Hi--we currently have a 2003 F150 5.4L V8. We use that to tow our 30' camper that is 5,440 lbs UVW. We are looking to get an SUV to have more room within the vehicle. In looking at the owners manuals for both the F150 and Expedition, it appears the Expedition has a higher max weight it can tow?? I was just surprised by this!! I originally was thinking an Excursion, but don't love the idea of all the gas and how large it is. Will the Expedition pull our camper better than the F150??

 

it should pull it fine, it all depends on how you load the trailer and if you have a WD hitch.

 

Factory tow ratings are based primarily on powertrain. If both have the same engine and transmission, then the one with the highest numerical axle ratio will be the winner. For example, 3.55 vs 3.08 gears. Depending on configuration, the F-150 may or may not be considerably lighter than the Expy. That also factors into the equation.

A crew cab long bed pickup may weigh the same as the SUV, but a regular cab pickup hundreds of pounds less. If you load up the SUV more than the pickup, the allowable trailer weight will go down by an equal amount.

Example:
GCWR 12,000lb - Unladen weight of tow vehicle 5,000lb - passengers and cargo 1000lb = 6000lb max trailer weight.