Ford Escape Automobiles Forum banner

Travel trailer towing experiences with 3rd gen Escape

13K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  galeallan 
#1 ·
Hello!

First-time poster, and honestly I haven't been reading very long here either, but I have picked through the wealth of knowledge on this particular board (off-roading, camping, towing) looking for info on towing experiences with the 2013-2018 Escape. I have found a few threads generally several years old, so I thought it would not be frowned upon to resurrect this topic.

I currently own two vehicles - a Pontiac Vibe (hatchback) and a Honda Ridgeline ("sport utility truck"). The latter I use mainly for towing my fold-down travel trailer. It is a 18' (tongue-bumper), 2100-lb dry weight Forest River Flagstaff "A-Frame."

I will soon be selling the 2006 Vibe - still highly functional but well past her prime, so I am handing-down within the family - and am trying to decide what to do next vehicle-wise. Seems the most logical move might be for me to also sell the Ridgeline, which is a 2006 with almost 200,000 miles, and buy a single vehicle that I can use as both daily driver AND tow vehicle.

But I enjoy driving a small car when I am not towing, and I am having a hard time giving that up. So my possible compromise is the smallest, most car-like SUV that could reasonably tow my trailer, and that seems to be the 2.0L Escape. I am sure someone will correct me if he/she disagrees.

So, seriously, I am looking for any new opinions and firsthand experiences others have had in towing a full-height or fold-down/pop-up travel trailer with this version of Escape - performance, stability, gas mileage, braking, adequacy of cooling system, etc. etc.

I'll greatly appreciate any input!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I have a 2017 Escape FWD with the 1.5. It is only rated for 2000 pounds. A 2.0 properly equipped is rated up to 3500 pounds.

I have put over 2500 miles on mine with a trailer behind it. Middle of the summer (110 degree ambient temps), up mountain (from 1,000 feet elevation to 7,000 feet), around town, on the interstate doing 80 mph.

While it could use some more power (which I would say the 2.0 has!), it does a great job pulling loads around 1500 pounds (I don't think I have gotten close to 2000 pounds). Gas mileage with the 1.5 took a serious hit, but I also worked at maintaining speed of those around me, I hate getting trapped in the right lane or forced into bad situations due to poking along.

I installed my own class II receiver hitch and wiring, if I did it again I would go with class III due to the available of attachments. I had hoped the smaller hitch would be less obvious, but it sits so far away from the bumper it doesn't blend at all.

a 4x8 "landscapers" trailer with a college students one bedroom worth of furniture. Hard to see I didn't get any better pictures.


same trailer full of yard debris, including an above ground pool, cinder blocks, probably close to 1500 pounds:


second to smallest covered trailer they rent, it is 2 feet taller than the smallest one, so it was easier to load. 2 apartments worth of furniture in it, this went from 1000 feet to 7000 feet in the summer.


A poor picture of it, I like the cross piece is hidden, wish it was closer to the bumper, but it is a tight fit to put the pin in it to retain the receiver, so probably best there is a gap.


If you get a 2013-2016 I have a wiring kit for it, amazon incorrectly showed the same one for my 2017, but it isn't. Wire it from the rear fuse panel don't run large gauge wire all they way to the front!
 
#3 ·
I would be weary to pull 18 foot trailer that weighs that much with the escape. The escapes have the power to pull it if equipped but you will experience alot of sway and this will get worse with crosswinds. The ridgeline is technically just a pilot unless you have upgraded suspension and such. But the weight and wheelbase of the ridgeline would make for a much better tow expierience. Most of those escape are only just over 3000lbs and a somewhat short wheelbase for towing. I have the second gen and have driven a 3rd gen and I would be inclined to say that the second or first gen escapes would make for a safer tow with a larger or heavier trailer as the new ones generally have lower profile tires, and from what I've seen, less suspension travel. If you planned it with the weather you could get by but you would easily see how the ridgeline would provide a nicer tow expierience. I'd hold on to the ridgeline and get a car or maybe try a newer ridgeline or midsize truck. I towed a 5x10 enclosed trailer that was 8 foot tall. I'm sure it weighed at least 2500 when loaded took it 8 hours from Dayton Ohio to Geneva NY and I spent most of the trip in 4th or 5th gear. The power was fine but even when loaded properly, you could really feel the weight and the wind made it that much worse.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
#4 ·
I have towed a 17 ft pop up camper with the 2014 Escape I had at the time. Had an after market hitch and wiring added prior to starting the trip. That Escape had the 2.0 L EcoBoost which has a tow capacity of 3,500 lbs. I averaged somewhere in the 15 mpg range (I am guessing but was close) for a 7,000 mile trip that included 22 US States as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. I recall that my worst mileage was in Nebraska on I-80 fighting a headwind.

The performance wasn't bad. You knew the "brick" was behind you. I didn't have any issues with overheating and this trip was in July where we had high temperatures in South Dakota and Montana in excess of 90 degrees.

I used Sport Mode when doing the downhill stints because it allowed me to manually downshift the transmission to allow for some amount of engine braking.

 
#5 ·
Thanks for mentioning that, Sport mode is very nice for towing, and manual shifting helped coming out of the mountain.

Super stable for me, since I don't have the 2.0 I don't have factory tow package with sway control, I don't know if I could wire the light kit into the factory setup and enable it or not. Didn't have any sway issues with side winds, head winds, buffeting from passing big rigs, going under overpasses.

It is a short vehicle but the rear overhang is also very short, that helps a lot. I towed with a Grand Marquis, and with 4 feet between the hitch and the rear axle made it a less than ideal tow vehicle, even with a similar chassis setup as an F150 (full frame, same engine and transmission).

I didn't plan on towing as much as I have, first time it was to help out a family friend (they would have spent over 300 bucks renting a truck for 200 dollars worth of furniture), then having a child away at college living on her own and moving every year, to clearing up the back yard without filling the dumpsters for 6 straight months (one dump load), but that is why we got a "utility" vehicle.

I know most here are anti Gen 3 and the GTDI engines and the look, but I don't see how a gen 3 would be a worse candidate to tow. Bigger rims and lower profile tires? I don't see that being a detriment, or less suspension travel, to towing.
 
#6 ·
I must have missed that you said foldable. As that at least doesn't affect the overhead wind resistance as much. And tires and suspension plays a big part in towing. If your trailer weighs 2100lb and you have 10 percent on the hitch that's about 210lb and you will squat and if you go over a bumpy road with low profile tires and have that extra weight on those rear tires, things can get squirely. A taller tire let's the tire take more of the bumps rather that taxing your suspension. However if you wont be towing much, you could get by okay. But having towed many trailers with my escape versus a pickup, I'd choose the pickup anyday for safety reasons.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
#7 ·
Thank you all for the detailed answers - very helpful.

Other questions that seemed unresolved in the few previous 3rd gen threads: Why does the 3rd gen 2.0 have a rated tow capacity of 3,500 with the factory tow package and 2,000 if the same equipment is installed aftermarket? Does the factory package include anything other than hitch, wiring, and sway control? Does it include a separate transmission cooler?

The 2013 Ford towing guide specifies the 3,500 limit using a weight-carrying hitch and nothing with a weight-distribution hitch. Do others interpret that to mean a WDH should not be used? I am assuming that if anything it is because of the weight of the hitch itself, but still, 350 lbs tongue weight capacity without WDH seems quite optimistic!

(I don't use a WDH on my Ridgeline, and though I have zero problems with sway and handling, squatting is more of a concern than it should be with that vehicle and my trailer. Granted, I have only ever estimated tongue weight and never measured it on a scale. I probably should do that this year.)
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Fridge said:
Thank you all for the detailed answers - very helpful.

Other questions that seemed unresolved in the few previous 3rd gen threads: Why does the 3rd gen 2.0 have a rated tow capacity of 3,500 with the factory tow package and 2,000 if the same equipment is installed aftermarket? Does the factory package include anything other than hitch, wiring, and sway control? Does it include a separate transmission cooler?

The 2013 Ford towing guide specifies the 3,500 limit using a weight-carrying hitch and nothing with a weight-distribution hitch. Do others interpret that to mean a WDH should not be used? I am assuming that if anything it is because of the weight of the hitch itself, but still, 350 lbs tongue weight capacity without WDH seems quite optimistic!

(I don't use a WDH on my Ridgeline, and though I have zero problems with sway and handling, squatting is more of a concern than it should be with that vehicle and my trailer. Granted, I have only ever estimated tongue weight and never measured it on a scale. I probably should do that this year.)
Here is what you are referring to. I believe that the 2,000 lb capacity is for the smaller 1.6L EcoBoost. If you look at page 23 of the 2013 towing guide, it states this with regard to weight distribution hitches:

A weight-distributing hitch is used in conjunction with a hitch platform (receiver) to distribute tongue load to all towing vehicle and trailer wheels. Required for certain Class III and all Class IV applications
The Factory Hitch and my aftermarket hitch were Class II.

Annotation 2019-03-27 073624.jpg


If you were to order a 2019 Escape with the Factory Tow Package you would get this:

Annotation 2019-03-27 074352.jpg


A Class II hitch normally has a 3,500 lb capacity. Usually, Class II hitches come with a 1 1/4" receiver. This one comes with a 2" receiver. My aftermarket hitch was a Class II hitch with a 2 " receiver.

Hope that helps.
 

Attachments

#9 ·
If you go by what Ford says in all the Gen 3 Owners Manuals, and not some towing guide page, yes, it is 3500 vs 2000 due to the availability of the sway control, which in theory you can only get with the factory installed tow package. No sway control means 1500 less rated towing capacity.




The trailer Sway Control has been found in Forscan, and it can be enabled, and it likely already has all the software and hardware with the vehicles stability control, but I don't know how to trigger it knowing there is a trailer connected, I assume it sees a load on the trailer lighting somehow, so it might require some wiring magic.
 
#11 ·
I know this is an old thread, but hey, somebody may come looking for info on this subject so I might as well add mine.

I towed a 17' travel trailer with my 2013 Escape w/ 2.4L Ecoboost. This was not a tent trailer or a collapsible trailer, this was a full size travel trailer, with kitchen, bed & bath; wet weight is ~2100 lbs. I towed the same trailer with my 2008 Escape w/ 3.0L V6 prior to getting the 2013. The Ecoboost had really good power, more than the V6, but what it was severely lacking in was cooling capacity. Whenever we hit a grade it had good power for pulling the grade, but the temp gauge would start climbing up. I had to keep an eye on the temp gauge and lift out of the throttle when it started to climb. All the way up the grade, however long it was, I had to constantly watch the temp gauge and feather the throttle between losing forward momentum and running it too hot. If the temp got to a preset point the engine controller overrides the throttle and restricts the power output of the engine; and it overrides the shift lever as well and will not allow downshifting; and it stays like that until you shut off and re-start the engine. That clears whatever code is initiated by the temperature and it will drive normal again until the next time the system is triggered.

What was more frustrating to me than having the power restricted, I could deal with that, it was the restriction from selecting a lower gear range that really bothered me. If you could drop down a gear range it would ease the load on the engine, so this feature made no sense at all.

I checked with Ford on this, and they actually did a few checks on it to start with, but then the Service Manager at the dealership got really pissy about the whole thing and refused to help me with it. Calling Ford directly got me nowhere. The problem was that I didn't order the tow package with the car. Since I didn't order the tow package they claimed the tow rating of the car was only 1500 #'s, and I was exceeding that, so tough luck, piss off is pretty much what they told me. I countered that all the tow package included was the receiver, the wiring harness, and a computer program to help with sway control. None of that had anything to do with cooling; but my complaints were to no avail and Ford drop kicked me to the curb.

When that car came off lease I let it go, I still have the 2008 Escape and still tow with it, with none of the cooling/overheating problems of the 2013 model.
 
#14 ·
Here's some photos of the rig. Other than the overheating issue the car handled the trailer very well, plenty of power and never a problem with sway at all. I even stopped using the anti-sway bar I had purchased for the load leveling hitch, because I never needed it, and it was a hassle when trying to back up (you have to stop and remove the bar before backing and turning).

This is on the east side of the Cascades in WA, getting ready to head up over those mountains.

This is the view from the top, looking back down to where that previous shot was taken.

This was at a campground among the redwoods along the northern CA coast.

Side view. The load leveling hitch makes it so there is no sag of the rear suspension at all; the load is distributed evenly across both axles.
 
#16 ·
It's too bad Ford didn't want to work with me to address the cooling problem, if they worked that out I think they could have a hit with these for those who prefer to do their RV'ing on the small side. It really was a great package. I assume it was just an issue of a too small radiator. If you recall, back in 2013 there was a recall for the models with the electronically controlled grill vents. The vents were kept closed for improved aerodynamics unless they were needed to be open for cooling. There were a lot of overheating problems, so the cure was simply to fix the vents to remain open all the time. Pretty cheesy cure if you ask me. So they knew they had some cooling issues with this car, but under the vast majority of the time they never materialize, because the cars are not pushed that hard. As I see it, they advertised and sold a car w/ what was it, 247 horsepower? Something like that. Unfortunately, if you tried to use all that power for any kind of sustained time the cooling system was unable to keep up and the car would over heat. It was a design flaw, and Ford chose to ignore it rather than address it.

Anyway, that car is down the road, but I still have my 2008 model and prefer it anyway. I like the less street oriented ride, the more "truck-like" seating position. It has fewer creature comforts, but I can deal with that. But then, I'm kind of an old school guy. I think they made a huge mistake with the direction they took the Escape in 2013, and I said so at the time. Now 8 years later they come back around and produce with the Bronco exactly what they should've done in 2013.
 
#18 ·
Hello! First-time poster, and honestly I haven't been reading very long here either, but I have picked through the wealth of knowledge on this particular board (off-roading, camping, towing) looking for info on towing experiences with the 2013-2018 Escape. I have found a few threads generally several years old, so I thought it would not be frowned upon to resurrect this topic. I currently own two vehicles - a Pontiac Vibe (hatchback) and a Honda Ridgeline ("sport utility truck"). The latter I use mainly for towing my fold-down travel trailer. It is a 18' (tongue-bumper), 2100-lb dry weight Forest River Flagstaff "A-Frame." I will soon be selling the 2006 Vibe - still highly functional but well past her prime, so I am handing-down within the family - and am trying to decide what to do next vehicle-wise. Seems the most logical move might be for me to also sell the Ridgeline, which is a 2006 with almost 200,000 miles, and buy a single vehicle that I can use as both daily driver AND tow vehicle. But I enjoy driving a small car when I am not towing, and I am having a hard time giving that up. So my possible compromise is the smallest, most car-like SUV that could reasonably tow my trailer, and that seems to be the 2.0L Escape. I am sure someone will correct me if he/she disagrees. So, seriously, I am looking for any new opinions and firsthand experiences others have had in towing a full-height or fold-down/pop-up travel trailer with this version of Escape - performance, stability, gas mileage, braking, adequacy of cooling system, etc. etc. I'll greatly appreciate any input!
My son pulls a 2000# popup no brakes with his 2013 Escape. 5 passengers and luggage. He says it pulls very nice hardly knows its there. I have seen another 2013+ Escape pulling a big boat and another a popup with slide out. I plan to pull my 2950# fully loaded popup with electric brakes using my 2019 Escape . Reviewing torque and horsepower with its added gears I expect it to work great and better than my years ago Grand Marquis station wagon pulling the 2000# camper.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top