2015-2017 Gear ratios and towing

[coolzzy]

The expedition does not have a car chassis, it is a ladder frame body on frame SUV with independent rear suspension. Towing is only problematic with improperly equipped for towing, I. E. A WDH not setup correctly, wrong tires, improper loading, etc. Look in the towing section here and see what others are towing with expeditions, both the old 5.4 and ecoboost versions. The higher trim vehicle you purchase, the lower the payload you roll have. Do not trust the dealer, trust the yellow sticker on the truck door frame. Dealers will quote you maximum figures for the vehicle platform, not necessarily the one you are looking at buying.

My 17XLT EL 4x4 with HD tow pulls my rv through the mountains of Idaho without any issues. My trailer weighs 6300 pounds. I would feel comfortable pulling up to 8k with good WDH and LT tires. I use a husky centerline TS hitch with 1k pound bars and am stable at speeds up to 75mph. You won't find another full size SUV that will pull like an ecoboost expedition except maybe for a 6.2L Yukon xl but interior space and comfort is greater in the expedition due to the independant rear suspension. A 17 will have sync 3 and limited slip differential. Add a powertrain warranty to cover the turbos and motor and you will have a sound reliable towing platform. My wife daily drives our EL and has no trouble, it turns sharper than a pickup and is shorter.

 

[JExpedition07]

That’s what I like about the EL, it’s decent sized and has good interior space but it’s still a small vehicle. A lot shorter than a pickup or van easy to manage.

 

[Ilka Wagner]

Do not trust the dealer, trust the yellow sticker on the truck door frame. Dealers will quote you maximum figures for the vehicle platform, not necessarily the one you are looking at buying.

I have been looking at the yellow sticker. I have yet to find one over 1382# payload capacity. I was told by the dealer that this is how the vehicle was rated PRIOR to any upgrades, IE Towing package, 4x4, etc. Ford rates them on their website up to 1640# I believe but I sure can't find a sticker that approaches that. What is the rating on yours?

We have a Husky WDH that we currently use on our 1 ton van, just would need to be readjusted to the Expedition for the times we decide to use it instead.
One dealer insisted that Payload was only what is in the vehicle and did NOT include the weight placed on the hitch. Not sure that is correct though. I think it total payload does include whatever weight you put on the hitch, correct?

 

[JExpedition07]

This is the sticker from my totaled 2007 XLT....it was a pretty basic 4WD truck

 

[Ilka Wagner]

Haven't seen anything close on a 2015 or newer though...

 

[JExpedition07]

You’ll find something, and the lower rating expy you found may suffice. It all depends on your situation and the weights....only you can do the math.

 

[chuck s]

I had a 2007 and now have a 2017. Both are XLT 4x4 with HD Tow. The '17 has things like a powered 3d seat and rear hatch and maybe a few other items including the Ford trailer brake controller.

My 2007 had a cargo and passenger capacity of 1585 pounds. The 2017 is only rated at 1416 pounds.

From the data plates:

Expeditions
Payload GVWR FAWR RAWR
2007 1585 7700 3550 4250
2017 1416 7500 3550 4300
delta -169 -200 0 50

-- Chuck

 

[MuddySpokes]

Right now we are using a 1 ton van

I suspected something like that but wanted to make sure. Even with a good WD setup, will find it surprising if the towing experience feels as solid when comparing to the van. Just to make it clear, am not bashing, but am offering expectations to minimize the surprise factor.

And back to those weights, best bet is to get real numbers rather than guessing about loaded weight. Sometimes there are big differences between guesstimates and the scales If a certified scale is too far away, try looking for a local recycling center or municipal dump as these places commonly have scales.

I think it total payload does include whatever weight you put on the hitch, correct?

Yes. Just to make sure we are on the same page, the weight on the ball (tongue weight) counts toward payload. But this is *not* the trailer's total weight.

There are two ways to get the tongue weight:
- self-evident: get the weight of just the jack-stand with the ball raised to the correct tow height and hitch dangling from the trailer (or just put the hitch on the scale pad). A certified scale can do this while also getting the total trailer weight. Just put the jack-stand and axles on different pads.

- total rig approach: weight the tow vehicle *without* the trailer. Put the front and rear axle on different pads as these numbers are important for the next step. Do a second round *with* the trailer and WD hitch setup to tow. Put the van's front axle, van's rear axle, and trailer's axles (all) on different pads. The increase in the van's weight (total on both axles) is the amount of payload that the trailer is adding. This method is desirable as it also gives the amount of weight that the hitch is passing to the front axle. From these numbers, you are in a better place to start interpolating as to the Expedition's capacity.

 

[gregcm21]

For reference, our 2017 4x4 EL Platinum has 3.73 with limited slip and 22's.

 

[NASCAR Mike]

Here is the sticker from my 2017 Expedition Limited. It has the self leveling Nivomat rear shocks.