Possible Tow Vehicle

butterflygypsy

Hi, All.  I'm looking to join the T@b  family soon.  Could any of you tell me what you tow your T@b Max S with and your experience doing so.  I'd really like to purchase another Ford Escape.  I just left an RV show & fell in love with the T@b.   Really hoping I can make it work with a small SUV.  Thanks in advance. 

John_and_Kris

Looks like the Escape with the 2.o Eco Boost and tow package (3,500lbs towing ))should do the trick. Make sure that you have a 7pin on the Escape so a brake controller will work

jgram2

Butterflygypsy-if you haven't already, look in the column to the right-there's a Tow Vehicle Category with lots of discussion.  It helped us decide to get a 4Runner. And as John_and_Kris included, look for the factory tow package, having that gave us more confidence. Welcome from a newbie./Judi 

JandJ92010

What ever tow vehicle you choose, make sure it has the tow package. It is a must have.

butterflygypsy

Thanks, Everyone! 

butterflygypsy

@Twojgrams, the info you reference doesn't show on my phone.  I see it now on my tablet.  Thanks again.  

jgram2

Butterflygypsy - I hope you have better luck juggling the phone and the tablet than I do. I take photos on my phone, email them to myself, save them to my tablet photo file, try to use the Crop Size app and then insert them into a comment! Should just take photos with the tablet, but, but, but.

manny

butterflyflygypsy...  I had a 2008 Honda ridgeline  Just got a 2016 Honda pilot  3500 LB towing cap.  plenty of pwr and torque...   2017 T@B max CS-S...  good luck with  your  shopping and camping

mash2

Have escape 2.0 ecoboost.  If you get the larger engine with the tow package, it is rated for 3,500 pounds, plenty for the T@B.  I sswitched from a Suburu Forester (2012) which was rated for 2,400 and felt that it wasn't sufficient for some circumstances, but the Escape has been fine...

lapowers57

I bought a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V6 and 280 hp.  It has the factory tow package and is rated to 6200 lbs.  It is very comfortable pulling the T@B even when we have all of our toys with us.  All of my trips this year took me through the Green Mountains of Vermont with fairly steep grades.  My old Ford Explorer with 3100 lb tow capacity was working very hard when we were fully loaded.  The Jeep is also averaging about 3 mpg higher then the Ford.

Slange

butterflygypsy, we have a 2015 4WD Escape rated at 3500 lbs factory towing.  No issues with power or stability when towing over PA or WV mountains.  They do not come with a 7 pin connector but the dealer was able to convert.  Only issue we have had is fuel range.  The mileage drop is pretty substantial so we need to be careful to refuel frequently if we are traveling in more remote areas.  Wish it had a larger fuel tank!  We picked up the new Escape the day before picking up the T@B and have probably towed it over 4000 miles so far.  Escape is a great vehicle as a daily driver so I would suggest do it and get out there and camp!

butterflygypsy

You all rock!!!  Thanks for the help!

Lil_Lucy

butterflygypsy...
When we saw our first T@B and fell in love with it, we were driving a 2016 Ford Escape but it had the 1.4 EcoBoost engine and no tow package. The towing capacity of that engine is only rated at 2000 lbs. We decided to trade that in for the 2.0 EcoBoost engine and the factory installed tow package (3500 lbs towing capacity).
One word of caution. The factory installed hitch comes standard with a 4-pin connector and you will need the 7-pin connector for your trailer. See if you can get that converted by your Ford Dealer. Our Escape developed some electrical problems and when we took it back to the dealer, they said that since it was an aftermarket pin connector installed by someone else, our warranty regarding any wiring connected with the hitch is void.
As far as towing with the Escape, We have made 2 trips from Michigan to Oregon towing "Lil_Lucy". We traveled through steep mountains and encountered 50 mile an hour wind gusts through the plains states and never had any problems.

jcfaber1

I am a great fan of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.  We too have the 6 cylinder engine.  It works great.  We looked at the Ford Escape but felt the Jeep is a must better value.  Greater towing capacity, automatic rear suspension leveling, larger cooling and charging capacity.  They had similar price points.  This is a personal preference so one size does not fit all.  One factor almost all of us will agree with is that the factory tow package is much more than a hitch.  If a dealer says that they can add it later they are just interested in selling you a car without really listening to your needs.
John

sherndon1

We use a 2014 BMW X1 to tow the T@B max.  It pulls like a champ no problem - only down side is poor MPG.

Cyclonic

I tow with a 2012 Escape with the 2.4L V6, last you they made that combo.  It tows very well, even up through the mountains.  With the newer models, as others have stated, if you get the 2.0 Ecoboost with the factory tow package you should be good to go.  It is a great daily driver and has very good MPG when not towing.  The only thing I would like would be a larger fuel tank, mine has 17.5 gallons, and it feels like I am always stopping for fuel.