# How much can a V6 engine tow?



## cosmomomo

This isn't so much about a trailer, but does anyone know what the weight capacity on a V6 engine is? There is someone in the neighborhood who has a 1996 Ford V6 for sale, and I would really like it if it would be able to pull a 2 horse bumper pull, with one horse in it most of the time. I wouldn't be going up the mountain or anything, just shows and the farthest is 4 hours away, but that would only be once a year, and is on the highway the whole time. It has a hitch on it already and the guy said he has pulled two Standardbreds in it to the track a lot..but you never know. So hopefully you guys have some input and can help me . (I don't have a trailer or a car yet, so this is all hypothetical) My horse weighs 1100lbs at most, and I would like to get a trailer with a tack room if that helps in figuring out weight or anything.


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## Shalani

Its more the towing weight capacity of the overall car. A standard V6 any make should be able to tow a double float ... The car how ever may not have the braking ability or be heavy enough to stop.

So its hard to answer your question without knowing the model .


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## mbender

Ya that's what my husband said. If you have the manual to the vehicle it should say what it can tow. I don't think that it is big enough, IMO.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NorthernMama

It likely is enough to tow a small 2-horse, but as suggested check the manual, or even write down the VIN and take it to the dealership and ask them. It is definitely more than just the engine that counts. Know how much the trailer and horse will weigh approximately when you ask. 3000 lbs? 5000 lbs? I'd go with 5000 lbs. That should be enough for many small trailers with two pleasure horses (not drafts).


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## churumbeque

If I already owned the vehical I might be inclined to use it and up grade if needed but I wouldn't go out and buy an undersized vehicle to start with as it will get expensive to sell and upgrade. You do not say what the vehicle is or how big the V6 is so that will make a difference.
I had a S10 blazer with a 6CC and pulled 1 horse back in the late 80's but my mid 90's 6CC mini van wouldn't have been able to handle it as well.


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## cosmomomo

My mom has looked at it and didn't tell me the model or anything like that, but I am going to look at it myself on Saturday so I can get more info then. I know it would be best to get a bigger truck to start with, but finances won't let me do that right now and even if it can't pull a trailer, I need a vehicle to go to college classes with, just was hoping it would be big enough lol.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MyBoyPuck

I would personally not attempt to tow with a V6 anything. Just not enough power to stop. There are a lot of 1/2 ton V8 older model trucks out there for good prices these days. For an 1100lb horse, a 3,000lb trailer, saddle, water and stuff, you're around 4,500 lbs. A lot of 1/2 ton V8's are rated to tow around 6,500 which sounds like it would be perfect for your situation.


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## Shalani

MyBoyPuck said:


> I would personally not attempt to tow with a V6 anything. Just *not enough power to stop*. There are a lot of 1/2 ton V8 older model trucks out there for good prices these days. For an 1100lb horse, a 3,000lb trailer, saddle, water and stuff, you're around 4,500 lbs. A lot of 1/2 ton V8's are rated to tow around 6,500 which sounds like it would be perfect for your situation.



Your engine doesn't stop the car .... A V6 engine will have more than enough torque to tow a double float .

I've towed a double horse float with 1300kg of horse(s) in it with a 4cly Hilux ute .

You cannot judge if this car will be good for towing just by engine size.
Its all about the braking ability & torque !!! Thats how they determine how much weight a vehicle can tow .

That's why knowing the model is so important .
You then know the brake set up (Disc or drum) , the diff & gearbox ratio's. 
And the max weight for the standard tow bar.


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## Mingiz

Is this a car or truck? If a truck with a straight inline 6 cylinder should be able to handle a 2horse without a problem. Even though the are 6 cylinders they have alot of power for thier size. But as other posters have said you need to make sure that the vehicle is rated to handle what your towing. That weight includes the trailer and all that goes in it and your truck. :wink:


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## cosmomomo

It is a truck with an extended cab, I wish I knew the model and stuff, but I have not gotten to look at it myself. Will keep you guys posted 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## cosmomomo

I saw it today, it's a 1997 Ford Ranger XLT with a 4.0 liter whatever lol. If you can't tell, I don't know that much about trucks.


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## Reiterin

I would Not try to tow with a V6.


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## crazyjranch

A Ford with a V6 is fine for a small trailer and one horse most of the time. Just check and make sure it has the towing package opt and how much weight it can handle. 
The figures to be aware of are Max Trailer Weight, Tounge Weight, and Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR).


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## iridehorses

As CrazyJ said, a 6 can handle a small horse trailer and 1 horse but a Ranger has another problem - wheel base. Even if your motor can pull the load, the Ranger was never intended to pull a horse trailer. A short wheelbase can make pulling a horse trailer very squirmy which translates to a trailer that can quickly become unstable at speed or if passed by trucks on a highway.

Pulling a trailer is much more then horsepower.


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## jethroish

Personally, i would not do it. If you were only going 20 or 30 miles, at 50 mph or less, maybe. Do a search for tow ratings by year, make, model, and engine size. 
It is not just engine power, but stopping power of the brakes, vehicle suspension, wheelbase length, hitch strength. Too much weight causes the trailer to drive the truck.


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## Mingiz

A ford ranger isn't a tow vehicle for anything with a lot of weight. It won't stop your trailer...The engine might do the job but the overall structure of the ranger wasn't meant for towing a horse trailer of any size. You need atleast a straight 6 or small v-8 and a 1/2 ton full size pick up. Just to be safe...


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## my2geldings

cosmomomo said:


> I saw it today, it's a 1997 Ford Ranger XLT with a 4.0 liter whatever lol. If you can't tell, I don't know that much about trucks.


 What you need to look at, is the type of vehicle as well. A large SUV might on paper be more able to tow a heavier weight, but the chassie is NOT made to pull that kind of weight therefor you're going to destroy your transmission. A small truck like an F150 despite what it can pull on paper, would do just fine hauling a trailer, because the power train and the transmission is made for heavy duty work.

The other thing you need to look into, is the weight of the trailer.

I would definitely not be trying to pull a horse trailer with a Ranger.


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## mysticdragon72

*Maximum Towing Capacity for 2WD Trims*​ 
The Splash Supercab 2WD and the Splash Regular Cab 2WD had maximum towing capacities of 2,000 lbs. The XL SuperCab 2WD had a maximum towing capacity of 3,900 lbs. The XL Regular Cab Short Bed 2WD and the XL Regular Cab Long Bed 2WD came with maximum towing capacities of 4,000 lbs. The XLT SuperCab 2WD boasted 5,800 lbs. of towing capacity, and the XLT Regular Cab Short Bed 2WD and the XLT Regular Cab Long Bed 2WD each maxed out at 6,000 lbs. of towing power. ​ 
*Maximum Towing Capacity for 4WD trims*​ 
The XL SuperCab 4WD came with a 4,200-lb. towing capacity. Both the XL Regular Cab Short Bed 4WD and the XL Regular Cab Long Bed had a maximum towing capacity of 4,400 lbs. The Splash SuperCab 4WD maxed out at 5,500 lbs. of towing capacity. The STX SuperCab 4WD and the XLT SuperCab 4WD shared a 5,600-lb. maximum towing capacity. The XLT Regular Cab Short Bed 4WD, the STX Regular Cab Short Bed 4WD, the XLT Regular Cab Long Bed 4WD, the STX Regular Cab Long Bed 4WD and the Splash Regular Cab 4WD all had maximum towing capacities of 5,800 lbs. ​ 
Read more: 1997 Ford Ranger Towing Capacity | eHow.com 1997 Ford Ranger Towing Capacity | eHow.com​ 
I copied and pasted the above information from the website linked above. ​ 
Although I knew you should have no problems towing a horse trailer of the specs you provided with the truck you listed it depends on a couple things as you can tell from the information above. ​ 
So there ya go... I had to do a google search just to back up what I already knew to be true as it went against what pretty much everyone else here stated but I knew I was right as I've used a truck similar to the one you're looking to purchase for towing a horse trailer with two QH. Also, if you haven't got a trailer currently you might also consider adding a braking system to the trailer that is controlled from the cab of the truck. They're not too hard to install and if you buy the trailer relatively new or used the dealer should be able to install the braking system for you if you're not mechanically inclined.

ETA: I have a friend though who has told me about his Ranger being bad on gas so you might want to consider getting a 1/2 ton truck like the other posters mentioned. Like an F150 or a C1500. I'd make sure that they had the smaller V8 engine though as they are better on gas than the larger V8s (F150 with a 302 or the C1500 with a 305 compared to an F150 with a 351 or a C1500 with a 350).​


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## back in the crosby again

If it is a Ford I am guessing it is a F150. I have two of them. One is an older V8 with 2WD and I have pulled my 2H steel trailer with one horse in it without any strain on it, but it is older and so it tends to have issues. My other is a newer inline 6 with 4WD. We have not tried to pull the horse trailer with it, but have pulled my neighbors dead F250 which is much heavier then my horse and trailer combo. I am going to be using it this spring show season. 

Now as far as breaking, my trailer has trailer breaks. While yes my breaking distance is never going to be the same as if I was not towing, but it helps and in an emergency I can always manually engage the trailer breaks. Most modern horse trailers come with them.


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## back in the crosby again

Ok I just saw where you found out it was a Ranger, so you can disregard my ramblings about the 150's. 

I would have to agree the Ranger is not for towing. I think the largest engine they made for it is at a max capacity for any horse trailer combo.


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