# 2004 26rs Questions



## Dorothe (Jan 27, 2008)

Hi Everyone
I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
Thanks,
Dorothe

2005 Expedition 5.4 3.73


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## MJRey (Jan 21, 2005)

Dorothe,

Welcome, you'll get plenty of good advice here. We used to tow our 05 26RS with an 03 4wd Expedition with the 5.4L and 3.73 axle. It did alright but it struggled in the mountains in California where we go camping. With flat driving and hills you should be okay but make sure you get a good brake controller and hitch. You'll find plenty of brake controller and hitch recommendations here. I would not have been comfortable towing a 30+ foot 28RSDS with the Expedition unless it was the newer extended length version. If the 04 26RS is in good shape it's probably a much better match for your current tow vehicle. Take the money you save on the used trailer and use it to buy some goodies for the older trailer.

One more thing, it would be useful to also list the year of Expedition you have since the tow ratings have changed somewhat over the different model years.

Good luck and hopefully you'll be camping at the lake soon.


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## Dorothe (Jan 27, 2008)

MJRey said:


> Dorothe,
> 
> Welcome, you'll get plenty of good advice here. We used to tow our 05 26RS with an 03 4wd Expedition with the 5.4L and 3.73 axle. It did alright but it struggled in the mountains in California where we go camping. With flat driving and hills you should be okay but make sure you get a good brake controller and hitch. You'll find plenty of brake controller and hitch recommendations here. I would not have been comfortable towing a 30+ foot 28RSDS with the Expedition unless it was the newer extended length version. If the 04 26RS is in good shape it's probably a much better match for your current tow vehicle. Take the money you save on the used trailer and use it to buy some goodies for the older trailer.
> 
> ...


My Expedition is a 2005.


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## kbacon (Jan 29, 2008)

SugarGirl said:


> Dorothe,
> 
> Welcome, you'll get plenty of good advice here. We used to tow our 05 26RS with an 03 4wd Expedition with the 5.4L and 3.73 axle. It did alright but it struggled in the mountains in California where we go camping. With flat driving and hills you should be okay but make sure you get a good brake controller and hitch. You'll find plenty of brake controller and hitch recommendations here. I would not have been comfortable towing a 30+ foot 28RSDS with the Expedition unless it was the newer extended length version. If the 04 26RS is in good shape it's probably a much better match for your current tow vehicle. Take the money you save on the used trailer and use it to buy some goodies for the older trailer.
> 
> ...


My Expedition is a 2005.
[/quote]
This is my first post. I have a 2006 Expedition with the 5.4L. We have been looking at two models. The 25RSS and the 28RSS. With the rating and the weight load we are leaning towards the 25RSS so we wouldn't have to worry about loading up the vehicle/trailer and 4 people in the vehicle.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

SugarGirl said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


Where are you from? Just trying to figure out if you'll be climbing some big Mts or if you live in the flatlands.


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## Dorothe (Jan 27, 2008)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


Where are you from? Just trying to figure out if you'll be climbing some big Mts or if you live in the flatlands.
[/quote]

We live in the central part of Arkansas (Little Rock) The lake we go to is Lake Quachita and it is beautiful!!!


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## kbacon (Jan 29, 2008)

SugarGirl said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


Where are you from? Just trying to figure out if you'll be climbing some big Mts or if you live in the flatlands.
[/quote]

We live in the central part of Arkansas (Little Rock) The lake we go to is Lake Quachita and it is beautiful!!!
[/quote]
We live in Eastern Washington.(Spokane).


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

SugarGirl said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


Where are you from? Just trying to figure out if you'll be climbing some big Mts or if you live in the flatlands.
[/quote]

We live in the central part of Arkansas (Little Rock) The lake we go to is Lake Quachita and it is beautiful!!!
[/quote]

I would say the 28RSDS is out of the picture. It is simply too much trailer for the Expedition to handle saftly.

Do people tow with that setup...Yes

Will the salesman tell you it is ok....Sure

Would you be "ok"...Perhaps

My statement is simple...unless you have the EL version of the Expedition, then the 28RSDS is too long and too heavy for your current TV.

The 26RS is a better choice for you. If you can afford a Hensely hitch (~$2200) that would really help with the Exped/26RS setup.


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## kbacon (Jan 29, 2008)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


Where are you from? Just trying to figure out if you'll be climbing some big Mts or if you live in the flatlands.
[/quote]

We live in the central part of Arkansas (Little Rock) The lake we go to is Lake Quachita and it is beautiful!!!
[/quote]

I would say the 28RSDS is out of the picture. It is simply too much trailer for the Expedition to handle saftly.

Do people tow with that setup...Yes

Will the salesman tell you it is ok....Sure

Would you be "ok"...Perhaps

My statement is simple...unless you have the EL version of the Expedition, then the 28RSDS is too long and too heavy for your current TV.

The 26RS is a better choice for you. If you can afford a Hensely hitch (~$2200) that would really help with the Exped/26RS setup.
[/quote]

I agree. The more you load into the trailer and the vehicle with four people or more it can be a load. Does the Hnesely hitch really make that big of difference? What would I be comparing it to?


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## Dorothe (Jan 27, 2008)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


Where are you from? Just trying to figure out if you'll be climbing some big Mts or if you live in the flatlands.
[/quote]

We live in the central part of Arkansas (Little Rock) The lake we go to is Lake Quachita and it is beautiful!!!
[/quote]

I would say the 28RSDS is out of the picture. It is simply too much trailer for the Expedition to handle saftly.

Do people tow with that setup...Yes

Will the salesman tell you it is ok....Sure

Would you be "ok"...Perhaps

My statement is simple...unless you have the EL version of the Expedition, then the 28RSDS is too long and too heavy for your current TV.

The 26RS is a better choice for you. If you can afford a Hensely hitch (~$2200) that would really help with the Exped/26RS setup.
[/quote]

You are correct, the dealer seems to think it will be fine to toe the 28rsds. Of course I would love to have the added room, but deep down I was uneasy about it. I have read some about the Hensley hitch. Where would I begin to look for it in my state? Am I pushing the Expedition with the 26 Rs? are there any other hitch options? and what about an equalizer? what it that?


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## MJRey (Jan 21, 2005)

[/quote]
You are correct, the dealer seems to think it will be fine to toe the 28rsds. Of course I would love to have the added room, but deep down I was uneasy about it. I have read some about the Hensley hitch. Where would I begin to look for it in my state? Am I pushing the Expedition with the 26 Rs? are there any other hitch options? and what about an equalizer? what it that?
[/quote]

I think you'll be okay with your Expedition and the 26RS. Since yours is the 2005 you'll have a little bit more power than my 2003 did with the older style 2-valve heads on the 5.4L motor. I'm not familiar with your area but the challenges I had with mine were going up 6 to 9 percent grades that went on for miles at altitudes up to 8,000 ft. On flat or rolling terrain the Expedition did fine. I had the Equalizer hitch and when properly setup it did really well in some very windy conditions. It took me a few trys to get it adjusted to where I liked it but overall it wasn't that hard to set up. I would say the Reese Dual Cam system would be just as good or better. If you're really concerned about stability you could take the money you save getting the used trailer and go with the Hensley or even newer ProPride hitch (improved Hensley design).

You can buy just about any hitch you want now at various online retailers so just do a quick search and you should find one. Most people that buy the Equalizer online get it from RVWholesales.com. They also have the best price on the much liked Prodigy brake controller.

So, in my opinion you should be fine with your Expedition and a 26RS as long as it has the heavy duty tow package. You could maybe tow a 28RSDS but you would have to watch the weights a lot more closely and you'd probably need the high end Hensley type hitch to ensure a safe towing experience.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

My Sister will be selling her 2004 26RS in mid April of this year after they take their last trip in it for Easter break. But it's here in California so you would need to take a road trip to pick it up.

Best of luck with whatever you decide. Although I do agree with the others about keeping the size down to a 25-26' rig.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

California Jim said:


> My Sister will be selling her 2004 26RS in mid April of this year after they take their last trip in it for Easter break. But it's here in California so you would need to take a road trip to pick it up.
> 
> Best of luck with whatever you decide. Although I do agree with the others about keeping the size down to a 25-26' rig.


What is she upgrading to?


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Oregon_Camper said:


> What is she upgrading to?


Unfortunately....nothing. Her 3 boys are teenagers now and they never have free weekends due to sports and other commitments.







Their Outback hasn't been used in 1 year and it's still sitting.

I hope to avoid this situation when my kiddos get bigger. Gotta get a balance somehow. Sad.


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## ALASKA PFLOCK (Jun 24, 2007)

SugarGirl said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


SugarGirl- The 26RS is a great floorplan. Like the bunkhouse for the children and the dogs!


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## camping canuks (Jan 18, 2007)

ALASKA PFLOCK said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


SugarGirl- The 26RS is a great floorplan. Like the bunkhouse for the children and the dogs!








[/quote]

X2 we like ours for sure


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

ALASKA PFLOCK said:


> SugarGirl- The 26RS is a great floorplan. Like the bunkhouse for the children and the dogs!


Any Outback with a Bunkhouse is a great Outback! We love ours!


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## mgoblue26rs (May 22, 2007)

We love our 26rs!! The bunk house is great for the kids and birds!! We only have 2 kids, but my nephew travels with us and the African Grey and Cockatiel share the top bunk!! (We had to upgrade to the bunkhouse for the parrot!!) When it's time to settle down or rainy out, the kids and birds settle into "their" room and all is well!!!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

mgoblue26rs said:


> ....We had to upgrade to the bunkhouse for the parrot!!


That has got to be a first for Outbackers.com....


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## mgoblue26rs (May 22, 2007)

Our old camper (Rockwood Roo) had enough room, but when the bird needed to travel with us we had to start putting the dinette down. DH also used that folding out the beds was too much work along with me making beds every night was too rough on me. LOL All of our friends got a laugh that we upgraded to make room for the parrot.


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## whodey (Feb 9, 2007)

First off Welcome! Great group of people here with alot of answers. I bought my trailer before I found this site.







Stick with the smaller trailer. Been there, done that. Now I have a diesel.

Mike


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## camping canuks (Jan 18, 2007)

SugarGirl said:


> Hi Everyone
> I am hoping to buy a new or used Outback. I have a Ford Expedition 5.4L 3.73 axle. We will not be towing across the country, but will be doing local camping primarily at the lake. We live about 45min from lake and mostly flat driving, with occasional hills. I am looking at a 04 26RS (used) or the 28rsds new. I can use all the advice I can get!
> Thanks,
> Dorothe
> ...


You should be fine as long as you use a good equalizing hitch and sway bar with the 26RS. I do not recommend anything longer or heavier, happy trails


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

I sure would go with the 26RS. I have had many experiences with dealers telling you that you can tow just about anything on the lot including the trailer that nets him the most margin when it comes time to dole out the commissions.

-CC


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