Mod Expedition for heavy duty towing
 

I have been looking for the 07 Expedition 4X4 with the factory heavy duty tow package and they are rare around here. I looked at the factory's literature and it states the trans cooler, heavy duty radiator and wiring for 7 pin. Has anyone modified there so with aftermarket or factory parts so it is comparable to the factory heavy duty tow package? If so what parts were required?

I'venot done it but I would guess that a tranny cooler, a larger radiator and a 7-pin harness would be required. :D

Complete parts in a message on the other forum.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/index.php

Search, it'll show up. I think the poster had chevy as part of his screen name. The radiators were bolt in. The wiring was a major hassle.

I waited 8 weeks for mine with HD tow. And specifically no air suspension. Worth the wait if you're buying new.

-- Chuck

Thanks Chuck you really saved me from even considering a gargantuam task of converting 4 pin to 7 pin. All that talk about connectors, grounds, soldering, crimping made me tired and hungry! I will spend my time more wisely searching for a 07 with all that I need. But I have to express my disappoint in you showing me yet another forum that I can spend my time tirelessly searching. If I had a penny for every minute I have been on a truck forum...

I have heard but never read that the air suspension can complicate the weight equalizing hitches but I have to read up on that. But it wouold be nice to have that extra help. I read in the other forum that it is an expensive option so I will have to look into that also.

Again thanks

The air suspension will self level itself even though there too much weight on the rear and not enough on the front axles. You'll tow "level" but the steering will be scary-light.

As long as you can switch it off to set the weight distribution hitch you can get it set up and let the air suspension level to 1/4".

But why have it in the first place? To me it's just something else to go wrong.

-- Chuck

its expensive and when it comes time to change out the suspension it gets very costly, and you only have limited choices available.

Any shop familiar with trailers could convert anything to a 7pin harness in 10 minutes, unless there is really something odd about new Expys.

It is not difficult at all to retrofit a non HD tow expedition with a 7 pin harness. The Expedition already has an extra wire for the brake controller. Adding the reverse circuit is a bit more complicated but can be done by triggering a relay from the backup lights. I have found that it is expensive to try to retrofit an Expedition with all of the factory 7 pin wiring harness parts but not so bad to get a functional equivalent.

10 minutes? The non-HD Tow harness seems to be missing 12v Aux (trailer battery charge) and backup lights from messages I've seen. Trailer brakes are there but as a tied off wire. Just adding the 7-pole connector will take more than 10 minutes.

If those wires are there let us know. I've got HD Tow and all the signals, but folks ask me about this repeatedly.

-- Chuck

The non HD tow has no 12v battery charge wire, so another would need to be run. I agree that it is more than a 10 minute job, but running a wire, adding a relay (tapped from the backup lights) and retrofitting a 7 pin plug is not a difficult job. All of the above pieces can be had for less than $30. Retrofitting the factory harness etc. with factory parts is much more expensive and probably in the end more time consuming also. There are then still the issues with the HD radiator and HD trans cooler. 2WD vehicles may have axle ratio issues also. If towing is in the plans it is easier to get the right vehicle in the first place. Sometimes like in my case the right deal comes around on a non HD vehicle, then you have to look at the pieces you have to work with and make them work.

Ok - I will chime in - since I just upgraded. (BTW 10 min is quite an exaggeration!)
First of all - in 07 the ratio is 3:73 - so upgrade here is not needed
I had the larger Trans cooler and Radiator installed by the dealer - sorta warranty...

To elaborate on what was posted earlier - The expys have partial wiring for a 7 wire harness under the hood. The fuse box at the Rad. houses the HD relay and fuse for the additional power required to charge trailer batteries - but they are empty. If you want to do this correctly, you need to run a large ga wire to the hitch obviously. I would not use the reverse light circuit for this as these wires are very thin. Ford runs the wires to a connector near the master cylinder. The factory towing harness has two additional wires that run to the hitch from here (the second wire is for the reverse light circuit). I spliced into this harness and ran just two new wires to the hitch and used the factory fusing/relay. There is a blue wire also pre-wired to the 4 wire stock harness which goes into the cab where Ford nicely mounted a connector for a brake controller you need to install if electric brakes are needed.

Now - the hitch itself is a class IV but you have to buy and mount the 7 pin connector (most are around 25-30 bucks) and connect all the remaining wires. I purchased one with the 4-wire connector and soldered the new wires. I choose to make a special mounting bracket to avoid drilling into the hitch and weaken it.

I also ran the wires in loom and attached it to the factory harness to look factory-like and keep it protected.

I was lucky enough to find another forum where others provided me wiring info and good ideas, which I elaborated on.
Below are some photos if you are interested - let me know if you have questions - It was not a huge deal but I took my time and incorporated a back-up camera system to the reverse circuit.

http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh92/boatrboy/Expedition%20-%202007/?action=view&current=IMG_1761.jpg
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh92/boatrboy/Expedition%20-%202007/?action=view&current=IMG_1758.jpg
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh92/boatrboy/Expedition%20-%202007/?action=view&current=IMG_1754.jpg
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh92/boatrboy/Expedition%20-%202007/?action=view&current=IMG_1709.jpg
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh92/boatrboy/Expedition%20-%202007/?action=view&current=IMG_1752.jpg
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh92/boatrboy/Expedition%20-%202007/?action=view&current=7_WAY_PLUG_WIRING_WEB.jpg

Your photo links send me to ebay for some reason.

Yesterday the same thing happened to me when I clicked on them, but now it is working fine. Go figure....

ok, let me ask this line of questioning another way. Assume a dealer had a used 2007 Expedition without the 536 HD towing package. I need the HD Trailer tow package. There are many (most?) for sale that do not have the HD Tow package. I know factory installed is preferable but can a dealer technically add the equivalent of the HD tow package and all its components with after market parts (Ford or otherwise)? Would that be an acceptable option? Comments? (Ignore the cost aspect, this is a question about "doability by a dealer's service department" and "acceptability in lieu of factory installed package".)

Search for Chevy24D's messages. He had the HD engine and transmission radiators. I think he posted photos and the part numbers. These are "drop-in" parts. Getting the wiring run to the rear just takes a lot of time.

-- Chuck