Expedition towing help
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Joined: Aug 2004
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Expedition towing help
I admit that I have made some purchasing mistakes and now I need some help. I know that is where I should have started.
Here is the info:
2004 Expedition XLT, 5.4L, 3.73 lim. slip, Hvy duty tow pkg
29 Ft. 25+4 Keystone Laredo, 7400 GVWR,
Reese Straight line hitch with 1200Lb bars and HP sway ctrl.
Max tongue 895
Max tow wt. 8950
GCWR 14,500
GVWR 7100
Front GAWR 3150
Rear GAWR 4128
Actuals at CAT scale
Front 3050
Driven 3904
Trailer 6590
Tongue 880
I am below all of my weight limits and have about 13.4% of the weight on the tongue. The wheelbase of the Exp is only 119" so I am not supposed to tow a trailer longer than about 22 feet. I did not know this before purchase and the driving experience is not a good one.
Semi passing causes deflection but not bad. The main problem is that the Expedition feels like I'm driving a slolom ski. I have to keep it balanced (going straight) with a lot of attention. I can never relax and the experience is intense and tiring. I don't think towing a TT should be like this. I have pulled boats, pop-up campers, and car trailers in the past and usually after a few highway miles would usually 'forget' I was towing something.
Would a Hensley hitch correct this problem or is the only solution to purchase a tow vehicle with a longer wheelbase?
choff
Here is the info:
2004 Expedition XLT, 5.4L, 3.73 lim. slip, Hvy duty tow pkg
29 Ft. 25+4 Keystone Laredo, 7400 GVWR,
Reese Straight line hitch with 1200Lb bars and HP sway ctrl.
Max tongue 895
Max tow wt. 8950
GCWR 14,500
GVWR 7100
Front GAWR 3150
Rear GAWR 4128
Actuals at CAT scale
Front 3050
Driven 3904
Trailer 6590
Tongue 880
I am below all of my weight limits and have about 13.4% of the weight on the tongue. The wheelbase of the Exp is only 119" so I am not supposed to tow a trailer longer than about 22 feet. I did not know this before purchase and the driving experience is not a good one.
Semi passing causes deflection but not bad. The main problem is that the Expedition feels like I'm driving a slolom ski. I have to keep it balanced (going straight) with a lot of attention. I can never relax and the experience is intense and tiring. I don't think towing a TT should be like this. I have pulled boats, pop-up campers, and car trailers in the past and usually after a few highway miles would usually 'forget' I was towing something.
Would a Hensley hitch correct this problem or is the only solution to purchase a tow vehicle with a longer wheelbase?
choff
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,292
Likes: 5
From: NJ where fun comes to die
I know the feeling. I have a 99. Though I love the vehicle, it is hard to tow anything long and heavy. I bought a weight distributing hitch with the sway bars and that helped some. When I tow something big I just stay in the granny lane. It is frustrating but safe. I don't do it that often so I just live with it.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
choff, One thing that you might look for is to see if your tire pressure is up to max. truck and trailer. I will usually run my truck rears up to 45lbs and deflate back to 35 after the run. I had two new tires on the right side on my last run and the dealer only put 35 lbs in them, the left sides were at 50. I-95 being pretty worn and rutty caused some of the same things as you described.
IMHO, You want you pressures at max and equal.
John
IMHO, You want you pressures at max and equal.
John
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 389
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
Tire Pressure at max for sure.
The dual cam system(manfacturer???) is suppose to have better sway control than others.
Try tightening up your sway control more. Use your lever for the WD bars on the sway control if you can not tighten enough by hand.
I tow at my max ratings and have never had sway isuues and have almost same vehicle 03' Expy 5.4 4x4 3.73 with 7200lb 24' Toy Hauler.
The extra 6' is a lot of sail for the wind, but I've heard of people towing 31' with no issues. Too much tongue weight can feel like it is pushing the rear too. This would be an adjustment to bars or weight distribution in the trailor. It sounds like the 880 lbs is under spec, but the 895 is what the hitch is rated for. The capacity rating of the vehicle is more like 865 (at least mine is.) Don't sweat the 30 lbs, but try moving some of the weight to the rear of the trailer.
The hitch may not be set up right either. Is the Expy level? The pitch (angle) of the hitch should be correct too. I want to say 8 degrees, but it may be 18 degrees.
Try RV.net and do a search. They have directions for correct setup of hitch's.
Anyway, good luck.
The dual cam system(manfacturer???) is suppose to have better sway control than others.
Try tightening up your sway control more. Use your lever for the WD bars on the sway control if you can not tighten enough by hand.
I tow at my max ratings and have never had sway isuues and have almost same vehicle 03' Expy 5.4 4x4 3.73 with 7200lb 24' Toy Hauler.
The extra 6' is a lot of sail for the wind, but I've heard of people towing 31' with no issues. Too much tongue weight can feel like it is pushing the rear too. This would be an adjustment to bars or weight distribution in the trailor. It sounds like the 880 lbs is under spec, but the 895 is what the hitch is rated for. The capacity rating of the vehicle is more like 865 (at least mine is.) Don't sweat the 30 lbs, but try moving some of the weight to the rear of the trailer.
The hitch may not be set up right either. Is the Expy level? The pitch (angle) of the hitch should be correct too. I want to say 8 degrees, but it may be 18 degrees.
Try RV.net and do a search. They have directions for correct setup of hitch's.
Anyway, good luck.
