The 2005 Ford Expedition is a pretty large vehicle, but I was surprised to find that it only had one engine option available, but that did not seem to affect the towing capacity at all. The highest rating that these SUVs were able to achieve was set at 8,900 pounds!
On the other hand, the lowest rating came in at about 6,000 pounds, so you really do need to look at the data in order to see how capable your Expedition is and to find out if you have the right equipment installed to achieve those higher ratings.
Your owner's manual contains everything you need to know about your vehicle and I recommend that you read through it in order to get to know your vehicle inside and out. Make sure that you follow all the Ford's recommendations and requirements as well.
2005 Expedition Overview
Overall Capacity: The towing capacity for the 2005 Ford Expeditions range from 6,000-8,900 lbs. and was really only dependent upon a couple of different variables which were the axle ratio you had equipped and whether your vehicle was a two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive model. You would also need to have the optional trailer package equipped in order to achieve the higher 8,600 or 8,900 pound ratings.
Capacity By Options: I wanted to look at the different trim levels that were available for these SUVs and breakdown the capacity numbers according to the trim level models and the engine options that were available to these different trim levels.
- XLS: 6,000 lbs.
- XLT: 6,000-8,900 lbs.
- XLT Sport: 6,000-8,900 lbs.
- NBX: 6,000-8,900 lbs.
- Eddie Bauer: 6,000-8,900 lbs.
- Limited: 6,000-8,900 lbs.
The Chart:
The chart for the 2005 Expedition was very basic and didn't have much information listed, mainly due to the fact that there was only one engine option available and there were only two different axle ratios for that single engine option.
We did see variations when it came to two-wheel drive versus four-wheel drive models and there was also a note at the bottom of the chart that states that the highest ratings needed to have the trailer package equipped in order to achieve those capacity numbers.
Tow Packages and Hitch Capacities...
I was able to find a table that listed the Expedition's tow equipment and what was included as the standard option and also what was included with the optional package that Ford referred to as package 536.
If we look at the data in the table, we can see that a 4 pin trailer wiring harness was equipped, along with a hitch receiver and an automatic transmission fluid cooler as part of the standard package option. If we look at the optional package that was available, we can see that an additional 4 and 7 pin connector was included, along with an electronic brake wiring kit and a radiator upgrade.
I was also able to find a hitch weight capacity table that listed the 2005 Expedition's hitch capacity ratings that were set at 6,000 lbs. for a conventional weight-carrying hitch and then you have that upper limit of up to 8,950 lbs., if you're using a weight distributing hitch.
Most people don't realize that Ford specifies higher maximum trailer weight ratings, but in order to achieve those ratings, you will have to use a weight distributing hitch with your setup, otherwise your limit is substantially less, as we can see in this example from the table below.
Trailer Brakes: Trailer brakes can be installed on these SUVs if they are installed and adjusted properly according to the manufacturer's specifications and they must meet all federal and local regulations as well. This is all the information I found in the manuals about trailer brakes and it is pretty vague, compared to some of the later model years that specify a specific weight for your trailer before you need to use trailer brakes.
Each state will have its own set of laws regarding your trailer weight and trailer brakes, so you will need to check those laws in order to stay compliant.
The Certification Label...
GVWR & GAWRs: I was not able to find the gross vehicle weight rating or gross axle weight ratings anywhere in any of the resources that I used for this article. Ford does not list these metrics in any of the literature, but instead listed on the vehicle itself, on a label called the certification label.
This label can be found on the driver side door or the door pillar and looks like the sticker that is shown above and towards the top of the sticker you can see the gross vehicle weight rating and both of the gross axle weight rating listed.
GCWR: The gross combined weight ratings for actually mentioned in the chart did I have posted at the top of this article and the gross combined weight rating range from 11800-14500 lb for these specific model year vehicles.
Axle Code: If you look at the bottom of the certification label, you will see a section that is labeled "Axle" and then below that a two-digit code. This code represents the axle ratio that you have equipped on your rear axle of your vehicle and since there were two axle ratio options (3.31 and 3.73) for these 2005 SUVs, you will need to plug that information into the chart, in order to get an accurate trailer weight rating.
Ford did not supply a legend for us for the 2005 model years, so you will have to use another website (like this one) that deciphers these codes, so you can figure out what axle ratio you have equipped. You can also climb under the vehicle and look on the axle housing itself to see if you can see a small metal tag that will have the axle ratio stamped into it.
Helpful Resources I Used For My Research:
I must admit, I only used three different resources when doing the research for this article, which I went ahead and linked to below. The main resource that provided the majority of the information for me was the guide and is where I grabbed most of the images from.
The owner's manual and the brochure also came in handy and had different information available that really allowed me to dive deep into the research into things like the trim levels and what options were available for those trim levels, etc.
Last updated on April 27th, 2022 at 07:15 pm