Ford Expedition as a TV

[Relentless]

Anyone have any experience with the Ford Expedition as a TV? We would be towing an International 25'FB.

The specs. check out but some first hand experience would be helpful.

Thanks;

John

[rickandsandi]

Greetings Relentless-

Lots has been discussed on this topic:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238/

You may also want to use the search function which will point you in the right direction. Welcome aboard!

[vpurdy]

i tow an '07 25ft classic with my '06 expedition...i have 5.4 litre/heavy duty tow package/auto load levelers and equal-i-zer hitch/voyager controller and have no problems....i don't go 70 up sttep grades but who cares...van

[vpurdy]

sorry..make that a prodigy controller....had an out of mind for a minute...van

[dieterdog]

Hi John,, have a Ford Expedition 2004, 5.4 heavy duty tow package,, have a 25 foot Safari and a 16 foot Bambi CCD,,, for on the flat,, works fine,, mountain towing, nothing compares with a diesel engine,,, up to where you go,,, live in the mountains and long for a diesel,,, maybe next time,,, good luck,,, donna

[Silver Bill]

John,
I have been towing 25, 30 and 31 foot Airstreams with my 1999 5.4L Expedition for over 3 years. It does great. I have recently upgraded to a diesel truck and have my Expediton for sale. Let me know if you have an interest.
Bill

[JimGolden]

Wheelbase a bit short and low on torque, but still a heavy vehicle that would probably be fine if you take it easy and/or have a shorter trailer.

I had an Excursion with the V10. It pulled great. Good power, tracked well. A very nice rig.

But as mentioned, hard to beat a diesel.

[wheel interested]

We towed our 2005 25' Classic with the Expedition for 2 years and it was a great performer. Wouldn't fly uphill or from a stop up to speed as fast as a bigger engine would, and wouldn't be my choice for steep grades or in the mountains as a steady routine but I pulled the 27' Classic home to Michigan from Oregon with it too. Now we have the bigger unit and a Suburban and it is a nice match. The ride feels much smoother and more stable, being lower and longer, I imagine, not as bouncy and I am less fatigued driving it for long distances. But we have no complaints about the Expedition in the least. It's a great vehicle.

[ScottW]

Check the max vehicle weight and the max tow weight of your Expedition. I tow a 25'Safari with my F-150, 5.4l, tow package, etc. The Expedition has a slightly lower tow weight due to the enclosed rear area, vice a pickup, but should easily tow a 25 International. Just check your weights.
Rgds,
Scott

[BillTex]

Just my opinion...and you know what those are worth.
I think you will be on the hairy edge with a 25 Int and any 1/2 ton truck...
If staying close to home, or travelling infrequently, you may be OK. Will you be able to move it? Sure.
Is it going to be a well matched (read: overmatched) combination that inspires confidence when towing? Probably not. Always better to have more truck than camper...

If you plan to hit the trail...I would look at 3/4 tons...

If I may quote one other poster "inadequate TV's are the leading cause of very expensive yard art"

Bill

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by rickandsandi

Greetings Relentless-

Lots has been discussed on this topic:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238/

You may also want to use the search function which will point you in the right direction. Welcome aboard!

Rick's link won't help much for the moment because subforums are not showing posts older than a year right now. Grrr! Working on a fix... I would certainly recommend a search on 'Expedition towing' or 'Expedition tow vehicle' -- that will show older threads properly. Much has been said on this topic.

Relentless, your profile doesn't indicate whether you already have an Expedition. The 5.4L is okay but will labor slow and hard on steep hills pulling a 25' and has little reserve at higher elevations. You are in Washington state...

The listed 6000 pound tow capacity is way too close to the weight of a new 25' with WD gear installed, propane tanks filled & any reasonable kitchen & personal gear onboard (Airstream lists 25' FB Intl at 7300 GVWR!). The Ford specs at that last link don't even bother listing the load capacity of the Expy (tongue weight + people/pets/cargo aboard TV + fuel cannot exceed load capacity). An owners manual would give the load capacity (or payload). A newer 25' Airstream with WD gear, propane & light loading will go well over 900# tongue weight; the Airstream website lists 720# and that is just not 'real life.'

You could eke out a couple seasons of moderate towing with a lightly loaded 25' if you already own the Expedition. You'd be aching to upgrade ASAP and having the trailer use up only 85% of the tow & load capacities is a good idea. I sure wouldn't buy a new one to pull a 25'. Best advice is to get the trailer you want and match the TV to it! I LOVE our FB floorplan!

[AYRSTRM2]

Actually, the 6000# is for the Expy without the tow package, 9000# with. The new EL adds 12" wheel base. I mean, this vehicle, (and I am on my second) WILL tow up to a 6500-7000# trailer safely, that's in the 75%-80% range. Sure, I have a trailer that doesn't top out past 4k#s, and I haven't towed anything bigger, but I've seen Carol do it with my own eyes, and I think I'd trust her as well.

[CanoeStream]

Good addition John! Went to the Edmunds website and I do see that higher tow capacity with a 1700+ pound load capacity. I have seen the slow 'n' easy comments on the 5.4L before but would defer to statements from those who have towed with it. Anyone?

[Colonial Airstream]

Here are a few examples. I never heard of any complaints with the performance.

[dieterdog]

To all,, i tow with it,,, and find in climbing higher elevations, it is slow in comparison to a diesel engine truck,, cannot keep up,,, towing the smaller Bambi with it is much easier and less stress on the engine,,, i like the Expedition,, but,,depending on your travel plans,,and if mountains are on your usual agenda,, would go with the diesel,, if only rare mountain outings,,, it is fine,,, hang out in the right hand lane and it will plug away to the top,, donna

[Fyrzowt]

I see a lot of posts recommending diesel engines, and they are nice - I have towed with them.
But they are NOT required, nor should anyone feel that because they don't own one they are somehow inferior or underpriveliged. Many of us tow with gasoline engines, either 1/2 or 3/4 ton chassis. While it's true that we won't win a race to the top of the hill, who's racing?
Dave

[BillTex]

Well, there you have it, lots of opinions. I always get a little concerned when some of the opinions express doubt. Most folks that drive/own whatever vehicle is the topic of discussion will make a case to defend their choice for various reasons. Just because you CAN pull it with a certain TV, doesn't mean you SHOULD.
I have yet to see a post doubting the towing capability of a ¾ ton truck. A ½ ton is fine for up to 23’ or so (and their associated weights), above that, I would ask myself just how far and how often I realistically expect to tow. Within an hour or so of home? Probably fine (as long as you are still within LEGAL limits). I wouldn't advocate an HD truck for smaller campers, but I do believe you are a good candidate for a 3/4 ton chassis.

I am not the type of person who likes to put my family in a compromising situation.
You may want to read a post about my experience with ½ ton trucks; http://www.airforums.com/forum...ice-28886.html .
Also, a search on crashes/accidents will yield additional discussions, one recently by a young lady.

If you own that TV now, you may try it for a season. If you are in the market, I would give serious consideration to a ¾ ton.
Choose wisely, be safe.

Bill

[CanoeStream]

Dave -- With my aim on retirement, long distance travel and working well at all elevations, I was able to maneuver my finances to buy a D/A equipped GMC one year ago. Even worked an extra 6 months to rationalize the changeover. You are absolutely correct about gasoline being an effective (even cost-effective!) alternative. Diesels have strong tow power but their advantage at altitude is principally due to turbocharging. I now have an "old" one stage turbo, with two stage blowers online for the '07 models. Airstream devotees (especially in the 25' to 28' range!) should be able to find great tow vehicles without having to resort to diesels, 8L Chevs, or 10-cylinder Fords.

However you look at it, a 1/2-ton capacity tow vehicle needs to be analyzed carefully. Pulling up to no more than 85% of tow capacity or TV payload are principles I learned from my earliest times on the Forums -- gotta pass that on!

[vpurdy]

just returned from the fla state rally and saw a myraid of tow vehicles (even 56 caddy towing 25 classic)...i'm happy towing my 25 classic with the 06 expedition with the heavy duty package and load levelers. when it's hooked up the entire rig is perfectly level...no rear end sag...prodigy works great...equa-lizer is $2000 less than hensley and seems to be doing the job..albeit i do get the wind off semis at 70 mph....i came from a motorcoach and when i went up mountains i needed to down shift and go slow...so what? why are we in a hurry? i'm getting 11.2 mpg...better than the 7.5 i got in the coach..van

[Silvertwinkie]

Once you cross into the widebody 25' and larger, 3/4 ton really is suggested. I think it will tow it, but I think in a number of conditions, you may find it lacking, while in others, you may find it does well.