Family of six looking for tow vehicle

By the way, I found out my current 2005 minivan has a greater payload than the expy el. And we weigh this thing way down in trips. Infuriating!

Thank you again. We are at about 1000 pounds just for family. What really sucks is how much im realizing 1/2 ton SUVs are meant for smaller families who want to tow. No wonder the crossovers are becoming so popular. We can't fit in one however! The backseat is tiny in those too.

So here's plan b. We also own a 2000 silverado truck.. 8700 max tow and 2144 payload. We really don't fit in the cab well it's cramped. I figure that could tow whatever small trailer the expy could tow. We may just have to accept the fact that since I'm not loving the other TV options we are just going to have to take 2 vehicles camping. Any long road trips we could maybe just rent something. Our tow vehicle being the main family vehicle is obviously going to be a challenge. When my kids are gone someday I can buy whatever I want, but of course wish they were there with me. :) our camping sites are usually 2-3 hours away.

So, would a rear wheel drive silverado truck with specs above handle a small trailer, with likely only a couple of passengers? Decent plan b?

In that same towing guide, there are also multiple times where Ford stated that the vehicles brakes are only designed to stop the vehicle, up to the vehicle's GVWR....

Wes Tausend wrote:
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I still think the Expy is a reasonable match for what you are trying to do. It is made for large families and towing, and Ford does not even feel the need to sell a larger SUV any more.

Wes
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I'm a little confused why you are arguing this point. It has been pointed out mathematically why the expedition isn't the right option, but you continue to say it will be perfect for them. Conservatively a family of 6 people all 5'8' and larger will weigh 900 lbs. Using American average weights and assuming one male it's 996 lbs. they have a payload of 1500-1600 lbs. A 5000 lb trailer is going to kick off at least 500lbs your weight distribution is going to be 100. and nobody has taken anything with them in the expedition and you only have 1/4 tank of gas. The math does not work.

Yes you probably could do it with very careful planning and loading, but it will not be a pleasant experience. When I bought my first trailer I was at my maximum on everything and towing was stressful, I didn't want to drive more than an hour because it was exhausting. My new set up is so much better I'm comfortable driving as many hours as the kids will let me.

If they already had the expedition and were asking about using it I would say give it a try and see how things go. However they are buying a vehicle to tow lets try and get them into something that will not make them hate the experience and push the limits of the vehicle and safety.

Back to topic, if you are anything like my wife she was dead set against a van because they are ugly, so the van was off the list for us. Suburban 2500's are hard to find but not impossible. The down side to the Van in my opinion is they are only 2wd, Yes you can use chains but you have to put them on when you need them, if you can even legally use them where you are.

Wes Tausend wrote:
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I still think the Expy is a reasonable match for what you are trying to do. It is made for large families and towing, and Ford does not even feel the need to sell a larger SUV any more. While everything is a compromise, I wouldn't recommend too heavy of trailer for a light vehicle, but I have little problem with heavy weight inside the vehicle pulling a less-than-max trailer. Perhaps you need a full-family test drive in the Expy to get a feel for general ride. My guess is that it will feel, and handle fine. I suspect the soft OEM tires may be the limiting factor for factory load ratings, as marketing tends to require passenger comfort over load capacity. Heavier tires ride rougher.

Here is an official 2012 Ford Expy load chart.

Sure, some of the suggestions, such as a large van, would be better for roominess and maybe towing, but they will suffer lower fuel economy while not towing. My crew transport company did have large, thirstier vans, but seldom used them unless the needed extra seating over 7 people, and they were still 1/2 ton only.

You once asked, "Does the "traction control" it has make a difference?" Yes, it may if you need it. It is especially made for towing.
Quote Trailer Life Review:
"Expedition features standard Trailer Sway Control. It works in conjunction with AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control) to determine from the yaw motion of the vehicle if the trailer is swaying and takes measures, such as applying precise braking or reduced engine torque, to help bring both vehicle and trailer under control."

I should point out that we do have heavier vehicles to tow our 30+ foot camper, but we bought specifically for towing and plan to get even larger campers. We normally do not drive these trucks for everyday, but use an economical Prius for a daily driver. There is just two of us normally.

Wes


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Wes I copied the below colored text from your Ford link. It sums up why the EL is not a good choice.

Don't be a victim of marketing hype. Don't just focus on the max. tow rating, but examine ALL the towing parameters. The below colored text is part of the fine print. Many choose to just ignore the fine print, however Ford is sure to include this statement to cover themselves when someone buys and overloads their EL based on the marketing hype

Trailer tongue load weight should be 10-15% of total loaded trailer weight. Make sure vehicle payload
(reduced by option weight) will accommodate trailer tongue load weight and weight of passengers
and cargo added to towing vehicle. Addition of trailer tongue load weight and weight of passengers
and cargo cannot cause vehicle weights to exceed rear GAWR or GVWR. These ratings can be found
on the vehicle Safety Compliance Certification Label

...

I still think the Expy is a reasonable match for what you are trying to do. It is made for large families and towing, and Ford does not even feel the need to sell a larger SUV any more. While everything is a compromise, I wouldn't recommend too heavy of trailer for a light vehicle, but I have little problem with heavy weight inside the vehicle pulling a less-than-max trailer. Perhaps you need a full-family test drive in the Expy to get a feel for general ride. My guess is that it will feel, and handle fine. I suspect the soft OEM tires may be the limiting factor for factory load ratings, as marketing tends to require passenger comfort over load capacity. Heavier tires ride rougher.

Here is an official 2012 Ford Expy load chart.

Sure, some of the suggestions, such as a large van, would be better for roominess and maybe towing, but they will suffer lower fuel economy while not towing. My crew transport company did have large, thirstier vans, but seldom used them unless the needed extra seating over 7 people, and they were still 1/2 ton only.

You once asked, "Does the "traction control" it has make a difference?" Yes, it may if you need it. It is especially made for towing.
Quote Trailer Life Review:
"Expedition features standard Trailer Sway Control. It works in conjunction with AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control) to determine from the yaw motion of the vehicle if the trailer is swaying and takes measures, such as applying precise braking or reduced engine torque, to help bring both vehicle and trailer under control."

I should point out that we do have heavier vehicles to tow our 30+ foot camper, but we bought specifically for towing and plan to get even larger campers. We normally do not drive these trucks for everyday, but use an economical Prius for a daily driver. There is just two of us normally.

Wes
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Fourkidletts wrote:
The yukon and the suburban both are not meant for tall people in the back.

Are you sure it was the long wheelbase Suburban or Yukon XL vs. the Tahoe/Yukon? I have sat in the back seat of my Suburban and I'm 6'4" with long legs. We do have the 2nd row captain chairs which allows me to stretch out my legs a bit. For a family of 6, I highly recommend the 3/4 ton Suburban/Yukon XL with middle captain chairs. We love ours!

You will not find a 3rd row much larger than the Suburban. Our prior 3 minivans were slightly smaller and had less cargo space behind the 3rd row.

Been reading for hours now. Question...why does payload matter when towing? If I distributed some of the cargo weight to the trailer, and keep the TV at 1500 pounds, why doesn't that work?

Payload is the limit for RVing and most families. Half ton SUV payload ranges 1100-1600 pounds. Most are in the 1400 pound range. How much is the combined weight of your family now? I'll estimate 700 pounds. That leaves 700 left for trailer tongue weight. For a travel trailer, that is about 5500 pounds loaded and close to 4000 pounds dry. Oh, you like the Sequoia with 1200 pounds of payload? Your family weighs 1000 pounds? Have you looked at any TTs yet? That's barely a hybrid like the You say you want a small one for the kids will sleep in tents. But it will rain and everyone will be inside playing games, making meals, etc.

You are a perfect candidate for a 3/4-1 ton van. Lots of payload. Lots of space for each person. 2WD only. Terrible resale value. I highly recommend the GM twins, late model with 6.0L/6-spd trans. Strong and reliable. You can find 2-3 year old ones with under 50k miles for under $20k.

When I was younger, I never thought I would ever advocate the benefits of a van over a pickup or SUV, but, opinions do change....

Our E350 standard length (12 passenger) cargo van is actually smaller (shorter length) than both of my F350's. The van also turns alot tighter and is much easier to park in small parking lots than the F350's.

The trucks take alot of room to turn, due to their wheelbase length, as well as less turning angle of the front wheels, due to their 4wd front axles. The van turns very sharp, by comparison.

The van is very easy to drive in downtown areas, etc, due to it's easier manueverability. Vision in traffic is also very good, due to the higher up driving position and large front window, compared to a sedan, crossover/wagon, or short 2wd SUV.

Because of the van's easier, tighter turning ability, it's also easier to park a trailer with it, than my wide-turning F350's that manuever like battleships.

Getting in and out of the passenger/cargo area of the van is also very easy, with the wide sliding side door and built in low step height. The big rear doors make loading things into the back easy too. A 4x8 sheet of plywood, or whatever, stands up easily on edge inside the van, with room to spare lengthwise too, since the van's cargo floor is close to 10 feet long (IIRC), from back doors to front seats.

Vans have greater head room inside and feel much more spacious in the rear than SUV's and pickups. With the rear seats removed, vans also have alot more cargo room (cubic volume and ceiling height, as well as floor length) than SUV's.

Our van doesn't have rear seats, but E-series vans I have been in that had rear seats, had nice, big, very comfy bench seats that are nice to lay down in. The ones that had captains chairs were very comfy and plush, and the center aisle between the chairs makes roaming about inside very easy, like a small motorhome.

The idea of a Van may seem clumbsy, stodgy and unfashionable, at first, compared to a stylish looking SUV. But, once you have a van, you will soon realize how great they are! :)

Wes,

What size if the trailer in the pic I posted. I am NOT assuming the op will be going with a trailer ANY bigger than the trailer my family of 6 used for 12 some odd years. The people wts, cargo wts of in the truck trailer etc, where ALL weights that came from weighing my rig from the time my youngest was 3 months old when we bought that trailer, to when she was 12, and my eldest were 18! My sons are taller at 6'4" than the OP's assuming tallest child at 6'1".

Bigger trailer is not needed. but PAYLOAD will be needed. The expy will pull a 6K trailer just fine! very fine actually. I have clients that are pulling a 7K lb one. BUT, if I loaded my family of 6 with "4 teenagers" said expy would be overloaded! If she was a family of 4 wanting to pull a 24' trailer around 6000 lbs, you could pull it off. One would pull it off with a family of 6, if everyone is of a smaller size. But 3-6+ foot people, 3 in the 5'8" range, all in the 150-250 range.........not so sure!

Just my 01 from experience!

Marty

The biggest issue with the Expedition is payload which has already been explained. A 2500 Suburban is ideal if you want more payload and 3 rows of seats. I agree with your kids that the current model's 3rd row is not that comfortable. If you don't mind a little older vehicle, the 2000-2006 model years have more comfortable seats, especially the 3rd row seat due to the height of the floor. In the 2007 and newer models the floor raises up under the 2nd row so it is higher behind the 2nd row where the 3rd row passengers feet go, which puts them in your knees. I'm 5'8" and very comfortable in our 2003 Suburban in any row but I do not like the newer models, the 3rd row is uncomfortable for me. If you decide to go with the Expedition EL you are looking at, you will either end up with a very tiny trailer or end up overloaded. What is the total weight of your family and what do you plan to put in the vehicle with you? What does the yellow sticker near the drivers door tell you the payload is of the Expedition EL you are looking at?