msd5052001

I am hoping you guys can help. The Expedition forum isn't helping much... I currently own a 2010 Ford Expedition with the max tow package. It is the 5.4 regular length and are open to trading up to a 2015 Expedition EL if needed but we love our Expedition and it only has 49k miles so lots of life left. We also just put on better tires, Michelin Ltx/ms. According to the door the weight allowed is 9200 lbs. We are first time travel trailer owners but there are 6 of us so we really need a bunkhouse floorplan. We like the Shadow Cruiser 280qbs which is 31 ft 11 inches and dry weight of 5445 but sticker on door of rv say dry is 5750. We are investing in an Equalizer wdh/stabilizer bar/sway control as well. Is this a safe set up for my tow vehicle? I want us to have space to enjoy the camper but not at the expense of my families safety. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

acadianbob

IMO this trailer is too much for your vehicle.

1. The rule of thumb is to divide your wheelbase length (in inches) by 5. That is approximately the maximum length trailer you should be pulling. You don't want the tail wagging the dog. My guess is that you are exceeding this by a substantial amount.

2. The main thing you should be considering is the payload capacity of your vehicle. This is almost always the limiting factor rather than the 9,200 gross trailer weight rating that you quote for your vehicle. You should be able to find a yellow sticker on the door jam on the driver side that will give you your vehicle's capacity. Out of this capacity comes: the weight of your family (6 people), dog, weight distribution hitch weight, anything you put in the cargo area of your Expedition (cooler, grill, clothes, food, etc). After subtracting all of this weight, the remainder is what you have available for your trailer tongue weight.

3. The dry tongue weight of your trailer is somewhat less than the actual you will experience. The brochure weight does not include: the weight of trailer options, battery, LP tanks, your personal items loaded in the trailer. I'm betting that your actual tongue weight is going to be north of 800 pounds.

IMO what you are considering is going to be problematic and a safety issue for your family. I think you either need to downsize your trailer choice or get a tow vehicle with considerably more payload capacity. Also a longer wheelbase.

So, bottom line is payload. Figure out your situation. Do the computations. Don't compromise your safety and the safety of others on the road with you. I sense that you have the right mindset to do the the right thing.

Good luck. Make good decisions. Be safe. Have fun.

techrep

iTrader: (1)

Super duty time...:}

msd5052001

Thanks, all the factors that go into it is just insane! I hadn't even heard the wheelbase factor and I have been researching this like crazy. So based on that we should be in the 24 ft range. If we decide to trade for the EL we can go up to the 26 range. The payload is 1400 lbs, so if I use the 800 you stated above plus the 900 estimate for the family, that is 1700. So over there as well. Ok, that one is out. Let me go back to see if I can find something much lighter but can somehow fit us all... This stinks! And our mindset is we wouldn't really use the super duty other than for this so our options at this point would be:
1. Trade the Expedition for a Eco 2015 EL and get a little bit more length.
2. Buy a XLT 15 F150 as a 3rd vehicle which will get a bit of regular use over the super duty and I would love to have another F150 again. (super duty way out of my budget)
3. Keep our Expedition and go max 24ft with much lighter tounge weight and deal with being a little cramped.
4. Buying a motorhome and forgetting 3rd vehicle and all of this concern. The issue here is we really like the travel trailer because we can use the tow vehicle if necessary.
Back to the drawing board and looking for shorter/lighter, other vehicles, etc!

msd5052001

Already checked that avenue but even used those things are insane!

MikeNC

I don't think a new expedition is going to gain you much of anything in the towing department. I would either keep your current vehicle and find a trailer that fits it or look for a used Ford Excursion.

msd5052001

We think we would probably go the motorhome route before buying an Excursion because we really just wouldn't use it other than towing the camper. We are willing to trade the current Expedition to get the EL if it buys us a couple of feet or an F150 because we would use that a lot. I will go without before sacrificing safety, so I appreciate everyone's advice. I just hate how all the RV salespeople are like "oh its fine!" just to get the sale. For those who don't research, the results could be horrific. I was told repeatedly that I could buy their on sale camper, a 35 ft 8000lb trailer just because it was under my 9200 lbs. I just walked out.

techrep

iTrader: (1)

Guess you have not looked at motorhomes...

msd5052001

We have and actually have found a nice 2014 with 4000 miles on it. If you combine the payment of the travel trailer along with the payment of a 3rd vehicle the motor home is cheaper on a 12 year loan by about $100. But again, it leaves us with not having the tow vehicle when on vacation which would be nice when visiting the touristy type areas....

techrep

iTrader: (1)

yeah... a used motorhome is the way to go... I lost $8k on mine when I drove it off the lot... worst mistake I ever made.