1996 Winnebago Vectra Towing Capacity

broadsword · 02-04-2014, 08:33 PM

My Vectra is a 35' 460 Ford puller. I believe it weighs about 18,000 lbs

After looking through the manual I believe i'm translating this right that my hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs. I have a heavy duty hitch for it rated for 16k. What do you think is the max towing capability? Not hitch rating...towing capability?

I have a ford excursion that weighs about 10k and pulls my 11k lb tractor around on a 14k lb rated trailer. Do you think I would have an issue pulling this trailer and weight with my coach about 60 miles to my property I am working on? I have trailer brakes and am confident in its stopping capability and ability to control it. I would take her easy pulling it. Would like to do this in one shot for the weekend instead of taking both vehicles. but I don't want to burn the transmission up doing this. It has a large tranny cooler, and again I would be driving miss daisy down the road...no rush. THANKS!

dlovitt · 02-04-2014, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadsword

My Vectra is a 35' 460 Ford puller. I believe it weighs about 18,000 lbs

After looking through the manual I believe i'm translating this right that my hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs. I have a heavy duty hitch for it rated for 16k. What do you think is the max towing capability? Not hitch rating...towing capability?

I have a ford excursion that weighs about 10k and pulls my 11k lb tractor around on a 14k lb rated trailer. Do you think I would have an issue pulling this trailer and weight with my coach about 60 miles to my property I am working on? I have trailer brakes and am confident in its stopping capability and ability to control it. I would take her easy pulling it. Would like to do this in one shot for the weekend instead of taking both vehicles. but I don't want to burn the transmission up doing this. It has a large tranny cooler, and again I would be driving miss daisy down the road...no rush. THANKS!

I'm pretty sure that 5,000 lb. hitch means you can tow up to 5,000 lbs.

Jbmsr · 02-04-2014, 09:09 PM

I had a 35' adventure and pulled my 2500 hd at 7800 lbs and 500 lb cart in the back of it. I was never in a hurry and had a brake assist. I would pull it 60 miles and take my time. What is the tung weight?

NeilV · 02-04-2014, 11:01 PM

The rear frame extensions on the 96 are a bit light duty so it won't really matter what size or capacity hitch that is put on it. The coach frame is prone to failure at the rear crossmember visible from the compartment right behind the rear axle by looking forward where there will be stress cracks in the corragated member near the top of it just in line with the frame of the truck chassis below. Overload the rear coach frame and you will stess this member and the back of the coach will start to sag putting a hump in the floor over the rear wheels. If the coach has been driven on salted roads then the basement frames will also be weakend further stressing the frame extensions and adding to this. Sometimes the road salt alone will weaken things enough to cause the cross member to fail from the added stress. I saw this on a number of the 94 to 96 Vecra's that I looked at when I was shopping to replace the one 95 that I lost in a fire.

Motorhomes should be used with an equalizing hitch either. The tow capacity of the OEM Ford chassis becomes a mute point once a motorhome is built on it as the hitch is not going to be installed on the trucks chassis but on frame extensions provided by Winnebago.

Tom N · 02-05-2014, 08:08 AM

I used to own a Vectra with a Ford 460. I still have the brochure.

Your Vectra's GVWR is 17,000 lbs and your Ford chassis is rated to tow 3500 lbs.

-Tom

NeilV · 02-05-2014, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilV

Motorhomes should be NOT BE used with an equalizing hitch either. The tow capacity of the OEM Ford chassis becomes a mute point once a motorhome is built on it as the hitch is not going to be installed on the trucks chassis but on frame extensions provided by Winnebago.

Edit: they should not be used with an equalizing hitch

broadsword · 02-05-2014, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilV

The rear frame extensions on the 96 are a bit light duty so it won't really matter what size or capacity hitch that is put on it. The coach frame is prone to failure at the rear crossmember visible from the compartment right behind the rear axle by looking forward where there will be stress cracks in the corragated member near the top of it just in line with the frame of the truck chassis below. Overload the rear coach frame and you will stess this member and the back of the coach will start to sag putting a hump in the floor over the rear wheels. If the coach has been driven on salted roads then the basement frames will also be weakend further stressing the frame extensions and adding to this. Sometimes the road salt alone will weaken things enough to cause the cross member to fail from the added stress. I saw this on a number of the 94 to 96 Vecra's that I looked at when I was shopping to replace the one 95 that I lost in a fire.

Motorhomes should be used with an equalizing hitch either. The tow capacity of the OEM Ford chassis becomes a mute point once a motorhome is built on it as the hitch is not going to be installed on the trucks chassis but on frame extensions provided by Winnebago.

WOW!!! This is the stuff u can't find in manuals! All great info!!! I surely don't want to deform the old girl. I am a very handy welder and will take a look at strenghting the rear frame. The tounge weight is about 500-700 lbs Id say. Very well balanced trailer an I could lighten that weight a bit no problem. Thanks everyone!

NeilV · 02-06-2014, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadsword

WOW!!! This is the stuff u can't find in manuals! All great info!!! I surely don't want to deform the old girl. I am a very handy welder and will take a look at strenghting the rear frame. The tounge weight is about 500-700 lbs Id say. Very well balanced trailer an I could lighten that weight a bit no problem. Thanks everyone!

Then you have to consider that many of the 35+ foot coaches back then were on 16,000 and 17,000 lb chassis and only had about 1,000 to 2,000 lbs load capacity left available for passengers and supplies. Adding more weight to the back to beef up the frame extensions could consume whatever weight capacity you have left to put a trailer on the hitch.

It is all a balancing act for sure.