QS10.0 secondary tow vehicle questions

[kevbec27606]

[quote timestamp="1459088756" author="@rob" source="/post/19941/thread"][quote timestamp="1458839629" author="@kevbec27606" source="/post/19852/thread"]wear on the drive train and brakes are my big concerns.

I have seen a post that says the Madza 3 GT has a 1500lbs towing capacity.

https://rideapart.com/articles/top-five-small-and-inexpensive-cars-that-can-towhaul

don't know how accurate that site is.

My wife wants a small car.  I know the Prius couldn't handle towing a canoe.  On top of that, I never really liked the darn thing very much.[/quote]That site appears to be using European stats and capacities.

My Vibe (2.4 manual), according to the owners manual, is rated for 1500 lbs.  That amount is calculated assuming no payload, no passengers in the car.  My car is at its limit when I load up for a family weekend trip.......................i know because I can feel it.

My suggestion for a vehicle would be a mid-sized SUV, rated for 2,000 lbs.................................and get that info from a North American web site. [/quote]

[gnies]

We've towed our 2010 QS 8.1 since she was brand new with a 2007 Ford Escape with the 3-liter six. We towed literally thousands of miles. We towed in mountains, once over 10,000 feet. One single road trip we did 16,000 miles, 16 states, 30 camps. The little Escape did it all without breathing hard (geared down of course, uphill and down). Beyond regrettably, a few weeks ago the car found a patch of ice under snow and raced off to hug the nearest tree (a tree she didn't even know f'cryin' out loud) and got herself totaled by the insurance company (doesn't take much with a 9 year old car). 

We will resume towing duties with a 2015 Ford Escape, with the 4-cyl 2.0 Ecoboost because it is indeed, as David points out, the only 4-cylinder that Ford will even put a hitch on, which was why we chose the car. I believe the 2015 Escape is on a Fusion chassis and the 6-cyl is no longer even an option.

At this point of course I cannot tell you anything about how the whole rig works together. The trailer hooked behind the 2007 Escape was an absolute dream combination which we fully expected to continue until I could no longer handle it, but stuff happens, so we will see. The new car is TERRIFIC without the trailer, lots of pep, great acceleration, a four that feels like a six but with great gas mileage (averaging about 28). I've always been a conservative driver, and while the dealer was a little nervous about us towing up to 1,500 pounds with a 2015, he was actually surprised that we got away with it with the 2007, so there's that.

I will try to remember to report back once we start towing. It's snowing today here so it may be a while...           
[a href="https://flic.kr/p/8GbDqJ"]
[img style="max-width:100%;" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4127/5049234238_f2b19bbc81_z.jpg"][/a][a href="https://flic.kr/p/8GbDqJ"]Daisy and Rose at Lost Trail Pass[/a] by [a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43619751@N06/"]Chuck Haacker[/a], on Flickr

And this is Daisy Too, complete with so-far-untested-hitch... Oh, did the color have anything to do with the choice? Ummmm...  
[a href="https://flic.kr/p/FvAK8F"]

[whoofit]

Chuck must be delighted with his Escape w/2.0 Ecoboost and Rose combo. Like Paul, we can tow our 16DB with a light load pretty well in mild temps. The towing cap is 3500 lbs with, if I recall correctly, ~30 sq/ft of frontal area. Rose must go like never before...like she found a younger man now.

To David's point, in the heat of the summer and any decent grade at highway speeds we need to turn the A/C off or the wind resistance of the 16DB, grade and ambient temp causes the engine go into reduced power protection mode. Then it is a white knuckle ride. It only happened a few times, once in coal country, PA, but the 16DB is the max limit and at the towing capacity with z-e-r-o safety margin.

The Escape does handle the load well with very little squat at 330lbs tongue weight. We are very surprised by it capabilities. Ford smacks Eco-Homers lately in their product line

[chuck893]

[quote timestamp="1461111741" source="/post/20688/thread" author="@paul"][a href="https://flic.kr/p/FvAK8F"]

[chuck893]

I promised that I would report on how our 8.1 towed behind our new (to us) 2015 Ford Escape with the 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, as opposed to our unfortunately deceased 2007 Ford Escape with the big 3-liter 6-cylinder engine.

[font size="4"]THE RIG IS A DREAM! Better than before!    [/font]

We went to visit "Our Kidz" in Michigan, a 1,071 mile round trip. The car's onboard computer said we averaged 22.2 mpg average, which includes all visiting and touring, but each 437 mile leg on the highway averaged 22.3 mpg, so to all intents and purposes the trailer made no difference at all. The car never even seemed to breathe hard!

[a href="https://flic.kr/p/J7Xgnr"]

, on Flickr

[daplumbr]

Cottonwood Campground just south of Lansing?

[chuck893]

Cottonwood Campground just south of Lansing?

Yes indeed! Our son and his family have been in E. Lansing at Michigan State since 2011, so when we visit we take Rosie and camp at Cottonwood. We think it's a great camp, very well maintained and friendly. 

[daplumbr]

[quote timestamp="1465846181" source="/post/22129/thread" author="@sandroad"]Cottonwood Campground just south of Lansing?

Yes indeed! Our son and his family have been in E. Lansing at Michigan State since 2011, so when we visit we take Rosie and camp at Cottonwood. We think it's a great camp, very well maintained and friendly. [/quote]Great! Next time you come through and have some down time, zip me a PM and we'll run down and see you and Rosie. We're in Haslett, with close ties to MSU. My wife was a division director there prior to retirement and I'm an alum. 

[khughes222]

I pull my QS10 with a 2015 Mazda CX-5 with a 2.0 liter skyactiv 4cyl and a manual transmission. I have to climb out of the east Phoenix, Arizona area up to 7500 ft to get out of our valley and up in the pines and I get 31 MPG average the whole trip.

I have no issues ever pulling my fully loaded trailer which I believe is at or slightly above 1500 lbs because I think the axle is rated for 1485 lbs if Im not mistaken and I have some concerns with the lack of clearance I have between the tire and fender well, even unloaded. Either there is something wrong with my axle or its holding its limit.

I highly attribute my ease of towing to my manual transmission. There are 3 combinations of the CX-5 that you can get; a 2.0 with a manual, a 2.0 with an automatic, and a 2.5 with an automatic. I have no doubt the 2.5 would have no issues towing with the automatic but I would not recommend it on the 2.0 with automatic. The difference in low end power and possibly power overall between the automatic and manual was night and day. The 2.0 was in my price range and I opted for the manual over the automatic and I have driven automatic's my entire life. I have had so much fun with this car. Its my roadster SUV that tows. 


[img style="" style="max-width:100%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bCXvgl2gxnD69kmz22nhCAYgNKsgl67wCirLbkhVpzfh-3Mxv7oV_JtdA9-oPTTwNB7LUsWzhUeS0duhGK7e8WsrFAKhldiX_UagXuNImmte3tg31YK_mQO34N3D84hDVUIlU__gY4VVCunRDOYwGeMq6_J-iYB9H5_27n4-k68mJD5O4YNMl4ODN8SGKpeOBbR55CKM23RKvPtAKMtMzPvcs-NkbAPT63UHHjc3dSJPgppiK_2Gvzv1n-y2Xk1TMOqQZW-BjCQm1uLbbQPGRQY2lRlBDsaNX6ACzRHJ6PLmTh0Y96m6fNp_VHzHRB1N5sOsxMX9AW6oZc6FiTFKdLeVbWL8PXM7VU7cC1z39htAJYILSbK4V1rVzcYIVDhWtPrxocFTLbo-V2T-srOR2TRm_LDvF9TsYZC1dNtCAZqv87TdTn8FYuE4jq1PlG64T5ciWvayWgHqsH5jmKhCu-2dwAV9xjX3DPUFFK8J88RgRtbk5x9DUnm7ueOUq364u9WH0Y6lQtVqusssgoEFopr5UOs_lGsiXSgBhtgGgF-5wqeZGbvdAPaEX00r2X3WULNOaz4tcslEeCzx-_xBm7U3G9KmykZc=s0"]

[khughes222]

By the way, I forgot to include that I have also installed assisted airbags on my rear suspension to help keep the balance from the tongue weight.

https://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Suspension/Mazda/CX-5/2015/F4178.html?vehicleid=201514655