2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

captaindale

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I am conidering the 2007 Lincoln Navigator as my choice for an SUV for boat towing. It is rated as capable of towing 9,000 pounds. It is a beautiful SUV and wanted to get opinions.
 

GA_Boater

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Don't see why not. It's a Ford Explorer and they tote a lot of boats.
 

smokeonthewater

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

you want to look at what it is rated for without a wdh... after the 9000 you'll probably see an * which will lead you to the wdh requirement... I'd bet that it is still rated for 5k or more without tho so still a pretty decent towpig
 

04fxdwgi

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Don't see why not. It's a Ford Explorer and they tote a lot of boats.

Actually, I believe the Lincoln Aviator is the pimped out Explorer (based on the midsize platform) on steroids. The Navigator is the big brother based on the full size pickup platform. Wife has the Aviator (which is much smaller than the Navigator) and shares many parts with the Explorer.

Aviator towing capacity is only 7,000 lbs w/ a weight distribution hitch, not 9,000 lbs like the Navigator. I belive the Explorer shares the 7,000 limit of the Aviator.
 

JB

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

The Navigator is a dressed up Expedition. Really plush, but very thirsty.
 

90stingray

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I believe it will have independent front and rear suspension. But as long as your setup is under the allowed rating you should be fine. I am more of a fan of a solid rear axle. But I am sure it will ride nice. The 5.4 will drink the gas when pulling... but that's about any gas motor when towing. Should be a great rig... for a ford :)

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 

Slow Ride

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

It really depends on the boat! The navigator will be just fine for almost any "weekend warrior" with a bass boat, bay boat or other similar sized boat. However, if you move up to a really big cruiser or offshore boat, you may want to look at a vehicle designed specifically for towing, ie 3/4 ton vehicles. 1/2 ton vehicles such as your navigatior, expedition, f150 are great and will probably suit your needs!
 

southkogs

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

^^^^ Yup ^^^^

Navigator is a very nice rig ... but at it's core, it's a Ford Expedition. It's a good truck as long as the "bling" doesn't start glitchin' on you. I like the Ford truck products personally.

I've got a Mercury Mountaineer (Ford Explorer) and used it as a tow vehicle for a few years. It did okay depending on the ramp, but it guzzled the gas on the way to and from the ramp. New tow vehicle is an E150 1/2 van ... about 1,600# of boat doesn't even get noticed by the van.
 

Bamaman1

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Mountaineer = Explorer Available with 4.6 engine.
Navigator = Expedition Available with 5.4 engine.

Either will do a great job of pulling a boat, if you stay within its stated weight limitations. Both are really bullet proof vehicles, and probably not fully appreciated as a long lasting, trouble free vehicle.

With the increasing price of fuel, both are actually very good values on the used car market. The same goes with a Chevy Tahoe and their GMC counterpart--more good values. But, stay away with any 4.8 GM engine and the 5.3 engine that switches over to 6 cylinders when driving steadily--complete dogs.

I had an Expedition with the 4.6 engine, and got 19.75 mpg on the first tankful of gas. The 4.6 Explorer should pull about 20 mpg on the open highway. The Navigator should be more like 15-18 mpg on the open road. Subtract 5 mpg for towing a normal size boat.

I run a F250 diesel crewcab 2wd, and it's a tow'in machine. I always said it would pull a house. Last year, I really pulled a house down with the truck. And, it gets 20 mpg on the highway--and will easily last 400,000 miles.
 

southkogs

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Mountaineer = Explorer Available with 4.6 engine.
Navigator = Expedition Available with 5.4 engine.

Either will do a great job of pulling a boat, if you stay within its stated weight limitations. Both are really bullet proof vehicles, and probably not fully appreciated as a long lasting, trouble free vehicle.

With the increasing price of fuel, both are actually very good values on the used car market. The same goes with a Chevy Tahoe and their GMC counterpart--more good values. But, stay away with any 4.8 GM engine and the 5.3 engine that switches over to 6 cylinders when driving steadily--complete dogs.

I had an Expedition with the 4.6 engine, and got 19.75 mpg on the first tankful of gas. The 4.6 Explorer should pull about 20 mpg on the open highway. The Navigator should be more like 15-18 mpg on the open road. Subtract 5 mpg for towing a normal size boat.

I run a F250 diesel crewcab 2wd, and it's a tow'in machine. I always said it would pull a house. Last year, I really pulled a house down with the truck. And, it gets 20 mpg on the highway--and will easily last 400,000 miles.

My Mountaineer (Explorer) has the 4.0 V6. On the HWY with normal (couple people a little luggage) load it'll get almost 25MPG. I've gotten 26MPG out of it keeping it around 65MPH before. The boat it used to tow was a 16' O/B tri-hull ... when I hitched that mug up, MPG dropped to about 13. Ouch.

The bigger V8 in my E150 doesn't notice the boat as much. But MPG is closer to about 16 - 18 HWY.
 

Bamaman1

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Southcogs: 16-18 mpg is great on an E150.

I had a E150 extended top conversion van, and it only got 14 mpg on the road. I think the basic van weighed 6600 lbs. before the seats and top were installed. The chassis on a E150 is 3/4 ton, and you simply cannot wear them out. I read last week where Ford's about to drop Econolines in the next year or two--switching to one of their World Trucks imported to the U.S. What'd be nice is a Club Wagon diesel--very rare. The ultimate tow vehicle really is a 2003 diesel Excursion if you could find one with low miles.
 

southkogs

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Southcogs: 16-18 mpg is great on an E150.

This one's a pretty bare van: 8 passenger (2 benches), power windows & door locks (no keyless entry) & air. Used to be a rental down in FL for the first 25K of it's life.

I bought it a couple of years ago after looking around a minivans (replacing a '97 Dodge I had). Minivans were running (used) about $17K for what I wanted. This E-150 had fewer miles, the basic stuff I wanted, heavy duty suspension ... and roughly the same cargo area as a Great Lakes freighter for about $5K less. I figured even at 14MPG, I wouldn't chew up the cost difference in gas ... so I grabbed. I had done the same about 10 years ago with a Dodge 250 conversion. That one (8,000# hi-top) got 16 on the HWY at 65.

Obviously, I like having a van around :D
 

kenmyfam

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

No matter what it is similar to put an additional tranny cooler on it. It is a Ford !!!! You will be glad you did !!!
 

Bamaman1

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

+1 on above--for a piggyback transmission cooler. It's the best $150 one could ever spend.

Light trucks eat transmissions due to owners towing without regard to their transmission--and overheat them. 220 degrees for any extended time will fry a tranny. The factory tranny gauges are notorious for being inaccurate, too.
 

Mike Zee

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Wifes Expedition drags my boat like nothing. 05, 5.4L, 3.73 gears, all the right numbers. And the stopping is very good. I would rather use it than my F150.
 

98Shabah

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

I highly recommend one of these little guys.. Just check their site first to make sure you'll get tranny fluid temp with your vehicle. Works great in my Ford, doesn't provide tranny temp in my wife's Jeep though. :(
http://www.scangauge.com/


+1 on above--for a piggyback transmission cooler. It's the best $150 one could ever spend.

Light trucks eat transmissions due to owners towing without regard to their transmission--and overheat them. 220 degrees for any extended time will fry a tranny. The factory tranny gauges are notorious for being inaccurate, too.
 

Mike Zee

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Our Expedition has a seperate cooler mounted in front of the radiator, from the factory. My F150 has one as well. This was part of the tow package. Only mentioned as the Lincoln may already be similarly set up.
 

98Shabah

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Re: 2007 Lincoln Navigator for Towing?

Yeah, definitely take a look before buying a cooler. My Vic wasn't even offered with a tow package but has a tranny cooler in front of the radiator that is the full width of the radiator, it has a thermostat in it that bypasses the cooler until the fluid hits 200*.
 
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