Yet another "Can I tow it" request.

[Cotay]

So my wife and I purchased our Aerolite 174es Hybrid last April and immediately realized when we got it home that our minivan was insufficient for towing. We managed to trade up to a 2007 Expedition EL 4X4 that had 13,000 miles on it. That has worked very well for towing the Hybrid.

Unfortunately, over this past summer we realized that the Hybrid was just too small and didn't have enough storage for us. We have four children (ages 6, 5, 3, and 1) and tend to pack most of our gear in the HTT and in a skybox in order to distribute it across both axles of the TV.

We have decided to upgrade the HTT to a fully enclosed TT and are interested in the Outback Terrain 250TRS. The advertised specs are a shipping weight of 5483 and a tongue weight of 585. My gut feeling is that this is about the maximum I'd want to tow with the TV. Does anyone think this is a bad idea?

Just to note, we are only planning on using the Expedition EL for towing for a few more years until I can get myself a nice pickup, so growing kids shouldn't be too much of a concern over the life of owning the new TT. Right now we pack very light.

Any comments would be appreciated.

EDIT: I can confirm we have the HD tow package as well.

[Golden_HVAC]

You can find the trailer guide here, and then look up the specs on your 2007 Expedition. It will tow a lot of weight, so a 7,500 pound trailer is not out of the question. I don't know how well it can handle 1,000 pounds of hitch weight in addition to the kids and stuff in the car, but it should do well.

Basically the Expedition is based on the F-150, and should be able to tow nearly as much weight. Yet it is heavier curb weight, and all your passengers will reduce it a bit more.

Do you have a 5.4L engine? That will put out about 300 HP, so it will not be a slouch.

http://forums.woodalls.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24765666.cfm


Fred.

[Cotay]

robeyster wrote:
I have the same exact truck. I think tow rating is 9200Lbs. As clubhouse said check your payload. Open your drivers door and look at the yellow sticker and it will tell you your payload mine is 1600lbs. I have and Aspen Trail 2810 but I have not towed it with the expedition I use my F-150. I don't think my expedition would have trouble towing my camper but if I do I would get some coil spring helpers that are removoable to use while towing to stiffen up the rear a little.

Thanks! I'll look into the sumosprings...I don't have the air suspension and they look like they'd be a big help.

[Cotay]

michigansandzilla wrote:
It should be fine. We have nearly the same weight with our Shadow Cruiser and we tow it with our Expedition. 2 adults, 3 kids ages 11, 9, &5 and 2, 100+ lbs dogs. No problem.

Happy camping.

Do you mind telling me which model of Shadow Cruiser you have? I was interested in the S-280QBS but thought it might be too long. The weights seem good though.

EDIT: I just saw your profile. How do you like the 280QBS?

[michigansandzil]

It should be fine. We have nearly the same weight with our Shadow Cruiser and we tow it with our Expedition. 2 adults, 3 kids ages 11, 9, &5 and 2, 100+ lbs dogs. No problem.

Happy camping.

[Sandia_Man]

It's doable, use a high quality WD/SC hitch, get it dialed in properly, and you should be able to tote this new rig around. It's difficult to predict what level of towing comfort this TV/TT combo will provide, but it should get you to your camping destination effectively enough. Enjoy your new TT!!!

[robeyster]

I have the same exact truck. I think tow rating is 9200Lbs. As clubhouse said check your payload. Open your drivers door and look at the yellow sticker and it will tell you your payload mine is 1600lbs. I have and Aspen Trail 2810 but I have not towed it with the expedition I use my F-150. I don't think my expedition would have trouble towing my camper but if I do I would get some coil spring helpers that are removoable to use while towing to stiffen up the rear a little.

[clubhouse]

At a quick glance it seems OK, not great, but doable.

You really just need to do the math to confirm. If there is a tight spot it will be payload. The 585 tongue weight will quickly become 800 once the TT is loaded, add batteries, propane, wd hitch etc. Not sure how much payload the EL has available, but with 6 occupants (granted 4 are still quite small)and the TT TW your requiement will likely be ~1500 lbs.

[kearlms]

You may want to check out THIS site and see what your TV is rated to tow. Might give you some insight. From what it looks like the EL can tow "Expedition 4WD EL 5.4L V-8 8,680 lbs (s,z)" from the site listed. Looks like it must have "(s)3.73:1 axle ratio" and "(z)Factory towing package required" to get that rating.