By the numbers I'm showing I should be able to pull my new Keystone Bullet 287qbswe with my 2005 Ford Expedition. I have the heavy duty tow package and have 95,000 miles on the vehicle. My concern comes with the reality vs. theoretical numbers. Vehicle is rated to tow 8,600 lbs. Trailer has 7600 GVW, 5700lb dry weight. I'll be using an Equalizer 4 way sway control hitch. I plan to tow with just a little water in the tanks, just enough to flush if the kids need to use the bathroom on the trip. Mostly towing within 100 miles of home, with a trip or two each year closer to 500 round trip. My vehicle has an oversize transmission cooler from the factory, but would it be worth adding an additional transmission cooler? Am I running too close to max to comfortably tow?

First...Welcome to the Forum.Now, for the hard facts: That is a a 33 foot trailer that will have a tongue weight of right around 1000 lbs when you are trip loaded.It's not about what your Expy can tow but more about Payload. Subtract the 1000 lb. tongue weight + the weight of your hitch + the weight of the family and the dog and all the gear that you load in your Expy from the Payload rating on the door plate.Having had an Expy (P rated tires, soft suspension and short wheel base) I suspect that you will be marginal or worse.Sorry to be so negative, hopefully others will chime in with a brighter outlook.Any, good luck with your new adventure.

8600 pounds minus passangers, gear, fuel equals what? Thats what you can actually tow. Remember, the tow rating is based on a stripped vehicle, one 150 pound occupant and a 1/4 tank of fuel. Everything else is taken away from the tow rating.

Passengers and fuel are about 650. So still under tow weight and GCVW even IF I load the trailer to the max. Hitch weight is listed at 740, so 120 less than max, leaving room for the WD hitch weight. Has air bag leveling also. Still too much?

akblackfoot wrote:Passengers and fuel are about 650. So still under tow weight and GCVW even IF I load the trailer to the max. Hitch weight is listed at 740, so 120 less than max, leaving room for the WD hitchD weight. Has air bag leveling also. Still too much?Do you travel with absolutely nothing in the trailer? Everything you add will add to the tongue weight. Listed weight is empty trailer. Air bags do nothing to increase your axle weight rating.

I towed with a 2004 Expy with the HD tow package. It was fine for a 4,400 lb. trailer, but was really scary when we got our 29' trailer that weighed 7,300 lbs. White knuckle ride all the way. I think you'll be really disappointed when towing a trailer that size. I'd recommend a trailer with a gross weight, not dry weight, of 6,000 lbs.

Expedition Towing | Good Sam Community

26 Replies

akblackfoot
Explorer
Mar 15, 2016
colliehauler wrote:
akblackfoot wrote:
Passengers and fuel are about 650. So still under tow weight and GCVW even IF I load the trailer to the max. Hitch weight is listed at 740, so 120 less than max, leaving room for the WD hitchD weight. Has air bag leveling also. Still too much?
Do you travel with absolutely nothing in the trailer? Everything you add will add to the tongue weight. Listed weight is empty trailer. Air bags do nothing to increase your axle weight rating.

5700 is listed weight. 740 is tongue weight when loaded to the maximum gvw of 7600, correct? 7600-5700 is 1900 lbs of batteries, propane, water, and camping gear.
mbutts
Explorer
Mar 15, 2016
I towed with a 2004 Expy with the HD tow package. It was fine for a 4,400 lb. trailer, but was really scary when we got our 29' trailer that weighed 7,300 lbs. White knuckle ride all the way. I think you'll be really disappointed when towing a trailer that size. I'd recommend a trailer with a gross weight, not dry weight, of 6,000 lbs.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Mar 15, 2016
akblackfoot wrote:
Passengers and fuel are about 650. So still under tow weight and GCVW even IF I load the trailer to the max. Hitch weight is listed at 740, so 120 less than max, leaving room for the WD hitchD weight. Has air bag leveling also. Still too much?
Do you travel with absolutely nothing in the trailer? Everything you add will add to the tongue weight. Listed weight is empty trailer. Air bags do nothing to increase your axle weight rating.
akblackfoot
Explorer
Mar 15, 2016
Passengers and fuel are about 650. So still under tow weight and GCVW even IF I load the trailer to the max. Hitch weight is listed at 740, so 120 less than max, leaving room for the WD hitch weight. Has air bag leveling also. Still too much?
donn0128
Explorer II
Mar 15, 2016
8600 pounds minus passangers, gear, fuel equals what? Thats what you can actually tow. Remember, the tow rating is based on a stripped vehicle, one 150 pound occupant and a 1/4 tank of fuel. Everything else is taken away from the tow rating.
downtheroad
Explorer
Mar 15, 2016
First...Welcome to the Forum.

Now, for the hard facts: That is a a 33 foot trailer that will have a tongue weight of right around 1000 lbs when you are trip loaded.

It's not about what your Expy can tow but more about Payload. Subtract the 1000 lb. tongue weight + the weight of your hitch + the weight of the family and the dog and all the gear that you load in your Expy from the Payload rating on the door plate.

Having had an Expy (P rated tires, soft suspension and short wheel base) I suspect that you will be marginal or worse.

Sorry to be so negative, hopefully others will chime in with a brighter outlook.

Any, good luck with your new adventure.

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Expedition Towing

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