The new Explorer with a 3.5L EcoBoost engine is on my shopping list for my next "car". But I won't be towing with it. I'll use my F-150 with EcoBoost engine for towing my 5,000-pound TT.
Your Explorer is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds with a weight-distributing hitch,
PROVIDED you have the optional heavy duty towing package
AND your don't exceed any of the other weight ratings of your crossover SUV. Your most likely problem is exceeding the GVWR of the Explorer.
And you are hiding facts from yourself. That trailer has GVWR of 4,950, with very little cargo carrying capacity.
2015 Jay Feather Ultra Lite X23B | Jayco, Inc.
So you can bet it's going to weigh close to 4,900 pounds when wet and loaded for a camping trip. Ideal tongue weight for that trailer will be 12% of gross trailer weight, so when loaded to 4,900 pounds trailer weight you can expect about 588 pounds of tongue weight.
If you don't want to be overloaded, then here's the drill.
1> load the Explorer with all your family, pets, coolers, suitcases and anything else that might be in the SUV when towing, along with the installed head of your weight-distributing (WD) hitch. Yes, a WD hitch is mandatory for two reasons. One, it's required by Ford to tow more than 2,000 pounds with your Explorer. Two, it's required because your receiver hitch is probably rated a lot less than 588 pounds of tongue weight without a WD hitch.
2> Drive to a truckstop that has a CAT scale and fill up with gas.
3> Weigh the wet and loaded SUV, including driver, passengers, pets, and everything else.
4> Subtract the weight of the SUV from the GVWR of the SUV, and the answer is the maximum hitch weight you can have without being overloaded. If that max hitch weight is less than 588 pounds, then you don't have enough tow vehicle for that trailer along with your family and stuff.
, 2 Cats and three birds.
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