Upgrade to Heavy-Duty Tow?

[Bear1209]

My family is looking to buy a travel trailer in the near future, which we would pull with our 2019 Ford Expedition MAX. We do not have the heavy-duty tow package, which limits our max loaded trailer weight to 6,300 lbs. Most travel trailers we are finding meeting our needs are in the 7,000 lbs dry-weight range (so <9,000 lbs. loaded up), which would of course mean we could pull those trailers if we had the HD tow package. In effort to avoid spending another $20k to upgrade to another expedition with a HD tow package, I started considering what upgrades could be made on our current expedition to achieve that same setup. The frame and receiver hitch are the same whether we have the HD tow package or not, so not concerned there. Based on Ford's towing spec sheet (https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/conten.../guides/19Towing_Ford_Expedition_r1_Dec21.pdf), here's is what I found needs to be upgraded:
- radiator upgrade - what would I need to upgrade to?
- Electronic Traction Assist (eLSD) - is this even possible to upgrade? or would it need to come from factory with this option?
- upgraded rear axle - change gears from 3.31 to 3.73, which I would assume I could pay a mechanic a few thousand dollars to swap (still cheaper than a new expy)
- trailer brake control - easy to add whether I use a wired or bluetooth option
- Pro Trailer Backup Assist - is this really needed? Most travel trailers have a backup camera option

Anything else I'm not thinking of?

 

[LokiWolf]

There is NO physical upgrade that legally upgrades your towing or payload capacity. Period. It doesn't work that way.

Plus you are missing the factor of payload. How much do your total passengers weigh, and what is your payload capacity for your Expedition. The higher the trim, the lower the Payload. 4WD also has lower Payload.

If you have say 1300lb Payload. A 9K trailer would have a 900lb tongue weight, minimum, so you now have 400lb of payload left. That includes people, animals, and things. Most likely, you are over Payload. People ALWAYS forget about that.

 

[techdude99]

LokiWolf makes valid points.

I had the HD Tow Package in my '19 Platinum and towed 6.5k lbs (laden including the cargo and passengers) around the country. It towed like a champ. Never had an issue with the towing and didn't need a weight distribution hitch. In regard to your questions:

- Never used the backup assist
- Gearing would be helpful but I'm not sure if it's required
- eLSD - always nice but not required. LokiWolf would probably know if it's possible to unlock with Forscan and if additional hardware is need
- You should be able to add a new HD OEM radiator and hoses for less than $500

 

[Deadman]

Its more than a simple swap. The entire rear axle housing is larger with larger axles and differential. Then the cooling system is larger, etc....

 

[LokiWolf]

LokiWolf makes valid points.

I had the HD Tow Package in my '19 Platinum and towed 6.5k lbs (laden including the cargo and passengers) around the country. It towed like a champ. Never had an issue with the towing and didn't need a weight distribution hitch. In regard to your questions:

- Never used the backup assist
- Gearing would be helpful but I'm not sure if it's required
- eLSD - always nice but not required. LokiWolf would probably know if it's possible to unlock with Forscan and if additional hardware is need
- You should be able to add a new HD OEM radiator and hoses for less than $500

WDH always helps, but like @techdude99 said, I have towed around 6K with ours many times without setting up my WDH. At 9K, I would DEFINATELY use WDH. It will make all the difference in the world on handling.

ELSD is a hardware change, and programming. - Way more of a pain than it is worth. I helped a local guy program his out because he added a 3rd party selectable locker. Still get a code every now and then from the Traction Control system, but it is soft and never throws a light. Don't get me wrong the ELSD in these things is AMAZING, but adding it would be a PIA!

Backup assist is a cool gadget, but those of us that have been towing and backing up trailers our whole life it is not really needed.

 

[Fizzy]

Pro Trailer Backup Assist - is this really needed? Most travel trailers have a backup camera option

This feature isn't a camera. It adds a rotary dial on the dash that you use to back a trailer up. You put a sticker on your trailer tongue, input all the measurements from the back up camera (distance to hitch, distance to sticker, length of trailer, distance to axles etc). You can then back up using the dial without having to learn how to back up manually.

I only ever use it when I'm backing our trailer into its very tight storage location. You don't really need it.

Also, I believe the brake controller wiring is already behind the dash. Pull the panel off, get the controller from Ford, plug it in, add the 7 pin connector to the back (wiring is already there too) and you're good to go.

 

[JasonH]

Its more than a simple swap. The entire rear axle housing is larger with larger axles and differential. Then the cooling system is larger, etc....

The 3.31 on the 3rd gen is the larger Ford 9.75" axle. Not sure if the rear on the 4th gen is the 8.8" or the 9.75". Point being, it might be possible to upgrade the rear to a 3.73 on the 4th gen. Can probably cross reference the Ford parts catalog to see what is out back.

 

[LokiWolf]

The 3.31 on the 3rd gen is the larger Ford 9.75" axle. Not sure if the rear on the 4th gen is the 8.8" or the 9.75". Point being, it might be possible to upgrade the rear to a 3.73 on the 4th gen. Can probably cross reference the Ford parts catalog to see what is out back.

Eitherway, you are adding to the fact that way easier to buy the right vehicle, the current one isn't.

 

[JasonH]

Eitherway, you are adding to the fact that way easier to buy the right vehicle, the current one isn't.

True, but post-purchase a swap to the correct vehicle is not an option for some. Apart from the 3.73, radiator cooling changes, and brake controller, I'm not aware of anything else specific to the HD Tow that would keep someone from implementing the necessary upgrades. You're right about the payload limitation, but I see 1,600 lbs on some 4th gens without HD Tow according to the Google Drive sheet. My 3rd gen is only ~1450. Even the 3.73 gears are preferred, but not strictly necessary seeing as the 3rd gen made due with 3.31. With the proper upgrades, there's no technical reason why someone can't go over the 6K limit if they stay within the payload and axle load limits. Some aftermarket parts, such as radiators, intercoolers, and turbo manifolds, will perform better than the Ford OEM parts.

 

[LokiWolf]

@JasonH 100% Agree. Payload, and axle load rating are what matters from a safety standpoint.

I just HATE, when somebody says your tow rating, or payload rating is increased when you install X(Helper Springs, Airbags, Better Radiator). Your rating can NEVER be increased because that is based on how the vehicle left the factory. Aftermarket parts in general decrease that rating, because they add weight.

 

[unesimpson1]

LokiWolf makes valid points.

I had the HD Tow Package in my '19 Platinum and towed 6.5k lbs (laden including the cargo and passengers) around the country. It towed like a champ. Never had an issue with the towing and didn't need a weight distribution hitch. In regard to your questions:

- Never used the backup assist
- Gearing would be helpful but I'm not sure if it's required
- eLSD - always nice but not required. LokiWolf would probably know if it's possible to unlock with Forscan and if additional hardware is need
- You should be able to add a new HD OEM radiator and hoses for less than $500

I like what you say about no WHD. I am towing 4,000 w/o just fine. I know these vehicles are tough, but the moment and torsion on the hitch frame from a WHD is cruel and unusual punishment, in my book.

 

[chuck s]

Hey, Bear!

Time to start dialing down your camper expectations. 9000 pound trailers are HD-Tow equipped F150/F250 not Expedition tow-able.

The 9200 pound max towing capacity of a HD-Tow equipped Expedition only counts if (1) the truck is empty and (2) you're towing a boat trailer with brakes. Every pound inside the SUV cuts the max towing capacity by the same weight.

Using your proposed 9000 pound trailer for calculations: Boat trailers require 5% to 10% of the trailer's gross weight to be on the ball, a mere 450 to 900 pounds -- and 900 pounds is the maximum allowable weight on the ball. Conventional travel trailer's weight requirements for safe towing (eliminating fishtailing, etc.) are 10% to 15% or 900 to 1350 pounds which exceed the ability of an Expedition even if empty.

No way to safely tow a 9000 pound trailer, either conventional or boat, with an Expedition regardless of HD Tow.

-- Chuck

 

[Jarred]

There just isn’t a good way to do what you’re trying to do. Even if you upgraded the rear end and radiators, beef up your suspension (which I STILL did even with the max tow) and add a brake controller you’ll never LEGALLY be able to tow that much OR increase your payload. What are you willing to risk between the safety of those involved and the fact that regardless of actual fault, you would always be liable if there was an accident because you’re towing more than the vehicle is allowed by law. No matter what you upgrade there is no way to increase the legal gvwr. The ONLY acceptable answers here are:
1) buy a bigger tow vehicle or
2) buy a camper under 4000lbs dry, you’ll load it up and be at max gvwr and even more quickly to your payload.
I’m sure it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the reality.

 

[Fizzy]

A 9000lb dry trailer would be outside

We do not have the heavy-duty tow package, which limits our max loaded trailer weight to 6,300 lbs. Most travel trailers we are finding meeting our needs are in the 7,000 lbs dry-weight range (so <9,000 lbs. loaded up), which would of course mean we could pull those trailers if we had the HD tow package.

This simply isn't going to be feasible or realistic.

We have a 32ft trailer (a 2020 Keystone Bullet Ultra Lite). Base weight is 5500lb. Carrying capacity is 2100lb. Hitch weight is 600lb. We use a Blue Ox WDH. We rarely haul full fresh/black/grey tanks. But even so, with 2 adults, 2 kids, bikes, and all our belongings, food, bedding, etc we're really pushing the limit of our HD Tow equipped Expedition. It tows like a champ, but much more and it would be a liability.

I can't imagine doing what you are proposing.

 

[Left Coast Geek]

I tow a 4500 lb GWR trailer with my HD equipped Expedition. Towed it about 12000 miles since I got the Expedition last November. I added a WDH to reduce the tendency to bob on rough roads (sometimes called porpoising) and sway at higher speeds (the Anderson WDH is a very effective anti-sway).

I chose the HD tow package more for the better 4x4 than for the towing capacity.


(last day in Mexico, after 4 months of travel)

 

[Left Coast Geek]

My prior tow vehicle was a 2002 F250 diesel 4x4 longbed. It was total overkill for towing my Escape 21', but stable as a rock.
(somewhere near Area 51 on the Extraterrestrial Highway in central Nevada)

 

[BlakeMAX2019]

My family is looking to buy a travel trailer in the near future, which we would pull with our 2019 Ford Expedition MAX. We do not have the heavy-duty tow package, which limits our max loaded trailer weight to 6,300 lbs. Most travel trailers we are finding meeting our needs are in the 7,000 lbs dry-weight range (so <9,000 lbs. loaded up), which would of course mean we could pull those trailers if we had the HD tow package. In effort to avoid spending another $20k to upgrade to another expedition with a HD tow package, I started considering what upgrades could be made on our current expedition to achieve that same setup. The frame and receiver hitch are the same whether we have the HD tow package or not, so not concerned there. Based on Ford's towing spec sheet (https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/conten.../guides/19Towing_Ford_Expedition_r1_Dec21.pdf), here's is what I found needs to be upgraded:
- radiator upgrade - what would I need to upgrade to?
- Electronic Traction Assist (eLSD) - is this even possible to upgrade? or would it need to come from factory with this option?
- upgraded rear axle - change gears from 3.31 to 3.73, which I would assume I could pay a mechanic a few thousand dollars to swap (still cheaper than a new expy)
- trailer brake control - easy to add whether I use a wired or bluetooth option
- Pro Trailer Backup Assist - is this really needed? Most travel trailers have a backup camera option

Anything else I'm not thinking of?

We have the same 2019 XLT Max, bought new, and just realized today that it has a tow hitch! For some reason I didn’t think it had it but looked under the bumper today, looking to occasionally tow a small trailer.

 

[chuck s]

I'm towing a 7000 pound hybrid travel trailer with my 2017 Expedition with HD Tow and 3.31 axles just fine. HD Tow did not include 3.73 axles in 2017 (although my 2007 had them).

Ford integrated brake controller is a plug in device -- should just plug in under the dash and fit in the little empty bin just to the right of the steering wheel. Many here have done that.

Since I have HD tow I'm know has the larger engine and transmission radiators by their part numbers and maybe the eSLD. I know the axles are not limited slip and that's handled electronically.

-- Chuck

 

[Left Coast Geek]

a 9000 lb trailer has 900 to 1350 lbs tongue weight (10-15%). an Expedtion has maybe 1500 lbs payload. a suitable WDH weighs about 100 lbs, so with 900 lb tongue weight, you're looking at 500 lbs residual payload. With 1300 lb tongue weight, you're looking at 200 lbs residual payload. ooops, I weigh around 220 lbs.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

I ordered our 2019 with the Special Edition package which was such a comprehensive package that Ford deleted most of its contents in later years. I wanted the CCW, electric locking rear end, and HD tow specifically for the extra cooling and the two-speed transfer case. The 3.73 axle ratios were an added plus. Most everything else that came in the package is never used (park assist, Pro Trailer Backup Assist).