Towing a 7,500 lbs trailer

[gigantapithic]

I've got an 05 EB Expedition, 5.4L V8 with:

Build Date: 31.01.2005
Vehicle Line: Expedition (2003-)
Body Style: 4 Door Wagon
Version: Ford Series
Engine: 5.4L 3V V8
Transmission: 4 Spd A/T AODEW/4R75E W/TSS
Drive: 4WD
Axle Ratio: 3.73
Trailer Tow Prep Pack
With Front Towing Hook
Less Engine Oil Cooler
Less Rear Shock Absorbers
With Standard Engine Cooling System
Immersion Heater Engine
With Standard Suspension
3.73
Less Rear Axle Limited Slip Diff
With Standard Transmissn Oil Cooler
4X4 2 Speed Transfer Case With Tod
Standard Duty Battery
Standard Duty Alternator

The expy has a class 4 hitch and 7-pin wiring system. Basically I want to get it up to HD towing capacity.

What do I need to install?

Tranny Cooler?
Engine Oil cooler?

Anything else? Any idea what these things would cost in Canada?

 

[dcarr]

whats the factory tow rating on a second gen. i have a third gen with the basic tow prep and mine is good for 8750 with a weight distribution hitch. i tow 7k with no problem. from what i noticed with the hd tow is a trans cooler and an oil cooler. and i believe the new ones have a built in brake control. as far as cost check etrailer.com and see what the shipping would be.

 

[Stoned06]

With a HD tranny cooler and a weight dist hitch, you should be good to go. You can only do 6000 lbs and 600 lb tongue weight on the hitch alone, but should be able to go up to 8600 lbs with a WDH.

 

[SOLISIMO]

With a HD tranny cooler and a weight dist hitch, you should be good to go. You can only do 6000 lbs and 600 lb tongue weight on the hitch alone, but should be able to go up to 8600 lbs with a WDH.

My buddy has a 28 footer with twin motors. He has to sell his expo bc its not even close lol. Dont know how much it weights though

 

[Stoned06]

My buddy has a 28 footer with twin motors. He has to sell his expo bc its not even close lol. Dont know how much it weights though

That's a big boat to be pulling with an Expy!! Our's was a 24 foot cuddy with a 5.7 Volvo and 2 foot platform, but weighed in at 5000 lbs wet. Trailer got us right at 6000. And as you can see in my sig pic, it dwarfed the Expy. Adding a second engine and a true 28 foot hull, and you are probably around 7500-8000+ lbs without trailer.

 

[gigantapithic]

Thanks for the replies

So of these three:

Less Engine Oil Cooler
With Standard Engine Cooling System
With Standard Transmission Oil Cooler

I only need to upgrade the underlined one? To an HD Tranny cooler? I did price one out on etrailer but they're not very specific as to what it classifies as. They were about $70 on average and just said "transmission cooler". Not "This upgrades your vehicle to handle 8,000+ lbs."

Weight distribution hitch was obvious (would need that regardless of vehicle).

From wiki (not sure of accuracy). This is re: the second generations

Towing capacity increased by 800 lbs (363 kg) for a high towing capacity of 8,900 lbs (4,037 kg) when properly equipped with the appropriate axle ratio and heavy-duty trailer towing package.[17] Payload capacity was increased up to 1,614 lbs (732 kg). Expedition also gained a hydroformed fully boxed frame providing a 70 percent improvement in torsional stiffness.

 

[BIGRED03]

My Near Disaster Towing

I had a 28' Chaparrel with twin 4.3 and pulled it with a tri-axle trailer. It was a Holiday weekend and the service shop's dually pick-up was not available. I had to have the boat in the water that weekend. Instead of hiring a tow truck I pulled it with my at the time diesel 3/4T Suburban with about 10k. I figured it could not be much more than the 23 Ft I was used to. Wrong! That boat dry was 9200lbs + 2300lbs trailer again dry and it was not dry by any means! I was way overweight and could easily feel it. The brakes were the problem. The diesel and transmission had no problem at all. Luckily, the boat was near its destination only having to travel about 45 miles. The brakes were so hot and faded at the marina you could smell the brakes and the tires cooking from the heat of the rims. I later elected to have the boat floated by crane. I was afraid that the steep slope to the deep water launch was going to be to much for them. I had not let the family ride with me so they followed separately. She told me she ad been blowing the horn and flashing her lights to tell me the trailer wheels were smoking as soon as we left the freeway. Because of the diesel and the small mirrors I never saw her. Later next week I found out from the marina had been having problems with the brakes sticking on or off. It was their trailer and I made them come and get it, but holy ----, what if I had a panick stop or got stopped in traffic on a grade near the lake? Moral of that story is check it out, know the weights and capabilities upfront and plan ahead. My point of all this is to say that I went ahead and towed the boat because it had electric brakes and figured this would keep me out of trouble. I was already over the design limits to start with and when the trailer brakes failed I was damn lucky that the Suburban brakes didn't fail all together. I knew better than this. I never towed that beast around again with anything. I was happy to pay to have it done in the future.

 

[RI-Matt]

i have a third gen with the basic tow prep and mine is good for 8750 with a weight distribution hitch.

dcarr, where did you get that number from ? The basic non-HD tow package is only rated for 6000lbs. I dont believe that number changes with a WD hitch setup. The hitch setup itself may be built for it but not the rest of the vehicle.

gigantapithic, the HD tow package included a HD radiator and HD trans cooler to keep the engine and trans temps down when towing up to 9000-9200lbs ( using a WD hitch ) I would say you need both.



Matt

 

[dcarr]

I forgot where I had seen it. But when I was looking for a camper I searched all over for what I could pull. I may have posted the number for the HD tow package accidentally but I thought I remembered seeing it as the tow prep package with the WD hitch.

 

[gigantapithic]

Thanks,

Looks like I'll need an HD Radiator and HD Tranny Cooler. Might splurge and get one of those Tranny pans that holds more fluid too. Can't hurt.

What is the reason for the increased capacity alternator?