Ford Expedition and towing

[AKristine]

Good afternoon -

For the past year I have been all around the mulberry bush, attending RV shows, looking at lots of Airstreams and Interstates -- eventually I will make a decision.

One of my all time favorite Airstreams is the 27 foot International Serenity--I just love it. Yesterday I telephoned Can-Am RV Centre up in Canada to ask for advice on using a Ford Expedition as a tow vehicle the 27 footer. A gentleman by the name of Philip Tipler told me that if I had a Prodigy P2 brake controller and a weight distribution hitch installed, I would be fine with the Ford Expedition.

If anyone has anything to add to this, I would be grateful for your comments/observations.

Many thanks.

Kristine

[Road Ruler]

Good day Kristine..... Many of us here have Can Am set ups. They have a reputation for getting it right. Andrew T from Can Am is a Forum Member and he has praised the Expeditions on some of his posts ( mostly the newer ones with IRS suspension). If you do a search on Andrew T's posts you may find more info.

You are right, the 27IS is real nice!!!!!

[MaryC]

We tow our 26' Overlander with a 2008 Ford Expedition Limited. (V8, fully loaded with gizmos) Factory installed towing package and using a Prodigy brake sender. So far on several long and short trips, we find the Expedition more than enough vehicle for our needs up and down mountain passes etc. Although our 58 (remodeled interior) is probably much lighter than a new Airstream, we do find that we have far more power than we need... which means just the right amount.

[kscherzi]

I tow your exact trailer with my 2003 Ford Expedition. Use the Equal-i-zer hitch. My 65lb Shorthair Pointer sits in the rear (third row seats folded flat). Wife and I up front and odds and end in second row seat. Tows like a champ!

[pappy19]

To make your Ex a super great towing machine, add a Firestone air bag setup on the rear springs, a Transgo Tugger Shift Kit in the tranny and a Mike's 5 Star SCT towing program. Also, if your Ex has a 3.73 rear end ratio, then that's good. If it is a 3.55, then I hope you have a newer EX with the 5 or 6 speed tranny.

[kscherzi]

This is my 2013 27FB Airstream attached to my Expedition. As long as you have the 5.4L engine should be no problem towing. Payload on all Expeditions is in the 1,600lb area so no problem with the trailer.

[AKristine]

Originally Posted by Road Ruler

Good day Kristine..... Many of us here have Can Am set ups. They have a reputation for getting it right. Andrew T from Can Am is a Forum Member and he has praised the Expeditions on some of his posts ( mostly the newer ones with IRS suspension). If you do a search on Andrew T's posts you may find more info.

You are right, the 27IS is real nice!!!!!

Many thanks for your comments. I am so pleased to hear about Andy's endorsement of the Expedition. I'm just not comfortable with a 3/4 ton truck which many on the forum seem to feel is the best match for 27 > airstreams.

I appreciate your kindness!

Kristine

[andreasduess]

It's not so much about what you tow - you can tow most Airstreams with a modern SUV, van or 1/2 truck - some even with a sedan. It's more about what you choose to carry.

Right now, we're towing our 1984 34' trailer with a Honda Odyssey. It's a stable, safe and economical tow vehicle with a 1400lbs payload. It works because we travel relatively lightly, weekends and holidays rather than full time. I am a huge fan of this set-up.

However, I can see a point in the future, when the kids are older and we'll start carrying bikes and canoes, that we'll be buying a truck to help carry all of that stuff. Part of the plan is also to travel across Canada the year after next, and the Odyssey, as perfect as it is now, would not be the best vehicle for that trip.

Even then, I will be keeping the truck as small as I can, probably a Ford Ecoboost with a 6' bed, to stay as close as possible to the driving characteristics of a car. Independent suspension and a low centre of gravity are good things in a vehicle, whether you're towing or not. Unfortunately the kind of vehicle that can carry a high payload typically comes without these niceties, so there'll always be a compromise.

Your Ford is a nice and capable vehicle, enjoy.

[AKristine]

Originally Posted by MaryC

We tow our 26' Overlander with a 2008 Ford Expedition Limited. (V8, fully loaded with gizmos) Factory installed towing package and using a Prodigy brake sender. So far on several long and short trips, we find the Expedition more than enough vehicle for our needs up and down mountain passes etc. Although our 58 (remodeled interior) is probably much lighter than a new Airstream, we do find that we have far more power than we need... which means just the right amount.

Thank you! Your comments are reassuring and I appreciate your kindness.

All good wishes.

Kristine

[damonbeals]

We tow with a 2003 Expedition 5.4L 4x4, with a P3 and 800lbs Reese Dual Cam setup, and pull a 1998 31' and a 1979 25' Safari. We have not had any issues over the past 6 years. We also have dogs and they enjoy the 2nd row of seats. We only get about 9-10mpg while towing.

Damon
#4827

[CanoeU70]

As a former loyal Suburban owner (I traded #4, a 2009, when I discovered that they no longer provided fuel filters to prevent the fuel injector system from getting clogged).

The $300 apiece injectors have an "individual internal filter" which is rediculous because to "service" that filter means a new $300 injector...try THAT 8 times!

I now love my Ford Expedition even without 4-wheel drive.

Gosh, the dealer let me take it home un-purchased to see if the transmission could handle backing my trailer into its shaded shed (the 4 suburbans had 7 transmissions). The Expedition worked fine.

However, I just recently discovered that the "HD Towing Package" does not include air boosted rear shocks. That is a separate option; go figure: "HD" for heavy duty and that does NOT include an air boosted rear end leveler?

So I am online today seeking an aftermarket solution. I called my dealer and it's too late to install the air system on my Ford.

The attached photo shows my rig in what NavArchs call a "condition of sag" (the bow and stern riding on 2 wave tops) and this leads to frequent scrapes on entrances with rain inclined pavement.

[AKristine]

Why is it too late to install rear boosted rear shocks? What do expect that to cost and who will do the installation?

Thanks. Kristine

[AldeanFan]

Originally Posted by CanoeU70

As a former loyal Suburban owner (I traded #4, a 2009, when I discovered that they no longer provided fuel filters to prevent the fuel injector system from getting clogged).



The $300 apiece injectors have an "individual internal filter" which is rediculous because to "service" that filter means a new $300 injector...try THAT 8 times!



I now love my Ford Expedition even without 4-wheel drive.



Gosh, the dealer let me take it home un-purchased to see if the transmission could handle backing my trailer into its shaded shed (the 4 suburbans had 7 transmissions). The Expedition worked fine.



However, I just recently discovered that the "HD Towing Package" does not include air boosted rear shocks. That is a separate option; go figure: "HD" for heavy duty and that does NOT include an air boosted rear end leveler?



So I am online today seeking an aftermarket solution. I called my dealer and it's too late to install the air system on my Ford.



The attached photo shows my rig in what NavArchs call a "condition of sag" (the bow and stern riding on 2 wave tops) and this leads to frequent scrapes on entrances with rain inclined pavement.

You don't need air shocks to level the truck and trailer, you just need to adjust your hitch setup,

[andreasduess]

Originally Posted by AldeanFan

You don't need air shocks to level the truck and trailer, you just need to adjust your hitch setup,

That's what I thought - it looks like the hitch isn't dialed in properly. Hard to see exactly what's the culprit, but I'd start with the WD.

[kscherzi]

Originally Posted by CanoeU70

However, I just recently discovered that the "HD Towing Package" does not include air boosted rear shocks. That is a separate option; go figure: "HD" for heavy duty and that does NOT include an air boosted rear end leveler?

So I am online today seeking an aftermarket solution. I called my dealer and it's too late to install the air system on my Ford.

The attached photo shows my rig in what NavArchs call a "condition of sag" (the bow and stern riding on 2 wave tops) and this leads to frequent scrapes on entrances with rain inclined pavement.

I don't think your hitch is set up to redistribute enought weight. Look at the photo of my rig in post 6 of this thread. No air bags or air leveling suspension. Just dialed in the hitch.

[AKristine]

Sorry but I am confused. You said you were seeking an online aftermarket solution because your Expedition towing package did not include air boasted rear shocks (don't know what that those are). Are rear shocks something you need? Thanks. Kristine

[Steve & Mary]

We towed our 31ft. Classic with our 2007 Expedition Limited EL for several years before we moved up to a F-250. Power was never an issue. Size of the vehicle could be at times in high wind conditions. What issues we had could have been resolved with a ProPride or Hensley hitch. Your trailer comes in at less weight and should not be a problem. Be sure to get it set up properly with the factor tow package. Have fun.

[AlbertF]

While the simple answer is that you need more tension on the bars, you may need to re-adjust the ball mount. Make sure it's high enough, with a rearward cant. This will allow you to draw the bars tighter.

If this doesn't work, you may need stiffer bars (do you have 750 or 1000 lb bars?). Or, the factory receiver may be twisting and not allowing a proper setup. Solutions involve reinforcing, or a better quality aftermarket receiver.

Air bags and air shocks are for heavy loads in the vehicle, not for towing.

[CanoeU70]

Many thanks to Andy & AldeanFan. You Rivet Masters are what make this Forum so useful.

One of my professional career sayings is: "Show me 100 'systems engineering problems' and I'll show you 90 that are dimensional."

Using your advice and other Google research on hitches and equalizers, I measured my rig with the following results:

When level, the top of my Airstream hitch's ball socket is 20.5 inches while the top of the hitch ball on my Expedition is 20 1/4" (+/- 1/8").

When level, the top of the wheel wells of the Expedition are 35 1/2" both forward and aft and the clearance below the Equalizer hitch is ~ 8" (this height depends upon loading).

Once I lower the trailer and secure the ball, clearance drops to barely 3" and the rear wheel well drops to 32 1/2".

My Airstream dealer installed the Equalizer (on a Suburban) when I bought the trailer for a $1000 fee, which at time seemed steep but in retrospect appropriate in that it took two mechanics nearly 2.5 hours to "dial it in."

Thus, I have suspected that the details of the hitch geometry are the root cause of my difficulties.

The fact remains that when I load my trailer on the Expedition, it squats despite the fact that I did add Sumo coil spring spacers to the rear shocks before this last trip.

Next step is to raise the spring bars on the Equalizer and either order a new Equalizer "shank" or machine the one I have to add additional holes. I have already raised the ball 3 inches on the original shank to match the Airstream hitch height to achieve the results described above.

OBTW, that darn shank drags whenever I cross a dip and makes a dreadful noise. I need to either cut it shorter or install caster wheels.

[subfan1]

It looks like you had a 2007 or newer Suburban and that is why you needed a longer drop on the shank. You could buy the shank that originally came with your hitch kit or find someone that can cut it for you.
How many washers were installed in the hitch head? There should be at least 5 to start with so that it is tilted back. How far down are your "L" brackets on the "A" frame?
I have the Tahoe version of the Suburban and the hitch is in the rear bumper rather than below it and that is why we need the longer drop.
Good luck