A friend of mine is planning on purchasing a new Coleman Light 2925RE as her first travel trailer. Mfr specs say Dry weight is 6691, payload 2898, dry hitch weight 1049. She is planning on using a 2017 Ford Expedition 3.5 Ecoboost as a tow vehicle. I told her that while technically the vehicle should be able to tow this unit, I would be wary of towing a trailer of this size with an SUV. She's very excited about the pending purchase (understandably so) and I don't want to rain on her parade, but I don't want to see her take a chance injuring herself or her kids by towing something of this size. Am I overthinking this and being too conservative? Group thoughts?
Too much trailer for Ford Expedition?
- Thread starter banjodave
- Start date
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ro1459
Well-known member
according to Ford she will be overloaded. If she has the heavy duty tow package the max TT weight (GVWR) not dry weight, she can carry is 9,200 pounds. If she does not have the tow package she only has 6,600 pounds. While she will probably not max out the GVWR of the trailer, I always assume the heaviest weight for my calculations. I also put as good a WDH on the truck that I can afford. Good luck to her.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Too much trailer for that SUV! ro1459's analysis is right on target.
grashley
Well-known member
Assuming ro's tow capacity is correct - and it looks right - this WILL NOT WORK!
Without the HD Tow package, this is a non starter.
With HD tow, she can can handle at most 9200 lbs. This includes the ACTUAL weight of the camper, which will be much closer to the 9600 lb GVWR (Dry wt + Payload). Nobody goes camping in an empty trailer! The weight of all passengers and cargo and the WD hitch carried by the truck must be deducted from the 9200 lb max tow as well. (Actually there is a 300 lb allowance for the driver and one passenger in the Max tow, but if that matters, you are way too close to the limit for safety!)
DO NOT BELIEVE THE SALESMAN. He does not care if it is too big. He wants the sale!
Without the HD Tow package, this is a non starter.
With HD tow, she can can handle at most 9200 lbs. This includes the ACTUAL weight of the camper, which will be much closer to the 9600 lb GVWR (Dry wt + Payload). Nobody goes camping in an empty trailer! The weight of all passengers and cargo and the WD hitch carried by the truck must be deducted from the 9200 lb max tow as well. (Actually there is a 300 lb allowance for the driver and one passenger in the Max tow, but if that matters, you are way too close to the limit for safety!)
DO NOT BELIEVE THE SALESMAN. He does not care if it is too big. He wants the sale!
scottydl
Site Team
The other issue not yet discussed is the length of the trailer. That model is listed as 33' long, which is probably a 29-30' trailer body with a few feet of tongue. Anything nearing 30' in length is going to be tough to handle for a half-ton tow vehicle. A trailer that big picks up a lot of wind (think of a giant sail), and the sway could be considerable... especially if it's the shorter wheelbase Expedition. We sometimes refer to that as "the tail wagging the dog." 
Many Ecoboost truck owners have been disappointed with its ability to manage larger trailers, even when they fall within the weight specs. Can the truck pull it in a straight line? Sure. Will the real-life towing be an enjoyable process? Doubtful. What if there's a need for an emergency steering or braking maneuver? Could be downright dangerous.
Many Ecoboost truck owners have been disappointed with its ability to manage larger trailers, even when they fall within the weight specs. Can the truck pull it in a straight line? Sure. Will the real-life towing be an enjoyable process? Doubtful. What if there's a need for an emergency steering or braking maneuver? Could be downright dangerous.
Stewie Griffin
Well-known member
My advice, don't let her buy that trailer and I'm saying that without even knowing what area of the country she lives in. Towing that trailer around Kansas is bad enough, but if you tell us that she will be towing that trailer in and around West Virginia, New Hampshire, Utah or Tennessee, I would suggest you punch the dealer square in the nose for attempting to sell her a trailer that could put her in a disastrous situation.banjodave said:
