Will a Ford Expedition do the job?

[alerra]

I had a previous post seeing advice about a Jeep GC's ability to tow a Rockwood 2604. After considering everything, my wife and I have decided that the GC just won't cut it, at least for us. Since we by far prefer a SUV over a pickup, we are now looking toward a Ford Expedition. The 2012 Expedition with the heavy duty tow package is tow rated at 9200#. Its wheelbase is 119 (5" longer than the GC). I would like to hear from Expedition owners pulling TTs approximately the same size as the 2604 (6500# Gross, 30' long) what their experience is. We want to be able to travel safely and comfortably through all terrains within the US.

I should mention that we also have an F-150 ecoboost under consideration. We realize that the pickup would by far be the superior towing vehicle, but my wife and I would prefer the Expedition if it was up to the job. Since economy is also a factor, what would give the better gas mileage of the two vehicles while towing? I'm seems it would be the F-150, but by how much?

We would really appreciate seeing MPG figures from owners of both the Expedition and the F-150 Ecoboost.

Thanks,
Andrew

[Tincup13]

I pull my wildwood 28BH xlite with 2003 expedition. I have an equalizer hitch with weight distribution/ sway control. I think it pulls really good. I have not been in mountains but have made trips through hill country. Last trip I got 10-11 mpg by using cruise control at 55 mph. Cruise off on any hills or regaining speed. Very pleased so far. My trailor weighs 7000 or so loaded. No water. My espy is 5.4, 4x4 with HD tow package.

[Old car]

We pull a 30 foot Windjammer (7000# dry weight) with a 2011 F-150 Ecoboost with 3.55 gear 4X4 Super Crew Cab and while towing we get around 10 MPG. Not great but I had a 2009 Silverado 5.3L 2 wheel drive extended cab and got the same thing. Get about 22 MPG when not towing with the Ecoboost. Love how the Eco pulls this trailer as compared to the Silverado.

[bmeiners]

Before buying a Class A we towed a 30ft Layton TT with a 2007 Expedition. Our trailer weighed just over 7600lbs when loaded and we used an equal-i-zer hitch. The Expedition pulled it just fine. The only issue we had was the rear suspension would squat quite a bit due to the hitch weight but I think you're going to have that problem with any SUV as the suspension is much softer then that of a truck. I fixed the problem by installing airbags inside the rear springs which I could inflate to help with the hitch weight. The cost was under $500. We live in Oregon and pulled our TT over the Cascade range passes many times and it would pull up the pass at 70mph if I wanted it to. We averaged around 9 mpg while towing. It's a very capable car and I wouldn't hesitate to get another one if I were back in the market for a tow vehicle.

Brad

[TeresaInCAL]

If you go look at the F150's with super crew cab, you'll see they are very roomy. My F150 is older, 04 but the inside cab size is very similar, if not exactly the same. The back seat is very roomy. My boys are now 5'10" + (growing by the minute), and they have plenty of leg room. If you decide you'd rather have cargo inside the cab with you, the back seats fold up. The BIG Costco size ice chest will fit just fine. I believe they're listed to tow 11,500.
I hope to get one next year. Kinda waiting to see how the Eco boost pans out, as far as a TV for others, and have heard good things so far. The better gas milage is also a factor.
I'll take a truck over a SUV any day of the week, but you should check them both out.

[alerra]

If I were to go with the Expedition, almost all are equipped with the HD towing package. Whereas the F-150s are equipped with a standard tow package and offer the a Max Trailer Tow Package and a Heavy-Duty Payload Package as a special order from the factory. The Ford dealer insists that the standard tow package is more than enough for my TT. Can anyone shed light on this? I'm sure that it is always better to go bigger and stronger, but I would rather save the money than go beyond what I need.

Since this is my first serious TT and I am not sure what additional equipment I will need. The F-150 comes with a tow package and sway bar as standard equipment and most have the optional brake controller and a 3.55 Electronic RR Axle as part of a 7100# GVWR package. With this configuration, what other equipment would I need?

The Expedition comes standard with a Heavy Duty tow package which includes a Trailer Sway Control. In this case, what else would I need?

Thanks so much for your input. Your guidance has been invaluable to me throughout this process

[arlee453]

Bought a 2011 Expedition 4x2 last fall and really love it. "Gregory", as the Expy is lovingly named, is rated for towing 9,200 lbs with the factory installed tow package. Added a prodigy2 brake controller (which was a breeze to install with the integrated wiring and plug) and we were good to go! I am very happy with the vehicle both for getting us around town/day-to-day driving and towing the TT and would absolutely go with the Expy again.

We have 4 kids so had to find something that would seat at least 6 people comfortably with the biggest towing capability possible. Narrowed it down between a Suburban and the Expy. Went with the Expy due to the MUCH MUCH MUCH more roomy 3rd row. That way we can put 2 kids in each back row and they have plenty of space to spread out. The suburban felt like a tomb in the back with less leg room and a high 2nd row seat back which made you feel like you were trapped in a box back there. Also with 4 kids we almost always have at least one or two extra kids along so it's nice to have the seating for 8 when we need it.

As far as towing - I wanted to stay under 8,000 lbs total trailer weight to leave enough wiggle room under the 9,200 lb limit to accomodate the 1,000 lbs of people we are hauling around in the Expy. We went with our V-lite 30' which has a dry weight of around 6,400. That way fully loaded with our gear we will stay under the 8,000 lb self-imposed guideline.

We've towed the TT up through the mountains between NC and PA as well as shorter runs up and down hill and the expedition does fine.

I like to keep the speed around 65 or under, as I do notice a bit 'looser' feel and more sway when getting over 65. I do use the Tow/Haul mode which helps with down-shifting on downhill slopes - really like this feature.

The only down side is the gas mileage... getting around town I average about 15.5 - 16mpg. Towing the trailer up and down hill drops that about in half. But, that's an issue with any truck large enough to tow a good-sized trailer.

[crasher]

As you'll read in other posts, the problem with big SUV's as tow vehicles is their weight. They are much heavier than a crew cab pickup, as well as a shorter wheelbase. The soft rear suspension is also an issue you have to deal with.

The pickup has other advantages too. All the gross, wet and dirty stuff you don't want in the car or camper can go in the bed. Great place for your coolers, firewood, gas cans, generators, etc.

If you really want an Expedition, you should look at the XL model. It's longer wheelbase would make for a more stable tow. The downside is the extra weight. Also check the horsepower. 300 hp sounds like a lot, but when you are getting a vehicle upwards of 3 tons, that runs out fast.

[amdisc]

I have a 2005 Expedition 4 wheel drive and I tow a 2011 FR26rl that had a dry weigh of 5711lbs. My expedition is rated to tow 8900lbs. when I have it loaded up it tows fine, however just remember the wheelbase is shorter and when your towing any turn of the steering wheel while effect the movement of the coach. That said,,I would go with the expedition because of the extra space in it. I should mention this is my second expedition and I have had many RV's.

My only problem is that my Gray Wolf stays in service so I don't get to tow it very much.

[alerra]

I really appreciate your input. My conclusion is that the Expy is an adequate tv for the Rockwood 2604, though the F-150 Ecoboost would do a better job. Whatever direction I ultimately take, it is a trade-off. At this point, the Expy seems to be the better choice for us, though we still have some time before need to make a commitment.

A few questions for Arlee: Did your Expy come with a brake controller? If so, why did you abandon it for the Prodigy? What about a weight distribution hitch and sway control bars? do you use those? As I tried to explain, this is all new stuff to me. All I've ever had to do was hook my popup to my Nissan Xterra, connect the chains and we were fine. Again, your advice is greatly appreciated.

[TeresaInCAL]

Seems you really have to choose what will work better for your family. We also have 5 acres, and horses, so we're hauling manure, getting feed, etc. We used to have an Explorer, which I loved most of the time. ONE time I used it to get hay...had to put it inside of course...notice I said ONE time? LOL

[Misterdanderson]

FWIW I highly recommend a weight dist hitch. I have one on my Durango with an antisway bar and it makes a huge difference.

[DF5.4]

My family is me and DW, 16 year old daughter, 12 year old son (he is as tall as his sister), and an Old English Sheepdog. I have an 07 Expedition. It has the HD tow package, 3.73 gears, self leveling air suspension. The transmission does not have a tow/haul mode. I'm pulling a Tracer 3000BHS. The yellow sticker shows a dry weight of 6017 lbs and the GVWR is 7727 lbs. I'm using the Reese dual cam HP WD hitch and sway control.

The truck pulls the camper great. I usually keep it between 60 and 65 on the interstates when the speed limit is 65 mph. If I'm on interstate I will leave the OD on and the truck will pretty much stay in 5th gear unless i start going down a hill it will drop into 6th. Going up hills I will turn off the OD. If I'm on 2 lane roads I will lock out the OD. It will hold speed up any hill I've driven up in my travels. There have been times when I look down at the speedometer and I'm doing 70 mph. I can accelerate up hills but it will use a lot of gas. The sway control works great. I have no more sway than i did pulling a 29' Sunline with a 99 F-150 Supercab.

I do notice the short wheelbase occasionally. On the other hand we like campsites that back into the woods as opposed to pullthroughs in a field. We have been in some sites that a longer TV would not have been able to swing the camper onto the site. The one thing I would have done differently is when I had to replace the tires I should have gone to LT rated tires instead of the P rated. When I tow the camper I air the tires up to 49psi and that helps a lot. They are rated to 51psi cold. I normally run them at 37psi. I have towed without airing up the tires for a short distance like taking it to get it inspected and i can feel the tires squirming around under it extra weight.

As for mileage I've gotten between high 7 and 10 mpg when towing. The 7 mpg was into a pretty good wind. Normally I'm in the high 8 to 9 range. Empty normal running around I'm getting 15-16 mpg.

I did learn once that the air suspension will hold the TW of the camper to the point that there is not enough weight on the spring bars for the sway control to be effective.

[arlee453]

Originally Posted by alerra

A few questions for Arlee: Did your Expy come with a brake controller? If so, why did you abandon it for the Prodigy? What about a weight distribution hitch and sway control bars? do you use those? .

Some of the upper end Expys do come with integrated brake controller. The one I got which was just the standard 4X2 XLT model, did not come with the controller already installed. All Expy's DO come with the wiring for the brake controller already installed, so all you have to do is purchase one and plug it in. I did the install myself for the brake controller after watching this video:

Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2011 Ford Expedition Video | etrailer.com

It was just that easy - took maybe 20 min tops. The Ford dealer wanted over $300 to put in an aftermarket (not integrated, and non-digital) controller. I bought my prodigy and did it myself for a little over $100.

Also I should have mentioned in my previous post that we do use the weight distribution hitch with a friction sway bar. According to the Expy specs anything over 6,000 lbs must have a WD hitch. I would frankly recommend WD w/ sway bar when towing anything for long distances. I used to tow my popup without a WD hitch (weighed around 3,200) and if it was the least windy or big truck went by, it would sway like crazy.

For me the deciding factor would be how many seats you need. If you need the extra passenger space, (whether if towing or just driving around town) I'd go with the Expy. If you don't need more than 5 seats, then a F150 or 250 will always give you a bit more performance when towing. If it was just my husband and I, we would probably go with a crew-cab pickup. With 4 kids, the Expy is right for us!

[Whisky]

.
here's what I'm seeing between the 2 - the "expy" has more interior seating - what, 8 vs 5 ? - the ecoboost will get over 20 mpg when not towing (what percentage of your driving ISN'T towing ?)

(I know what I've chosen - 2012 F150 eco, 4x4).....Bill

[alerra]

The additional space in an enclosed compartment is more the issue than seating. Now that I've learned that the Expy is a capable TV for me, that brings the Expy to the forefront. Yet saving that extra cash on the road can't be ignored. I live in a small town with no traffic issues, so we would get about the maximum EPA rated mpg (our Toyota Avalon is rated at 19-28 and we get 27) for either vehicle.

The Expy is rated 14/20 and the F-150 Ecoboost is 16/22. Considering our normal driving situation, I could live with the Expy getting 17 to 19mpg. Now comes what may be the decisive question: How much better gas mileage could I expect from the F-150 while towing the trailer?

[Tincup13]

No better

[alerra]

If the F-150 doesn't provide better mpg during towing, then the Expy it will be. Can any other F-150 Ecoboost owners confirm what they get for gas mileage?