OP
OP
Pawpaw
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Anyone tow 8,000 lbs. with their 2021 Expedition FX4 with max towing?
- Thread starter Pawpaw
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OP
OP
Pawpaw
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Nice floorplan for couples and one grandkid at a time! Our 2 daughters have their own campers if they want to go camping! Keystone Cougar 25 RDS and its pretty impressive for whats marketed as a half ton towable.
JasonH
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Is that 8K wet or dry? If it's wet you'll probably be ok with proper WDH setup provided you have the payload. If it's dry forget about it. My camper's GVWR is around 7,800, but it's ~7K loaded. If your camper is rated 8,000 GVWR, you may come in well under that loaded. Also, some campers naturally place more weight on the tongue, so you'll have to check the manufacturer spec for tongue weight, as well as a scale. Mine is a 33' ft ultralight, so it has some flimsier materials to keep the weight down. It pulls fine since I got the WDH dialed in. When it's windy I just reduce speed from 65 to 55 - 60 mph and it doesn't move so much. My vehicle is an EL, which is the previous generation equivalent of the Max.
OP
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Pawpaw
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The 8K pound figure would be gross weight. Just the wife and I so we'll have to pack light. We're downsizing from a 5th wheel so we'll just have to adjust. I've got the standard length FX4 model but it has the small 23.4 gallon tank to I guess I'll have to stop about every 200 miles! Part of the tongue weight may be because the camper has 2 30 lb propane tanks. I also plan to use a second battery. Unit has 2-Coleman Mach AC's and a solar panel to run the fridge and charge the battery. We got spoiled with the fireplace and heat and massage theatre seats and when we saw this model we were hooked. Bought the Expedition at the end of November and hadn't towed with it yet. Thanks for the info Jason. Wife has relatives in Houston so maybe make a trip to Galveston or San Luis Island again!!
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OP
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Pawpaw
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Looks like I've been thrown in the deep end of the pool..sink or swim! Going pick up the camper next Wednesday. Talked to the salesman twice and gave him the specs on the Expedition and my concerns about towing that size trailer. Much to my amazement he said we should be OK. I'll roll the dice and see what it will do heading back home from the Lafayette area on US 90 one of the roughest roads in the world!
mlogan
Well-Known Member
Looks like the dry weight is 6303. You should be fine as long as the WDH gets dialed in right.
Similar to our Surveyor 296QBLE @ 6400 dry - tows nice with equalizer, just the Gen 3 towing mileage to deal with. My biggest concern with my 22' on order is the from 33 to 28 gallon tank - those 5 gallons make a difference...
JasonH
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Safe travels! I suggest watching some videos on WDH setup. Don't trust the dealership. They'll put you on the road in any setup.
OP
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Pawpaw
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I watched a few that Equalizer posted per your advice. Thanks Jason. What area of Houston are you in Jason? Wifes sister lived in Kemah/League City.
oldfordguy
Member
I made a number of trips to Florida with our 30 footer with a weight of 7300#, so with all the junk, I'm sure it was over 8#. I just set the cruise for about 65 to 70 and enjoyed the trip. Ours is a 2018 4WD and 3:70 gears. Still had a pretty good ride! Lots of academic answers, I con only speak to my experiences. I will say, I wouldn't want to do the Rockies with it.
chuck s
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Maximum towing capacity is not a planning number as it's based on a completely EMPTY tow vehicle. Expedition, F150, Silverado, they're based on the same formula. Every pound in excess of a 150 pound driver decreases the towing capacity.
Then there's tongue weight as mentioned above. Look at the data plate in your driver's door jam. A conventional trailer requires 10%-15% of its total weight to be on the ball. 920 to 1380. My total cargo/passenger capacity tops out at 1416 pounds.
Motorboat trailers only need 5%-10% on the ball.
My personal rule of thumb is the One Ton Rule which states the tow vehicle needs 2000 pounds (a ton) more towing capacity than the trailer weighs and vv for Happy Towing. This limits my Expedition to towing no more than 7200 pounds which puts at least 720 pounds on the ball and requires a WDH. I made up that "rule" and it's conservative but have been using it for years. 1000 Pound Rule is less satisfactory for me.
Would I tow a 9200 pound trailer across town? Sure, but not across the state.
-- Chuck
Then there's tongue weight as mentioned above. Look at the data plate in your driver's door jam. A conventional trailer requires 10%-15% of its total weight to be on the ball. 920 to 1380. My total cargo/passenger capacity tops out at 1416 pounds.
Motorboat trailers only need 5%-10% on the ball.
My personal rule of thumb is the One Ton Rule which states the tow vehicle needs 2000 pounds (a ton) more towing capacity than the trailer weighs and vv for Happy Towing. This limits my Expedition to towing no more than 7200 pounds which puts at least 720 pounds on the ball and requires a WDH. I made up that "rule" and it's conservative but have been using it for years. 1000 Pound Rule is less satisfactory for me.
Would I tow a 9200 pound trailer across town? Sure, but not across the state.
-- Chuck
