Ford Explorer towing capacity, 2026 and earlier
Pick the engine and drive of your Explorer: the checker reads its line in Ford's 2026 towing guide and tests your trailer, passengers and cargo against the rating and GCWR.
2026 Ford Explorer: can it tow 4,500 lb?
Within, little margin
Rating for this configuration: 5,000 lb, GCWR 10,100 lb. 2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 39.
| Trailer vs trailer weight rating | 4,500 lb of 5,000 lb ✓ |
| Tongue weight share | 12.0% (10 to 15%) ✓ |
| Load on the vehicle vs payload | enter your door-label payload |
| Vehicle weight vs GVWR | enter GVWR and curb weight |
| Truck plus trailer vs GCWR (curb implied by the rating) | 9,875 lb of 10,100 lb ✓ |
| Heaviest trailer with this load (set by GCWR) | 4,725 lb |
No curb weight in the Ford guide: the GCWR test uses GCWR minus the rating minus the 300 lb of people the rating assumes.
Compiled by Radif Partners · Sources and method · Ford documents read October 20, 2026
Every Explorer in Ford's 2026 RV and Trailer Towing Guide is rated 5,000 lb: all 7 lines, every engine and both rear-wheel and four-wheel drive. The Class III Trailer Tow Package is standard for that figure, and the receiver is rated 5,000 lb with 500 lb of tongue load as a weight-carrying hitch. The rating was higher until 2024: the 2024 guide gave the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 5,600 lb and the 2.3L EcoBoost I4 5,300 lb with the Class IV Trailer Tow Package (52T), and only 3,000 lb to versions without factory towing equipment. Since 2025 there is one figure for everyone. What still differs is the GCWR, from 10,000 lb to 10,800 lb, which decides how much in passengers and cargo you can carry along with the trailer. Ford counts a 150 lb driver and passenger in the rating.
From three ratings to one
The 2023 and 2024 guides split the Explorer three ways. The 3.0L EcoBoost V6 was rated 5,600 lb, the 2.3L EcoBoost I4 5,300 lb with the Class IV Trailer Tow Package (52T), and any Explorer without factory towing equipment 3,000 lb, with a footnote saying that the hitch was then a dealer accessory (2024 guide, p. 35). The receiver followed: 5,600 lb and 560 lb of tongue for the gas Explorer, 5,000 lb for the hybrid.
From 2025 the table holds a single number. All 7 lines of the 2026 guide read 5,000 lb, the Class III package is standard for it and the receiver is rated to the same figure (2026 guide, p. 39). That is 600 lb less than the best 2024 Explorer and more than the lowest. A camper chosen for a 2024 3.0L EcoBoost V6 may be too heavy for a newer one.
Explorer maximum by model year
2026 Ford Explorer maximum towing capacity
5,000 lb
| Reached by | 2.3L EcoBoost I4 · 4x4 · 3.58 axle |
| Lowest rating printed | 5,000 lb (2.3L EcoBoost I4 · 4x4 · 3.58 axle) |
| Configurations in the table | 7 |
| Source | 2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 39 |
The GCWR still varies
With the trailer rating fixed, the GCWR is what separates the lines: 10,000 lb for the 2.3L EcoBoost I4 with RWD and 10,800 lb for the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 with 4x4. Ford's rating assumes 300 lb of people. Subtract that and the 5,000 lb trailer from the GCWR, and what remains is the heaviest Explorer that still fits under it, curb weight plus everything you add. A heavier, well-equipped Explorer on a low GCWR line has less room for a third-row family and their luggage than the rating suggests. The tool starts from the highest GCWR line.
Explorer: trailer allowed by the GCWR
Heaviest trailer the GCWR allows
4,725 lb
| GCWR | 10,800 lb |
| Vehicle as loaded | 6,075 lb |
| Hitch hardware counted | 75 lb |
Engines in the 2026 table: 2.3L EcoBoost I4, 3.0L EcoBoost V6, 3.3L HEV V6, 3.3L Ti-VCT V6. 3 of the lines are footnoted as Police Interceptor Utility versions; read the footnote of your own line.
Brakes, tongue and frontal area
Ford's notes add a warning specific to the Explorer: certain states require electric trailer brakes above a set weight, and a trailer with electric brakes must not be towed without an aftermarket electronic brake controller. Ford itself asks for separate brakes on any trailer above 1,500 lb loaded (Ford guide, p. 6). The tongue should carry 10% of the trailer, 500 lb at the rating, the same as the receiver's 500 lb. The rating assumes a trailer frontal area of up to 40 square feet. Compare with the Telluride and Grand Cherokee, and read the step-by-step calculation guide for your own load.
Ford Explorer towing capacity by model year
| Model year | Highest rating | Lowest rating | Configurations | Highest payload | Maker document |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5,000 lb | 5,000 lb | 7 | not printed | 2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 39 |
| 2025 | 5,000 lb | 5,000 lb | 9 | not printed | 2025 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 39 |
| 2024 | 5,600 lb | 3,000 lb | 12 | not printed | 2024 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 13, 35, 40 |
| 2023 | 5,600 lb | 3,000 lb | 12 | not printed | 2023 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide, p. 17, 39, 44 |
2026 Ford Explorer by engine
| Engine | Highest rating | Lowest rating | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L EcoBoost I4 | 5,000 lb | same | 2 |
| 3.0L EcoBoost V6 | 5,000 lb | same | 3 |
| 3.3L HEV V6 | 5,000 lb | same | 1 |
| 3.3L Ti-VCT V6 | 5,000 lb | same | 1 |
Every configuration of the 2026 table (7 rows)
| Configuration | Rating (lb) | GCWR | GVWR | Payload | Curb or base | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.3L EcoBoost I4 · 4x4 · 3.58 axle | 5,000 | 10,100 | 39 | |||
| 2.3L EcoBoost I4 · RWD · 3.58 axle | 5,000 | 10,000 | 39 | |||
| 3.0L EcoBoost V6 · 4x4 · 3.31 axle | 5,000 | 10,200 | 39 | |||
| 3.0L EcoBoost V6 · 4x4 · 3.58 axle | 5,000 | 10,800 | 39 | |||
| 3.0L EcoBoost V6 · RWD · 3.58 axle | 5,000 | 10,800 | 39 | |||
| 3.3L HEV V6 · 4x4 · 3.73 axle | 5,000 | 10,500 | 39 | |||
| 3.3L Ti-VCT V6 · 4x4 · 3.73 axle | 5,000 | 10,100 | 39 |