Towing with a 4.6l?

[johnd393]

"4.6l" is too short for a search term.
I'm looking at a 2003 Expedition EB 4.6l RWD.
Why this one? It's available, RWD, affordable, one owner, near enough, and appears to not be abused.
Depending on where I read it the towing capacity is 5000 lbs, or 6050 lbs.
I get it that the 5.4l would be better, I wanna know what the 4.6l can do.

I want to tow a camper.
Prefer something bigger than a popup, with hard sides, needs to sleep 2 tall people, 6'2'' and have a decent sized bathroom/shower.

Anyone have experience towing a camper with a 4.6l?

 

[ApacheJohn]

John, I am from NW Indiana too. Valparaiso/Chesterton area. The 4.6 should be fine for what you are doing. Sounds like a trailer that you are looking for would not overtax the truck. I have a 2001 Ford Expedition 4.6 RWD and I actually will be towing a 7x16 enclosed trailer loaded with our home up to NW Indiana this week. No issues with it towing. I did install Firestone Airbags into my coil springs which helps the ride on mine. I am pretty good at changing the fluids out when needed and taking care of my truck. If you are like me, I don't see an issue.

 

[07xln]

The 4.6 is a dog. Ive owned two of them and there is no way they can tow even close to their max capacity

I most recently had a 2000 model and I pulled a 6x12 utility trailer with my SxS on it. Total weight was 2700lbs and I had to stand on the gas pedal any time I hit any sort of slight incline just to maintain speed.

You'd be MUCH better off finding a 5.4. Theyre a dime a dozen. You shouldn't have any problem finding a good one

 

[Bedrck47]

The tow rating for a 2003 4X2 or 4X4 with 4.6 engine is 5000 lbs That info is straight from the owners manual.

The 5.4 4X2 is 8950 lbs. and 4X4 is 8650 lbs

I also have owned Expeditions and towed with the 4.6 and the 5.4 And just my opinion is I will never tow with a 4.6 again. You may be OK on flat ground as long as you are below the rated weight capacity but you will have to stand on it to maintain speed on any steep grades.

Go with the 5.4 you will be glad you did

 

[rjdelp7]

This powertrain is not ideal, but it is a truck. It will get the job done, just may struggle a bit. My Expedition came with a tow package and has 4.6l. People tow with them all the time. A 5.4l only has about 40-50 more hp.

 

[rollinstone]

I started towing my 3000 lb camping trailer with my 5.0L '97 Explorer. Did OK. Upgraded to my 5.4L '14 Expy, and OMG, what a difference! Only 0.4 liters difference, but I also have a 17 year difference in technology, etc... Go big!

 

[johnd393]

Thanks all for your response. The ad is now 25 days old. There may be a reason it's unsold. I've spoke with & texted with the owner and the info seems positive. There is not enough support for towing with the 4.6l for me to make the 60 mile drive to look at it. If it can't tow a decent size camper and tow it well, it has no advantage over my minivan.

 

[1997SCEBFEX]

++ on a 5.4L.

Yes, I too am biased. Hauled this car-hauler and cargo coast-to-coast loaded several times relocating on Navy orders.

I'm retired now, but ole Red (Gen 1 '97) still tows, occasionally, for the hunting camp (lime buggy; trailers loaded with golf carts and wheelers etc.) Let the torque do it's job and watch vital fluid temps.

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[JExpedition07]

I’d agree with most of the posters above. The 4.6 is a good motor and will get it done but it has to work for it compared to a 5.4. It’s got a shorter stroke so it’s probably quicker than the 5.4 for daily driving. But towing you’ll be into the gas. Still a good motor IMO and will tow but just be aware of its limitations.

 

[johnd393]

OK, I'm still keeping an eye out for a tow vehicle. In used car shopping, I give a lot of weight to price, & condition which seldom lands on the exact specs I might prefer.

Now there's a 06 Expy RWD with a 5.4, 156k & no tow package. I'm finding a 6000lbs spec for max trailer weight but a owners manual give a trailer frontal area max of 36.5 sq ft. I think I can work with the weight limit, but I think that frontal area thing is too restrictive. It's supposed to be rust free, which ain't easy to find around here.
Seller can't see a 7 pin trailer connector. Door tag says H6 axle, I think means 3:73. Can it tow a camper?

From my opening post: I want to tow a camper.
Prefer something bigger than a popup, with hard sides, needs to sleep 2 tall people, 6'2'' and have a decent sized bathroom/shower

 

[DExpy17]

From my opening post: I want to tow a camper.
Prefer something bigger than a popup, with hard sides, needs to sleep 2 tall people, 6'2'' and have a decent sized bathroom/shower

My advice is for you to figure out the camper you want. Then you will Know the limits of the vehicle you need instead of wishing you had bought something with a higher tow capacity so you can have the camper you want. Also keep in mind that many times using a weight distribution hitch will increase the the tow capacity.

 

[johnd393]

At 6000lbs tow capacity, at least it can tow something.
Drove the 60 miles to look it over. First impression, looks great. Love the color.
Closer look. No 7 pin trailer connector, looks like the smaller trans oil cooler. Definately not the HD tow package.
Interior dingier and more worn that appeared in the pictures.
Exterior: Some paint bubbling on edge of hood, rockers, real hatch bottom seam, but not too bad. Looking under it with a bright flashlight, the undercarriage stuff has little rust and looks solid.
Looking under the hood down the sides of the radiator there is some serious rust through on places around the lower core support. There is not an easy view to see down there but what I saw didn't look good. I can't tell but it does not look like a replaceable piece without cutting & welding. Got on my knees to look but Couldn't get a look at it from the bottom.
Test drive: Didn't feel like the seat went back far enough for my long legs (seems like the try harder to get this right in smaller cars). Not as powerful as I expected. Some shuddering upshifts, ABS light on. Low tire pressure sensor message. Check engine light came on intermittently a couple times. It's the core support rust that bothers me.

 

[scythefwd]

I towed a 3k lb beetle with my 4.6L f150.. never even noticed it back there.. I assume the expy, being heavier, would have a lower functional ability than the 150.. but not necessarily that much of a difference.

 

[lonestarjeff]

My experience towing with a 4.6 really depends on which rear end it's paired with. My F150 has it paired with the 3.55 rear, like Scythe says above, never notice my trailer back there unless gross weight gets near the limit. My Expedition is a different story....has the 4.6 paired with the 3.31 rear end. I thought it wouldn't make that much difference, but it does. It feels like a struggle most of the time, even with a light trailer load. When I installed the class III hitch on the Expy I noticed it was not factory pre-wired for trailer brakes(like the F150 was), that should have given me a clue.

 

[CaptOchs]

Trailer Life releases yearly tow guides that are pretty good. It shows tow capacity based off your options.

http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/

 

[proftomda]

First time poster here. May I chime in here on this old thread? I am the original owner of a 2001 Expedition 4.6 2wd 3:31 rear axle with factory aux trans cooler. Our Expo is 19 years old and over 1/4 million miles. It is a valued family hauler and looks, runs and drives like new, uses a little oil because of valve guide seals but no other issues. Way back in 2000, we traded our Chevy Astro van in on this Expo. Our towing needs were modest, a 3500lb boat. Surely a V8 Expedition could tow better than a V6 Minivan right? WRONG. Our Expedition was a complete dog compared to the Chevy Astro, constantly downshifting and engine screaming to make torque. Bottom line, it was a stress filled experience towing with a 4.6 Expo in Georgia. In the intervening years, I have had the opportunity to own a 2003 f150 5.4 3:55, a 2008 f150 3:55 and a 1999 Chevy Suburban. These 3 vehicles towed my load effortlessly compared with my 2001 Expo 4.6. So my message is, the 4.6 2wd Expedition is a marvelous well made machine that is durable but is a weak towing machine. Good luck!