WD hitch to the combo, which is more money but WELL worth it. Other solutions like air shocks, helper springs and the like will help a little by keeping the back end up, but will not restore weight to the front axle like the WD hitch. For this reason, they remain a distant second choice to the WD hitch.
So after that long-winded explanation I add the following to your list:
Weight Distributing Hitch
Friction Sway Control
Please note, when you buy your hitch make sure it is a real class III otherwise it will not be compatible with the WD hitch system. You can quickly tell the right hitch because it will have dual ratings stamped on it, typically they are rated 350/3500 Weight Carrying (No WD) and 500/5000 Weight Distributing. Look for this when shopping! If it doesn't have the dual ratings, it's class II or 2.5 and I would advise you keep shopping
If you end up with a popup under 2500 pounds loaded, you can get by with a Reese mini-350 WD hitch which includes friction sway control. The limitation of the mini-350 is 350 pounds of tongue weight, so if you end up with a heavier popup, you need a conventional WD hitch like I have. The smallest bars made are 550 pound, which are about perfect for tongue weights starting at 350, right where the mini-350 leaves off. The nice thing about the standard WD hitch is that it grows with you. You can change the bars for heavier ones, adjust the hitch for different tow vehicles and add additional sway control in various ways... It's an investment you can use forever. Expect to pay about $300 for a mini-350, and $400 for a standard version with a single friction sway control. Instruction regarding the one-time setup and adjustment are available elsewhere on this forum when you get that far.
So, I tried to cover everything. Sorry for the long-winded reply. It's important to understand that many of the people who claim minivans can't tow typically did not attempt to optimize their combo by following the above. Often a $300 WD hitch or $50 transmission cooler could have solved a problem that instead people spend $30,000 on a new truck (or "real tow vehicle" as a previous post implied). If you do everything right, you can expect many years of safe and comfortable towing from your minivan. If you do everything wrong, you will end up one of the people who claim to have learned the "expensive way" that minivans shouldn't tow trailers. The choice is yours.
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