Anyone towing with a 2013 Ford Escape?

[Rycamp]

I understand most people have the tow package from reading through these pages. I didn't plan to tow with this vehicle which was my mistake. Trying to do math at this point and figure out what t i can handle with class 3 , wdh, sway, and trailer brake. I see oneford is doing it successfuly which is good to see.

[ONEFORD]

Your Escape will tow this with no problems. I have the same options except I got mine with tow package. I have and do excede the weight ratings with no probems. I do use weight distrubution and anti sway hitch. I use this one due to it only weigh's 50 lbs and you have to add this to your hitch ton weight Andersen 'No-Sway' Weight Distribution Hitch . You will need to have the escape wired for trailer brakes and have a brake controler installed. I recomend buying this from E-trailer.com Brake Controller by Tekonsha for 2013 Escape - 90885 and Universal Installation Kit for Trailer Brake Controller - 7-Way RV and 4-Way Flat - 10 Gauge Wires etrailer Accessories and Parts ETBC7 not sure what hitch you want so I included a link for all available for the 2013 escape. Your no hands/kick liftgate sensor will probobly not work after installing. The tow package ordered from Ford eliminates this feature. I have herd there might be a fix for this, maybe a sensor move off center. I have towed in all weather conditions and with cross wind speeds of over 50 mph in storms. All differnt road grades around 4,000 miles so far this year with it with no problems. I tow anywhere from 65 to 75 mph's in 90's degree heat with the AC on max with no problems. I have found some tips for towing to reduce transmission shifting on slight hills and improve mpg's. Around the city (not highway) I keep it in "D" and once up to speed on the highway I move to select shift mode "S" and will pick the gear I want (cruise controll works in either). Usualy 5th gear. If the road is leavel and not having head winds you can put in 6th. Here in Michigan, even in the hilly north I rarely have to drop down to 3rd. I get any where from 11 to 18 mpg's ,this is worst conditions (hills at 70mph) to best (flat with no head winds). Expext around 26mpg average un-hitched. If I missed anything r need to explain further, let me know.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Rycamp

I understand most people have the tow package from reading through these pages. I didn't plan to tow with this vehicle which was my mistake.

I can see this if your plans changed - although buying a truck or SUV not set up to tow seems a bit like buying a sedan with no back seat - but others have reported choosing to skip the tow package (on various vehicles) even though they intended to tow. I don't get that...

Originally Posted by Rycamp

Trying to do math at this point and figure out what t i can handle with class 3 , wdh, sway, and trailer brake. I see oneford is doing it successfuly which is good to see.

Ford apparently says 2000 pounds. ONEFORD says he has the tow package, so he has Ford's Trailer Sway Control feature, and so his experience is not entirely applicable. Someone out there has probably pulled two or three tons, but unless they have done it for years that says nothing about reliability, and unless they have performed emergency maneuvers and stops with it that says nothing about safe control.

I would check into getting the Trailer Sway Control enabled.

[Cypherian]

OP,

Check what you really lost in not getting a tow package, most of the tow packages I have gotten over the years included 4 things hitch, trailer wiring, larger alternator, transmission cooler or a larger one if one comes stock. There were other things but they would be manufacturer specific. Note most engineers build in fudge factors on thier weights and capacities etc. I don't care to push against their limits ALL THE TIME :} it usually ends with loud noises and a bank account being drained to pay for repairs :}

Cypher

[ONEFORD]

Class III Hitch is not nessary, You would bust the suspention before the hitch.. I wouldnt rely alone on the Factory Ford "anti sway control" it is a computer controlled last ditch action, once the sway has been detected by the computer in the Escape. It applies brakes in corner areas as needed and cuts power to bring the sway under controll. This is a last effort. What you want to do is to eliminate the sway before it ever happens by instaling some sort of hitch mounted sway controll.. I got cought in 50-to 60 mph storm gusts last friday in michigan on the highway doing 70 mph and didnt have any sway issues. Also trailer brakes is a must! The trailer brakes stop the trailer and the escape brakes stop the escape. I also use weight distrubution and simply keep the same ratio of weight and front and rear loaded as un-loaded. I excede the ton weight, around 400lbs total.

[Jon Vermilye]

You should tell this to Toyota! My 2010 RAV4 came with the "Tow Package". No hitch, no trailer wiring for lights, brake or charge line. They did increase the alternator size & fan coupler but adding the trailer lighting was a pain! They do list quite a difference for tow capacity with & without the package - V6 without: 2000 lbs, V6 with: 3500 lbs.

[Cypherian]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

You should tell this to Toyota! My 2010 RAV4 came with the "Tow Package". No hitch, no trailer wiring for lights, brake or charge line. They did increase the alternator size & fan coupler but adding the trailer lighting was a pain! They do list quite a difference for tow capacity with & without the package - V6 without: 2000 bps, V6 with: 3500 lbs.

Lol I guess I should have qualified that with most of the vehicles I have bought Chevy, Ford, Dodge etc. I do know Toyotas are a horse of a different color lol I currently have a 2011 Tacoma I just spent a weekend and several hundred bucks to tow the 19 Foot Escape I got from CPAHarley lol. I put in Air Bags, Brake controller and a gauge system to monitor tranny temps and such. One would think your going to tow you might want to keep an eye on fluid temps etc apparently not in toyota's world as the gauges are not even an option in any level of tacoma. :{

Cypher

[frank_a]

Tow package in my wimpy 4 cyl standard shift Canyon includes a lower numeric rear end ratio, a class III receiver and a 7 pin rv plug. That's to tow 2100#s. The Escape we're looking at comes with a class II receiver and a 4 pin flat plug, and tows 3500#s!

Ya gotta love this stuff!

Frank

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Rycamp

I understand most people have the tow package from reading through these pages. I didn't plan to tow with this vehicle which was my mistake. Trying to do math at this point and figure out what t i can handle with class 3 , wdh, sway, and trailer brake. I see oneford is doing it successfuly which is good to see.

I'd talk to the service manager and parts department and find out what really is in the tow package. They may be able to activate the antisway - certainly worth asking.

[ONEFORD]

Tow package includes,

1)Bumper cut out for hitch,
2)electronic trailer sway control , This feature automatically determines from the motion of the vehicle if the trailer is swaying and takes measures - such as applying precise braking or reduced engine torque - to help keep both the vehicle and the trailer under control.
3) Class II Hitch
4) pre wired 4-pin trailer conector

Note:
anti sway feature can not be activated if ordered without tow package.
Dealer will not install items that are included with "tow package" if originaly ordered with out "tow package".

My escape is a whare of the trailer when hooked up and will display if any where they are located lights burned out. This may also be a feature of tow package?

[frank_a]

Just so y'all know, we bought one today. Ruby Red, 2.0 Ecoboost with the factory tow package. will take delivery probably Monday.

Now, on to the ParkLiner (after selling a few other toys)...

By the way, my thanks to Daniel (OneFord) for all the help and advice. For good gas mileage combined with tow capacity, drivability and a few other things, this vehicle is the way to go compared to anything else we looked at.

Frank

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

but others have reported choosing to skip the tow package (on various vehicles) even though they intended to tow. I don't get that...

I thought the same as you and was going to get the $600 package on my truck…but it came with electric mirrors only, which required a $1800 package…but that package wasn't available on a base model, which required jumping up another $2000 to the next model. So a tow package was basically $4400 more. I figured I could put a hitch and tranny cooler/gauge in and save a bit of coin for that price.

I would like to talk to the idiot that came up with that. To me, the stripped truck is the one most likely to be used for work.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jared J

I thought the same as you and was going to get the $600 package on my truck; but it came with electric mirrors only, which required a $1800 package; but that package wasn't available on a base model, which required jumping up another $2000 to the next model. So a tow package was basically $4400 more...

I would like to talk to the idiot that came up with that. To me, the stripped truck is the one most likely to be used for work.

Yes, in some cases option bundling and dependencies make the $600 towing package not a $600 choice, and I can see skipping it. The "idiot" may be a genius, if enough people are manipulated into upgrading!

[frank_a]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Frank, you don't mention a weight-distributing hitch (WDH) but Daniel is using one (an Anderson No-Sway). Any commercially available WDH will require a 2" hitch receiver, which is usually a Class 3 (or higher) product. If the Escape only comes from the factory with a 1.25" receiver (which is likely) and a WDH is used, an aftermarket 2" receiver would be required.

Ford's tow package for the 2013 Escape includes a Class II hitch with a 2" receiver opening. Never heard of this before, as I thought all Class II hitches were 1-1/4". Not in this case.

Frank

[ONEFORD]

Receiver style hitch :Any hitch with a receptacle (typically 1-1/4" or 2") which accommodates inserts such as drawbars, ball mounts, or bike racks.

Class 1 (Class I) trailer hitch :Trailer hitch with capacity of up to 2,000 lbs gross trailer weight and 200 lbs tongue weight. Class 2 (Class II) trailer hitch :Trailer hitch with weight-carrying rating of up to 3,500 lbs gross trailer weight and 300/350 lbs tongue weight. Class 3 (Class III) trailer hitch :Trailer hitch with weight carrying rating of up to 5,000 lbs gross trailer weight and 500 lbs tongue weight. Also sometimes used to refer to a hitch with any 2" receiver, regardless of rating.
Weight carrying hitch "Any hitch used without a weight-distributing system. Some hitches are designed and clearly marked "weight carrying only". Some hitches are weight carrying with weight distributing ability and will have a dual rating – "weight carrying (WC) 5000 / weight distributing (WD) 10,000", for example. To use a hitch at the higher rating (WD), a weight distribution system must be added.
Weight distribution system :A hitch system built around a receiver hitch, which includes supplemental equipment such as spring bars that work to distribute trailer tongue loads to the trailer axle(s) and the tow vehicle front axle. Use of weight distribution system enhances handling and braking and increases trailer towing capacity beyond what is recommended when a weight-carrying hitch is used.

[ONEFORD]

In my case I am only redistibuting a 100lbs to 200lbs at the most.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by frank_a

Ford's tow package for the 2013 Escape includes a Class II hitch with a 2" receiver opening. Never heard of this before, as I thought all Class II hitches were 1-1/4". Not in this case.

As Daniel's definitions explain, the class and size are unrelated so it's a perfectly valid combination (Class 2 and 2"), but I agree that it is unusual for OEM hitches. Aftermarket hitches for Class 2-rated vehicles are commonly 2", and although those hitches are typically Class 3 rated, their extra capacity beyond 3500 pounds is not safely usable.

I think this follows the spirit of earlier Ford precedents in the Explorer and Sport Trac of providing a more functional 2" receiver in combination with the towing package, but only a 1.25" receiver otherwise, perhaps to discourage towing excessive loads.

The factory receiver setup looks like a very good choice by Ford.

[frank_a]

This isn't a Geico commercial, but trust me, that 2" receiver is gonna same me a barrel of bucks, as I have a slew of ball mounts for 2" receivers. Everything I have is 2". Well, except for my hot rod. When I built that car, I built a little class I hitch for it to tow a small (4X4) utility trailer. No room in the hot rod really for lawn chairs, easy-ups, etc.

Frank

[ONEFORD]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

As Daniel's definitions explain, the class and size are unrelated so it's a perfectly valid combination (Class 2 and 2"), but I agree that it is unusual for OEM hitches. Aftermarket hitches for Class 2-rated vehicles are commonly 2", and although those hitches are typically Class 3 rated, their extra capacity beyond 3500 pounds is not safely usable.

I think this follows the spirit of earlier Ford precedents in the Explorer and Sport Trac of providing a more functional 2" receiver in combination with the towing package, but only a 1.25" receiver otherwise, perhaps to discourage towing excessive loads.

The factory receiver setup looks like a very good choice by Ford.

I wish Ford would have a option for 7-pin on every SUV that is able to tow over 1500lbs . But maybe that would cut into F-series sales then. I see so many people buying trucks that dont need them but dont know that these small suv's can tow so much.

[frank_a]

I think it would make perfect sense for Ford to offer a 7 pin connector on anything 3500#s and above Daniel. Some executive may worry it would cut into F-150 sales, but I can't imagine something so minor would make any difference in F-150 sales.

Frank