To date, a lot of people have had lots of questions about 2021 Ford Bronco towing specs. As we reported some time ago, the new Ford Bronco is capable of towing up to 3,500 pounds, and can also be flat-towed. But to this point, we had not seen a 2021 Ford Bronco towing anything, until now.
These photos show an Oxford White 2021 Ford Bronco four-door prototype with a soft top towing an empty trailer. Clearly, this load doesn’t even come close to testing the Bronco’s capabilities, but there’s much more to the testing process than determining whether or not a vehicle can haul massive loads, of course.
The 2021 Ford Bronco is rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds for both two- and four-door models when equipped with the FoMoCo’s Class II Trailer Tow Package, which is available for an additional cost of $595. It’s worth noting that this option is available on every 2021 Bronco trim level except the Base model, though it’s a safe bet multiple aftermarket options will be available.
The Bronco’s chief rival – the Jeep Wrangler – is also rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds when equipped with the optional Trailer Tow Group package. However, this rating is exclusive to the four-door Unlimited model, as two-door Wranglers are only rated to tow up to 2,000 pounds. Thus, the two-door Bronco holds a distinct advantage in this regard.
Payload ratings do vary between two- and four-door Broncos, however. Two-door models feature a max payload capacity of 1,170 pounds, while four-door models can carry up to 1,370 pounds. The Wrangler’s max payload ratings vary depending on which trim level buyers opt for, but range from 1,081-1,220 pounds for two-door models, and 1,160-1,310 for four-door models.
Those that want to bring their 2021 Bronco along on RV trips will also be happy to know that the vehicle is capable of being flat-towed, which means it can be hooked up behind another vehicle and pulled on all four wheels. This saves owners from having to get a trailer to bring the Bronco along on trips, which plenty of travelers will likely be looking to do.
We’ll have more on the 2021 Bronco very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Bronco news and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.
Comments
If rumors of a Bronco pickup are true it will certainly need more than a 3500 lb tow rating before I would consider one. The Gladiator can tow up to 7650 lbs so I suppose there is hope.
That equipment trailer weighs 3k plus. So ya great, it can tow a empty trailer or almost as much as a Subaru outback.
If I planned to use that trailer on a regular basis I believe I would be buying a Superduty. But 3500 lbs? That’s for 2 snowmobiles or 2 ATVs or a few dirt bikes on a single axle 5 lug wheel trailer. Why use a trailer like this to test a Bronco ? It’s a huffin lot easier than throwing a bunch of sand bags on a little one.
The sand bags would need tie-down straps. If you are going to test towing 3500# then it makes sense to pull a trailer that weighs 3500#, as that one surely does.
However, on road in certain states, it is illegal to tow a trailer that itself is rated higher , even though empty, than the GCW of the tow vehicle. So if that dual axle trailer is licensed for 5000# it would be a violation to haul it with the Bronco.
Probably testing pro trailer backup.
Maybe they are testing the suspension setup for an upcoming pickup version of the Bronco which would need a much higher tow rating than 3500 lbs if it’s going to compete with the Jeep Gladiator. If you assume a pickup version would use a coil spring rear suspension similar to the non-pickup versions which would also be different than the leaf spring setup currently used on the Ranger and therefore an upgraded design capable of a higher tow rating.
I figure they foolishly fear it will compete against their explorer so they purposely limited towing.
Rated towing capacity is limited more by the brakes on a vehicle than horsepower or springs or even the transmission, although by nature an actual clutched tyranny (sludhboxes have clutches) will always outperform a Ski-Doo type cvt found too often for my likes. Usually tongue weight max should be around only 300 pounds in a vehicle this size which should not call for increased spring capacity. However transmission cooling is a must. If you do not order a vehicle with the tow package, don’t tow.