2015 Ford Escape Brake Controller

[RogueIT]

We have purchased a 13' Scamp and currently upgrading the car to a 2015 Ford Escape for towing. Scamp suggested installing the Primus®IQ brake controller from Tekonsha but according to the 2015 ESCAPE Trailer Towing Selector:

Electric-Over-Hydraulic (EOH) Trailer Brakes are operated by an electrically powered pump that pressurizes a hydraulic fluid reservoir built into the trailer’s brake system. Many of the available EOH trailer brake models are compatible with Ford’s factory installed, dash-integrated Trailer Brake Controller (TBC).

So do I still need the brake controller?

Thanks,
Rogue

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by RogueIT

...Ford’s factory installed, dash-integrated Trailer Brake Controller (TBC)...

Scamp likely knows nothing about the TBC so get ye to a Ford dealer for advice. (And if possible get that advice in writing since so many dealers are also clueless).

[Jon in AZ]

Scamp's brakes are electric, not hydraulic, so we're not talking EOH here. I agree that you should talk to Ford, not Scamp, but make sure the dealer knows your trailer is equipped with electric brakes, not hydraulic.

This is the first I've heard of a factory integrated brake controller in a smaller vehicle, so I hope you'll report back with your findings.

[RogueIT]

https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/...cape_sep30.pdf

[rdickens]

We have a 2014 Ford Escape 2.0L Ecoboost with factory towing package and a Scamp13.

We adapted the Ford-supplied 4-pin trailer connector to the needed 7-pin round + 4-pin flat connector with a Hopkins Multitow and ran a 12v hot wire up to the engine compartment.

Due to the shape of the cockpit and the location of air bags, it was difficult to find a traditional in-cabin mounting spot for many brake controllers. IIRC, the Primus IQ might be a two piece setup that might be easier to mount? Ask the folks at Etrailer.com for their recommendation.

We went with the Tekonsha Prodigy RF brake controller that is mounted on the trailer tongue.
There is a small in-cabin module that plugs into the 12v cigarette lighter socket.

Good luck! 😊

Ray


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[Terry G]

I seriously doubt if your local Ford dealer knows much about trailer brake systems since the factory towing package on a Ford Escape comes with a 4 pin connector. (I have a 2016.) You need a 7 pin for electric brakes. Instead, you need to go to company that installs hitches like a RV dealer or a good U-Haul. I'm not sure where you can get recommendations where you live but hopefully there should be someplace good in your area.

[Jon in AZ]

Scott, the link in post #4 makes it clear Ford does not offer an integrated brake controller on the Escape. They don't even offer the wiring to power the brake via a 7-pin connector. The factory 4-pin only powers running lights. So you're starting from scratch in terms of brakes.

That means you will need a brake controller and wiring upgrade. There are two kinds: hard-wired and wireless. Scamp seems to be recommending the wireless type, possibly because your vehicle lacks the factory-integrated wiring.

EDIT- The IQ recommended by Scamp is a hard-wired type intended for off-level installation. The RF is a wireless unit. Ray is correct.

[RogerDat]

many good auto garages can do 7 pin trailer plug installs, if you know a person who has a horse trailer they may be able to suggest a good trailer place. Kentucky does have a horse community as I recall and large horse trailers will have brakes.

U-Haul shops may have a service department.

Vehicles such as large SUV's or Pickups come with a built in plug to plug in the brake controller and rest of 7 pin plug. Ford Escape only has the basic 4 pin plug built in at the rear and that only gives you trailer lights.

You need a wire for your brake controller and ideally one to charge your trailer battery for the lights and water pump etc. while you drive.

This page has a chart that shows the features of each plug type going from 4 pin to 7 pin. https://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx

Bottom of this page there is a video "Trailer Wiring Harness Installation" shows what they will have to hook up and what it does, very informative. I used 2005 Escape but the tasks are the same whenever the vehicle is set up for 4 pin but you have a 7 pin camper with more features.
https://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-...id=20051171830

There is a second video that shows installation on a "Tow Ready Custom Fit...." which is a vehicle that comes from the dealer with all the hookups plug and play for a 7 pin trailer. eTrailer sells pre-made wiring with plugs for those, or kits for the other.

One tip buy your brake controller online, eTrailer has them at good prices, maybe others but if you buy one at the U-Haul or trailer shop the markup is extreme and they probably don't have the latest models. Our U-Haul shop could order the good Tekonsha but price was crazy high for the part.

Wiring and installing the controller bracket is about $100 to $150 around here. But that varies a lot by region and even shops in the area. Does pay to shop around a bit, or ask some folks with trailers where they go for that trailer stuff. I was quoted prices as high as $250.

I also found this directions with pictures https://www.etrailer.com/faq-install...m-scratch.aspx

And this on the recommended controller, which by the way is a nice one. Page has a lot of brake controller information https://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Contr...a/TK90160.html

Even if you don't plan on doing it yourself knowing what they need to do and what it provides is useful.

Last thought don't let anyone talk you into a time delay controller you want proportional. U-Haul and my trailer repair place both do mostly time delay but they are mostly doing commercial use and install time delay for it's simplicity.

Proportional controller uses movement sensor like in a smart phone to detect how much the vehicle is slowing down and apply a matching amount of braking to the tow vehicle. Brake gentle and trailer brakes are gentle, brake hard and trailer brakes are stronger. Time delay controller just provides an adjustable delay time, this allows the vehicle slower acting hydraulic brakes to start braking before the trailer electric brakes go into a pre-set amount of braking. Electric current in wire of trailer brakes acts faster than hydraulic fluid in tow vehicle brakes so the delay avoids trailer braking before tow vehicle.

Funny true story, time delay brake controller wired into brake lights so brake lights go on brakes go on, it works ok until.... Guy couldn't figure out why going up steep hills with his 4 way flashers on made his trailer keep braking in short bursts repeatedly..... flash - brake, flash - brake, flash - brake all the way up the hill.


His controller should have been wired to the brake pedal switch but someone took the short cut of just connecting to brake lights at the back and that surge of braking every time the tail light flashed was the result

[Raz]

The tough nut in installing a brake controller is picking up the brake light signal. While the brake switch at the pedal is the logical place to pick up the signal, it's tough to even see the switch in most vehicles today yet alone tie into it. A trip to the dealer service dept. might yield other locations were the wire can be more easily accessed. When I did my Tundra I found the correct wire behind a panel below the drivers door. Be aware, cutting the wire that controls your stop lights is not for the faint of heart

[ravensrest]

We have a 2013 Ford Escape, and had a Tekonsha Primus IQ (90160), extra wiring, and 7-pin RV connector installed by a local hitch specialty shop, the same one used by our Ford Dealer. We had the same model in our Ford Transit Connect. In both cases the controller worked perfectly.
BS

[rdickens]

I definitely second the recommendation of a proportional brake controller.

When our trailer-mounted Prodigy RF controller sees the brake lights voltage come on,
it senses the amount of braking deceleration that is needed (if any at all) and applies the trailer brakes accordingly/proportionally.

If you forget to plug in the cabin-mounted RF module into the 12v outlet, the trailer-mounted Prodigy RF controller "remembers" it's last braking force setting and still applies the trailer brakes. Without the cabin-mounted RF controller operating, I think that you simply lose the ability to apply the trailer brakes independently (for sway control situations) or to change the settings on the trailer-mounted controller.

The Hopkins MultiTow plugs directly into the Ford-supplied 4-pin connector and provides both a 4-pin output connector and the needed 7-pin round connector.

By using the MultiTow and Prodigy RF controller together, we avoided any cutting/tapping into the vehicle wiring harness. To charge the trailer battery while hooked up, you do still have to run a 12v "hot wire" from the engine compartment to the correct pin on the 7-way round connector.

As always, every vehicle/trailer/situation may be different and YMMV. 😉

Good luck and safe travels! 😊

Ray


Sent from my iPad using Fiberglass RV

[CaptRichie]

I have a 2014 Ford Escape 2.0L with factory tow package. The Ford factory tow package is not equipped with a 7 pin plug required for electric brakes. I went to my Ford dealer and found out that they sub out aftermarket add on's. I went to a local well respected RV Outfitter and they recommended a REESE Proportional Controller, there is very little space to mount the controller on a Ford Escape. They mounted the brake controller to the left of the steering column in a position where I can change the settings while I am driving. I have used the brake controller and am satisfied with the REESE product.

[RogueIT]

I wanted to take a moment and say thank you to everyone that replied. We are just getting started and have more confidance than knowlege at this point and any information that is offered, is welcomed.
We were looking at the Escape until we saw the Frontal Area upper limits and have moved on to a different car. It sounds like no one is having an issue towing their scamp with the Escape, but since we have to upgrade anyway. We might as well upgrade to something that clears all the bars. Since the Escape has a upper limit of 30 sq ft and the scamp seems to take up around 45 sq ft, we have chosen to look at a Mazda CX-9 V6 AWD.

This was my introduction to the community and you all were really accommodating. Thanks again and I look forward to getting to know you all better...and meeting some of you all on the road.

Rogue

[rdickens]

Scott,

I think that looking at other tow vehicles is certainly OK but, if you do it,
I would suggest doing it for reasons other than frontal area rating.

Frontal area concerns are speed related. At 30 miles per hour, frontal area is hardly any concern at all with any trailer. At 70+ mph, frontal area and trailer shape become a more serious problem. Box-shaped trailers try to push air with a flat front end and also create a large suction at the rear of the trailer with a flat back end. Rounded cornered trailers and pointed-nose trailers do much better. If you are willing to slow down about 5 mph, frontal area is less
of a concern.

IIRC, "air resistance" at higher speeds goes up exponentially (or at least
nearly so) with increases in speed. Remember when dependence on foreign oil was a huge concern and they set the interstate speed limits at 55mph. Although many people didn't like it, there was a reason for that.

I would suggest looking for a tow vehicle with high reliability and high
torque at towing RPM. Diesel engines and turbocharged engines shine
in the high torque at low rpm department.

The Ford 2.0L Ecoboost engine is a tubocharged engine that produces
270 lb-ft of torque at 3000 rpm. Most of that torque is available by 2000
rpm. In 6th gear my Escape is turning at ~1750 rpm at 60 mph. In 5th
gear it is turning at about 2250 rpm at 60 mph.

When you are towing at a steady pace (even up a steep grade or into
a headwind), torque is the most important factor.

When are trying to rapidly accelerate (on an "on ramp" or to pass another vehicle), then horsepower becomes the most important factor.

Our 2011 Honda CRV needed to be turning at about 3500 rpm (D3 transmission setting) in order to produce enough torque to pull our Scamp13. It always sounded to my wife like the motor was "racing".

If you search the forum, you will find many (sometimes spirited) discussions about various tow vehicle choices.

There are now a number of "Eco-diesel" choices of around 3.0L and
a fair number of turbocharged engines in various brands.

As always, anything above could be wrong and I would urge you
to do your own research and form your own opinion.
And, of course, .... YMMV.

Good luck and happy tow vehicle hunting!

Ray

[Jon in AZ]

I agree that considering alternatives is fine, but I'm also of the opinion that the Escape will do fine with a 13' Scamp.

Aerodynamic resistance is proportional to the square of speed (twice the speed equals four times the aerodynamic drag). Since a lot of towing happens at highway speeds, frontal area does matter, but it's not a simple on-off condition. The vehicle doesn't instantly self-destruct if you exceed the frontal area limit. At highways speeds a higher profile does mean there will be additional drag, much as if you were towing a heavier trailer. When you slow down, as while climbing a grade, the effect lessens.

Aerodynamic resistance is also related to shape, as measured by the coefficient of drag. A rounded shape has a lower c.d. than a box.

If you were going to pull a boxy trailer right at the 3500 pound limit, then I'd say the excess frontal area might tip you over into the danger zone. But we're talking about a fairly aerodynamic trailer that only weighs about half your tow rating.

If you like the Mazda better, fine. But I don't see it as a significant or necessary upgrade. It has the same 3500 pound tow rating, the same 4-pin-only factory wiring, and V6 versus turbo-4… well, that's debatable. It's a heavier vehicle as well. Interestingly, starting 2016, Mazda switched to a 2.5L turbo-4 in the CX-9, still rated 3500 pounds.

I also agree about reliability. I don't know much about either of the vehicles you've mentioned, but it would be worth checking into.

[Jon in AZ]

One more tidbit about frontal area... The new SAE towing standards used by most manufacturers recently only require testing with a low profile trailer. So, in theory at least, all current tow ratings only apply to low profile trailers. The frontal area test spec depends on weight, but all are less than a typical travel trailer in the same weight class.

[GirlGone]

Well ~ This is the only thread that has got me thinking I'll be OK !!
I'm on the verge of buying the 13' front bath Scamp-
What tow vehicle is the only thing stopping me.
I really want the Ford Escape 2.0 Eco . Having heard from so many, it's 50/50 as to whether that would be adequate .

[sokhapkin]

Ford Escape 2.0 Ecoboost is more than adequate for 13' Scamp. Believe me. I use FE 2.0 Eco as a daily driver. It is more powerful and has better brakes than Mercury Grand Marquise (Ford Crown Victoria) I used to tow my Scamp 16'.

[alan H]

Just keep in mind
The tow vehicle must also stop the trailer
If buying new get brakes on your trailer you will not regret it



Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by GirlGone

Well ~ This is the only thread that has got me thinking I'll be OK !!
I'm on the verge of buying the 13' front bath Scamp-
What tow vehicle is the only thing stopping me.
I really want the Ford Escape 2.0 Eco . Having heard from so many, it's 50/50 as to whether that would be adequate .

Some of the information posted on another thread in which you participated is just plain incorrect. I believe they were confusing the new Ecoboost engines with older 4 cylinder Escapes. Ford's literature indicates the 2.0L Ecoboost with tow package is rated for 3500 pounds. A Scamp 13 with front bath weighs around 1900 pounds fully loaded for travel.

I addressed the frontal area restriction in an earlier post. That is not just an issue with Ford, but with any manufacturer who tests to the new SAE J2807 Towing Standard, which only requires a low profile trailer (click to enlarge):

Note that a vehicle with a 3500 pound tow rating only has to meet the performance standards with a 30 sf trailer (row C in the chart). Ford's literature reflects that fact.

Given that you have plenty of margin, you will be fine. Several people on this thread are towing Scamp 13's with the 2.0L Ecoboost. You would do well to downshift and slow down on long grades, but I do the same with my non-turbo V6, and my Scamp is lighter than yours.