windstar/freestar and towing package

Greetings everyone,

I'm thinking about selling the 2001 Windstar for a 2005-2006 Freestar. I was wondering if anyone here had any opinions on this? The Freestar forum on this site has no activity.

I'm really just looking for a couple things over the van I have now. 1) newer, 2) less miles, 3) more storage, and 4) towing a boat.

Anyone know if there are any problems to watch out for in shopping for a used freestar? I'm having a hard time finding any used or private sales really.

Also, either Windstar or Freestar, how are they for towing? I'm looking to tow a boat, 1990 heavy hull fibreglass, inboard 130 HP, 17.5 feet. I don't know if the trailer is correct, I have no way of weighing it locally, and the manufacturer doesn't seem to want to give me specs on the boat. I believe the trailer says it holds about 2500 pounds. So I would think weighed down with fuel and vacation goodies I'm looking at 2500-3000 pounds.

Question, is it OK to just put a hitch on these things and tow or is it imperative to find one that has the factory/dealer towing package? And is this boat to heavy to haul with a Windstar loaded with 5 people?

Thanks for your help.

OK, I could not find this in my alldatadiy, but this is what the owner's manual for my '96 3.8L says.

Maximum trailer weight without towing package is 2000 lbs
Maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating without towing package is 6550 lbs

Maximum trailer weight with towing package is 3500 lbs
Maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating with towing package is 7500 lbs

Maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating is the weight of the vehicle AND trailer AND all contents of both.

Of course, one needs to have the proper trailer hitch that meets the rated load.
At the high end of those weights.....one needs to consider electric brakes for their trailer.....

Now.....personally, I would not want to to tow a 1 ton trailer with my windstar....towing package or not.
A leading reason is my inexperience towing.
My reasoning (and this is ONLY my personal opinion) is that the transmission is the same for towing package and non-towing package.
I have towed a utility trailer, less than 1 ton loaded.....and it does make a difference.
I feel it back there......when steering......certainly when braking.....and when accellerating......and one will feel this with or without the towing package.
I do not have a towing package, but I have added a auxillary transmission cooler (much greater cooling capacity than the factory one would be).
The transmission in the windstar (as in any minivan that I am aware of) is a bit weak....it is designed for a car.
If you would not tow it with a Taurus, then don't tow it with your windstar/freestar, because the windstar is on the Taurus platform.

I am NOT an experienced person with towing......and one can get into trouble in a hurry with even a small, light, trailer.....consider a wheel of that trailer dropping of the edge of the road......or any quick manuver that you might end up doing on the interstate.
This is in addition to the obvious increase in stopping distance.
More weight magnefies trouble exponentially.

It helps a LOT to make sure that the load is ballanced.....with the wheels being close to the center of ballance for your trailer.

Now.....a towing package for my '96 (likely similar through the years) included a auxillary transmission fluid cooler, auxillary power steering fluid cooler, and a motor oil cooler ( using the coolant to cool the oil in a heat exchanger, mounted between the oil pump and oil filter)

I do not know if there was any upgrade to the suspension, or brakes (I don't think so).

The Towing package from the factory did not include a trailer hitch.....

You might consider installing load adjusting shock absorbers on the rear (like the Monroe Sensa-Trac Load adjusting, with the spring) to help the vehicle to handle better while towing.

There are others on this forum that have FAR more experience with towing.....with their windstar than I do.
They should be able to offer a more informed input than I can.

The biggest factor in the "towing package" is the trans cooler. The other two major parts are the hitch and light harness. I'm not sure an extra PS cooler was part of the package or not, as there is already one on there, at least on my '01 there is. I don't think a brake or suspension upgrade was part of it either. Can't speak to the oil cooler, makes sense though. Mine didn't seem to get any hotter this past weekend towing about 1500lbs. At least the needle was in the same spot towing the trailer up a hill as it is with no trailer in the city.

I am a towing seasoned vet. I tow everyday. I made the mistake of towing an empty trailer with my wifes mini van. Trailer I was towing only weighed 1400 pounds, and it completely destroyed the transmission. It overheated and smelt like burnt popcorn. Please don't do it. Mini vans are simply not made to tow. They are made to haul around 9 or so kids. 7 full grown adults weigh as much as the trailer, so I suspect it was simply the wind drag that roasted the tranny.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

At the outset, I thought I would have been completely satisfied towing with the Windstar. I've owned mine for 3 years (paid off), I changed the trans fluid a month after I got it because it was slipping (that fixed it) and then changed it again 2 summers later as a precaution.

The research I read said that the Windstar/Freestar is one of the best towing vehicles out there because it is low to the ground, wide, and has very little overhang from the rear wheels to the hitch. Apparently that provides little roll when towing. That review was specifically dealing with small travel trailers. So for that you may be well suited.

But for a tall boat I had my doubts. I change my brake fluid and PS fluid once a year and it always smells cooked. I always felt uncomfortable stopping from highway speeds with 6 people in the car so I doubted the brakes could handle it.

For that reason I bought a 2006 F150 with towing package and V8 Triton. Great truck, rides smoother than the van, and apart from the initial acceleration, really don't know the boat is back there. Dumps the boat at the launch easy and pulls it out with no trouble. Nice to have the 4x4 option in case I get in a bind on a slippery launch but haven't needed it yet. Our lake is in a valley with a long steep hill and both accent and decent went smoothly with 6 people in the truck (SuperCrew).

So definitely the truck is the utility vehicle for pulling a boat and carrying 6 people. It cost $6000-$10,000 more than I wanted to spend on a new van. We were going to sell the Windstar to make up the difference but I can't because it has been a good van, so we are keeping it. I've got the scan tool program on the computer for both vehicles and am familiar enough with the Windstar I'm confidant it will last several more K's. Although it could use some extra attention catching up on maintenance this summer, I haven't experienced any of the problems that have plagued many owners. I think following the Ford maintenance schedule and getting tips from the good people on this forum may be the key there.

So thanks to everyone who chimed in on this and helped me make a decision.

Chase

I just had a nice long talk with a experienced transmission technician just outside Tracy City, TN.
I had a flashing O/D light pop up.......on a nice long hill coming out of Dunlap, TN.
Temperature was 103 degrees F, 7 of us in the vehicle, and a utility trailer behind.
First thing he said when he saw 7 of us pile out of my '96 windstar.....with a utility trailer on the back was "You need to get a bigger vehicle if you are going to do this".
When he found out that I had very little weight in the trailer.....and have a cooler on the transmission....and do yearly complete fluid exchange.....he was less concerned.
However, he gets a LOT of business from folks who try to use their mini-vans as trucks.
As stated.....a light utility trailer.....or camper is OK.
In my case.....I was lucky......just a defective speed sensor.
It is best to think of a mini-van as a station wagon....which is the vehicle that it replaces.