2014 Expedition towing Airstream

[Deano_1]

Hey Guys,

I have a 2014 Expedition XLT. Max towing is 9000 and Max tongue is 920 lbs. We recently bought a 2017 Airstream with a hitch weight of 976 lbs. When we bought this last fall it came with a Blue Ox hitch with 1000lb bars. I have a new truck F250 on order (since August), and I have a chance to buy a 2017 F250 to use until our new truck comes in, but we have no idea when that will be. We have a few trips in early summer with most of our towing within an hour of our house. We do have a bigger trip planned for late July and August and hopefully we'll have our new truck by then. Am I pushing the envelop with this setup? Would air bags help?

Thanks!

[mkirsch]

Citing "lack of experience." How many times has someone on this forum had the EXACT SAME RIG as the OP? Hardly ever happens.

If you limited responses to only people who had DIRECT experience with the EXACT configuration as the OP, most threads in this forum would have ZERO responses.

What does that leave you? Factory numbers and common sense. Common sense says to completely ignore factory numbers, right? Um, no.

Common sense says factory numbers are all you have to go by and it's probably a good idea to stick with them in absence of contrary evidence.

Vague reassurances from folks who have exactly NO more experience with the rig than people who say not to exceed the numbers should carry no more weight. However they shout louder and find "clever" ways to call you stupid so I guess you should defer to their wisdom...

[philh]

Is that hitch weight what you measured on your rig, or the mfg claimed EMPTY weight?

The closer you are to max payload (or over), the less desirable the tow experience. I literally just saw a photo of an Expedition upside down with the airstream laying on it's side. Driver claimed he swerved to avoid something in the road. That may or may not be an incident one could avoid, but going over payload makes fast maneuvering increasingly dangerous.

[jerem0621]

OP, here is just a bit of advice from someone who tows A 7,000lb TT with a half ton. I towed with a Tahoe and have put a lot of miles down towing.

If you still have P Rated Tires I have found it best to air them up to the max sidewall pressure to stiffen them up.

Buy a 2,000 lb rated Sherline tongue weight scale and actually measure your trailer tongue weight. Keep it balanced to around 12-13%. You adjust the tongue weight by adding or taking away load to different parts of the trailer.

Do no load anything in the Expedition behind the axles. (Maybe a few light camp chairs etc. but please no people)

Go through your hitch and make sure it’s dialed in 100%

If your hitch uses add on sway bars, use 2, not one.

Limit your speed (55-62 Mph), if it’s very windy, find a backroad.

Enjoy the ride.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[ferndaleflyer]

Say what you will but as I pulled out of the camp ground yesterday in Myrtle Beach SC there was a F-150 towing a 3 axel (30+ft?) with Texas tags sitting at the check in office. Guess they never read most of the advice offered here.

[BackOfThePack]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

ferndaleflyer wrote:
That’s because most of the negatives are from those that have never done it. Book experts. If I reply it’s because I have done it successfully. If it did as you say you did not have ENOUGH tongue weight. The trailer was outrunning the tow vehicle.

Not true. Plenty of tongue weight. Too much trailer for truck. It was setup by a highly respected trailer company in the late 70’s. Soft tires were a factor. State patrol said many trailers lost it in that area.

Operator error ain’t the rigs fault. Most every tire in the late 1970s was soft by comparison to today.

“Too fast for conditions”, and not quick enough on trailer brake (simultaneous to WOT). One has space to do it or doesn’t. If not, then slower speed mandatory.

I’ve seen (twice) 1800-lb trailed air compressors take DRW pickups into a spin on barely wet roads. Is that NOT enough truck?

Operator error (with vehicle POTENTIAL deficiencies noted).


There’s not an Airstream been built can’t be successfully towed by a half-ton.
.

[Cummins12V98]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
That’s because most of the negatives are from those that have never done it. Book experts. If I reply it’s because I have done it successfully. If it did as you say you did not have ENOUGH tongue weight. The trailer was outrunning the tow vehicle.

Not true. Plenty of tongue weight. Too much trailer for truck. It was setup by a highly respected trailer company in the late 70’s. Soft tires were a factor. State patrol said many trailers lost it in that area.

[ferndaleflyer]

That’s because most of the negatives are from those that have never done it. Book experts. If I reply it’s because I have done it successfully. If it did as you say you did not have ENOUGH tongue weight. The trailer was outrunning the tow vehicle.

[Cummins12V98]

jesseannie wrote:
This is the reason I don't ever ask these kinds of questions.
You get answers from "no don't you will end up on your side" to "sure go ahead it no problem"
With this kind of advise you don't know what to do?
Good luck.

Towing thru Portlands "S" curves with proper leveling and sway control and "Soft" tires started swaying and could not get it under control spun 180 and rolled completely over idling towards the traffic that was behind me. So yea I do have "EXPERIENCE" and people should really think twice as a tow behind RV can be a dangerous thing on corners with little banking and downhill to boot can be a deadly combo.

[Grit_dog]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Are you kidding me? Hook up your bars , make sure all is level and carry on. Trailer has brakes and a little extra air in rear tires and carry on. That little difference in tongue weight wouldn’t make me worry.

A lot depends on the cargo in the Expedition ! You can easily over load it and be hitting the bump stops even over small bumps.

I do NOT know of any method to increase the springs on an Expedition.

Sure, totally, never know when someone will load 20 bags of cement in their expedition before going camping…..lol.
Are these overtly overly cautious responses pulled from one’s own lack of experience or common sense?

[Grit_dog]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I would be VERY hesitant as I have seen plenty of those laying on their side. Culprit is the SOFT "P" rated tires.

Really?
See my last reply got the bootski.
Exactly how many Expeditions have you seen rubber side up while towing and you stopped and investigated and your accident reconstruction skills determined the Expeditin tires were the cause?

A bit dramatic, don’t you think? Maybe just recommend heavy duty tires?

[jesseannie]

This is the reason I don't ever ask these kinds of questions.
You get answers from "no don't you will end up on your side" to "sure go ahead it no problem"
With this kind of advise you don't know what to do?
Good luck.

[theoldwizard1]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Are you kidding me? Hook up your bars , make sure all is level and carry on. Trailer has brakes and a little extra air in rear tires and carry on. That little difference in tongue weight wouldn’t make me worry.

A lot depends on the cargo in the Expedition ! You can easily over load it and be hitting the bump stops even over small bumps.

I do NOT know of any method to increase the springs on an Expedition.

[ssthrd]

My Tundra was rated to pull 9800--800# more than your Expedition, and I wouldn't have wanted to tow more than the 7,000# that my TT weighed.

You are pushing the limit IMO.

[Cummins12V98]

I would be VERY hesitant as I have seen plenty of those laying on their side. Culprit is the SOFT "P" rated tires.