Bull

Good point on the insurance. No transfer of coverage for theft either. Aluminium trailers are high theft targets in many areas, both for resale value and scrap value. State Farm charges me somewhere around $110/year for comp, collision, theft, etc. coverage at a stated $6k value for my open Trailex.

Veloce Raptor

My 2007 (GMT900) 3/4 ton Yukon XL. Of course, I recently washed it, so naturally we get our annual drought allotment of 0.015" rain today...

ltc

AFAIK, it will be putting the diesel into the current chassis....I'm not sure how they classify an AUV chassis.
According to the website, the EL can tow 9000# with the tow package and gas engine:
http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/exp...eatures/specs/
IMHO, I don't see the Expedition EL becoming an Excursion (which was an F250 3/4 ton HD).
If my wife wants the Expedition EL, I'll keep her Excursion as the tow vehicle forever, and keep the Escape Hybrid AWD (no laughing, it's actually a neat little SUV) as my daily driver.

Bull

Be careful of "Max Towing ratings" on Manufacturers websites. If you read the small print and look at the entire Towing section, you find that the 9,000 lb towing rating is for the 2WD model only. The 4WD EL is listed with a towing capacity of 8,750 lbs. You also find that the standard length Expedition has a higher towing capacity in both cases; 9,200 lbs for 2WD, and 9,000 lbs for 4WD. (and those numbers assume a driver of 150lbs and NO cargo in the truck).

The 4Wd and EL models are heavier, leaving less available capacity for other stuff before you hit their GCWR. The differences above are not really an issue for me, as I wouldn't use more than 75% of any "Towing Capacity Rating" anyway.

Larry Herman

Yeah, well when you load up a 24' enclosed trailer, you are darn close to 100% of the gross towing rating in the case of Suburbans, Expeditions and other big SUVs. Towing a big enclosed trailer, the mid-sized ones are an accident waiting to happen.

DJF1

Larry, according to the specs, the EL has a wheelbase of 131. The basic F-250 Superduty has a wheelbase of 137. Will these 6 inches make so much of a difference in towing ( engine/tranny aside)? I'm thinking that with a diesel the EL could actually be a good compromise?

Larry Herman

I can't see any real difference between those 2 wheelbases. The difference comes with how rugged the frame/body assembly is, how stiff the suspension is, and how durable the drivetrain is. My Denali has enough power to pull my trailer, but the trans is constantly hunting, and the truck moves around a lot on the suspension. The 2500 Yukon XL that Dave bought would probably be a better choice, due to it's stiffer suspension. My trailer is rated at 10,000 lbs GVW, and there are few vehicles that have that towing capacity.

Bull

Agreed. I wouldn't tow more than my Trailex open trailer with car and tires, and some other stuff inside. At that point, the brakes are the limitting issue in my experience. Many people only think "engine power" when thinking of tow vehicles. They should be thinking "chassis and brakes".

Veloce Raptor

It's all about the stiffness.

Larry Herman

It's about the length and the power too.

Veloce Raptor

Ahem:

Crazy Canuck

Needs 22" Spinnaz.

Veloce Raptor

I put them on the trailer. Much more unexpected there....

Larry Herman

2 weeks Davey boy & you are in for a serious bout of oneupsmanship.

ltc

For a standard steel trailer, I agree.
However, my enclosed aluminum 20' w/ 4'V nose is about #2500, add the Cup car at #2750 or so, plus some incidentdals......I am still WELL below the towing capacity of the Excursion (diesel).