suv to trailer towing help

Maybe you should look at it from the other angle. 5955 lbs is a very heavy 18 foot trailer. My 29' trailer doesn't weigh that much. How about looking for a lighter trailer with the floorplan you like? I don't know what's out there but it's just a thought.

what does the unit weigh dry/wet, empty/loaded? you realize that you don't have to load it to full gvwr which I notice is a common error in this forum.

bumpy

The Expedition EL with the 5.4 and proper gear ratio 3.55 or 3.73 will work fine with the trailer you are considering. Be sure it has the factory tow pkg.

carolynjune wrote:
I don't care for the suburbans. There's not enough leg room in the 3rd seat. The expedition had the leg room, but since we'll be full timing, I'm not willing to risk the transmission burning up. As much as I'd like to stick with a vehicle with 3 rows, I think I need to suck it up and go with a truck.

I'm not aware of any issues with the Ford transmission other then the older 4 speed automatic (mine has 169,000 miles)no problems. GM had trouble with older burb transmissions.

I will say it's a lot more stress free with a long wheel base heavy duty tow vehicle.

carolynjune wrote:
I really want a vehicle with three rows. In your opinion, would an Excursion do the job?

Provided you can find one in good shape, an Excursion would do the job easily. Just remember. Ford quit making them a long time ago.

I agree that is a pretty heavy trailer. Look at the "dry" weight and add about 1500 lb to it. Unless you are in a toy hauler, that's about as much as most normal travellers would ever add to a trailer. You may be thinking you have to be able to carry the gross weight rating.

The gross weight rating is generally the combined capability of the axles, no necessarily what you would realistically put in it.

ETA: The weights the dealer shows don't even add up right. Ask the dealer to verify them by the actual sticker on the RV.

Most people add 1000-1200 lb to the dry weight, unless you are a compulsive packer who takes EVERYTHING.

Get the correct dry weight, add about 1200 to it. Check that against the capacities of the Expedition. Google "Expedition trailer towing selector" for the year you are interested in. You will get the numbers straight from Ford, without a lot of guesswork from people who haven't bothered checking. An Expedition with the 3.5L Ecoboost engine, max towing package, and 3.73 axle is rated at 9200 lb. The Ecoboost is a towing beast.

I tow 5,100 pounds wet/loaded with a 2015 Tahoe 5.3L, so I believe you are ok. Tahoe max trailer 8,600 with 1,595 payload. BUT I agree with Bob...18 feet....6,000 pounds?

Bumpyroad, true there is no need to load to full trailer capacity but using that number when planning is a safety cushion IMO. I’m 1800 under GVWR...good cushion.

coolmom42 wrote:
I agree that is a pretty heavy trailer. Look at the "dry" weight and add about 1500 lb to it. Unless you are in a toy hauler, that's about as much as most normal travellers would ever add to a trailer. You may be thinking you have to be able to carry the gross weight rating.

The gross weight rating is generally the combined capability of the axles, no necessarily what you would realistically put in it.

ETA: The weights the dealer shows don't even add up right. Ask the dealer to verify them by the actual sticker on the RV.

Most people add 1000-1200 lb to the dry weight, unless you are a compulsive packer who takes EVERYTHING.

Get the correct dry weight, add about 1200 to it. Check that against the capacities of the Expedition. Google "Expedition trailer towing selector" for the year you are interested in. You will get the numbers straight from Ford, without a lot of guesswork from people who haven't bothered checking. An Expedition with the 3.5L Ecoboost engine, max towing package, and 3.73 axle is rated at 9200 lb. The Ecoboost is a towing beast.

that pretty much sums it up.
bumpy

I´ve towed with SUVs for 17 years without an issue. Our current combination has worked well for us since 2008 and the Durango has 370,000 kms on the dial. We get the best of both worlds with the SUV. It serves for our boondocking trips and is our daily driver. It has three rows of seats.