Can I tow my Hummingbird 17FD with a Ford Expedition

[campRI]

Hi all, we bought a used Hummingbird 17FD a couple months ago. We are still trying to figure out our tow situation. Dry weight of our trailer is around 2900. We were going to buy a used Tahoe with towing package which was more than enough (8200 capacity). We are finding that getting one with low enough miles is a bit out of our price range and the Ford Expedition is a bit more affordable. I know that without the tow package, tow capacity is 6600 (6000 for older models) and with the tow package is around 9000.

One of the most irritating things about trying to find the right vehicle is how the simple question of whether a particular used vehicle has a tow package is not straightforward whatsoever. I have learned to look for the rear axle ratio as an indirect way of finding out. Sometimes that's listed in the ad, sometimes not. I also have called the main customer service # for the make and they tell you based on the VIN#. That's cumbersome when you're looking at a dozen of vehicles on each of many sites.

So....to make a long story long, I would love to not care if a particular Expedition has the tow package, and just look for a good deal on a vehicle with low-ish mileage. Is 6600 capacity really generous and plenty, given it's double the dry weight? I can follow instructions and do the math (I think!), but I have read so many comments and articles that say there's more to it than that. And my husband wants to be super conservative and be way under max capacity when we're all packed up. Still....6600 should be plenty, right? Or maybe not?

Thanks in advance for any input!

[DocBrown]

In this case, 6600 is fine. But never, ever go by the dry weight. It's a fictional number. It's not how much the trailer will weigh loaded for camping. Better to go by the GVWR (the max the trailer can weigh loaded), in this case 3750#. Another number that's important is the payload of the truck. It's on a sticker in the driver side door jamb. You have to know this because you add the tongue weight of the trailer to the weight of all the passengers and anything you carry in the truck. That number needs to be lower that the payload.

I don't know about Ford, but GM has an RPO code list sticker in the glove box. It lists every feature of the truck as it left the factory. It will have a code for the tow package if it was equipped for one, or the components of the tow package. RPO code lists can easily be found with Google searches.

https://www.jayco.com/tools/archive/...mingbird/17fd/

[campRI]

Thank you, Doc Brown, very helpful!!

[campRI]

Also, getting info from dealers who are actually selling the car (CarMax vehicle at another location so I can't look at it myself without paid transfer)....they have no idea. They are telling me this particular Expedition does not have the tow package...so OK, I know it at least can tow 6600. But they are telling me it doesn't even have a trailer brake control. How can that be? Any large SUV with 6600 tow capacity has to have a trailer brake controller, doesn't it?

[jfk69]

No, they don’t have to have a brake controller. Generally, a later model used SUV or pickup will have the wiring in place to quickly hook up an aftermarket brake controller. On my ‘18 Ram, it took longer for me to decide exactly where I wanted it then to plug in the pigtail connectors to hook it up. Honestly, I wouldn’t sweat that, other than know up front you’ll be spending $70-150 for the controller and installation if you don’t do it yourself.

[DocBrown]

X2 what Joe said. Even if it doesn't have the tow package it may already be wired for a brake controller. Most newer trucks with tow packages have the integrated brake controller.

[MontanaRick]

Our setup is close to what you are considering. Our 4Runner is rated at 6000 and our 195RB Baja gross is 3750. We find this has worked well, and we live in the Rockies. We do have to slow down for long, steep climbs, sometimes down to 45 mph, but we just relax. More would be nice, but I wouldn't give up what our 4Runner can do.