Thought I'd start the thread with a picture of our 09' FE Hybrid towing our 18' boat! Just bought the boat last year. Many of you must tow with your Escape.... show us some pics of what you tow!
Those ATVs are about 450 lbs wet, and I think the trailer is about 600, so maybe 1500?Jeff88 said:How many pounds are you guys pulling?
Our FEH is rated at only 1000 pounds towing capacity, because reverse is only in electric. Otherwise, it is all the same as the regular escape. Our boat and trailer weighs over 2000 pounds... and we only have to tow it to the lake twice a year, as we have our own boat lift on the water. It seems to handle it just fine, you can actually barely tell its back there!Jeff88 said:How many pounds are you guys pulling?
MPG definitely decreases. As to be expected in any vehicle while towing... just go slower than usual and don't try to accelerate as quickly as everyone else. It'll save you gas in the end!money_man said:BUMP!!!
im glad you guys made this thread, I've been nervous about getting a hitch and towing a 2002 Honda foreman 450, but this seems like an easy task compared to some of the stuff you guys have been towing. How big of a mpg hit did you notice?
The hitch on our E Hybrid was installed at a local hitch dealer. There is a 'Class II' and 'Class III' hitch typically. The hitch which the Escape comes with from factory, if the trailer package was opted for, is the Class II, which is a smaller diameter tubing and has essentially a lower tongue weight (the weight pushing down directly on the hitch ball). If just towing an ATV, depending on the weight, it is up to you whether you want a Class II or Class III. We paid a little extra and had a Curt (best hitch brand, by far) Class III hitch put on our E because it just made more sense. Though it wasn't technically necessary, bigger is always better. We tow a boat which weighs over 2000 lbs! If you have any questions lemme know Slkenda eace:slkenda said:I was also thinking of buying a hitch for my E. Now I'm not so good with this automotive stuff so I was just wondering, did you guys put in your own or using the O.E. one? Also, if I was to tow a trailer with a quad or snowmobile which one would you recommend getting, do some hitches have different tow ratings? (is that such a thing?)
I know that factory spec numbers are always conservative, but 2000 lbs is capable on the Hybrid even though it is only rated for 1500? (obviously with a class III hitch, not a class II.)Rascie said:We tow a boat which weighs over 2000 lbs! If you have any questions lemme know
From my understanding by talking to dealers and Ford is that the towing capabilities are limited because of the reverse gear. Reverse is in electric only, so obviously they do not want you to back more than 1000 lbs backwards up a hill. Therefore, it is not a matter of the vehicles size and handling which differs between Hybrid and the normal escape, it is strictly power. I can totally understand, for obvious reasons, why Ford wouldn't want to 'Guarantee' the Hybrid to tow more than 1000 lbs. Tow ratings literally mean that your vehicle can tow 1000 lbs at any grade for any amount of time in even the hottest of weather without stopping, without damaging anything. We only tow our boat a few city blocks to the ramp once a year, where it stays. In our situation, the escape serves perfectly adequate for this minor task - and we don't put any stress on the vehicle.Jeff88 said:I know that factory spec numbers are always conservative, but 2000 lbs is capable on the Hybrid even though it is only rated for 1500? (obviously with a class III hitch, not a class II.)Rascie said:We tow a boat which weighs over 2000 lbs! If you have any questions lemme know
OK, thanks for the clarification. So if I don't plan on going backwards while towing, I can carry a larger load. I'm guessing still not at the load rating of a non-hybrid model, since they have more HP and the Otto engine?Rascie said:From my understanding by talking to dealers and Ford is that the towing capabilities are limited because of the reverse gear. Reverse is in electric only, so obviously they do not want you to back more than 1000 lbs backwards up a hill. Therefore, it is not a matter of the vehicles size and handling which differs between Hybrid and the normal escape, it is strictly power. I can totally understand, for obvious reasons, why Ford wouldn't want to 'Guarantee' the Hybrid to tow more than 1000 lbs. Tow ratings literally mean that your vehicle can tow 1000 lbs at any grade for any amount of time in even the hottest of weather without stopping, without damaging anything. We only tow our boat a few city blocks to the ramp once a year, where it stays. In our situation, the escape serves perfectly adequate for this minor task - and we don't put any stress on the vehicle.
No worries. As the Hybrid is only rated at 1000 lbs towing capacity, if you choose to tow over that amount, your warranty will not cover something related to the towing if you blow something up. If your warranty is already outdated, then doesn't really make much difference does it? We choose to tow more, and know the risk. There is no way of the engine powering you in reverse, as there is literally no reverse gear for the gasoline engine.Jeff88 said:OK, thanks for the clarification. So if I don't plan on going backwards while towing, I can carry a larger load. I'm guessing still not at the load rating of a non-hybrid model, since they have more HP and the Otto engine?Rascie said:From my understanding by talking to dealers and Ford is that the towing capabilities are limited because of the reverse gear. Reverse is in electric only, so obviously they do not want you to back more than 1000 lbs backwards up a hill. Therefore, it is not a matter of the vehicles size and handling which differs between Hybrid and the normal escape, it is strictly power. I can totally understand, for obvious reasons, why Ford wouldn't want to 'Guarantee' the Hybrid to tow more than 1000 lbs. Tow ratings literally mean that your vehicle can tow 1000 lbs at any grade for any amount of time in even the hottest of weather without stopping, without damaging anything. We only tow our boat a few city blocks to the ramp once a year, where it stays. In our situation, the escape serves perfectly adequate for this minor task - and we don't put any stress on the vehicle.
As a side note, I wonder if there is a way to make a switch/button to force the engine on in reverse, then turn s/b off for normal use.
Is that because CVT transmissions cannot go in reverse or is that a Ford design?Rascie said:There is no way of the engine powering you in reverse, as there is literally no reverse gear for the gasoline engine.
To be honest with ya, I have no idea!! All I know is the CVT is running on a belt system, and since it never changes gears... it may not be able to go in reverse? Or else Ford just chose not to bother with the extra cost, as the electric was sufficient for reverse.Jeff88 said:Is that because CVT transmissions cannot go in reverse or is that a Ford design?Rascie said:There is no way of the engine powering you in reverse, as there is literally no reverse gear for the gasoline engine.