suv to trailer towing help

You might also consider a Sequoia. I never used the 3rd row in mine but even the 4.8L engine it used to have was fine for towing, and rated at 7000 lb.

A 2007+ Expedition EL 4WD has 3.73 axle and 6-spd trans. 2007-2014 have 5.4L, and 2015+ Ecoboost. Both have plenty for pulling 7k loaded RV. Suspension is a little weak if you plan to put a lot of weight inside the Expy plus carry 900 pounds of TW, but otherwise it should do well. Get a WDH with integrated sway control and a proportional brake controller.

We tow with a 2013 Expedition EL and our trailer is 6204 lbs dry. Based on the trailer you posted it the weight should be much easier then what we pull, just gotta make sure you are okay on payload. In order for the Expedition you posted to have the 8700 lb towing capacity, it has the heavy duty towing package installed. On the '13 that includes a larger radiator, auxillary transmission cooler and an integrated brake controller. I don't see the controller on the one you posted but it may not have been included in the package on the '12s.

We tow about the same weight with a 1500 Suburban. Its ok. The 5.4 Expedition is a better TV I think, as far as power goes. The Suburban chassis is great. The 5.3 makes its power at higher rpms, as does the 5.4 Im sure. That takes a little getting use to for me. We came from a motorhome that had a 454 and it was a real powerhouse. We have some good friends that tow with a 2012 Expedition XL. Their trailer is heavier and they have pulled it literally over most of the US. He says it does great. My next TV might very well be an Expedition.

I am well versed towing with SUV's and most any large (1/2 ton series) SUV will work with that trailer. But always verify weights on a scale.

That said, I will never again tow a TT with any SUV without a Hensley or Propride hitch (1400lb bars for any tongue over 700-800) while running the OEM P tires at max cold to stiffen them up.

Add LT tires as a secondary upgrade.

You may not "need" one of these expensive hitches with a trailer and SUV of the size mentioned, but I promise you will be more than happy you paid the price if you ever get a chance to compare towing the same trailer with the same SUV with each WDH type.

And no, I'm not affiliated with either Hensley or Propride. Sean at Propride is typically decent...until he's not...and then you see why he split off from Hensley! And Hensley has their own issues, but they stand by their product no matter what.

I recommend the Sequoia (2nd gen from 2008 with the 5.7 liter engine) and a ProPride 3P hitch. We have been all over the country, including the mountains out west, with this set up. I especially like the Sequoia's side-stick shifting for engine braking.

You need the top hitches if your going with the shorter wheel bases on the Sequoia or Tahoe. And watch your weight.

I have a 2013 Expedition with the factory HD towing package and the 5.4 V8, 6 speed trans and 3.73 rear end. We pull a 30 ft Bullet Ultralite TT that weighs 5400 dry, 6000 loaded with a 600 lb tongue weight. It pulls it like a champ! We avg 60-62 MPH which is a safe speed, get 10 MPG like everyone else and with the E2 WD hitch, there is no sway!
MAKE SURE this Expy at Car Max has the HEAVY DUTY tow pkg . They also made a regular Expy tow pkg that did NOT have the trans cooler, bigger radiator and built in brake controller. It only had a hitch and a 5 prong plug in. You do not want it if it does not have the HD factory pkg!
Again, that weight sounds very high for a tiny 18 ft TT!? Is it all wood frame instead of aluminum? Get an Ultralight ( Bullets are fantastic!--check them out) and you won't have to settle for just an 18ft TT.

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.

Since you will be full timing why mess with a tow vehicle thats not really made to tow? I just went through this a couple of months ago and here is my experience and suggestions for what its worth.

Towed a 6000lb trailer first with a 2000 5.3 suburban. Great truck just needed a little more power. Then we steped into a 2007 denali with the big 6.2. It had the power but at higher rpms. It was a fine line of keeping engine/ tranny temps down. GM replaced my 6.2 with a fresh one and the 6.2 still kinda sucked for towing. This engine was not made to tow...the GM 6.0 is. Then I got serious about things because I was sick of my TV not performing. For me my options were these:

1. Duramax van. nobody wants to drive a van and it didn't come in 4x4.
2. Excursion I like the idea of having a diesel so the 7.3 or the 6.0(bullet proofed) was a good option. They are very expensive though. They are also very expensive to work on. The V10 is okay but it is not near as powerful as GM's 8.1.
3. 2008-2013 Suburban 2500 with the 6.0. Nice TV but expensive and I knew it was the same plastic as my denali that was falling apart.
4. 2000-2006 Suburban 2500 with the 8.1. Tons of Torque in low rpms and not made of plastic **** like the newer ones. Tons of payload and towing capacity. Easy to work on and pretty cheap. Only downside to this TV is mpg's.
5. sequoia has no payload capacity and are very expensive.
6. Expedition EL with the ecoboost. These are very expensive but I think they would be decent TV. I am not sold on the durability of the ecoboost after talking to tons of ford mechanics. Under 60K miles yep. Over 60K miles nope. If you go with one of these get a good warranty because you will be forking out a ton of money for repairs.

I ended up with a 2005 suburban 2500 8.1 and absolutely love it. It is not a daily driver so the mpg's don't really bother me. I ended up getting a 37' 8200lb dry weight camper and it still pulls it awesome. Such a comfortable truck for trips. Also The GM 8.1 is a marine grade engine. That means they torture test the **** out of these things for longevity and durability. I can't say enough good things about it.

I love my 2500 Suburban with the 8.1L, it would tow that trailer like it was hardly there. It tows my larger trailer quite well. With that said, an Expetition EL with the factory tow package would also tow it quite well. Non-towing fuel economy and a newer vehicle are benefits of the Expedition.

I used to tow a 26' 5600 lb loaded trailer with my '96 Buick Roadmaster Wagon. We went thousands of miles with it and it did fine and it isn't nearly the tow vehicle the Expedition is. Good hitch, good set-up, appropriate tires, etc. It will do really well.