Hi,

I have a 1998 Expedition EB - it's 4WD, with the 5.4 engine. I'm wanting to tow my 1974 Trans Am to a body shop about 2.0 hours from where I live in Central PA. I stopped in at U-Haul yesterday to book a trailer, and they tell me the Expedition is not rated to tow the combined weight of the trailer and car. The T/A is stripped - driveline is intact, but the interior and all exterior components (including bumpers, glass etc.) are off the car. I figure 3200lbs for the car + whatever a U-Haul tandem axle trailer weighs. The Expedition is fitted with the factory hitch and wiring, and the trip is mostly flat - surely the Expedition can handle this? Any thoughts/advice?

 

It will definately tow your stripped car. I tow with my Expedition 5.4 all the time. I used it to tow my 93 Cobra with a full driveline. So dont worry about it. Just tow with overdrive off.You could click overdrive on when driving on a flat road but always turn it off when you start from a stop.Hope this helps.

 

Thanks - I didn't realize I'd need to click the overdrive off from a standing start - I thought the overdrive only came into play at open road speeds. For the distance I'm driving, and the speeds I'll be going (slow) I could pretty much leave the overdrive switched off the entire time.

 

Even with the lowest rear end gearing, 3.31, the 4WD 5.4 Expy is rated at around 6,400 pounds. 17" wheels at that same ratio will bring you down a bit. Higher gearing will get you even better towing. BTW, these numbers are for a 2000. Don't know about a '98, the 5.4 was down about 30 horses in that year I believe.

http://www.trailerlife.com/towratings/tr00_ford.cfm

U-Haul are a bunch of morons. Aren't they the same people that won't rent trailers to Explorer owners anymore? Do they even know that an Expedition is essentially a fullsize F-150 with a few extra's?

- Vince

 

I'm pretty sure the door tag shows 7,400 pounds (GAVWR?) - but my Expy is an EB and has the 17 inch wheels - I think I'm just gonna tell U-Haul I'm towing a Festiva and tow the T/A anyway - what's the worse that could happen? Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't think too much about that (visions of my beloved T/A and the Expedition upside down on the highway).

 

The 17" wheel "add" capacity. I had a 2000 and it was rated at 7800#. Granated, it was slightly modified, but I towed my 7500# boat with it with no problem. And I ALWAYS towed with OD on. Let the computer manage it, it's smart. Unless you find it's hunting a lot, or you need to kick it down a lot, or just don't want to, keep it in OD.

Disclaimer, I DID have a transgo shift kit and Superchip (plus other stuff). It towed awesome, and never hunted. It stayed in 3rd if it needed to which was rare except for long or steep grades, otherwise it would hold and pull in OD.

I can't imagine why you couldn't tow what you're trying to pull. It may struggle a little but should be OK. 98 was pre PI heads so it had less power and if it has the 3:31 gears that another strike against you, but still, up to 5000# shouldn't be a problem. A friend had a '98 and towed a boat about 6000# to 6500# and although it got lousy MPG and was a little tough to handle, it handled it.

Oh ya, I had some suspension stuff done too which helped a LOT. And I got 11-12 MPG towing.

 

okay the people at u-haul are just following the rules of the company. it's not the expy's power thats in question. it's the weight. my 99 expy weighs in at 6980 lbs empty. my 93, 19.6" runabout boat weighs in at 4250 lbs. which means i have 2730 lbs to do the braking before the trailer surge brakes kick in. even with the brakes i can feel the boat trying to push my expy durring panick stops. now when you put my 7000 lbs car trailer on the back, the trailer out weighs the expy by 20 lbs. a very bad tow but with electric trailer brakes added it makes it doable because i own the trailer, but thers no company out there that would rent me a trailer. u-haul would not rent me a trailer to pull my 99 explorer with my 98 f-150 for the same reason. thier trailers are usualy either un-braked or surge braked, but when the towed weight gets close to or exceds the tower weight thier not gonna do it. cause it's a bad tow.

 

Is that a typo, or did you put it on broken scales? Dry curb weight is probably in the 5200-5300 lb range.

 

My Expy, as equipped with me (225#) and a full tank of gas weighs almost exactly 6000#.

Ian

 

okay

put any numbers in there you want. but the advice is still sound u-haul does not care if you blow your motor or trash your tranny. thats your problem. but if they put there trailer on your rig and you get into an accident, cause you cant stop it, there liable !!!

 

I'm not sure I follow.