opinions please

That's a great-looking trailer! I, too, had been considering a rear-kitchen model, but had several camper friends tell me that since there was so much weight behind the axles, that these models were more susceptible to sway. I can't confirm or deny this - just telling you what factored into my decision. Perhaps others can weigh in on this. Good luck with your decision.

You want to run the weight numbers considering the traveling weight of both the Expedition and the trailer. At first blush, it seems like a a very big tail for your medium size dog.

Lynnmor wrote:
You want to run the weight numbers considering the traveling weight of both the Expedition and the trailer. At first blush, it seems like a a very big tail for your medium size dog.

More than a first blush ... this Forest River Heritage Glen 282RK which is going to weigh a minimum of 8000 lbs loaded & ready to camp with gross tongue weight averaging at least 1100 lbs is too much trailer for the OP's intended vehicle. This is at the very least 3/4 ton territory and Equal-i-zer or not a trailer this long deserves a TV with a much longer wheelbase than an Expedition.

Here's a little photoshop editing I like to do when folks ask about a specific camper. When selecting a new camper, I found it was just as important that the camper is 100% usable with the slides retracted as well as extended.

With slides "in", can you access everything you need, in the event you are in a position where you cannot extend the slides? Parking Lot, beside your house, in a storage facility, or just stopped along the side of the road, maybe? It does happen. What if something happens and your batteries discharge and you don't have shore power? There are a lot of reasons why you may not want, or be able, to extend the slides, and here you are, 1000 miles from home? Can you function inside with slides in?

So, a quick visual is worth a million words. Other than your pantry and refrigerator, it looks like yours might be OK, but still, before purchasing, have the dealer pull the slides "in" and then see if you can fix a meal? And the dinette table may have to be lowered to pass to get to the kitchen area. (something to think about)....

The expedition has a max tow rating of 9000lbs with the factory tow package.
The trailer will be in the 8000lbs range when loaded. by the numbers you'll be able to pull it. I had a Tahoe with the max tow package. I pulled a 26' trailer that weighed in 7200lbs loaded. While it pulled the trailer no problem. the sway was there all the time. I don't think you'll be happy pulling that length trailer with your current truck.
Good Luck

You'll be hard pressed to stay under the truck's GVWR with a tongue weight of 1000+ lb. In addition, the factory receiver is limited to 920 lb tongue weight. Full towing specs here.

That's a lot of trailer...

so a search for forest river issues.
bumpy

Swell1 wrote:
The expedition has a max tow rating of 9000lbs with the factory tow package.

With nothing in the truck ... who tows like that? :R This trailer will eat up most of his Expy's payload capacity with gross tongue weight long before one could get anywhere near a 9000 lb trailer. :E

As per the previous posts it is important to know your true tongue weight.

We decided to Rent a camper similar to what we were going to buy before we spent the big bucks. It allowed us to check our the floor plan and get a feel for towing one of these barns down the road.

In a week or so you get the feel for the floor plan you selected, getting 10 mpg, traveling 55 to 65 mph, parking the beast and most important you can drive to the CAT scales and check the weight on each axel. You will find that "dry" numbers mean very little and loaded for the road weight adds up very fast.

Good Luck

be sure you check the tires. forest river is notorious for putting light weight tires on their TT's. I had two different sized tires on mine 14 and 15's. they may be D's or E's and you might want G's or higher on something that big. also check the interior wood, might just be flimsy thin stuff on the walls. we had a tech fall through the bathroom wall one day.