Is anyone towing with their Expedition? I am looking to tow around 5500 - 6000 lbs in a horse trailer set up (aluminum bumper pull - trailer @3300 plus 2 horses at 1100 each), and have been torn between Excursion and F10 pickup. I find the Excursion a little too big since I do a lot of city driving and parking, and it's tough on gas, so I have been leaning towards F10.

However, according to specs, the Expedition tows the same as the F10. I would prefer to have SUV rather than pickup for many reasons, so this may be the perfect solution - if it works well. Since I bought a 1999 Explorer Eddie Bauer to tow with eight weeks ago, and despite the fact the specs say it should tow 5860 no problem, it just doesn't even tow 4500 without a lot of huffing and puffing. I borrowed an Excursion to try, and wow, what a difference towing.

So I would really appreciate hearing from any Expedition owners who tow something along the lines of 6000 lbs to know whether it is really gonna do it comfortably. Does it tow like a pickup or like a smaller Excursion? I don't want to make another mistake.

PS - how much responsibility should a dealership take when selling an Explorer they know is needed for towing my rig. Dealer sold me the Ex and took a big chunk of penalty on my '02 Focus lease to put me into the 99 Ex. Lots of people are now telling me they NEVER should have sold me the Ex, they should have known it can't do the job despite ratings. Should I be expecting them to step to the plate and give me full money back on Explorer - which by the way I spent $$$$ addding tow package. I have had other problems with the Explorer too!

Thanks for your help and insights!

Bongogirl

 

I don't tow, but I've read TONS of replies from people who do..

The explorer is a joke for towing a 5k+ trailer. Get an expedition with the 3.73 rear end and a towing package - you'll be fine.

Obviously it wont pull equal to an excursion, nor the v10 - it will be close but I think an expedition will do the job fine.

They should not have sold you an explorer, but I don't think it's the fault of the dealer. The dealer will let you pull your trailer with the truck wont they? Like a test drive with the trailer? Ask, that's the way to do it.

 

We have an 03 Expedition EB 4x4 with the 5.4L and LS 3.73 Diff. We use it to tow a 24 ft express cruiser boat. The boat weighs in at about 6000 lbs dry. With the trailer and fluids, I am guessing that the unit is close to 8000 lbs. While we have not trailered far (just a few trips under 35 miles round trip each time), I would say that the Expedition handles it well. Just like you, we bought an Explorer first, only ours was a more expensive mistake - an 02 Explorer EB 4.6 L 4x4 with the 3.73 LS Diff. Unfortunately, it was not up to the task. We traded for the new 03 Expy.

 

I have towed a work trailer with 4500 lbs several times. My Expedition is an '00 5.4L with the towing package, 3.55 diff. It pulls easily. I can hardly tell I'm pulling a trailer.

 

Thanks so much for the responses. Hmmm, I am troubled by the fact that I am hearing time and again that the Explorer doesn't tow well, and yet Ford continues to rate it at 5680 lbs. and offers tow packages.

I did speak to the dealer and asked quite a few questions time and time again before making the deal. They just kept saying it was rated to pull 5680 and weight distribution would allow another 500 lbs. In fact, I bought the trailer AFTER buying the Explorer, and kept within all the recommended guidelines - ie: weight distribution bars, sway bar, lightest available trailer - to keep within 5680. I expected to be having a bit of a push with two horses at 5500 lbs. as that would be close to limit, but was not expecting to barely make it up a hill with one horse at 4500 lbs. Unfortunately, since I bought the trailer to match the limits of the vehicle, I didn't have the trailer to be able to try it BEFORE purchasing the vehicle. So a bit of a catch 22. I had totally relied on the expertise of the dealership to guide me. Unfortunately, none of the sales people bothered to speak to the mechanics in the back of the dealership, who pretty much laughed when I brought it in after purchase for a problem and told them what I was using the vehicle for.

Do you have any idea what kind of gas mileage you are getting with the Expedition. I am thinking the Excursion will be very costly gas wise, and the F150 is supposedly the best of that lot. Would the Expedition rate around the F150?

Thanks again for any and all opinions. I have only a few days to decide what to do, so I want to be as informed as possible.

Bongogirl

 

I get 13/17 mpg city/highway on average. I have done as well as 19.5 mpg in Florida (flat). But, that was 100% highway at 65 mph. I have never calculated my mpg while towing. My friend has a 2002 Expedition 4.6L. We pull his boat often with it and he calculated his mileage at 9 mpg pulling his boat (4000+ lbs).

The F150 and Expedition should tow very similar to each other. If you decide on an Expedition, the LLS (load levelling suspension) would be a beneficial option for the amount of weight that you're towing.

 

Weight distribution will not allow you to tow an extra 500 lbs. All of the weight distribution stuff, power upgrades, and stuff like that makes it easier to tow. You still have to stay within the GVWR of the vehicle. Vehicle + Trailer + Cargo = GVWR. Stay within that number, or you will be asking for trouble.

 

Yes, I know that now. Unfortunately, I didn't know that then. And the dealer never corrected that info when I talked about it! However, I still planned on being within the limit with two horses, and still can't do what I hoped to with the Explorer with only one horse.

Water under the bridge I guess. My main concern now is to choose what vehicle I will go for. They have an Excursion they would like me to take (more than two times the price of what I paid for the Explorer) and I have found a nice 2001 F150 that I can get a fairly good private deal on. But I am starting to think the Expedition might be the way to go, and to ask the dealer to find me one. However, I am really, really scared of making another mistake if the Expedition is going to also not tow as advertised at 8900 lbs. I just don't want to spend the big bucks on the Excursion, in both purchase price and gas, just because I am now afraid of too little power. I don't want to overdo now just because I was underpowered with the Explorer.

So any advice as to whether I am safe with the Expedition?

 

I have a 99 with the 5.4L and tow package, and tow a Travel Trailer with 3 kids, bikes, camping gear, etc... probably close to 4,000 lbs. In hilly east Tennessee, I average about 11 mpg (no overdrive), and I'm an easy driver.....60 to 65 mph, tops. The expy could certainly go faster, but with 3 kids (i.e., noisy) I don't the need the added stress of going fast. On the interstate, I keep it at 60 mph and stay in the slow lane.

Philip

 

First of all Bongogirl, I'd stay as far away from that particular dealership as I could. If you feel they misled you one time, they'll do it again. Dealerships make most of their profit from second hand vehicles and they'll only probably give you 80 percent of what you paid for the Explorer when you trade.

If the Explorer has a 4.6, you can purchase a chip which will give you a bit more pulling power, but taking the vehicle to it's limits isn't a real good thing. I tow an 18' ski boat, full of gas with my Expedition, I've got the modifications listed below. I don't have an issue what so ever but I don't think I'm towing anywhere near what you'll be towing.

I drove an Excursion for about four months while a friend was deployed to the desert and I loved it. Quick, powerful, towed my boat like there was nothing behind.... however the gas mileage was awful. These guys know what they're talking about. An Expedition with a 5.4, transmission cooler, towing package will do you fine. Best of luck.

 

bongogirl - Just in case you did not know, the 02 model year and later of the Explorer with the 4.6 L V8 and tow package is rated to tow up to 7600 lbs. With 4x4, it brings the capacity down to 7000 lbs. So, for your towing needs, you may want to consider the 02 and later Explorer. That said, if your rig is 6000 lbs or over, I would go with the Expedition. Towing capacity must always be evaluated based on the total GVWR. Towing capacity is usually based on an unloaded vehile with only the driver. Capacity is reduced by the load in the vehicle, ie passengers and luggage. So, while a vehicle may say it has a towing capacity of x, you start adding passengers, luggage, high temperatures, etc, and you start loosing capacity fast.
As for gas mileage, you are not going to see much difference between the Expedition and the Excursion - both will be low - like 8-11 mpg low when towing. Good luck.

 

We have towed a 7,000 boat trailer for a total of 1200 miles with an 03 Expedition. Tows great - actually better than the 3/4 ton pickup we used before.

 

I have towed a 4000# trailer with 4 passengers, a rooftop cargo carrier full, and the back full to the roof with gear over 1200 miles without a problem in my 99 5.4. The LLS is definatly a plus if your towing or carrying a large load. Mine makes this trip 5 or 6 times through the winter. Average around 12.5 to 13 mpg's when loaded, 16.5 to 17 without the trailer. Good luck on your next purchase.

 

Bongogirl -

If you plan to pull any more than 7500 - 8000, I'd buy an excursion. The less you make your truck work the better, that's why I can't see buying a vehicle to constantly pull just a little less than the max. If you don't intend on pulling much more than you have now, buy an expedition -

 

Bongogirl-- You can not have too much tow vehicle, but based on advertising, it's very easy to have too little tow vehicle. The max "towing capacity" is essentially rated on an empty towing vehicle: the more weight you add to the tow vehicle, the less you can tow. Basically, I subtract about 1,500 pounds from the total towing capacity, and if the result is sufficient, then I know that I can tow with it. The Expy has basically a 14500 Gross Combined rating. Subract the vehicle weight, about 5700#s, another 1500#s for cargo, and you have about 7300#s to comfortably tow with.
I traded my 2000 F150 in for the '03 Expy, and added almost 2000#s towing capacity, as well as another 800#s of vehicle carrying weight. I don't get any bounce or sway with the Expy, and the 3.73 rear axle and 5.4L give me all the punch I need for my towing needs.
I played the Excursion game (that is I looked very long and hard at the vehicle), and I concluded that the Expedition is a better buy for the money.
Last thought: if you are going to tow over 7000#s, go with something bigger.