2025 AWD Hybrid Lariat (Non-Trailer Tow) first tow...

[jaransont3]

On Monday, I made a run about 45 minutes north of us to pick up a small camper for my brother. It was the first time towing with our Maverick. We do NOT have the 4k Trailer Tow Package. The camper is a Helio Tear Drop unit that is 1550 lbs dry weight with about 40 sq ft of frontal area. It was empty so the weight is probably pretty close to the 1550 lb spec. The frontal area is higher than the recommended 29 sq ft for a non-trailer tow equipped vehicle, but we were only doing about 35 miles and it was relatively flat being in SE Michigan.

The drive up to get it was a mix of city streets, highway, and highway with stop and go traffic. We got 36.8 mpg on that drive. We drive back with the trailer was essentially the same with similar traffic. We got 21.1 mpg on the drive back. The Maverick pulled the trailer easily and we did not have any issues even though we used a 4-pin to 7 pin adapter for the electrical hook-up and therefore did not have the electric trailer brakes functional. Pretty substantial drop-off in fuel economy and I would probably not want to tow something that big any great distance...it is a really small and lightweight camper.

This is the camper. I forgot to take a picture of it hooked to the Maverick.

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[Johnkn]

Good job, I bet that was fun. The fuel economy with the trailer in tow was to be expected..

If you hook up again, please post pics...




.

 

[Escapologist]

A 25 or 26 AWD Hybrid at least has the same transmission as the 4k tow, just got some extra overheat protection, towing assistance toys and the 7pin and brake controller missing.

If you wanna borrow his trailer in future though, I'd at least get a brake controller rigged.

 

[chilicharger]

On Monday, I made a run about 45 minutes north of us to pick up a small camper for my brother. It was the first time towing with our Maverick. We do NOT have the 4k Trailer Tow Package. The camper is a Helio Tear Drop unit that is 1550 lbs dry weight with about 40 sq ft of frontal area. It was empty so the weight is probably pretty close to the 1550 lb spec. The frontal area is higher than the recommended 29 sq ft for a non-trailer tow equipped vehicle, but we were only doing about 35 miles and it was relatively flat being in SE Michigan.

The drive up to get it was a mix of city streets, highway, and highway with stop and go traffic. We got 36.8 mpg on that drive. We drive back with the trailer was essentially the same with similar traffic. We got 21.1 mpg on the drive back. The Maverick pulled the trailer easily and we did not have any issues even though we used a 4-pin to 7 pin adapter for the electrical hook-up and therefore did not have the electric trailer brakes functional. Pretty substantial drop-off in fuel economy and I would probably not want to tow something that big any great distance...it is a really small and lightweight camper.

This is the camper. I forgot to take a picture of it hooked to the Maverick.

I have towed a lot more weight, but much less aero drag and gotten around 20 mpg, as well. I have towed my track car on my open aluminum trailer for a total of around 3800 lbs. It doesn't have nearly as much of frontal area as a trailer like that, though. The trailer I want to buy (Sunlite 14TH) will be right at the 4k limit when loaded with my toys. It will also have much more frontal area than that trailer, so I am anticipating 15 mpg or so. Still better than my old truck at 10-12 mpg when towing nothing! That is on 91 octane, while the Mav takes 87 for even more savings.

 

[lm126027]

On Monday, I made a run about 45 minutes north of us to pick up a small camper for my brother. It was the first time towing with our Maverick. We do NOT have the 4k Trailer Tow Package. The camper is a Helio Tear Drop unit that is 1550 lbs dry weight with about 40 sq ft of frontal area. It was empty so the weight is probably pretty close to the 1550 lb spec. The frontal area is higher than the recommended 29 sq ft for a non-trailer tow equipped vehicle, but we were only doing about 35 miles and it was relatively flat being in SE Michigan.

The drive up to get it was a mix of city streets, highway, and highway with stop and go traffic. We got 36.8 mpg on that drive. We drive back with the trailer was essentially the same with similar traffic. We got 21.1 mpg on the drive back. The Maverick pulled the trailer easily and we did not have any issues even though we used a 4-pin to 7 pin adapter for the electrical hook-up and therefore did not have the electric trailer brakes functional. Pretty substantial drop-off in fuel economy and I would probably not want to tow something that big any great distance...it is a really small and lightweight camper.

This is the camper. I forgot to take a picture of it hooked to the Maverick.

 

[lm126027]

I tow a 16' 90" wide, 90" high snowmobile trailer with my 4k ice Lariat... Frontage is a little over the 40 recommended, I figure weight with the 2 sleds is around 3500 lbs... Mileage is, I am guessing, in the 13's (truck shows mid 12's) as that is what I got towing home when purchased with my 2.0 Escape. Since I have 17" tires and the standard was 18" the numbers are off somewhat. MTE will show under 50 miles to empty, though gauge still shows 1/4 tank with the 17's.. GPS shows 3 MPH low on the truck vs the GPS (75 on truck, GPS showing 72). Mileage is similar whether 2 sleds, 1 sled or empty (maybe a little better empty, but not much). So, wind resistance seems to be more of a penalty than the weight itself.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

I agree. Aero drag is worse for the truck than the weight in most cases. With trailer brakes working properly, stopping distance with 4k is going to be the same as 2k.

With this trailer it is 15-16 MPG at 65 MPH
19-20 MPG at 55 MPH.
26 MPG at 45 MPH.

About 3,000 lbs.

 

[lm126027]

I agree. Aero drag is worse for the truck than the weight in most cases. With trailer brakes working properly, stopping distance with 4k is going to be the same as 2k.

With this trailer it is 15-16 MPG at 65 MPH
19-20 MPG at 55 MPH.
26 MPG at 45 MPH.

About 3,000 lbs.

No trailer breaks on my trailer. Not been able to find anyone that makes brakes standard on a single axle snowmobile trailer. dual axle they do.

 

[Bud_B]

I've been towing an 18 1/2 foot Tracker bass boat with a 115 hp motor, probably 2,500 pounds total weight with trailer, with my new 2026 hybrid Lariat, and getting between 18 and 23 mpg. The truck tows it really well, and I've never seen that kind of gas mileage towing a boat before. I'm definitely impressed.

 

[Venavatio]

Just picked up my 2026 Maverick Hybrid AWD with the 4K Tow Package a week ago! Did my first tow today moving my trailer from storage to home. Total weight was around 3,000 lbs (2,700 lbs dry + gear).

I covered about 65km (40 miles) on mostly country roads, cruising at 90km/h (55mph). Using Tow/Haul mode, I averaged 14L/100km (17mpg). Pretty impressed with how the hybrid handled the load!

 

[SafetyGuy]

Just picked up my 2026 Maverick Hybrid AWD with the 4K Tow Package a week ago! Did my first tow today moving my trailer from storage to home. Total weight was around 3,000 lbs (2,700 lbs dry + gear).

I covered about 65km (40 miles) on mostly country roads, cruising at 90km/h (55mph). Using Tow/Haul mode, I averaged 14L/100km (17mpg). Pretty impressed with how the hybrid handled the load!

Hello @Venavatio

Just adding a quick note on towing a trailer. You might know this already, or the truck/trailer angle may be tricking my eyes, so here goes.

It looks like your trailer is a bit nose up while you are towing? If it is, I would advise you to see about getting a tow hitch with the appropriate drop (a bit lower then what you have now).

The reason is all about safely towing...and a nose up attitude or too light of a hitch weight (try to have 10-15% of trailer weight on the tongue and the trailer level or slightly nose down when towing) as this will help prevent trailer sway...which can lead to a "tail wagging the dog" occurrence and that can end badly. (Lots of videos on YouTube if you want to see what that situation looks like.)

Anyways, if you are indeed new to towing, I have a thread here on MTC from last year with helpful towing information (called "So you want to tow a trailer, eh?")...or at least something like that.

So there you go, a nice truck trailer combo for you to travel with is a wonderful thing and it looks great, by the way! We can't wait for it to warm up here as well, so we can get out in our camper as well.

Have a good one,

Andy

 

[Venavatio]

Hello @Venavatio

Just adding a quick note on towing a trailer. You might know this already, or the truck/trailer angle may be tricking my eyes, so here goes.

It looks like your trailer is a bit nose up while you are towing? If it is, I would advise you to see about getting a tow hitch with the appropriate drop (a bit lower then what you have now).

The reason is all about safely towing...and a nose up attitude or too light of a hitch weight (try to have 10-15% of trailer weight on the tongue and the trailer level or slightly nose down when towing) as this will help prevent trailer sway...which can lead to a "tail wagging the dog" occurrence and that can end badly. (Lots of videos on YouTube if you want to see what that situation looks like.)

Anyways, if you are indeed new to towing, I have a thread here on MTC from last year with helpful towing information (called "So you want to tow a trailer, eh?")...or at least something like that.

So there you go, a nice truck trailer combo for you to travel with is a wonderful thing and it looks great, by the way! We can't wait for it to warm up here as well, so we can get out in our camper as well.

Have a good one,

Andy

Hello @Venavatio

Just adding a quick note on towing a trailer. You might know this already, or the truck/trailer angle may be tricking my eyes, so here goes.

It looks like your trailer is a bit nose up while you are towing? If it is, I would advise you to see about getting a tow hitch with the appropriate drop (a bit lower then what you have now).

The reason is all about safely towing...and a nose up attitude or too light of a hitch weight (try to have 10-15% of trailer weight on the tongue and the trailer level or slightly nose down when towing) as this will help prevent trailer sway...which can lead to a "tail wagging the dog" occurrence and that can end badly. (Lots of videos on YouTube if you want to see what that situation looks like.)

Anyways, if you are indeed new to towing, I have a thread here on MTC from last year with helpful towing information (called "So you want to tow a trailer, eh?")...or at least something like that.

So there you go, a nice truck trailer combo for you to travel with is a wonderful thing and it looks great, by the way! We can't wait for it to warm up here as well, so we can get out in our camper as well.

Have a good one,

Andy

Hi Andy,

Thanks a lot for the heads-up and the professional advice! I really appreciate your keen eye.

You’re absolutely right—the trailer was sitting a bit nose-up in the photo. It was a combination of the uneven icy ground in the storage lot and the fact that I hadn't installed the battery and propane tanks on the tongue yet. That made the front end much lighter than it will be during an actual trip.

Once I have those loaded up, I expect the weight to bring the nose down to a more level position. If it’s still sitting high after that, I’ll definitely look into getting a hitch with a proper drop to ensure a safe tow.

Thanks again for your advise.

WD

 

[SafetyGuy]

Hi Andy,

Thanks a lot for the heads-up and the professional advice! I really appreciate your keen eye.

You’re absolutely right—the trailer was sitting a bit nose-up in the photo. It was a combination of the uneven icy ground in the storage lot and the fact that I hadn't installed the battery and propane tanks on the tongue yet. That made the front end much lighter than it will be during an actual trip.

Once I have those loaded up, I expect the weight to bring the nose down to a more level position. If it’s still sitting high after that, I’ll definitely look into getting a hitch with a proper drop to ensure a safe tow.

Thanks again for your advise.

WD

No problem, sometimes people don't like suggestions so I tread pretty lightly, just in case.

Any questions, it is always a good idea ask rather then wish we had.

Have a nice evening

Andy

 

[Venavatio]

No problem, sometimes people don't like suggestions so I tread pretty lightly, just in case.

Any questions, it is always a good idea ask rather then wish we had.

Have a nice evening

Andy

Hi Andy,

Just wanted to give you a quick update and say thanks again for your professional advice!

After I installed the battery, propane tanks, and other accessories on the trailer, I noticed the nose was still sitting a bit high. To prioritize towing safety and prevent any potential sway, I decided to follow your suggestion and swapped my 2-inch drop hitch for a 4-inch drop. **

The trailer looks much more level now, and the overall setup feels a lot more stable on the road. Your reminder really helped

Thanks again for looking out for me. Hope you have a great time.

Best regards,

WD

 

[SafetyGuy]

Good day, @Venavatio

You are of course very welcome! I am happy I was able to contribute in a positive way.

Now, for my next thought...sometimes trailer manufacturers don't think about where all the weight of water goes when a trailer is actually being used!

So it is always a good idea to have a lie-down beside your trailer on a nice day and verify a few things:

-Where is the fresh water tank, the Gray water tank and the black water tank in reference to the trailers axle.

-reason being, if you dry camp, you will be travelling with a filled fresh water tank
So where is that weight going to be and how will it affect the weight distribution/Hitch weight...water is heavy.

-1 US gallon is about 8.3 lbs while an Imperial gallon is 9.9 lbs.

-for example, if the fresh tank is way forward toward the hitch, it will significantly increase Hitch weight and vice-versa.

- If the black and gray water tanks are way at the back of the trailer, (say your trailer has 30 us gallons 30x8.3=249 lbs), you can see how the weight of the water makes a huge difference when you leave a dry camp.

If your destination is a campground etc you should have fresh water there, so try to carry only a few gallons of water for...emergencies. Then top up if needed once there.

Now when you leave the campground, make sure (if possible) to empty all your tanks so you dont haul any unnecessary weight...except for the couple gallons I mentioned earlier.

Anyways, just an idea to have a quick look just to see where your tanks are, is a good idea, and to verify for yourself how much water you actually carry and it's possible effect.

Cheers,

Andy

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