1 year, 130k mile review from a heavy hauler

[Chops]

I had 6 posts, this is #7 - I respect what the OP is doing here. It's out of necessity and thrift. If people want to make it a joke then I'll call them out. They would give props in IRL but make fun of them online on their threads. Go Maverick Hybrid FWD forever more!

P.S. - Been here long before all of you and will be here long after too.

If you’re going to run a profitable one person long distance highway driving tow business there are worse choices than a Maverick Hybrid 2k tow. A Prius for example.

However, there are so so many better vehicles. A Maverick XL EB with the 4K Tow Package is an obvious example.

The FWD Maverick Hybrid is a fine vehicle. Very appropriate for many folks and situations. Ranko is an outlier & a rebel. Luckily he does not seem to lean towards chiclet spitting road rage whew. He already has his hands full driving the TTB (Ticking Time Bomb)

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[Chops]

There are many things that Ranko is doing right.

1) Not being connected to any Ford apps & pulling fuse 11
2) Disregarding the OLM as it is not appropriate for his driving.
3) Maintaining his vehicle carefully & thoughtfully.
4) Regularly sending in oil & coolant samples to Blackstone for analysis.

I’m sure there are many more examples. Good on you Ranko!

 

[Mudduck]

P.S. - Been here long before all of you and will be here long after too.

Cool man! Well, I can piss further than you.... you sound like a toddler that was refused the tit.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

I own a 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid XLT and tow a 1998 Scamp 13'. Last year, I had a new axle installed with electric brakes on the Scamp. I had a 7-pin connector (which I love, should have done it earlier) installed on the truck to use the electric brakes. What brake controller do you use? Did you have it hard wired with the controller installed somewhere on the dash? I have a Curt Echo Wireless Brake Controller and can't say I'm 100% pleased with its performance.... but will confess I'm a rookie using the controller and some of my issues with it could be inexperience.

I use a Tekonsha P3 proportional brake controller. All hardwired. Kind of the gold standard. They have been selling the same unit for 20 years.

I 3D printed a holder for it to go in the center tray in front of the dial shifter. Wires are run under the center console. Under the orange, black, or blue rubber mat, Ford provided a pop-out tab perfectly suited for brake control wires. As if they knew people would be adding brake controllers. It's the ideal location. No drilling at all. No modifications needed to the vehicle interior. And all wires are invisible.

I have a photo somewhere... there it is...

The wires you do see are my wireless CarPlay adapter. Not part of the brake controller.

 

[LSchicago]

Great report, surprised you didn't have more issues. I guess this would shut up the "Maverick is just a CUV, it can't be used to tow real loads consistently" crowd, but your HVB issue is worrisome

4k towing option has better gearing & cooling and built-in brake controller. Since you knew you'd be towing heavy practically non-stop, I'm stunned you didn't spring for that

4K tow has the same gearing on the Hybrids.

 

[LSchicago]

Class I receivers are 1-1/4”, not 2”. Ford’s document is incorrect.

Class 1 towing rated, not size.

 

[DinoLord]

I had 6 posts, this is #7 - I respect what the OP is doing here. It's out of necessity and thrift. If people want to make it a joke then I'll call them out. They would give props in IRL but make fun of them online on their threads. Go Maverick Hybrid FWD forever more!

P.S. - Been here long before all of you and will be here long after too.

Your ability to miss the point is nearly as impressive as OP's Maverick's towing ability.

 

[Carlitos_92]

P.S. - Been here long before all of you and will be here long after too.

 

[GearGuy]

Sway Control lights up on the dash.
If you don't see it, it's not being activated.

And rear brake pads are usually fine.
They come thinner from the factory which deceives some people into thinking they wear faster.

I had exactly one instance where the message came up on the dashboard of “trailer sway”, and it ironically was not the pictured trailer, but extreme winds with my normal 7x14 trailers, so I don’t know if it is activating much.

I definitely felt more in control than with an 18’ RV that weighed less than half that. Can’t recommend RVs as a result

To start, not trying to fire up an argument. Just using this extreme use case and forum members knowledge to learn a bit more about the truck... Thanks to all that contribute. Takes a bit to weed through other 'thoughts' but some great information within.

My thoughts going into my questions;
Towing super heavy with a pickup (light rear end) may engage stability/sway systems more frequently than normal and may accelerate wear on rear pads that started 'thinner' when new. Ranko said he drives 'super paranoid' so I'm sure he does everything he can to drive smooth, and he said he only saw a 'trailer sway' message once under windy conditions, which to me is pretty impressive considering the loads.
My takeaway is drive smooth and the systems likely let you do your thing with minimal intervention until conditions warrant action. I'm sure highway miles vs. hills & city is a big factor, but good to know the brakes are holding up well under these loads.

I'm looking at an expandable RV to keep the frontage, side square footage, overall length and center of gravity low to pair well with the Mini Mighty Mav. I actually bought a mini hanging crane scale (surprisingly cheap) so I can monitor & manipulate tongue load.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

To start, not trying to fire up an argument. Just using this extreme use case and forum members knowledge to learn a bit more about the truck... Thanks to all that contribute. Takes a bit to weed through other 'thoughts' but some great information within.

My thoughts going into my questions;
Towing super heavy with a pickup (light rear end) may engage stability/sway systems more frequently than normal and may accelerate wear on rear pads that started 'thinner' when new. Ranko said he drives 'super paranoid' so I'm sure he does everything he can to drive smooth, and he said he only saw a 'trailer sway' message once under windy conditions, which to me is pretty impressive considering the loads.
My takeaway is drive smooth and the systems likely let you do your thing with minimal intervention until conditions warrant action. I'm sure highway miles vs. hills & city is a big factor, but good to know the brakes are holding up well under these loads.

I'm looking at an expandable RV to keep the frontage, side square footage, overall length and center of gravity low to pair well with the Mini Mighty Mav. I actually bought a mini hanging crane scale (surprisingly cheap) so I can monitor & manipulate tongue load.

Show how you use your scale please.

BTW when my FWD towed 3200 I put it on a truck scale once. Almost exactly the same weight was on each axle. Tows like a dream. With properly adjusted brakes, hardly know it's back there (if I shut off the MPG screens!).

Rear end is light when you are empty and in balance when towing so there's that.

 

[tom_tucker]

Another stupid idiot. Totally irresponsible. Should never be allowed to drive.

Talk about tyranny, lol. Sounds like you could use the Canadian catapult. We can "allow" it to send your sorry ass back to BC. This 'aint the Canadian Rockies. We will tow heavy weight with the FWD Maverick forever more!

 

[BK007]

Talk about tyranny, lol. Sounds like you could use the Canadian catapult. We can "allow" it to send your sorry ass back to BC. This 'aint the Canadian Rockies. We will tow heavy weight with the FWD Maverick forever more!

@tom_tucker

You can yell about "tyranny" and make up bizarre "catapult" insults all you want to try and deflect, but let's remind everyone in this thread exactly who you are.

When you got completely exposed by official Ford documentation and proven wrong by basic physics, you immediately resorted to throwing physical threats at me. You literally threatened physical harm over a truck forum debate because your ego couldn't handle being wrong about a towing guide.

The admins might love the click traffic this thread is bringing in, but letting a user openly threaten people with violence because they're losing an argument is pathetic. Keep throwing your tantrum—you're showing the whole community exactly how unhinged you are.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

@tom_tucker

You can yell about "tyranny" and make up bizarre "catapult" insults all you want to try and deflect, but let's remind everyone in this thread exactly who you are.

When you got completely exposed by official Ford documentation and proven wrong by basic physics, you immediately resorted to throwing physical threats at me. You literally threatened physical harm over a truck forum debate because your ego couldn't handle being wrong about a towing guide.

The admins might love the click traffic this thread is bringing in, but letting a user openly threaten people with violence because they're losing an argument is pathetic. Keep throwing your tantrum—you're showing the whole community exactly how unhinged you are.

Why do you lie to everyone?.

 

[tom_tucker]

If you’re going to run a profitable one person long distance highway driving tow business there are worse choices than a Maverick Hybrid 2k tow. A Prius for example.

However, there are so so many better vehicles. A Maverick XL EB with the 4K Tow Package is an obvious example.

The FWD Maverick Hybrid is a fine vehicle. Very appropriate for many folks and situations. Ranko is an outlier & a rebel. Luckily he does not seem to lean towards chiclet spitting road rage whew. He already has his hands full driving the TTB (Ticking Time Bomb)

I would agree it's a better choice on paper and even tried to alter my order in 2022 to the 2.0 AWD Velocity Blue but was not allowed. The Hybrid is a better fit for my case. Door card says 1501 lbs. capacity vs ~1350 for the 2.0.

However, the more I read and educate myself, the more I think that Atkinson 2.5 and eCVT are superior products vs. everything else on the market. Especially with the 25-26 refresh and updated eCVT and drive ratio. Add the universal air bags, brake controller, use 93 octane, drive conservatively and keep it above freezing on pavement. If you're consistently towing 3-4k, get AWD and the package.

The risk of a FWD 1-way heavy haul has been greatly overblow by a select few. There is also some fishy Ford marketing here and I'm not buying that it's a different hitch (Class 1 vs Class 3???). Makes no sense to me, I bet it's the same hitch. The tow guides are not consistent saying it's a different hitch. This is from the 2026 guide:

 

[BK007]

@Mavster Mechanic

David, your reading comprehension is as bad as your automotive physics.

I literally quoted @tom_tucker's exact text from post #161 word-for-word. He is the one who threw a tantrum, screamed about "tyranny," and threw weird "Canadian catapult" threats.

Oh, you edited your post again, David? Typical.

The only person "lying to everyone" here is you, because you are so blinded by internet rage that you can't even read the thread correctly before hitting reply.

You want to talk about getting "deported" from the forum? Go right ahead. You’ve spent this entire thread spreading dangerous, illegal towing misinformation that violates manufacturer safety limits, and now you’re actively jumping in to defend a user who was just threatening physical violence.

And let's be real—everyone knows you've already been banned from this forum before under a different username, David. Your username says "Mechanic," but your behavior in this thread proves you're just a maniac.

Keep making a complete fool of yourself. The entire forum is watching you completely melt down because you got exposed by an official Ford towing manual.

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