Suggestions for a TT for a 2015 Expedtion EL with ecoboost

[miqmel]

Hi everyone,

First time poster. I am looking for a great TT for my family of seven. 5 kids (ages 10 to newborn). Would love a TT to sleep up to eight. We would also love a trailer that could be used in the chilly fall weather of Montana. We would also prefer not having a hybrid. The wife does not like the soft tent walls.

Our TV is a 2015 Expedition EL with the Ecoboost engine. Some specs are:

GVWR: 7760
GCWR: 15,300
Max trailer: 9200
Tongue: 920
GCAR: 3700/4300
Cargo/payload: 1403
Max towing package with 3.73 rear

I haven't weighed the vehicle yet but the curb weight is listed at 6103.
Passenger weight is about 550 - 600 lbs.

Any suggestions on a great TT? Thanks!!!

[goatrancher]

We have a travel trailer for sale that would probably fit your needs. It is a 2013 Cherokee Grey Wolf 26BH. Our son pulls it with a 2010 Expedition to a family reunion once a year. It comes with a power awning, electric tongue jack, WDH, spare tire, and a 2000W inverter generator. Here is the link: http://www.forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=91&ShowParent=1&ModelID=824#Main. I can even deliver if you need me to. The specs on this trailer are very similar to the Jayco above.

[Samsonsworld]

teamster tom wrote:
plenty of beds in springdale 260TBWE and fits your towing specs

That was the floorplan of my last trailer. We were tripping over each other constantly. Do yourself a favor and get a large slide.

[APT]

1400 pounds of payload - 600 pounds of people = 800 pounds for loaded trailer tongue weight. I would target about 5500 pounds dry weight max.

[kxztl]

I just purchased the same vehicle as you, because my suburban was not towing my jayco 26bh very well. The suburban had the 3.08 rear axle and was a pig on hills. So far the Expy is night and day difference then the burb. The jayco 26bh dry is about 4800 and max 7000 when fully loaded. the dry tongue weight is under 500lbs. I wouldn't want to go any heavier then this. We have four children, the bunks in the 26bh are huge, each one can sleep two kids easy(as long as the get along well).

[WolverineState]

My TV is a 2007 Expedition XLT with the same Max tow and tongue weights as your vehicle.
I pull a 2012 Cruiser RV Shadow Cruiser 261BH that can sleep 8. I imagine it would get pretty cozy in the trailer with 8, but the more the merrier. My folks took 5 kids (7 of us total) on trips around Michigan and to Florida in a 19 foot trailer, so it can be done. We had a great time.

[teamster_tom]

plenty of beds in springdale 260TBWE and fits your towing specs

[coolmom42]

You don't need or want 20% of the trailer weight as tongue weight. 10-15% is normal and adequate.

If you have 700 lb of cargo capacity left after family & weight distribution hitch, that gives you a loaded trailer weight of 4700-7000 lb. Allow about 800 lb for trailer contents, and that puts you looking at trailers with a dry weight of 3900-6200 lb.

Given that your family is going to grow and weigh more....your available cargo capacity is going to shrink. So definitely keep the trailer on the light side.

I have no suggestions about trailers but most are designed to sleep 4-5 people max. Good luck. I hope you find something and are able to have some great times camping with your family!

[Ron_Gratz]

Does the 550-600# passenger weight include the driver's weight?

How much additional cargo would you expect to carry in/on the TV?

Do you plan to use the same TV and TT for a few years?
If so, how much weight gain do you expect from the passengers while you are using this TV and/or TT?

Would you expect to be using an extra-heavy WDH such as Hensley Arrow or ProPride?

Even if you can limit the total weight of occupants and cargo to 700# and then add 80-200# for a WDH, you'll have only about 1400 minus 780 to 900 = about 500-600# for the remaining amount of trailer-induced load which can be carried by the TV.

Assuming the WDH is adjusted to transfer a load equal to 20% of tongue weight to the TT's axles, and a tongue weight equal to about 12.5% of total loaded weight, the TT's maximum allowable loaded weight would be about 5000-6000#.

For a family of your size, it would be prudent to assume you'll need to add about 1500# to a TT's factory-delivered empty weight.
IMO, you should be looking for TT's with a sticker empty weight of 3500-4500#.
Probably not many in that weight range which could sleep up to eight.

Ron