Yes, the refreshed 2015 Ford Expedition is still body-on-frame (BOF). Towing capability is a forte of the Expedition, with over 40 percent of Expedition owners using it for that purpose. Not to mention the praise and awards it’s garnered from both the towing community and towing magazines. Having a heavy-duty frame (which is hydroformed and fully-boxed) allows for ultra high towing capacity (up to 9,200 lbs or 4.6 tons of braked trailer) and capability.
Towing is one of the Expedition’s main selling points, and is also the main reason the Expedition boasts an almost absurd list of towing features: heavy-duty Class 4 weight-distributing trailer hitch, 4-pin and 7 pin trailer electrics connectors, TowCommand trailer brake controller system, specific tow/haul mode for gearbox, heavy-duty transmission cooler, heavy-duty engine cooler, 9.75 inch rear differential ring gear, clearance side turning indicators (rearward mirror mounted), adaptive self-leveling suspension, 50/50 front/rear weight balance, trailer sway control, towing specific heavy-duty disc brakes, etc (the list does go on)…
TowCommand will alert the driver when the trailer’s electrics are fully connected, and when they are not, and can be programmed for several different trailers. It can also support trailers with up to four axles, and with EOH electric-over-hydraulic trailer brakes.
In this sense, the Expedition can determine when a trailer is coupled via its networked electronics, so it is "aware" of when it is towing, allowing the powertrain to adjust as needed. The adaptive suspension will detect a trailer load and adjust itself as it sees fit.
The all-new next (fourth) generation Expedition is due in late 2016, as a 2017 model, and like the previous generations before, it too, will be body-on-frame, and is speculated to offer next-generation towing electronics, such as Ford's new 10-speed 10R80 automatic transmission with updated intelligent towing shift algorithms, dynamic trailer hitch assist, and eventually a automated trailer reverse and park system (similar to self parking systems, but this one being able to reverse the Expedition with a trailer in tow without the aid of a driver).
Moving to a car-like unibody construction would reduce the Expedition's towing capability. Its for these reasons, the Expedition is expected by automotive insiders, to remain body-on-frame for the foreseeable future. At least for as long as people continue to use it for long haul heavy-duty towing.
