97 ford expedition tow a 27' trailer?

NJRedneck1986 wrote:
Hello i have a 1997 ford expedition XLT 4X4 5.4 V8 has tow package. I bought a 27 foot fleetwood mallard. And the guy towed it to my house with a single cab dodge pickup truck. and my uncle keeps telling me im gonna have a hard ass time towing it cus only pickups can tow trailers. i know it depends on the weight etc, im just wondering in gerneral what do you guys and gals think? Any fellow Expy owners here? Me personally i think i can tow it with my truck but want some more opinions. ill post my GVWR from trailer and truck in a few since i have to go out to the truck to make sure. thanks.

You haven't provided enough information for anyone to provide an informed opinion. The 5.4 V8 strikes me as a small engine for a 27 foot trailer but it really depends on the weight of the trailer and the towing capacity of your truck. Towing capacity will depend on the features your truck has. You most definitely will need a weight distribution hitch and sway controls are a great idea also. I completely disagree with anyone who suggests just hooking up and giving it a go... Wow. If your manual says the truck is rated to tow 6,000 lbs and the gross weight of your loaded trailer is 8,500 lbs. you're on incredibly shaky ground. Not only would you be putting you and your family at risk but other innocent people who happen to be on the road if you lose control and crash. Also, if you have a mishap your insurance may be invalid opening you to huge personal liability. It's better to be safe than sorry. You are doing the right thing by asking questions first and gathering data before actually trying to tow. Good luck with your new trailer.

Thanks everybody :) What is the best setup to use? Will it be better for me to buy a weight disabution and sway control setup? and is there any good or bad kits to look for?

I tow a 22', #5000 TT with a 97 F150 that just rolled past 250,000 miles about a week ago.. :)

Tows great and no issues at all with my setup.. I am over the trucks #6250 GVWR when it's all said and done, but for me, it's fine. Someone else might think it a disaster waiting to happen... (Yes, I've heard it all already folks!).

If you load up your Expy and find that you don't have much payload left, you'll be over GVWR too... How it tows is going to be up to you and what you feel you can deal with..

Basically, since you have both the truck and the trailer, about all you can do is hitch it up and take it for a tow and see how YOU like it... ;)

That's what really matters in the end.

Good luck!

Mitch

NJRedneck1986 wrote:
and my uncle keeps telling me im gonna have a hard ass time towing it cus only pickups can tow trailers.

LOL, ya there are a few 100,000 uncle Bucks out there that wear suspenders that will tell you the same thing.

Reality..... concentrate on the connection and set up. That is where you will make it or break it.