Need tow vehicle - preferably under 10k
I'm looking for a vehicle for our travel trailer. My wife likes the sportsmen 301BHLE. It is 33 feet long and hitch weight of 880. Gross trailer weight is 8000. We both like the double bunk bed option...
Forum Discussion
I have a Buddy who has a Pioneer 30bh quad bunkhouse and he has an 07 Expedition EL. The thing tows the trailer very well. We have some dialing in to do on the Weight Distribution hitch, other than getting the full floating axles I don’t see much of an advantage with the Excursion. The independent suspension of the Expedition gives the big Beast a large, wide, stable platform.
He upgraded the tires to stiffer XL tires.
However, I must jab in there that my 5.3 does out accelerate his rig when hitched even though I just have 3:08 Rear axle ratio and he has a 3:73. My trailer is about 600 lbs lighter than his, but mine has the 6 speed transmission.
For his rig, we need to adjust the hitch head angle as it’s pretty much pointing straight up and we are going to try to get his front end pushed back down some. He is about 3/4 inch higher on the fenders. We are also going to add a second sway bar to his set up.
IMHO giving up the superior modern suspension on your Expedition would not be worth it to me to go with a 20 plus year old design. You can always have the receiver tube reinforced if it is flexing too much from the weight distribution...even though these things are only rated to 10,000 lbs 1,000 lb tongue weight max with weight distribution I have not seen any flex at all with the GM or the Fords integrated receivers.
As to feel, I never want to “not feel the rig back there”. I need to know and make adjustments as needed.
The ProPride will help for sure, but I’d fix any misbehavior before I put that on. The forces that cause sway can break those fancy hitches, its better to be stable first and then add them on for insurance purposes.
Thanks, and of course...JMHO.
Jeremiah
He upgraded the tires to stiffer XL tires.
However, I must jab in there that my 5.3 does out accelerate his rig when hitched even though I just have 3:08 Rear axle ratio and he has a 3:73. My trailer is about 600 lbs lighter than his, but mine has the 6 speed transmission.
For his rig, we need to adjust the hitch head angle as it’s pretty much pointing straight up and we are going to try to get his front end pushed back down some. He is about 3/4 inch higher on the fenders. We are also going to add a second sway bar to his set up.
IMHO giving up the superior modern suspension on your Expedition would not be worth it to me to go with a 20 plus year old design. You can always have the receiver tube reinforced if it is flexing too much from the weight distribution...even though these things are only rated to 10,000 lbs 1,000 lb tongue weight max with weight distribution I have not seen any flex at all with the GM or the Fords integrated receivers.
As to feel, I never want to “not feel the rig back there”. I need to know and make adjustments as needed.
The ProPride will help for sure, but I’d fix any misbehavior before I put that on. The forces that cause sway can break those fancy hitches, its better to be stable first and then add them on for insurance purposes.
Thanks, and of course...JMHO.
Jeremiah
