Hi All,New to the forums. We've owned a Keystone Sprinter 311BHS in a semi-permanent campground for 6 years and are looking to sell it and buy a travel trailer that we can take around to various state & national parks.We will be pulling the new trailer with a 2013 Ford Expedition. It has the heavy duty towing package and is rated at 9000 lbs. max trailer weight and 15,000 GCWR per Ford's 2013 towing guide. I'm curious if there is any general guidance to how close to these limits we should get. We've been around to a couple local dealerships and I've gotten some mixed advice. We've been looking at trailers in the 5500-6700 UVW range (24-28 ft bunkhouses). At the top of that range we get within 500-800 lbs of the GCWR when we factor in fuel and the weight of the family in the truck. This seems to me to be really pushing it, but I don't know if I'm being overly cautious. I obviously want to stay as safe as possible and also want to not be limited to where I can pull the trailer. At the same time, I don't want to miss out on some of the benefits that a larger trailer can provide. Any advice is greatly appreciated.Thanks,dmboiler

A friend / colleague at work has an Expedition of about the same vintage. He recently purchased a 30 foot Keystone Passport. I gave him my Equal-i-zer 4-point weight distribution hitch and all the paraphernalia I had from my previous travel trailer. His expedition was already equipped with the brake controller, all the wiring, and everything. He said, it tows just fine! Every now and then, I'll see his Expedition in the parking lot and he'll have that hitch attached. It kind of brings back good memories of my Outback TT. I now have a fifth wheel. Get a good weight distribution system, and you'll probably be OK.

Six thousand was my self imposed limit with a similar Tahoe. Remember the longer the TT the fewer the campsites.

dmboiler wrote:We will be pulling the new trailer with a 2013 Ford Expedition. It has the heavy duty towing package and is rated at 9000 lbs. max trailer weight and 15,000 GCWR per Ford's 2013 towing guide. Those numbers you're quoting, are max amounts for a properly equipped Expy. NOT for every Expy.So you need to post the driver's door yellow sticker payload capacity. It's on the Tires and Loading sticker. It'll say Occupants and cargo should not exceed xxxxlbs".Another sticker will have axle capacities.

dmboiler wrote:I obviously want to stay as safe as possible and also want to not be limited to where I can pull the trailer. At the same time, I don't want to miss out on some of the benefits that a larger trailer can provide. Any advice is greatly appreciated.My daughter's family has similar setup. They have been to Disney World from MI with no issues.Stay below the recommended maximums (it is easy to exceed the vehicle cargo capacity with a large family) and you should be okay. Also drive a speed where you are comfortable. If that is 60 MPH on an interstate, do it ! It may mean one more hour of driving per day, but you will not be stressed out.

Seeking Towing Guidance - Looking to pull TT with Expedition

14 Replies

theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Aug 25, 2019
dmboiler wrote:

I obviously want to stay as safe as possible and also want to not be limited to where I can pull the trailer. At the same time, I don't want to miss out on some of the benefits that a larger trailer can provide. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

My daughter's family has similar setup. They have been to Disney World from MI with no issues.

Stay below the recommended maximums (it is easy to exceed the vehicle cargo capacity with a large family) and you should be okay. Also drive a speed where you are comfortable. If that is 60 MPH on an interstate, do it ! It may mean one more hour of driving per day, but you will not be stressed out.
bikendan
Explorer
Aug 25, 2019
dmboiler wrote:

We will be pulling the new trailer with a 2013 Ford Expedition. It has the heavy duty towing package and is rated at 9000 lbs. max trailer weight and 15,000 GCWR per Ford's 2013 towing guide.

Those numbers you're quoting, are max amounts for a properly equipped Expy. NOT for every Expy.
So you need to post the driver's door yellow sticker payload capacity. It's on the Tires and Loading sticker. It'll say Occupants and cargo should not exceed xxxxlbs".
Another sticker will have axle capacities.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Aug 24, 2019
Six thousand was my self imposed limit with a similar Tahoe. Remember the longer the TT the fewer the campsites.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Aug 24, 2019
A friend / colleague at work has an Expedition of about the same vintage. He recently purchased a 30 foot Keystone Passport. I gave him my Equal-i-zer 4-point weight distribution hitch and all the paraphernalia I had from my previous travel trailer. His expedition was already equipped with the brake controller, all the wiring, and everything. He said, it tows just fine!

Every now and then, I'll see his Expedition in the parking lot and he'll have that hitch attached. It kind of brings back good memories of my Outback TT. I now have a fifth wheel.

Get a good weight distribution system, and you'll probably be OK.

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Seeking Towing Guidance - Looking to pull TT with Expedition

14 Replies

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