Tow Capacities/ Ratings Confusion

[Navi2019]

Good Afternoon to you all

I have a 2019 Navigator Black Label, L frame that I want to use to pull a 2013 VW passat on a 7 x 20 car carrier from TN to GA multiple times throughout this coming summer. I was told and have read in the manual that my Navi is rated at 8100 Town Car & 810 TW with a weight distribution hitch & before reading any further please understand that I plan on following those ratings just to play it safe. However, the other day I got under the vehicle looking at the wire harness for the trailer connection and saw a label attached behind the hitch that read 9300lbs Town Car & 930 TW with the WDH. I know these are built from the same frame as the Expedition and that some of those are rated at the 9300lbs. Is that my vehicles true Capacity or maybe just a mis-label? Or is it the frame that's capable of the 9300 but the engine & suspension system are not?

 

[Action]

Here is the 2019 Lincoln towing brochure.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/content/dam/aem_fleet/en_us/fleet/towing-guides/2019_Lincoln_TowingGuide.pdf

There are brochures for each year.

The configuration that makes the differences in towing with a 2019 Navigator are:
L or Standard (You have a "L")
4x2 or 4x4
Weight carrying or weight distribution hitch
Frontal area of the trailer
And HD trailer towing package (536) or not

The sticker on the frame likely is an indication of the limits of the frame. However towing is a package thing where the limit is based on the weakest link, not the strongest one. Unless that sticker is on the hitch. Then it is a hitch rating.

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[bbf2530]

Good Afternoon to you all

I have a 2019 Navigator Black Label, L frame that I want to use to pull a 2013 VW passat on a 7 x 20 car carrier from TN to GA multiple times throughout this coming summer. I was told and have read in the manual that my Navi is rated at 8100 Town Car & 810 TW with a weight distribution hitch & before reading any further please understand that I plan on following those ratings just to play it safe. However, the other day I got under the vehicle looking at the wire harness for the trailer connection and saw a label attached behind the hitch that read 9300lbs Town Car & 930 TW with the WDH. I know these are built from the same frame as the Expedition and that some of those are rated at the 9300lbs. Is that my vehicles true Capacity or maybe just a mis-label? Or is it the frame that's capable of the 9300 but the engine & suspension system are not?

Hi Navi2019 and welcome to the Lincoln Forums. Essentially, if your numbers are all correct, you got it right when you stated "Or is it the frame that's capable of the 9300 but the engine and suspension are not.

Here is the usual explanation: Your Navigator (the vehicle itself) has a tow rating. You state it is "...rated at 8100 Town Car and 810 TW with a weight distribution hitch". Let's assume that is correct.
Then the hitch itself states it has a rating of "9300 Town Car and 930 TW with the WDH".

So assuming your numbers are correct, you must take the lower of the two ratings as your max limits.

I would offer this hypothetical example: If you were to install a hitch/frame that was rated at 20,000 Town Car and 1,600 TW, your max rating would still be 8100 Town Car and 810 TW with a weight distribution hitch. Again, assuming those numbers provided are correct.

Let us know how you make out and good luck.

 

[Indy]

You should be able to look on the driver's B-Pillar for the label that shows your vehicle's towing capacities, GVWR, Front GAWR and Rear GAWR . It will also show your rear axle ratio.

Below is what mine looks like for a 2008 2x4 Navigator with the heavy duty tow package.



Close by should be another label that shows your cargo capacity. Mine is 1491 lbs.

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[Action]

The vehicle data placard does not give "towing" capacities. It is only about the vehicle.
That placard does give axle and vehicle capacities.

GVWR = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GAWR = Gross Axle Weight Rating

You can drive over scales and get the total vehicle weight or individual axle weights.

Towing capacities are determined by other factors in addition to vehicle chassis design. Parts like
Engine, transmission, axle ratio, drive train configuration plus trailer design based on the method that Ford requires.

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[Navi2019]

Thanks for the quick response! I figured that the 9300 was above my limits and the "weakest link" statement helped me make sense of it. What made me curious in the first place was my friend being there when I discovered the label. Being the die hard Ford guy that he is, he tried telling me that I should go by the new found hitch label simply because Fords are underrated and they more than likely downgraded their tow ratings out of liability concerns. This same guy blew an F150 transmission trying to haul a load of dirt so heavy that the trailer leg was barely off the ground .... needless to say I'm not buying that but i had to ask!

Thank You all!

 

[Indy]

The vehicle data placard does not give "towing" capacities. It is only about the vehicle.
That placard does give axle and vehicle capacities.

OK, I looked it up and I'm still not sure I understand how they relate to each other.
Thanks for the correction!

How to Measure Towing Capacity, GVWR, GCWR - Towing 101

Towing capacity is the maximum amount of weight your vehicle can tow when pulling a trailer. It is determined by the vehicle manufacturer and takes into account the GVWR, GAWR, GTW and more. What does towing capacity mean? Very simply, it is how heavy your trailer can be.

www.curtmfg.com

GVWR vs Towing Capacity​

GVWR is the maximum weight capacity of a vehicle without a trailer attached. Towing capacity, on the other hand, is the maximum weight capacity of the vehicle, specifically in terms of how heavy of a trailer it can tow.

 

[Action]

I think you are referring to GCVWR. Which is Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating.
(Sometimes referred as GCWR or Gross Combined Weight Rating.)
This is the rating of both TV and trailer.
The GVWR is the total load on just the (tow) vehicle. All vehicles will have this rating and in light trucks it is more of a factor as a truck will haul a load other than people in the bed.

Similar vehicles with only an axle ratio change will have different tow capacities. (Not so with subject vehicle as Lincoln only has one axle ratio)

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