Pickup or SUV? Each offers its own unique pros and cons.

Hi Andy:

We have been towing a 27-foot Citation for the last five years with a 1992 Ford F150. I would like another F150 with the crew cab and five-foot box, as I know how it operates. My better half prefers the Expedition’s interior room and trimmer size. Both have similar 5.4-liter engines and I am sure power is not an issue, but I am concerned about the shorter wheel base on the Expedition affecting how it handles the trailer and I wonder if the ride will be choppy. The Citation has a slide-out room so it is pretty tall and it does get affected somewhat by strong winds.

Harold White

Both the Expedition and the new F150 are very nice vehicles so this could be a difficult choice to make. I have set up plenty of each with a variety of trailers, so I have a pretty good feel for both vehicles. As similar as they are, there are some significant differences as well.

The Expedition has a much shorter wheel base – 119 inches compared to 138.5 inches on the F150 Super Crew, while the rear overhang is the same on both at 49 inches to the bumper. Both have a 67 inch track, and both are close to the same height and center of gravity.

Ford has been advertising lately how they placed the shocks outside of the frame on the F150 which gives the shocks a 54 inch stance; the springs are on a 44 inch stance. Not long ago, moving the shocks out wider would have been wasted on a pickup because any increase in suspension control would have just resulted in more frame flex, but the frame on these new trucks is noticeably stiffer. It is still not like having a body structure over it, but the improvement is substantial. Having a box that is only 66 inches long also helps reduce chassis flex.

The advantage the Expedition has is a very nicely done, double wishbone independent rear suspension, which projects the stance of both the shocks and springs out to 67 inches. Of course the Expedition has a very rigid body structure on top of that so chassis flex is negligible, which allows the suspension to do its job very well. The other advantage of independent suspension is far less unsprung weight. Unsprung weight is the weight below the springs that has to follow every bump in the road. On the pickup, the entire axle has to move up and down where as on the Expedition, only the brake rotors and wheels do, and they move individually.
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(Read Andy's full article in the magazine.)