2004 Lincoln Navigator towing

[Bharat]

Hello,

I am a new member to iRV2. I have a 2004 Lincoln Navigator with the standard towing package. According to the manual, the max towing capacity is 6000 lbs. I am considering buying a TT with UVW = 5379 lbs and GVWR = 7610 lbs.

I have been to two Ford dealers but they are not able to provide me a proper answer. The manual says that if I had the "optional towing package" from the factory, then, the towing capacity of the Navigator is 8500 lbs.

The integrated hitch on the Navigator is rated at 6000 lbs for weight carrying and 8800 lbs for a weight distribution system. So, obviously, the hitch will work if I use a weight distribution system.

I believe the optional tow package which I do not have comes with a heftier radiator and transmission cooler.

Question: Does anyone have any advice on upgrading my Navigator to the optional package. Is it possible? Should I even be considering it?

Thanks for your help to this confused new member.

[Oldelevatorman]

What's the yellow sticker on the door say, 'Passengers and cargo should not exceed'! That's the first number you need to look at. IMO that trailer is way to heavy for that SUV! At 8800lbs the hitch weight would be over a 1000 lbs., and there's no way you have that much available payload! Either get a bigger tow vehicle or a smaller trailer!

[dcarver]

Disregard the max weight you can pull if you had the upgraded tow package. The 5.4 v8 in the navigator will not be happy with over 6k. It's a good reliable motor and actually makes its torque lower than the hemi or 5.3 Chevy, but with the 4spd tranny, it's a dog. Staying around the 6k or less mark will keep you from worrying about your numbers considering the hitch weight will be around 700lbs and I'll bet the navigator can carry 1500lbs. So 1500 - 700 is 800lbs left over for wife, kids, dog, and cooler. I'd also upgrade to the tow package anyway for he extra cooling capacity and I'm sure 7pin wiring harness.

[SmokeyWren]

Yep, that's too much weight for a Navigator. But even if the trailer GVWR was 6000 or less, you'll still burn up the tranny without some expensive mods to the SUV.

Mainly, you need vastly increased tranny cooling capacity. Replace the radiator with the OEM super-cooling radiator which has the oil-to-water heat exchanger in the bottom of the radiator, Then add a big oil-to-air heat exchanger in front of the radiator.

Then if your SUV doesn't already have a good digital tranny temp gauge as part of the dash display screen, you need to add a tranny temp gauge with the sender in the sump (tranny pan). That means adding a threaded bung in the side of the pan so the ATF covers the sender. Then use 225° as your red line for tranny temp. If your SUV has the analog-looking tranny temp gauge on the dash, that's not good enough. It's not analog, but an idiot gauge. It jumps from the white or green zone into the yellow zone, and Ford's weird definition of yellow is STOP an cool off the tranny. So you'd have to keep an eye on that gauge and stop the instant it jumps into the yellow zone. I know I can't watch my gauge that closely, and I'll bet you can't either. So you need to install a real gauge with clear easy-to-read markings to indicate 225° or else a digital gauge.

Of course you also need the trailer towing wiring harness with a 7-pin RV plug on the rear bumper, the trailer brake controller connection under the dash, as well as a class III/IV receiver. Class III means up to 500 pounds weight-carrying (WC) tongue weight (TW) capacity, and class IV means up to 1,000 pounds weight-distributing (WD) tongue weight capacity. And yes, you must have a WD hitch for any RV trailer with TW more than 500 pounds or gross trailer weight more than about 3,850 pounds.

If a Ford integrated trailer brake controller (ITBC) was available for your year of SUV, then you need to add that too. It's much better than any aftermarket brake controller.

[Fast0ne]

Just to add on here.

Look into products from Scangauge or edge insite

They plug into your obd port and can give you more gauges then what factory supplies you with.

And the readings come directly from your computer and also give you the advantage of reading and clearing engine codes.