Ford Expedition / Lincoln Navigator Oliver Towing

[WhatDa]

Little bit of a brain dump from my tow vehicle search.  I know there are a few others that have already gone the Expedition/Navigator route.

 

I think we've finally landed on our tow vehicle (still negotiating purchase).  I started by looking at F150s, then the RAM 2500 with its coil suspension, the Silverado 1500 with the diesel, and now finally the Expedition MAX / Navigator L.   F150s were running out of payload pretty quickly once a cap was put on.  RAM 2500 didn't really work out because of optioning (the way the dealers build them make them expensive with no payload, or missing certain options) and the Silverado 1500 is out for the non-moving pedals and sad interior.

 

We've been heavily eyeing the Expedition/Navigator as an alternative.  It comes with ~1600lbs of payload in the trims we want (and doesn't need a 200lbs cap), in the MAX/L it gets 630lbs of hitch weight before needing a WDH, and the space is very usable -- 8 people with decent luggage or 4x8 sheet material all fit while being shorter than any of the crew cab options.  Pro trailer backup assist will be nice, and it has adaptive cruise/braking/other safety features we wanted.  On the used market, an F150 Lariat/502A or Platinum, Expedition MAX Limited/Platinum with the right packages (tech+tow), and Navigator L can be fairly closely priced.

 

We just finished a rental in an Expedition MAX XLT.  So it was still missing many of the features we wanted, but gave us a chance to live with the form factor longer than a test drive.  It is certainly larger than most vehicles on the road, but still shorter than most trucks.  Its ride with independent rear suspension was better than any of the other options (and test driving the CCD on a platinum - it's even better than this XLT).  The independent rear suspension will probably limit rock crawling capabilities, but should be fine for washboard/unpaved roads.  I got 27MPG driving from NJ to PA and back, including some "stop and go" at a drive-through.  My wife did have to adjust her turn-in point compared to her BMW wagon, to avoid dragging the rear tires on the yellow median line, but overall she liked it.

 

Expedition ordering: XLT, Limited, and Platinum are the trims.  XLT is a good value, but adaptive cruise isn't available there so we looked at Limited and Platinum.  There is a lot of overlap between a limited with the 302A package and a Platinum.  For a fairly high featured truck, the limited special edition is the value leader.  With only having to order 301A, it gets LED headlights, driver assist pack, and max tow package all together.  FX4 is going to be an option for 2020s when they start taking orders on those.

 

Reasons to spend some extra for the Lincoln Navigator: the interior is totally different.  The dash of the Expedition is out of a Super Duty.  The dash of the Navigator definitely as the feel of a car in its price.  My only gripe is the piano black and faux chrome.  Seat adjustments are on the door instead of fumbling next to your seat.  Headlights are auto leveling (a plus when towing/loaded).  Heads up display is actually a much nicer feature than I thought, and I really missed it after getting out of the car with it.  Probably the biggest plus is for all warranty work and the initial maintenance, they will pickup the Lincoln from my house/work and leave a loaner.  When done they will swap back.  That is also an option for extended maintenance and warranty plans which are fairly reasonably priced at the online vendors.  The only downside to the Lincoln is that fancypants branding.  Thankfully Ford has done a good job of diluting that brand, but it will still stand out more than just an expedition.

 

Hope that helps someone looking down that road...and hope to have something soon.

 

 

 

 

[WhatDa]

I measured an expedition with the bench seat, with the middle 2nd row removed a National Luna 40/55/60/65 truck freezer should fit. It will stick out above the folded-flat floor by about 7". Still a better option than the cheesy console that comes in some of the Navigators

[ScentFreeInSC]

One thing of note is that with the navigator and an Ollie with a front basket, is that we have not been able to get a sticker placement that will work with pro trailer assist yet.  We tried a vertical placement within the 7-22" zone on the basket itself as I had seen as a possibility but the minimum distance for one of the measurements ( "C" I think ) is 30.5" and ours comes out to 28"  and the pro trailer backup assist will not take it.  I am thinking of mounting a small plate to the bottom of the basket to the right side that has a platform just big enough for the back up sticker to get those extra 2.5 inches needed and allow it to be mounted horizontally as well for it to work, but that will be a project for a couple weeks from now.

[WhatDa]

We just took delivery of our "L" navigator. For its inaugural voyage it got parked in Manhattan - that was fun - 360 camera for the win. I initially thought the EXP/NAV don't feel much smaller than an F150 when driving in the burbs, but I was glad that I was 10-20" shorter than an F150 crew cab last night.

 

The ride is great, and I really fell in love with the 30 way "perfect position" seats on the drive back to our hotel. Tomorrow, we set sail toward TN to pickup hull 529 by the end of the month.