GD 17MKE Wannabe

[Went Early 2022]

Hi Folks,

We've got our eyes on a 2023 17MKE that we would pull with a Lincoln Navigator 3.5 liter V6. This will be our first TT and want to make sure we get it right. The truck has a towing capacity of 8,600 lb and a tongue weight of 860 lb.

We've done a ton of reading and I'm confused/concerned about tongue weight and impact on the SUV payload. We have 1,367 lb available. With two people, gear and a dry tongue weight of 480 lb we're at 980 lb in the truck before loading the trailer.

How can I determine how much we can load in the trailer before the tongue weight drives past the payload limit? Is the Navigator a good fit for the 17MKE?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

[WhittleBurner]

Welcome! Towing capacity is and can be a confusing thing. I'm sure you're tired of reading but we have a thread in the reference section that contains quite a few links that can help you understand the numbers and how to arrive at them.

https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...ing-Capability

[Second Chance]

Moved to Tow Vehicles.

Rob

[Second Chance]

As you may have read in other threads on the forum, dry tongue weights are a pretty useless number. The 17MKE when loaded, will have a tongue weight around 760 lbs. (12% of GVWR). Read through the resources provided by @WhittleBurner above, get all the relevant numbers, and plug them in here:

https://changingears.com/weight-calc...ht-calculator/
(Scroll down to the calculator)

I think you'll be pushing the limits of the Navigator. The problem with large SUVs like the Navigator is that, though they're on a fairly robust chassis, there's a lot of weight in extra body, seats and bling that a 1/2-ton pickup doesn't have.

Rob

[Stealth13777]

You might get close on payload but I think that trailer is a decent match for that truck. It definitely can be done, if you tend to pack heavy you may want to visit a scale and do some smart loading is all. The other info you have received is accurate.

The ‘how much can we load’ question is extremely dependent on where you load it. However, you can do the 12% math to get a ballpark of how much weight will be on your truck. Don’t forget that over 5000# you need a weight distributing hitch that adds another 50-90#.

Usually these ‘can I’ questions I say - since you asked, you already know you need to go bigger. But in this case, and having experience with that trailer, I think it can be done so long as you don’t plan to fill the expedition with gear too.

[Went Early 2022]

Thanks Whittleburner! I found the thread last night and found a worksheet that confirmed I was on the right track and should have a couple hundred pounds of payload leftover. Now it's time to pull the trigger and start negotiating.

[Went Early 2022]

Thanks to all! We are very light campers (coming out of tents) and will be cognizant of loading. We're actually going to the dealer this week with some friends who will represent trailer "cargo". They have a tongue scale and we can better understand the weight translation before signing the bottom-line.

If all goes well I'll update my profile to reflect a new GD TT toting member.

[Redapple63]

Hi Folks,

We've got our eyes on a 2023 17MKE that we would pull with a Lincoln Navigator 3.5 liter V6. This will be our first TT and want to make sure we get it right. The truck has a towing capacity of 8,600 lb and a tongue weight of 860 lb.

We've done a ton of reading and I'm confused/concerned about tongue weight and impact on the SUV payload. We have 1,367 lb available. With two people, gear and a dry tongue weight of 480 lb we're at 980 lb in the truck before loading the trailer.

How can I determine how much we can load in the trailer before the tongue weight drives past the payload limit? Is the Navigator a good fit for the 17MKE?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Welcome to the forum!

I would check to see if that vehicle can withstand the rigors of weight distribution bars.

Many unibody vehicles recommend against their use as they don’t have the stiffness to withstand the forces of the spring bars.

Bill

[NB Canada]

Welcome to the forum!

I would check to see if that vehicle can withstand the rigors of weight distribution bars.

Many unibody vehicles recommend against their use as they don’t have the stiffness to withstand the forces of the spring bars.

Bill

I have never seen this

[Redapple63]

I have never seen this

My niece’s husband ran into this when looking to tow with a VW Passat.

Bill