16 Navigator L towing Jayco 24BH

[itterref]

Hi, I have been lurking for a while but posting for the first time. I need some opinions on my set up.

2016 Navigator L
GVWR 7,900 lbs
GCWR 15,000 lbs
Towing capacity 8,700 lbs
Payload capacity 1,500 lbs
Front Axle rating 3,700 lbs
Rear Axle rating 4,330 lbs
Tires rating 5,202lbs per Axle
Tongue rating 900lbs
Hensley Hitch 200 lbs

Jayco 24BH
30' 6,300 lbs loaded.

Here are my numbers at the scale with the full family (6) and a half tank of gas. Trailer had an undisclosed amount of water in the fresh tank that I forgot to empty.

GVWR 8,160 lbs - 260 lbs over
GCWR 14,480 lbs - 520 lbs under
Front Axle 3,560 lbs - 140 lbs under
Rear Axle 4,600 lbs - 270 lbs over

However, we seldom travel like this. 90% of the time we have a 260 lb person who stays home. In that scenario we look like this.

GVWR 7,900 lbs - flat
GCWR 14,200 lbs - 800 lbs under
Front Axle 3,480 lbs - 220 lbs under
Rear Axle 4,420 lbs - 90 lbs over

I will remove all the water and weigh in again, I am assuming 200-300 lbs will come off.

I am asking if this would alarm anyone. I am sure there is a buffer in there and I am fine. I can't justify a 3/4 truck because I really need the 3rd row seat and all the features and benefits the Navigator provides as a daily vehicle.

Thoughts?

[dodge_guy]

Wow. I guess it’s nice to know the weight police are still in force! LOL

As has been said. It ties it just fine. I wouldn’t be concerned with being even 500lbs over the GVWR. That’s a small TT for an Expedition L.

[APT]

How does it feel @highway speeds? 2-lane roads, and multi-lane interstates when passing or being passed?

While I an a card-carrying member of the weight police, I have also personally towed above vehicle ratings for thousands of miles. My comfort level was mostly based on how I adjusted my Reese Strait Line WDH, not any specific rating.

The only recommendation I have is to increase the WD more to the front than you have now. That may mean more hitch head angle, fewer links under tension, etc.

[MFL]

Going by pics, you have been towing that setup for quite a distance. You are the driver, and know how it handles. If it feels good to you, I'd not worry about being close to the limit on numbers.

Most advice you will get here, is to stay within the factory ratings. This advice will make your vehicle last for the most miles/years. Of course the best way to achieve longevity for most vehicles is to not tow a large trailer, and stay in hotels.

Grit dog gave good advice, and a few mods to improve handling/safety, if you feel the need to do so.

I'd tow that setup, if it was my only option at the time.

Jerry

[Lantley]

If you can keep the navigator within all of it's ratings your good to go.
Close, most or almost isn't good enough especially when it come to axle rating.
I also think if you are so close that a box of this or a few gallons of that makes a difference, your overloaded.
The Navigator is a decent vehicle for its intended purposes as a luxury SUV.
However as you are noting it has limitations as a tow vehicle.
The fact that it makes a good daily driver and has a third row seat has nothing to do with the towing parameters. The parameters should be adhered to own their own merit and not mixed in with other non tow related factors.
Are you implying it's OK to exceed the axle ratings by a little bit because it has a third row seat?

[Grit_dog]

^Nice setup!
And apparently it’s been to Wyoming and presumably back to Mitch e gun, so you don’t need much advice from the armchair QBs here!
Rock on!

[itterref]

Navigator is level, not sagging at all.

Moderator edit to resize pictures to forum recommended limit of 640px maximum width.

[klutchdust]

^^^ said....... " I can guarantee you one stop from the DOT on a set of scales and they'll tow your tt to the holding yard until you get a vehicle big enough to tow it if you are over.'

When has anyone seen that happen. DOT pulling people over? That's a new one to me.

Another concern is how much does the front of the Navigator lift once the weight distribution hitch has been set up. Is the Navigator level? Does it sag in the back?

[Grit_dog]

ryhed wrote:
A wise man once said, it'll tow the max rating once. Personally I wouldn't put that much stress on my daily driver. You need another vehicle for your gear and family or you need a bigger truck period. It's a hard no. You need to be 25% under your max limits. I can guarantee you one stop from the DOT on a set of scales and they'll tow your tt to the holding yard until you get a vehicle big enough to tow it if you are over. Your putting your famyily, camper and truck at high risk, your gonna burn out your daily driver in my opinion. Just take the advice given if you choose to anyway. Lighten the load, get better tires and upgrade your tv suspension and brakes.

OMFG, if you didn’t post this as satire, then what rock covered with misinformation did you crawl out from under?
For everyone else’s sake who is hoping to get information or learn, everything you posted is 1000% bullsheet with the possible exception of a better towing experience with some LT tires and maybe some suspension upgrade.

[ryhed]

A wise man once said, it'll tow the max rating once. Personally I wouldn't put that much stress on my daily driver. You need another vehicle for your gear and family or you need a bigger truck period. It's a hard no. You need to be 25% under your max limits. I can guarantee you one stop from the DOT on a set of scales and they'll tow your tt to the holding yard until you get a vehicle big enough to tow it if you are over. Your putting your famyily, camper and truck at high risk, your gonna burn out your daily driver in my opinion. Just take the advice given if you choose to anyway. Lighten the load, get better tires and upgrade your tv suspension and brakes.

[itterref]

This is not a reason to go shopping for an F250. Tempting but I can't justify giving up the DD advantages we have with the Navigator vs a 5 seat truck.

We have done 2 vehicles at times when necessary. Not ideal but it solves the problem.

Moderator edit to resize picture to forum recommended limit of 640px maximum width.

[dodge_guy]

This is not concerning at all! Nothing I would worry about.

[Grit_dog]

One point to make with IRS is the axle isn’t weight bearing per se like a conventional solid axle. So that eliminates a couple potential failure points and shuffles the most likely failure to the springs (in my opinion, since I’ve never broken an irs axle or even 1/2 ton air shocks/springs).
Or far more anecdotally, how many newer Expe/Navi, Tahoe/Burb/Yukon, Armadas or sequoias are out there towing 3 ton trailers of any flavor?
Answer: ALOT of them.
Pack your stuff and go camping! Worry about other things.

[Grit_dog]

itterref wrote:
Gentlemen, all the numbers are within limits except the 90 lbs over on the axel. That number will be reduced with 2 simple changes. The water tank will be empty reducing 200 lbs minimum and I will adjust the Hensley hitch and transfer more weight forward and to the trailer.

I will conduct another weigh in and report back. Do you all concur that it is acceptable to tow just below the limit?

Sir, you should probably ask elsewhere. This forum is full of a bunch of Nancies, some of which are afraid of their own shadow when towing and think you need a 1 ton to pull anything bigger than a popup.
Now whether you’d feel more comfortable with a vehicle with significantly more rated capacities than the weight of the trailer you’re towing or uncomfortable towing with the Navi is a personal decision. And understanding what vehicle ratings are in place for what reasons is not something everyone understands, and being your rig is independent rear suspension, the carrier and gearset is based on the Ford 9.75, more than heavy enough. The rest of the drivetrain is a heavy duty F150, so nowhere near the towing weight limit. And the axle isn’t weight bearing.
It’s air ride so not so straight forward to upgrade rear suspension capacity but you mustn’t have any problems with the OE air springs holding up the load or your query would have been different. But the air springs are likely the weakest link, as idk how much over capacity they continue to work but it’s definitely far more than just a couple hundred lbs over rawr.

Personally I think light duty (1/2ton based vehicles) that have air suspension or even partial air suspension are the least favorable for towing. Can’t beat all steel which is far less prone to issues. And the Navi is tuned for comfort, not work, but it’s what you have and it will be fine.
Honestly I’d look for some light duty coil over shocks or air shocks. At a minimum, the heaviest gas shocks you can find. But I’d still tow with it all day and twice in sundays regardless of whether you make those mods or not.

And as mentioned before, chit can the car tires if your rating you posted on those is accurate.

[itterref]

Gentlemen, all the numbers are within limits except the 90 lbs over on the axle. That number will be reduced with 2 simple changes. The water tank will be empty reducing 200 lbs minimum and I will adjust the Hensley hitch and transfer more weight forward and to the trailer.

I will conduct another weigh in and report back. Do you all concur that it is acceptable to tow just below the limit?

[klutchdust]

You are overloaded. If a tire on that tow vehicle fails, you are going to have some serious issues real fast.
Look at the u tube videos of out of control travel trailers and see if you want to be on one of them.
Not my opinion, just facts based on others doing what you plan on doing.