Expedition as Long Trip Road Vehicle

I have a 03 XLT 4X4. We also have a Toyota Camry. I prefer the Expy to the Toyota for road comfort, cabin roominess, and road noise. I put Michlin pilots on it and they are quiet and have great performance. We have driven from our home in Central Florida to upstate NY and to S.W. Missouri to visit relatives many times. I also tow nearly an 8000# boat on a trailer at least once a month. When it wears out, I will get another one. Does that answer your question?

Our 2020 LTD with tow package has 25,000 miles after one year of ownership. We tow a 6,200 travel trailer around the US. We learned these lessons: the car can tow a lot of weight (almost as much as a F150) but this also means it can be overloaded - do the math; I use manual gear selection when towing, using 7th gear at 64 mph provides best power and economy (11 mpg); the short wheel base sucks on windy days; use a high quality weight distribution unit such as Weigh Safe; always, always, always, change your oil with the best premium quality synthetic oil possible (I use Pennzoil Ultra Platinum - mostly for crankcase ventilation being dumped into intake manifold (helps keep top of intake valves clean even with supplimented port injector and low speed pre-ignition problems - I change every 5,000 miles; and make sure you get into wide open throttle turbo operation fairly frequently to ensure waste gate operates properly (they carbon up on low RPM operation over time).

The Expedition is one of the best road trip vehicles made. If you are taking a lot of stuff, buy two things that will make a difference. First is a car top carrier bag, one you can easily unload during an overnight stay at a hotel for security reasons. The hard carriers are great, but they just make an evil person wonder what valuables are inside. We always just empty the bag and leave it strapped in and flat on the roof, then fill it back up the next morning. Also good if you are parking in a garage, empty it at the valet and your car will fit in the garage.

The second is a folding step to put over any wheel. This will save much frustration when accessing your roof top carrier. Quick and easy. It folds up and is easily stowed inside. You will thank yourself for making this investment.

Powerbuilt 647596 Folding Heavy Duty Tire Steps for Truck SUV RV, Red, Large
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We've towed a 6,000# trailer over 12,000 miles with our 2020 Max with Anderson anti-sway hitch. Cruise control at 63 mph yields around 10 mpg on 91 octane. Wife added a memory foam cushion on her passenger seat. I wish the driver seat had more adjustment up and down but all in all a comfortable and powerful ride.

Highly recommend whatever pkg now includes LED headlights and CCD. We have taken our 2018 Max w/302A PKG on countless trips of 1k+ miles. 6+ people, 2 dogs, +/- 4500lb boat (all in) and no complaints.

Lastly, the OEM hankook HT tires are terrible, if they are still outfitting with them highly recommend a second set of wheels/tires for winter at a minimum. I went with 18-in rims blizzak dmv2... I have been on interstates that have been closed and had no concerns with my ability to get through safely, and keeping pretty good pace and been up in the Rockies with over a foot of snow overnight again with no issues.

Happy trails!

I have 46,000 on my 2020 Max. Need I say more! Its the best riding and towing vehicle I have had. I like to use the manual setting when I'm towing to reduce the down shifting in cruise control. I have the towing package and 3.7 rear end. I manually put my approx 6200 camper trailer in 8th gear running at 2200 rpm and cruises, taking all the minor hills without shifts

BAHAExpedition said:

I drove my family of three plus three small dogs and the cat, from San Francisco to Atlanta in a 2018 XLT. I towed a 16' Uhaul. I wish the fuel tank was as large as the MAX version. Felt like I needed to refuel way too quick!

It's been an amazing SUV. 31,000 miles and nothing but oil changes so far. My Bridgestone ALL-TERRAIN T/A K02 still look new. Best decision I made.

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Glad to hear good stories. hope it keeps going that way for you. My 2018 was perfect until about 50,000 miles. And then the nightmare began.

I've been on a few long trips in an Expedition, and it's been a great experience. The Safety Index is 83 gives you peace of mind. It handles well on highways and has plenty of space for all your gear and passengers. The seats are comfortable, so even long drives don't feel tiring. I also appreciate the advanced safety features, which are a big plus when you're spending a lot of time on the road. The gas mileage isn't too bad either for a vehicle its size. It also has a strong engine that can handle different terrains. If you're planning on doing some camping or off-roading, it performs well in those conditions too. I would say it’s a solid choice for a long road trip. You get a good mix of comfort, safety, and performance.

This is THE road trip vehicle. I tow, I go. Whatever I want. It just flat out does what needs to be done.

Just got home last month after 4+ months traveling through Mexico towing a 5000 lb trailer, total mileage was 9960 miles.. We bought this 2019 Expedition Limited a few months before we left to replace my old F250 longbed 7.3 diesel as our tow-mobile. The Expy was a dream. All kinda gnarly bad roads, we went virtually everywhere in Mexico except Baja. Only car mishap was, a couple weeks before our stateside reentry, it developed a coolant leak, which turned out to be a heater hose. Mexican shop bypassed the heater core temporarily to stop the leakage as a new hose would have taken a week+ in Mexico, and we had to complete our journey on schedule. Expeditions are *very* rare in Mexico. Lots of F150's, badged LOBO in Mexico.

Rancho Betania on April 28th, our last day before crossing over to Nogales AZ.



re HD Tow, I opted to go out of our way looking for an Expy with it, because I wanted the proper 4WD with 4L and a rear locker. When I wear out the cheap OEM Wranglers that are on those 18" F150 wheels that I swapped for the stupid 22" "Stealth" package wheels, I plan to install BF Goodrich KO2 or KO3 tires for better offroading.