Towing with the Lincoln Nav (2001)

[mbryson]

Cross posted from PBB--- Might be a funny thread over there as someone tells me whatever they pull out of their rear end....

As some may have noticed, I wasn't exactly thrilled with my '04 Cummins (mostly the crap wrapper around it). Had WAY to many repairs for the age compared to the GM and F*rd products I've had before with similar miles. I kicked that truck to the curb in Jan. and couldn't find a truck I really wanted to throw $ at so I bought a 2012 JK Unlimited. I really like the JK but it's severly lacking in the towing dept. and I need something to tow my trail Jeep with. Enter the new tow bitch.....

2001 Lincoln Navigator. Air suspension, 300 (?-really?) hp 5.4L 32 valve, etc. It's my wife's daily driver and she LOVES it (it's not my favorite car, but she loves it and that works for me). She gets stuck with my JK for Easter Jeep while I steal her car.

So it's my pimptastic tow pig for this upcoming Easter Jeep Safari. I've ordered a brake controller online (apparently it was shipped via UPS Pony Express) and it's supposed to arrive tomorrow. I've had the Navigator hooked to the trailer with Jeep on it a couple of times and it did surprise me with it's ability to take the load. I figure it was built to haul a boat and my Jeep on trailer is likely quite a heavy version of that.

I'm curious if people have towed with the air suspension setup and what they thought. It actually feels pretty good up to about 45-50 mph that I've had it. I'm sure I'll be slowing to 50-55 mph up some of our Utah mountain passes, but I'm willing to accept that. I'll be using my WD hitch. Jeep weighs 4480 lbs. and I've not weighed the 16' PJ trailer. I'm assuming I'm right around 6300-6500 lbs max and probably more like 6k for the trailer/Jeep combo.

I'm predicting single digit mpg (this thing is a fuel thirsty pig as it is) and somewhat comfortable towing at 65ish mph? I'll document my findings in this thread after the week is over (hopefully no pics of the Lincoln/trailer/Jeep combo after hitting a busload of nuns or a converted airport shuttle with a polygamist family in it)

Here's pictures for those that want to tell me I need a class 8 truck and that's marginal. (high quality iPhone pic to boot )

Any experience with Expedition/Navigator towing trail rig?

 

[gertsch]

I'm sure it will do just fine. If you have issues and my dad and I will come rescue you with his burb or my 75 IH!

 

[SpeedyVic]

I towed my old YJ from Logan to Moab and back behind my 95 ZJ once. No brake control, no means of adjusting for overload, 5.2 engine. I just measured the height of the hitch ball before pulling the YJ onto the trailer and as I slowly pulled it forward and the weight shifted enough to force the ball down 2", I tied her down at that spot.

Worked fine! If the ZJ can do it, the Nav should handle it easy!

Sent from the Outer Limits via Android.

 

[Hickey]

I think you'll be fine. You already understand the limits of a half ton rated vehicle, just keep a good following distance and you'll be good to go.

 

[TJDukit]

Wait...did you paint the YJ?

 

[zukijames]

That's alot better than what I might be using to get to ejs ... Landrover disco 100 inch wb under 200 hp..


whats the wheel base on that thing

 

[rholbrook]

Here is a picture of the Air Suspension under my Expedition.

I loved pulling with the Air Suspension. My Expedition pulls so well. I get 15 Avg without a trailer and with my Jeep or boat on it, it drops to 10 to 12 depending which one I am pulling. The boat is actually heavier but I can pull SF Canyon as fast as I want with the Jeep in tow.

 

[Maverick]

RPM's man, RPM's! The 5.4 supercrew seems really solid towing a TJ on my 16', just needed RPM's to get over the Point of the Mountain (mini version of Soldiers).

I think you'll have an easier time towing this week than me.

 

[Gravy]

I'm interested to see your mileage. I think you said it has 3.73's right?

 

[Caleb]

Cross posted from PBB---

I'm more confused by this than you towing with your Navigator. People still use PBB???

As others have said, I think you should do just fine with that setup.

 

[Maverick]

I'm more confused by this than you towing with your Navigator. People still use PBB???

Admittedly, I was a little surprised as well.

 

[gijohn40]

I use to have a 98 expedition with the 5.4 but didn't have the air ride... I towed my cj7 on a very heavy trailer to moab one year... but I had 4.56 gears and 35 inch tires on the expedition and never had any troubles getting up the hills... and I got 12-14 MPG on that trip.

You should be fine...

 

[mbryson]

OK, somewhat impressed with this pig. Plenty of motor. Climbed hills at 65 mph taching 4k. Lots of pedal left. I don't like towing above 65ish with this rig. One of the things I don't care for about the Nav is that it doesn't seem "planted" while driving it. It just floats along like a 70s Caddy/Lincoln. Sofa on wheels type of feel without the 8' bench seat in the front. It's worse with a trailer on.

Lynds and I are sleeping in the back of it. Seems pretty cozy so far. We'll see how it works out through the night. Hitting Hells Revenge tomorrow morning.

 

[mbryson]

Last update: Towed from Woods Cross-Moab, Moab-Elephant Hill-Moab, Moab-Woods Cross. Three tanks of unleaded Premium (approx). Observations above hold but I'm somewhat confident in it's ability to handle the load. The suspension is "different" than a leaf spring setup but it works fine. Just weird to get used to. I still don't want to have to do emergency maneuvers while towing, but who does in what rig? Lowest speed I got to towing was about 45 mph on the rolling hills on 191 between Moab-Elephant Hill. Hill drug it down to about 50 mph on the northbound of 6 about 10-15 milesish south of Wellington (southbound has the "Caution-High winds" or whatever).

Knocked down 10.3 mpg over the whole trip. 98% of that towing.


Conclusion: Not a great "purpose" tow rig, but definitely works in a pinch or for occasional towing. Not sure I'd want to tow our 29' travel trailer with this. It'd do it, but it'd be interesting with the higher profile towed vehicle.

 

[TurboMinivan]

Knocked down 10.3 mpg over the whole trip.

I was curious how you'd do, and I think it's funny that I managed the exact same economy in my Suburban (which I posted in the 'gas verses diesel' thread).