little car, big boat

caguy · Sep 7, 2012

We have a fairly steep ramp at MDR 6:1. I have seen some pretty small suvs towing their Macs back to mastup without difficulty.

monkeybars · Sep 7, 2012

you should have no proplems at all.just control your speed so you have minimal brake usage. i tow a 5000 pound boat 1/4mile with a 400 pound honda 300 quad atv with no problems(at 5mph)

finding41 · Sep 7, 2012

I tow and launch my 26D with a 03 Dodge Caravan and a 04 Dodge Dakota 2wd V8 5 speed manual. No problems. Not to sure I would go over 200 km with the van but I'm confident the truck will do it no problem.

Slow Mo^cean · Sep 7, 2012

I would look at the Acadias or Traverse's. My parents have a Traverse with V6 and they tow their jet skis all over Cali with it. We almost bought the Acadia but opted for the Yukon for the extra 1000lbs of towing, since I also have a race car trailer weighting in at about 6000lbs loaded.

BobM · Sep 7, 2012

Buy whatever you want...

...and rent a uhaul or the truck from the local home depot if you get in a pinch. Alternately, you will find that most 4 cyl vehicles and 6 cyl vehicles of the same model get the same gas mileage as they 6 will have another tranny gear over the 4. Of course it will cost you more up front.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Ford_Escape/specs/

CalebD · Sep 7, 2012

Standard transmission.

caguy · Sep 8, 2012

The Titanium escape has a tow capacity of 3500 lbs. With 22 mpg it sounds pretty good. I'm not sure about a mechanical transmission for the average person. I can see the average person burning up their clutch.

watercolors II · Sep 8, 2012

You have my OK!

I feel you’ll be safer than a fellow pulling his boat with a 3/4 ton truck at 65 mph.

Vehicle damage towing with an underrated unit is heat, starting with the transmission and then the engine. If concerned, install an after market transmission and engine oil cooler, J C Whitney $175.00.

Last would be traction at the launch ramp, good tires or a trailer extension would help, or there’s always some guy at the launch ramp just waiting to tow someone with his extra large pickup with oversize tires.

I pulled a 3500 lb boat for years with a Ford Ranger, 2 wheel drive, 3.0 engine rated at 2000 lbs. towing. I would come close to 1000 miles a year pulling 6 and 7 percent grades here in Pennsylvania with an above mentioned cooling system and a real good set of winter tires mounted on extra wheels just used for towing or winter time driving.

petersea · Sep 9, 2012

walt said:
I’ve got two vehicles pushing 130K miles (Ford Focus and Dodge Dakota with a V8).

I’m thinking about replacing the Focus with something like the Ford Escape with a 2.5l 4cyl. There are a bunch of small "SUV" type cars in this range that list the trailer tow rating at 1500 pounds.

I would only be towing the 3000 pound boat about 5 miles and under 35 mph. I would get this car with 4WD partly to make sure I could pull the 3000 pound boat/trailer up the ramp.

OK by your our admission you are going to tow a double the rated capacity

I think I won’t have any problem doing this and with the speed kept under 35 mph when actually towing and brakes on the trailer, I don’t think it will be unsafe or hard on the car as its only 5 miles.. I’ll keep the old Dodge 4x4 for when I want to tow the 3000 pound boat/trailer any distance (which is what I’m using now).

Know one really thinks they are going to have a accident or a problem BUT S--- happens. You don't have control over another driver or a kid running out in front of your vehicle. Speed and distance aside you are still a twice the rated capacity for your tow vehicle.

I’m not looking for alternative suggestions at all (already considered many) - just looking for real world experience for this particular "rule breaking" application.

I am not saying it can't be done but it does not sound like a great option especially when you have another vehicle that is capable Why are people so willing to use a car or truck at double the manufactures rated capacity ? Would you consider doubling the manufactures rated capacity for you boat? My suggestion is to use the correct vehicle (better safe then sorry). or I got to think there is someone local who could tow and launch your boat (for a small fee) who has the proper equipment.You could still run your little car back and forth for fuel mileage and run it into the ground rather then but a another vehicle and it would more then pay for the difference of having someone local haul and launch you boat.

You don't want to be the guy on YOU TUBE with the bad boat launch...... Do you ??

petersea · Sep 9, 2012

walt said:
Is what I asked about unsafe or illegal?

YES to both
Unsafe as you have doubled the manufactures rated capacity based on you think it will fill your requirements.

Illegal based on you have exceeded the GVW (gross vehicle weight)of the vehicle.

Some background..

The Escape has a basic 1500 pound towing rating but you can also upgrade this to 3500 pounds. The upgrade involves a more powerful motor (2 L turbo charged), trailer sway control and a class 2 hitch.

This is not the vehicle you described in your original post and from what you say not the vehicle you plan on buying. However IF you purchased the upgraded version all this goes away as you will be with in manufactures rated capacity.

My note.. even with the tow package, I would be paranoid to use this light and small wheel base vehicle to tow a 3000 pound boat at highway speeds (not to mention doing this with a 2 L engine). At speeds under 35 mph, I don’t think the sway control does much, but along with trailer tongue weight, it could be important at highway speeds. No way would I take this short wheel base setup on the highway regardless. Also note that the vehicle going from 1500 to 3500 pounds towing rating did not change the brakes or weight of the vehicle.

Also the 3000 pound boat and trailer has a single axle with drum surge brakes. People like disk brakes better for reliability but the drum brakes actuate on less force and therefore are often used for trailers at or under the 3000 pound weight. Also, note that if you have dual axles and brakes on only one axle, the weight on any axle is in the ballpark of 1/2 the weight of the same trailer with only a single axle. Brakes on a single axle trailer have somewhere near twice the emergency stopping power of the same trailer with dual axles and only brakes on one axle.

So, I think my single axle 3000 pound trailer with working surge drum brakes will have safe braking.

The only legal description for this intended application is that any trailer over 3000 pounds must have trailer brakes. My boat/trailer probably comes in slightly less than 3000 pounds. But even with the trailer slightly under 3000 pounds, in other states, even my Dodge Dakota 4x4 with the V8 is NOT legal to pull this trailer without the trailer brakes because the truck doesn’t weigh enough.

Braking is not the only issue. The upgrade version and the version you describe are not the identical vehicle. Suspension parts may be different, especially since according to Ford's web site you can't get a 4wd with a 2.5 engine. The engines alone have a 100 foot pounds of torque difference and a 72 horsepower difference.

So regarding the actual safety of doing this, I think the Escape with the 1500 pound towing rating kept under 35 mph and a nicely working brakes on the trailer will be safe.

Just thinking it is safe does not make it so. I would suggest to you if you were ever trying to defend yourself in a court of law you would be a loser based on you admittedly(just by posting this on the internet) exceeded legal GVW intentionally. I believe the term would be "gross negligence".
The manufacture has spent thousands and thousands of dollars on engineers and testing and you are so willing to ignore all their work based on you "think" it is safe?
Next time a tractor trailer gets a little to close to your rear bumper ask your self if he maybe doubled his capacity because he thought it was "safe"

Regarding the legal aspect, I would comply with the only law I can find (brakes on the trailer, under max dimension limits). However, the actual tow rating on the vehicle might be some issue. But I think it would be more of a risk for voiding some sort of warranty on the vehicle by using it outside the ratings. Once again, I don’t think the 1500 pound rated vehicle with have any reliability problem doing this tow maybe 4 times a year (5 miles at 35mph) especially considering what they change on the vehicle to get to the 3500 pound rating.

As the saying goes ignorance of the law is no excuse. I will be the first to admit the odds of you every getting a ticket for weight violation or exceeding max GVW are extremely slim. But you will be legally overweight

Problems at the ramp - thanks for all the useful replies on this. This year alone I ramp launched probably 35 times at eight different ramps. I think with four wheel drive on the Escape, I would never have an issue. The only question I have here is could I actually get by with just the front wheel drive and I think the answer would be "most of the time". But Id just get the 4x4 regardless.

Not to be rude but you have said you would only be doing this 4 times a year but then you say just this year alone you have launched 35 times quite a difference.

Unfortunately I think you have all ready made you decision and will do as you want no matter what any one suggest but I really don't see why you just don't get a vehicle that is rated for what you intend to do with it . A proper tool for the job.

I have said my piece and will not continue on with this as it is you decision not mine.

MrBill_FLL · Sep 12, 2012

re: pulling up the ramp with a front wheel drive....

if you had a way to add weight to the front, like a 50 gal water tank. .....

legally, I'm not sure what would happen in court if you had an accident with a over capacity load. that would be my largest concern. otherwise going slow I think you could make it work.

little car, big boat

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