Questions on towing with a Ford Expedition

Just purchased a 2007 Ford Expedition. Eddie Bauer with tow package and 3.73 Rear Gears.
I was previously hauling a pop up camper and the reason for purchasing the Expedition is so that we can upgrade to a larger camper.

I'm curious what people think of a weight distributing hitch? Are they worth it?
I've never towed anything larger than a pop up camper before. Looking for any advice I can get.

Well worth the money if you will be pulling a travel trailer. I had a 25' trailer and it made a world of difference.

Also, what are the recommendations for a brake controller? Mine didn't come with a factory equipped one.
I will need to add one aftermarket.
Is there one in particular that is the most popular?

Also, what is the towing weight limit with this vehicle? Ford manual says either 6,000 or 9,000 lbs depending on if you have the heavy duty tow package. Is there any way to double check that I DO have the heavy duty tow package?

I recommend you search the postings on this site (others if you have time), read as many as you can, figure out who seems to make sense, weed out the incorrect ones, see what advice is most frequently given, and decide something based on that. On any given individual thread here you seem to see a wide variety of conflicting opinions.

Read the Owners Manual and find other documentation from Ford such as the RV & Trailer Towing Guide. Clearly though you need the weight distribution. I also think you bought the right Expy for towing but I'm not a tow guy so my advice is FWIW. Good luck!

Andrew Herman said:

Also, what are the recommendations for a brake controller? Mine didn't come with a factory equipped one.
I will need to add one aftermarket.
Is there one in particular that is the most popular?

Also, what is the towing weight limit with this vehicle? Ford manual says either 6,000 or 9,000 lbs depending on if you have the heavy duty tow package. Is there any way to double check that I DO have the heavy duty tow package?

Click to expand...

There will be a code on your door sticker that tells you if you do have HD tow... Chart codes are in the manual. Can also check for sticker located under hitch (if you can still read it).

Several posts mention if I have both the factory 4 and 7 pins, then I have the Heavy Duty Tow Package. Based on that I believe I have it (as I have both the 4 and 7 pin tow harness). If this is inaccurate, someone please tell me.

I've never towed this much weight before, so I'm sure it will be a learning experience. As it stands, we are looking to buy a medium sized camper/trailer. I'm guessing between 4,000 and 5,000 lbs. My first concern was how a "newbie" like myself will handle a load that large and if I should get the weight distributing hitch. Some have told me I will need it, while others tell me it isn't critical. I DO have some towing experience and the pop up camper we owned was the largest you could buy. But I definitely have never towed 5,000 lbs before and would rather do my homework before I'm on the highway for the first time.

Google searching for brake controllers almost always leads me to the brand "Tekonsha". I don't really see any "bad" reviews of brake controllers so perhaps my choice is of brake controllers is more of an aesthetic one. I do wish there was something I could purchase that would look more like a factory installed brake controller instead of something I'm just attaching to the dashboard. Anyone know of one that won't look like an eye sore?

Get the weight distributing hitch, the independent rear suspension on the expy is very soft even with HD tow package. Get a 4 point friction type hitch so it can control sway as well as put weight back onto the front tires. I'm using the husky centerline TS, which is a 4 point friction hitch and properly set up, it works great. I tow a 6200 pound trailer, that has a deceptive 900 pound tongue weight when water tank is full. The expy sags several inches in the back until I have the bars in, then it removes all but an inch of sag and keeps the front tire wheel well height the same as if I was unloaded.

+++ on WDH to help with the bobble. Imagine several semis passing you at once and the vacuum "suction"; or emergent lane change/swerve to avoid something. I have a Reese.

check CGVW as others said.

I also have the Tekonsha brake controller. take the extra time in an empty parking lot completely hooked up to get used to it.

Yes on weight distribution. Along with maintaining proper ride height, most will help with sway, either as part of it's design or with friction plates, which is the big part of towing such a large item. Weight distribution isn't really required when towing something like a boat. Boat trailers have lower weight and are usually designed with the boat in mind so that it's carrying it the best way possible

With the travel trailer, you will find that you can easily and drastically change the load and how it tows by were you place items in the RV. Are you towing with full tanks because your dry camping. Are you having extra coolers due to an extended stay. Kids bikes, clothes, just the extras you drag along to support the RV etc will all change the balance. The weight distribution hitch will correct most of that and make it so you tow the same every time.

Trailer brake controller is very necessary as well. It keeps stopping distances reasonable and also maintains the life of your tow vehicles brakes. Your expedition is designed to stop it's full GCWR by itself, but you don't want to be doing that all the time. I couldn't tell you the name of mine. They all work pretty much the same. You'll want to see if you have the factory harness to connect, then you just splice this harness to the brake controller and it just plugs in. It's worth having this harness and not splicing directly into the vehicles wiring.

Tow mirrors are another item that you didn't really need before with a pop up but will be beneficial now. There are strap on ones at walmart or tractor supply that work fine. You'll be able to kind of see to the sides of the RV with just your factory mirrors, but if your in any amount of traffic then you'll want to be able to see farther back to be able to make a lane change.

Keep asking the questions, I prefer to know what to expect before I go. Then it can be easier to determine if I have a problem, or it's normal while on my trip.

Matt

I've towed with our expedition since 2011. WDH and sway bars are a must. Tow mirrors really do help. Our rig is a 2011 Jayco 29L that's 5850 dry but most of the time around 6500lbs. We have towed it from Virginia to Yellowstone and back without issue. I've only lost one tire since 2011 and that was in South Dakota. We take it out at least six times a year!


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