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Ford Expedition

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/13/2010 : 18:14:51

So I possibly have the opportunity to pickup a 2006 Ford Expedition - Eddie Bauer for $6k - $7k. It has 111,600 miles on it but I know for a fact (I have access to the full maintenance history) it has had the oil changed every 3k-4.5k miles along with regular trans fluid changes. Most of the miles are highway or high speed commuting miles. It has the HD Tow package with HD transmission cooler, 3.73 gears, and is rated to pull 8,900#'s with the right equipment.

I know the guy that's been driving it and he is fanatical about maintainance and keeping the vehicle clean. This vehicle is cherry inside and out.

Towing conditions will normally be 30 - 40 miles on dead flat ground with the possibility of a rare trip to the Texas Hill Country which consists of small to medium hills. Main purpose will be for spring/winter launch/retrieve or hurricane evacuation.

My only real concern is the wheelbase. Do you think this would pull our boats with acceptable stability? How would it handle our 6.5k-7k pound loads?

Association Member

GaryB
Andiamo
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah,TX

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/13/2010 : 18:37:20

My 1/2t Chevy pu (wheelbase 131.5") does just fine - but I do have brakes on both trailer axles which makes a BIG difference.

What's the wheelbase of the Expedition?

Edited by - OJ on 07/14/2010 02:45:12

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 05:56:47

Open the driver's door and look at the GVW for the truck. That'll tell you the mfg reccomendations for the "Towing package" As OJ alluded, it's not the pulling as much as the stopping.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 08:09:19

Before we purchased our first tow vehicle a friend towed our C25. The brake system didn't engage the first time he applied the brakes and it almost jack-knifed.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 12:29:15

GVWR is 7,100 lbs.
Curb Wt - 5296 lbs.
Wheelbase 119.0 in.
300 HP -- 365 lb-ft torque
Max Towing Cap -- 8,900 lbs.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 12:40:21

Seems like you've found your next vehicle. Of course, all you guys in Texas are oil barons so gas milage doesn't really mean much, does it?

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 12:43:40

Does it have a set of bull horns mounted on the front?

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 18:02:37

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 Does it have a set of bull horns mounted on the front?

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Not yet! I'll get them mounted after I draw some more oil out of the well in the backyard!

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 18:15:23

Actually it doesn't look like we're going to be able to make a deal. We're about $3K from coming to terms. It's not that big a deal if we don't get it. It was for my wife and she really wanted a sedan. This opportunity presented itself and she was willing to take it IF we got a great deal.

Once I found out it would pull the boat I got more excited. But there's a few million other cars on the road so something will come along when the time is right.

Besides, it may not be totally over yet. I think the other side is playing a game and waiting for me to get nervous and make a bad move. I think I have the advantage at this time because in about 15 days the other side is going to take a $750.00 hit on monthly depreciation that will continue each month. I've got all the time in the world to wait!

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 19:51:51

Has your wife tried parking it in a single space at the supermarket? My observation is very few can do it.

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 07/14/2010 : 22:46:34

Yes she has. I was really surprised when I drove it. It's much easier to park than my Ford Supercrew. It turns much tighter too.

Edited by - GaryB on 07/14/2010 22:46:55

pfduffy
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2010 : 05:23:11

Dave- Expeditions are considered "mid-sized" in Texas. Company I work for owns office buildings in Houston. I could do a 3 point turn inside one of the garage parking spaces with my Nissan Altima.

Edited by - on

jbkayaker
Captain

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USA
299 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2010 : 08:09:43

$750 per month depreciation ? Are you saying the owner is going to lose $9000 in depreciation in 12 months on a vehicle that is only worth about $9000 ?

Anyway my experience suggests that keeping a vehicle will cost you $2000 a year (or more if it is bigger and more expensive to start with) even if you only put a few thousand miles a year on it. Figure out the cost per boat tow and ask yourself if makes sense versus other options like renting U-Haul trucks and buying hull insurance. Or is it just a luxury you really want.

If you have one big truck, the Ford Supercrew, how can you justify owning another gas guzzler ?

Edited by - jbkayaker on 07/15/2010 09:14:02

At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2010 : 17:17:58

Couple more items for consideration...if you are still in the "considering" mode:
- You need to find the GCWR.
- Actual tow capacity is the GCWR minus the weight of the tow vehicle when ready to tow.
- That's getting up there in miles, especially if it's had a hard life doing lots of towing. At 100k, I'm looking to sell, not buy.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2010 : 18:04:52

The Expedition is a company truck and the $750.00 per month is the depreciation schedule they setup for this unit. At this point in time it will be fully depreciated in 5 months.

I took it to CarMax yesterday to get an idea of what wholesale would be (trying to prove my point on my offer). They came back with $10K even with the high mileage. It's an Eddie Bauer edition with leather, DVD player, in-dash navigation system, rear air, 3rd row electric fold down seats, etc... Kelly Blue Book, Blackbook, and some I saw on the lot at CarMax indicate it should go for 15 to the upper 17's depending on condition. This one easily rates good to excellent condition.

Amazingly this thing is getting about 17 - 17.5 mpg.

The Supercrew is a company provided truck and they pay for the gas so it doesn't count. It's getting 19 mpg during the winter months and 18 during A/C season.

I've been thinking about the cost per tow from the beginning and it really doesn't make sense but the other part of the equation is my wife needs a new car and is willing to drive this one if we get the deal we want. Probably won't! We'll probably just wait until this fall or next spring and get what she really wants.

Edited by - GaryB on 07/15/2010 18:42:01

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2010 : 18:39:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by At Ease
 Couple more items for consideration...if you are still in the "considering" mode:
- You need to find the GCWR.
- Actual tow capacity is the GCWR minus the weight of the tow vehicle when ready to tow.
- That's getting up there in miles, especially if it's had a hard life doing lots of towing. At 100k, I'm looking to sell, not buy.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This truck has never towed anything and has had TLC since it was brand new. As I've said elsewhere almost all of the miles are highway miles and this truck is in almost perfect condition inside and out. Even the guy at CarMax was surprised how clean it was.

Your comment about selling at 100k is a very valid point and one I'm still mulling over. One of the reasons I'm even considering buying it is my wife and I decided we wouldn't pay over $7k - $7.5 for it which is way low for an '06 Eddie Bauer edition and one of the reasons we haven't reached a deal. At that price we could afford to put some money in it if we had to and could still sell it and probably make money in a year or two (or at least not take a bath).

Another reason is my wife needs a new car. The Maxima has 198,000 miles on it. It's taken my wife almost 5 years to put 12,000 miles on the Maxima so if we bought this truck it would last for a long time. She works a mile and a half from home and never ventures more than about 10 miles from the house unless we go to her moms.

If we get it, we get it. If we don't, we don't. It's not that big of a deal to us. Thought we would give it a shot since the opportunity presented itself. Probably will never happen.

GCWR with the HD tow package and 3.73 gear ratio (which is what's in this truck)is 14,500 lbs
GVWR - 7,300 lbs
Curb Weight - 5,606 lbs
Gross Trailer Weight braked - 8,900 lbs

Should pull the boat with no problem. As I mentioned before, my main concern is the wheelbase which is 119.0 in.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 07/15/2010 : 19:27:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
 ...It's taken my wife almost 5 years to put 12,000 miles on the Maxima so if we bought this truck it would last for a long time. She works a mile and a half from home...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">If it doesn't get up to full operating temperature on those trips, that truck is going to decline rapidly. Change the oil at very short intervals. The good news is (I presume) it's a gas engine--a diesel would die a rapid death.

Edited by - on

jbkayaker
Captain

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USA
299 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2010 : 10:11:34

If the company that owns the truck sells it for the accelerated-depreciation- for-tax-purposes price they are nuts. On the other side if you can buy it below open market value, drive it a year or two, and then sell at the same price, you gotta go for it.

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2010 : 11:13:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
 .... It's taken my wife almost 5 years to put 12,000 miles on the Maxima so if we bought this truck it would last for a long time. She works a mile and a half from home and never ventures more than about 10 miles from the house unless we go to her moms.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">She doesn't need a new car, she needs one of [url="http://urbanscooters.com/P/Electric-Scooters/segway/segway-i2.html"]these[/url]. Or maybe new Nike's.

Imagine how many boat units that would free up for Andiamo.

Edited by - John Russell on 07/16/2010 11:14:14

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2010 : 12:59:00

Sounds like she would be a prime candidate for a Prius or other gas/electric hybrid, maybe even a Smart car,
with the few miles she drives. "Driving 12K miles in 5 years": I would also look at a good 4-5 yr old car with low miles, say a Honda Accord or Civic, or a Ford Fusion or Focus, or Toyota Camty.
My daughter is still driving her 1993 Accord with about 140K miles on it.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2010 : 13:06:02

I'd seriously be thinking of some alternate form of transportation. She could schedule a taxi for work on those scorchers in mid-summer. Or, car pool with somebody that must surely pass by on their way in from Deer Park or Pasadena.

Otherwise, the best quality walking shoes would be my choice. The occasional car rental (Enterprise delivers) for the times when she REALLY needs a car.

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2010 : 17:44:38

Gary, are you taking notes on all this?

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 07/16/2010 : 17:50:13

Dave - You are correct. Good news is I maintain the car on a regular basis.

jbkayaker - Trust me they or not. The deal is not going to happen. I found out today they want $12k and I'm willing to pay $7.5k.

John - Negative, she doesn't need a Segway. I do!

DavidP - I hadn't even thought about a hybrid. That's a great idea! I'll have to start working on her about that. I will never buy a new car again. We will probably look at '06 - '07 year models.

John Russell - We live in the Sugarland area and she teaches at the back of our neighborhood. She could catch a ride with one of her teacher friends but that most likely won't happen on a regular basis. She's usually one of the last ones to leave and it varies from day to day. Nike's would work most of the year but that probably won't happen either.

I can spend $1,500.00 on the '96 Maxima and it will last another few years. Besides the Supercrew I also own a '99 Chevy Silverado that rarely gets driven. I tried to get her to drive that for awhile but she hates driving pickups.

Bottom line is we'll just wait around until we get an awesome deal on something. Obviously we're not hurting for something to drive.

Gotta go. The oil well is needs attention!

Edited by - on

jbkayaker
Captain

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USA
299 Posts

Response Posted - 07/17/2010 : 11:53:40

One last suggestion from me, get a 5 to 10 year old Mazda Miata. They have rugged drive trains and are lots of fun.

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Cloudveil
1st Mate

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USA
60 Posts

Response Posted - 07/22/2010 : 10:48:59

I have a 2000 expedition with 5.6 and tow package. I towed my '89
C25 all over, including over the Sierra's to Tahoe a few times. Just
took it easy, and it worked fine. By the way, my expedition now
has over 262,000 miles on it, so if maintained, they can last a long
time. With the miles, it is worth nothing, so it will drive until
it dies. Not soon I hope, I love it.

Edited by - on

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