Here is a question out there for those who are more familar...would the 1,000lbs that they reccomend assume the FEH is carrying cargo and 4 adults? Traveling with 2 adults and limited cargo would easily bring that amount down...

I guess the crux of the whole deal is that you can tow more...however you need to go slow, monitor your RPMs, and...well...what else?

Thanks for all the ideas!

 

55 mph road speed plus 35 MPH headwind means your FEH is doing the same work as driving 90 MPH! At 90, I would be near red-line without a trailer!
Sounds totally normal.
I run in the Mountains with ski rack and ski gear, and run 4000+ RPM for like 30 minutes at a time going uphill. No joke. And yes, this car is designed for it!

 

Does the scangauge have any engine/trannny temp functions? If I was planning on towing any distance at all I'd definently purchase one to moniter temperatures.

FWIW...I did open the hood at each Rest Area stop...no funky smells...engine did not seem any "hotter" than normal. In the past, every Ford I've actually owned ran cold.

In any case...I would think the towing strain on CVT would be less than a conventional tranny. No gear hunting or lugging like a conventional tranny.

Nate

 

Yes. The SG will show constant engine temperature readings, but not transmission. I use the water temp. one daily. Very helpful on long mountain grades as I drive with cardboard blocking the front grille. Normal is 186'F. Once or twice I exceeded 200'F on those hills with the radiator blocked of nearly all air flow. I just dropped speed ( and RPM ) and water temp droped to 190'F quickly... in like 30 seconds in fact.

 

Why do you block the radiator?

 

It is mostly for keeping the engine hot in city driving.
Even in sub-freezing weather, I like to use EV as much as I can.
One parameter is the water temp. must be 140+ to enter EV mode.

It is very difficult to keep the engine over 140 in winter!

Much to my surprize, this method of blocking the front grille does not make the car over-heat... even in near 60 degree weather!

 

Strictly speaking, the answer is no. There is an extensive discussion in the owners manual on GVWR and the like that explains it. Now the good news is that in the real world, the V6 version of the Escape will tow about 3000lbs if memory serves me. That would imply that structurally the unibody and suspension are up to the task. I believe the 1000lb limit is simply a matter of protecting the drivetrain from any risk of damage.

I have a tent trailer with an empty weight of 990lb. Of course it weighs more than that when it's setup but I just towed it to the RV service place today and barely noticed it was there.

 

Also keep in mind this was Ford's first hybrid ever... also, the first hybrid in the world that was even rated for towing in the first place. It is no surprize that the ratings are on the conservative, if not very conservative side.
-John

 

I had the same issue with my Suzuki sidekick. Instead of using cardboard, I use a stainless cookie sheet. I rigged it so I could easy put it in/out. Works very well.