If you have a 2018 Ford Explorer and need to know your towing capacity, you have come to the right place.
Here you will find all the GCWRs, max trailer towing weights, payload capacity and GVWR suggested by Ford. The information is collected from the 2018 Ford Explorer Brochure and 2018 Ford Explorer Owners Manual and 2018 Ford Explorer Towing Guide.
The 2018 Ford Explorer has a max trailer towing capacity between 2,000 and 5,000 lbs depending on the engine and package added. Any weight over 1,500 lbs requires a separate trailer braking system.
Ford says that the tongue weight for any towing should be no more than 10% of the trailer weight. So this should be taken into account when setting up your trailer.
2018 Ford Explorer Towing Capacity
The max towing capacity of the 2018 Ford Explorer is between 2,000 and 5,000 lbs.
Below you will find the max towing capacities of the Ford Explorer separated by engine.
One thing to keep in mind is that when carrying a trailer over the weight of 1,500 lbs, you will need a separate braking system for the trailer.
In addition, when towing trailers over 3,500 lbs a weight distributing hitch is required for safe towing.
2.3 L EcoBoost Towing Capacity
The 2.3 L EcoBoost engine in the 2018 Ford Explorer has a towing capacity of either 2,000 lbs or 3,000 lbs without and with the Class II Trailer Tow Package respectively.
| Drive | Towing Capacity | GCWR |
| FWD | 2,000 lbs | 6,900 lbs |
| FWD w/Class II Trailer Tow Package | 3,000 lbs | 7,950 lbs |
| 4WD w/Class II Trailer Tow Package | 3,000 lbs | 8,150 lbs |
3.5 L EcoBoost V6 Towing Capacity
The 3.5 L EcoBoost V6 engine in the 2018 Ford Explorer has a towing capacity of 2,000 lbs without the Class III Trailer Tow Package and 5,000 lbs with it.
| Drive | Towing Capacity | GCWR |
| FWD | 2,000 lbs | 6,900 lbs |
| FWD w/Class III Trailer Tow Package | 5,000 lbs | 9,950 lbs |
| 4WD | 2,000 lbs | 7,110 lbs |
| 4WD w/Class III Trailer Tow Package | 5,000 lbs | 10,150 lbs |
3.5 L V6 Towing Capacity
The 3.5 L Ti-VCT V6 engine in the 2018 Ford Explorer has a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs on all trim levels.
| Drive | Towing Capacity | GCWR |
| 4WD w/Class III Trailer Tow Package | 5,000 lbs | 10,400 lbs |
2018 Ford Explorer Tongue Weight
Tongue weight refers to the weight exerted on a trailer hitch/ball mount. Generally speaking the tongue weight should usually be between 10-15% of the total trailer weight.
However, Ford specifies that for the Explorer this should be no more than 10% of the total weight. This means for a Explorer carrying the max capacity, the max tongue weight should be between 200 and 500 lbs.
2018 Ford Explorer Towing Features
The Ford Explorer is not equipped to handle towing in its stock form. You will need to install the necessary equipment, including a hitch, to tow with this vehicle.
This combination, however can be purchased through an offered package.
Class II Trailer Tow Package (52R)
The Class II Trailer Tow Package is a towing package that is compatible with the 2.3 L EcoBoost engine.
It comes with:
- 4 Pin Trailer Wiring Harness
- Hitch Receiver
It is needed for Explorers with the 2.3 L EcoBoost engine towing between 2,000 and 3,000 lbs.
Class III Trailer Tow Package (52T)
The Class III Trailer Tow Pacakge is the towing package available with 3.5 L V6 engines.
It comes with:
- 7 Wire Harness & 4/7 Pin Connector
- Hitch Receiver
- Engine Oil Cooler
This package is required for 3.5 L engines that are towing between 2,000 and 5,000 lbs.
With the 3.5 L EcoBoost V6 engine, the Class III Trailer Tow Package comes standard on the Sport and Platinum series.
Trims/Series
There are 5 trims in the 2018 Ford Explorer. These are:
- Explorer
- XLT
- Platinum
- Sport
- Limited
Each of these vehicles has various features available such as interior and exterior design.
2018 Explorer Engine Specs
2.3 L EcoBoost Engine
The 2.3 L EcoBoost engine is turbocharged, direct injection engine which supplies 280 hp @ 5,600 rpm and 310 lb.-ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm.
This engine is the standard engine on the Limited trim and comes in both FWD and 4WD options.
3.5 L EcoBoost V6 Engine
The 3.5 L EcoBoost engine is a twin turbocharged engine with direct-injection technology.
It provides max 365 hp @ 5,500 rpm and 350 lb.-ft of torque @ 3,500 rpm.
This engine comes standard on the Sport and Platinum trim levels. It comes only in 4WD.
3.5 L Ti-VCT V6 Engine
The 3.5 L Ti-VCT 6-speed automatic V6 engine is the engine that comes standard on the Explorer and XLT trim.
It supplies 290 hp @ 6,500 rpm and 255 lb.-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm.
It comes with both FWD and 4WD options.
Additional Resources
Conclusion
Ford states that the 2018 Explorer has a max towing capacity between 2,000 and 5,000 lbs. This is when properly equipped which sometimes includes one of the Trailer Tow Packages.
Though this guide provides good guidance on how much you can tow with your 2018 Explorer, you should always calculate your own towing capacity.
Not sure how? Read: How is Towing Capacity Calculated? Here you will find a helpful calculator as well.
