Ford Edge Crossover (2018) and 2400lb dry weight trailer

[xenokc]

How much leeway should I give a vehicle tow weight rating to the weight of trailer. Would rather haul 2400lb trailer with a crossover rather than full size SUV. Likely will travel mountains at some point.

Looking at 2018 Ford Edge V6, claims 3500lb max load.

https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content..._Edge_Oct9.pdf

To haul a trailer such as this or similar weight (2400lb dry)...
http://escapetrailer.com/wp-content/...Escape-17B.pdf

I haven't purchased either yet, open to similar.

[Terry G]

Originally Posted by xenokc

How much leeway should I give a vehicle tow weight rating to the weight of trailer. Would rather haul 2400lb trailer with a crossover rather than full size SUV. Likely will travel mountains at some point.

Looking at 2018 Ford Edge V6, claims 3500lb max load.

https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content..._Edge_Oct9.pdf

To haul a trailer such as this or similar weight (2400lb dry)...
http://escapetrailer.com/wp-content/...Escape-17B.pdf

I haven't purchased either yet, open to similar.

As long as you get the tow package, that combination should work great. That Ford eco boost engine will work fine as long as you slow down and don't try to go up long uphills at high speeds. I tow a Casita 17 with a Ford Escape in Colorado and have no complaints

[Jim Bennett]

As long as you don't go overboard loading with heavy gear, you will be okay. It would be easy to go over with that small of a weight allowance left over. You will add a fair bit just with water, food, and camping essentials. What you would have to watch is how much other stuff you want to bring. You also need to be conscious of the combined weight of both units loaded together, not just the weight towed.

I love to take toys on long trips, and my added weight to my 3,800 lb 5.0TA has taken it alone to the GVWR of 5,500 lbs, though with a fifth wheel setup taken up lots of cargo space, the load on the truck is not all that high.

[Jon in AZ]

The linked specs don’t mention Ecoboost with the 3500# rated 3.5L V6. Pretty sure it's the naturally aspirated engine. I was surprised the 2.7EB version only carries a 2000# rating, apparently not offered with the tow package. For realistic weight data, see the thread Trailer Weights in the Real World (post #297 links to a spreadsheet you can filter by make and model). There’s also a 30 sf frontal area limit (with tow package, 20 sf without). An Escape 17B is around 40 sf. Finally, note on p. 3 that ratings are reduced by 2% for each 1000' of elevation.

I’m thinking this combination will be marginal. You will likely have some wiggle room on weight, but that is partly offset by the excess frontal area, and you may find tongue weight close enough to the 350# rating to cause significant sag on the rear suspension.

We tow our 13’ Scamp with a 3500# rated Pilot 3.5L V6, four people and bicycles, gross trailer weight around 1800#. Performance in the mountains is acceptable, but the drivetrain is definitely working hard in lower gears on steep grades and/or headwinds. Don’t underestimate the effect of frontal area.

For a 17' molded trailer, I'd be shopping for a 5000# rating myself. Among Ford crossovers, the Explorer and Flex might be better choices. The available 3.5EB would be really nice in the mountains!

[Justus C]

Hi Xeno. Plenty of people who own and haul trailers will be happy to share their experience, so I don't feel guilty providing this input, which is all theory-based.

I do not own a trailer (yet), but we made our last vehicle purchase knowing we wanted something. Kind of took a cursory glance at light weight trailers that would meet our needs and decided we needed a 5,000 lbs tow vehicle. Long story short, we've since revised our max trailer weight down (originally was looking at 4,000 lbs dry weight, now in the 3,000 range) to be absolutely sure we won't exceed our vehicle's capacity and to maximize our chances of having sufficient power to tow such that we don't severly impact the vehicle's performance. This was based on the advice of actual trailer owners here (and in some other groups), whose recommendations have ranged from "Don't exceed 50% of your tow rating" to "Get a new TV because yours doesn't have what it takes."

Below is some information/tips I've collected by combing through various threads. Perhaps it will save you some time!

Compare the Gross Combined Weight Rating to the Curb Weight. In checking out our Highlander manual, I found that although it's rated to tow up to 5,000 lbs, the GCWR is 9,800 lbs and the curb weight is something like 4,400 lbs. So with two adults, a full tank of gas, and a couple Big Gulps, our remaining capacity is already well under 5,000 lbs. At least for us, max tow rating isn't a real life tow rating.

If 2,400 lbs is dry weight, add passengers, cargo, and fluid (roughly 8 lbs/gal). This thread: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html may help you determine what your real trailer weight will be. A spreadsheet version is here: http://lakeshoreimages.com/spreadsheets/Weight.xls (thanks gordon2 for posting this link in another thread).

See if there's a requirement to have a factory tow prep package installed to reach your max capacity; if there is, get it. Our factory tow package included a transmission cooler, heavy duty alternator, larger fans, and maybe some other stuff I'm forgetting. We honestly lucked out buying used, because it was only after purchasing and doing some serious digging that I found out exactly what a tow prep package included and verified that it had been installed on ours. I found that adding the package post-production was next to impossible and not cost effective.

As we'll be traveling mountains again some day, and a Highlander isn't the ideal tow vehicle, I also plan to get a Bluetooth-enabled OBD2 reader and the Torque app. This will allow me to monitor the transmission and oil temperatures via a smartphone mounted on the dash when climbing steep grades and adjust speed or pull over as needed. It should also provide some real time stats that will let me tweak my driving habits for towing.

See if there is an OEM 7-pin wiring harness available for a brake controller. Our vehicle's manual requires trailer brakes for any tow over 1,000 lbs, which requires an onboard brake controller, which requires a 7-pin harness--which Toyota does not support for any Highlander model. You might need to do some independent research on this one, as salesmen seemed pretty clueless when it came to the specifics of towing. Our vehicle does not have OEM support for a 7-pin harness, but if yours does there might be some interaction with the onboard computer, e.g. it will sense when you're towing and disable ABS. In that case you may consider having the harness installed by an authorized service provider instead of trying to DIY. My thought process is that if extra features are available, I want to use them.

Edited to add: As far as alternate tow vehicles, the Audi Q5 is a mid-size crossover with a 4,400 lbs tow rating and the new ones get very good mileage; Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee are 3,500 and up. Might be more, but those were the ones on our list (we ultimately struck them because we decided we wanted a 3-row vehicle). Not crossovers per se, but similar size.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Terry G

As long as you get the tow package, that combination should work great. That Ford eco boost engine will work fine as long as you slow down and don't try to go up long uphills at high speeds. I tow a Casita 17 with a Ford Escape in Colorado and have no complaints

While I mostly agree, I must point out the the 3.5L engine in the 2018 edge is not Ecoboost.

[Jon in AZ]

Floyd, you mentioned on the OP's other thread (and worth repeating here) the 3.5L is gone for 2019 and the 2.7EB is available with the tow package. Good call and news to me.

Although the rating (3500/350#) and caveats are the same, the Ecoboost should give a significant performance advantage in the real world. You’ll still have to be weight-conscious and mind tongue weight.

It should be a hoot to drive when unhitched!

[xenokc]

Thanks everyone, a lot of great info. Sounds like the Edge won't quite cut it or on the risky side. Also considering 2018 Ford Flex, which is rated 4500#. I like the Audi crossover but concerned about getting service outside metro areas.

[Mike Magee]

Last I knew, the Edge's rear overhang is very short, which makes for good handling when towing. But on the other hand, the Flex and Explorer will have better rear suspension for the hitch weight you're likely to have. Dry tongue weight listed for the 17 is 250 lbs, so figure a real world weight more likely of 320-380 lbs. You can see some data here: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html
You'd probably be ok with the 350 lb limit of the Edge, but you would want to pay attention to how you loaded it and occasionally weigh the tongue. Also, if you desire a weight distribution hitch, those weigh 65-90 lbs and would put you over the limit. A Flex should have less squat and less worry about the issue.

[varmint]

Hi
I bought a new edge in 2013 and a 1997 16' Scamp. The scamp weighs in at 2250 with empty tanks. I have 2- 20 gal tanks for fresh and grey water and a 12 gal black water tank. My wife and I are retired and have put about 20,000 - 25,000 miles on the Scamp. We have pulled through the Rocky Mountains. I generally tow at 68-70 mph on freeways and can easily pull 60mph up a steep grade that is straight enough. The Ford is a 6 speed with peak hp at about 6,800 and peak torque a bit short of 4,000 rpm. On steep switchbacks in the mountains it is easy to keep the revs around 3500. We did the Rockys from about Sept - April, so it was cooler. I have pulled in Texas at 90 degrees plus and the mountains in Big Bend are near 8,000 ft though the drive is short. To sum it up, I'm very satisfied with the combination. The edge now has 55,000 and I expect to keep it about as long as I keep camping. Mileage overall is 14.5 - 15 MPG.

[disneydoc]

A very informative thread to learn, thanks

[trainman]

Originally Posted by xenokc

Thanks everyone, a lot of great info. Sounds like the Edge won't quite cut it or on the risky side. Also considering 2018 Ford Flex, which is rated 4500#. I like the Audi crossover but concerned about getting service outside metro areas.

There's nothing wrong with a little overkill when it comes to towing, I personally would want around a 5000 lbs. rated vehicle for a trailer the size of a Casita. There are plenty out there to choose from, just look at the door post and see what the manufacture has rated the GVWR at. If you don't understand the GVWR ratings there is much info on this website as others, best to know before you buy.

trainman

[oabrown]

I would agree with Justus C, we tow a 2014 Casita SD 17' with our 2015 Audi Q5 TDI. Our previous tv was a 2015 Ford Escape ecoboost. It would tow pretty well, overheat a little going over Siskiyou Pass, but the biggest problem was having to stop for gas every 100 miles. We were getting about 9-10mpg. The Audi Q has a 20gal tank, and the diesel gets about 20mpg towing. Better range, and feels like the trailer is not there...even up the steep grades. But again, just my 2 cents.

[jamwolfe1950]

2400 lb dry trailer, 3500 lb tow rating. Should work IF you pack light, get the factory towing package (including transmission oil cooling, if offered), and electric brakes (not surge brakes) on the trailer. That said, I'm not a fan of carrying everything to the limits. You're wearing things out faster and you've little or no reserve capacity in case one thing goes wrong. I've seen way too many RV-sized burned and melted asphalt areas on the shoulder of the road in the back side of nowhere. If you know you're going for the mountains and/or desert on your journeys, my recommendation would be to go for a vehicle that is rated to tow something at least 30-50% heavier than the rated GROSS weight of your trailer. My personal preference is also to go with a full-frame vehicle, distrusting the ability of modern construction to resist the twisting forces applied by a trailer. Three years ago, knowing I would be pulling the western mountains and crossing deserts, I bought a used F-250 to pull a 19' travel trailer grossing 4340 lbs. Overkill, to be sure, and terrible fuel mileage. But I never regretted the decision, and never had a moment's trouble with the combination. The question is whether you want to travel knowing your rig can handle ANY extra stresses, or do you want to travel knowing that you're on the knife's edge with no reserve to handle circumstances out of your control, like a surfeit of souvenirs, or a sudden high altitude blizzard, or a long 10% downgrade on gravel?

[Tony D]

As a new guy to fiberglass trailers I'm trying to learn here, but I get confused. The vehicle tow rating is one of many parameters that need to be considered in evaluating the tow vehicle to trailer combination. The tow vehicle power, drive train, suspension, brakes and structure all are considered when the engineering team provides tow performance capability. So far I've learned from the internet (this forum and checking out other internet info) and reading the owners manual/manufacture info that three important parameters are the tow rating of the vehicle, the cargo capacity of the vehicle and the max tongue weight of the vehicle. Another thing that should be in the assessment is the trailer weights especially the axel rating and the tongue weight. I also learned that there are other important parameters that I still don't have a feel for. Right now I believe my Outback can effectively tow the 13 foot Scamp that I have on order. (The tongue weight is tight and concerning, but I think that I can manage it.)

As an engineer I sometimes get bothered by the notion that the user can discern, I guess by using some form of Kentucky windage, what's going on electrically and mechanically. If the engineers do their jobs the design should perform the intended function acceptably over time. Parts shouldn't fail slower or operate better simply because there is a lot of margin in one parameter of concern. A reason performance numbers are provided is to help the buyer select a solution that satisfies more uses and importantly to save money. If you have a single use for a tow vehicle and have lots of money then buy a big truck. If fuel efficiency and going to the grocery store and taking the kids to their extracurricular events, and whatever are also important then you should weigh those factors into the vehicle selection. It may not tow like a truck, but it won't drive like one either. I bet if you give yourself some reasonable margin in the tow parameters, the vehicle will pull your trailer just fine.

(btw I have nothing but respect for the fine people of the bluegrass state and their inherent ability to understanding the weather by licking their finger and sticking it in the wind.)

[thrifty bill]

The problem with the ratings is you may be fine on one and over on another. Common examples are tongue weight and payload ratings. On my truck, I exceed the payload rating while I am only about 60% of tow rating. Tow ratings tend to be model specific, while payload ratings are lowered by options on you vehicle. So a Ford F-150 4 wheel drive King Ranch will tend to have a much lower payload rating then the basic F150.

In addition tongue weights on camping trailers tend to be high (13 to 15%) while tongue weight on a boat is low. So I can tow a MUCH heavier boat! Fifth wheel tongue weights are higher still.

Some people just go for double the trailers actual weight for tow rating to just make it easy. So with a 2500 pound trailer they get a vehicle with a 5000 pound tow rating. Accurate? No but this simplistic approach probably works. Me I just make sure I am within every rating (more work).

[steve dunham]

[QUOTE=Tony D;730440 If you have a single use for a tow vehicle and have lots of money then buy a big truck. If/QUOTE]

Thank you , I never realized how financially wealthy I was until I read your post .

PS ; I don’t own / drive a crossover because I don’t want / like to drive a crossover . Money never entered the picture .

[thrifty bill]

Me too. Bought my F150 because I like having a truck and bought it used because I like saving some $$.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Tony D

As a new guy to fiberglass trailers I'm trying to learn here, but I get confused. The vehicle tow rating is one of many parameters that need to be considered in evaluating the tow vehicle to trailer combination. The tow vehicle power, drive train, suspension, brakes and structure all are considered when the engineering team provides tow performance capability. So far I've learned from the internet (this forum and checking out other internet info) and reading the owners manual/manufacture info that three important parameters are the tow rating of the vehicle, the cargo capacity of the vehicle and the max tongue weight of the vehicle. Another thing that should be in the assessment is the trailer weights especially the axel rating and the tongue weight. I also learned that there are other important parameters that I still don't have a feel for. Right now I believe my Outback can effectively tow the 13 foot Scamp that I have on order. (The tongue weight is tight and concerning, but I think that I can manage it.)

As an engineer I sometimes get bothered by the notion that the user can discern, I guess by using some form of Kentucky windage, what's going on electrically and mechanically. If the engineers do their jobs the design should perform the intended function acceptably over time. Parts shouldn't fail slower or operate better simply because there is a lot of margin in one parameter of concern. A reason performance numbers are provided is to help the buyer select a solution that satisfies more uses and importantly to save money. If you have a single use for a tow vehicle and have lots of money then buy a big truck. If fuel efficiency and going to the grocery store and taking the kids to their extracurricular events, and whatever are also important then you should weigh those factors into the vehicle selection. It may not tow like a truck, but it won't drive like one either. I bet if you give yourself some reasonable margin in the tow parameters, the vehicle will pull your trailer just fine.

(btw I have nothing but respect for the fine people of the bluegrass state and their inherent ability to understanding the weather by licking their finger and sticking it in the wind.)

Without a doubt, you have just written the best commentary on this subject on this thread and beyond.
Accurate, concise, and unassailable!
Don't think for a moment it won't be attacked!

[Mike Magee]

Bill, we need pictures of those 5th wheels with tongues, LOL! I know, you meant "pin weights."