4K tow package pulling an RV

[Nw_adventure]

Towing here at 4-8k Feet at 70 MPH+ on the interstates with a legit frontal load is usually OK but had some weird engine/shifting issues and was getting like 10 mpg on our last camping trip- Hoping that was just since it was really hot that weekend.

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[matmondro]

Have towed my 8' wide by 6' tall (and about 15' long) v-nose 2-place snowmobile trailer many times with my Mav. With both sleds, fuel, spare tires, tools, etc, it's about 3600 lbs.

Doable with the Mav for sure, but anywhere at 70+ mph, the sail effect really starts to be felt because of the height of the trailer. Otherwise, no issues. Living in Michigan though we don't have a ton of terrain to deal with.

 

[Scupking]

You are within the capabilities that Ford said it could do. Go for it! I will probably be getting a travel trailer next year.

 

[Snox801]

What’s the largest (length and weight) any of you have towed With the 4K towing package with brake controller on a Maverick. I’m thinking of buying a 19ft trailer with a 3300 dry weight. I’ll keep the total at about 3800 and tongue weight under 400. I know I’m pushing the specs.

I have a fair amount of experience towing. During the COVID years I towed a 7500lb 30ft Imagine RV from Memphis to Key West, to the Grand Canyon. Sante Fe, Roswell NM, the National Parks of Utah, across the Great Divide into Colorado, to Dodge City, through out the Smokey Mountains, Charleston, Richmond Va, Destin Fl, through Atlanta traffic and many more places. I did this with a F150. No problems.

Just trying to figure if this is doable. Thanks!

You will be fine anywhere you tow with that. I haul my 16’ trailer with my car and all my gear all over the country even through the mountains. My car is about 3300lbs and all my fuel and gear go north of 5k.

I’ve also hauled my smaller enclosed with with over 8k from NYc back to Michigan through the mountains with zero issues. Keep speed below 75mph mine likes 65-68 best. And you will be fine

 

[Tiger Dude]

A point to remember is for each 1,000 feet above the first 1,000 feet in elevation that you gain pulling a travel trailer, you have to deduct 2% from the weight that you can safely pull. Since you say you have pulled a trailer out west, many of our road passes are routinely 6, 7 or 8,000 feet in elevation. So if you were going over an 8,000 foot pass you would only be able to tow 4K minus 7 x 2% (which is 14%). That means that you could only safely tow 86% of the trailer weight you could at 1,000 feet elevation or 3,440 lbs. total loaded weight. The Maverick is a great little unibody car, but people are kidding themselves to call it a travel trailer towing truck.

This is not an issue for turbocharged engines, so this would apply to hybrids only.

 

[Snox801]

A "mountain" in Tennessee (yes I have travelled through there) is considered to be just a "hill" out here in the west. There's no way you could get the rig shown in this picture up to the Eisenhower tunnel in Colorado, or up and over the summits in Utah along I-70 or I-80.

Get outta here with that. I travel the country regularly with trailers. A 6 percent grade is the same no matter where you go. Only thing that changes is how long the grade is and the elevation.
what you are saying is not a single f-150 NA from the 90’s could haul a trailer up those passes? Our maverick like it or not has as much power and more trq than most half tons did through the whole 90’s.

These trucks will pull much better than expected. Will it do what a 150 does nope but don’t act like a turbo engine with this kinda power won’t pull the rating ford says it can.

 

[LSchicago]

What’s the largest (length and weight) any of you have towed With the 4K towing package with brake controller on a Maverick. I’m thinking of buying a 19ft trailer with a 3300 dry weight. I’ll keep the total at about 3800 and tongue weight under 400. I know I’m pushing the specs.

I have a fair amount of experience towing. During the COVID years I towed a 7500lb 30ft Imagine RV from Memphis to Key West, to the Grand Canyon. Sante Fe, Roswell NM, the National Parks of Utah, across the Great Divide into Colorado, to Dodge City, through out the Smokey Mountains, Charleston, Richmond Va, Destin Fl, through Atlanta traffic and many more places. I did this with a F150. No problems.

Just trying to figure if this is doable. Thanks!

Frontal area would be my concern. If this is a A frame or Hi low it's ok. An 8 foot wide trailer that's 8 feet tall would be a bad idea. Frontal area max is 40 square feet safely. Real quick to exceed that!

 

[LSchicago]

This is not an issue for turbocharged engines, so this would apply to hybrids only.

Don't forget Electric motors are unaffected by altitude. So the gas engine in the hybrid will lose a bit of HP, but not as much as the Ecoboost.

 

[ZABSMAV]

Get outta here with that. I travel the country regularly with trailers. A 6 percent grade is the same no matter where you go. Only thing that changes is how long the grade is and the elevation.
what you are saying is not a single f-150 NA from the 90’s could haul a trailer up those passes? Our maverick like it or not has as much power and more trq than most half tons did through the whole 90’s.

These trucks will pull much better than expected. Will it do what a 150 does nope but don’t act like a turbo engine with this kinda power won’t pull the rating ford says it can.

I was referring to the derating necessary for the increases in elevation.

I have a 1996 Ford Bronco with a 5.8 L EFI V8 engine. There is no chance whatsoever that a Maverick with with the hybrid powertrain or the EcoBoost could even approach the pulling power of the Bronco. We had a 1992 F-150 with the 4.9L inline 6 that was a torque monster. My comment was that Ford will claim anything but the Maverick was, and is, basically a passenger vehicle that looks like a truck, and can do some truck type things, but it appears people are trying to stretch the limits of what the vehicle is and I am fearful many might get a sudden surprise on a downhill grade, or see their engine, and/or transmission, fail pulling something like the original poster showed.

 

[Maverick123]

... My comment was that Ford will claim anything but the Maverick was, and is, basically a passenger vehicle that looks like a truck, and can do some truck type things, but it appears people are trying to stretch the limits of what the vehicle is and I am fearful many might get a sudden surprise on a downhill grade, or see their engine, and/or transmission, fail pulling something like the original poster showed.

Right. So a vehicle that is rated by the manufacturer to tow 4000 lbs, and which passed SAE J2807 towing test at that capacity, isn't able to safely tow 4000 lbs.

What exactly is the point of tow ratings?

When TFL Truck tested a hybrid Maverick loaded with 4000 lbs on the Ike gauntlet and it succeeded, do you believe special effects were involved?

Lots of people have these rules where "if you want to tow 4000 lbs you need a truck rated for 6000 lbs" or 8000 lbs or whatever. I guess you don't know any good engineers because you'd know they always leave a healthy safety margin into any rating.

EDIT: An exception here if it's a work truck that is fully loaded 90% of the time, then YES you want to over-spec your tow rig!

Obviously all this is "with common sense" ... if you decide to 'just send it' in the mountains with a full load on worn out brake pads, bald underinflated tires and bad suspension then all bets are off.

 

[thev8man]

What’s the largest (length and weight) any of you have towed With the 4K towing package with brake controller on a Maverick. I’m thinking of buying a 19ft trailer with a 3300 dry weight. I’ll keep the total at about 3800 and tongue weight under 400. I know I’m pushing the specs.

I have a fair amount of experience towing. During the COVID years I towed a 7500lb 30ft Imagine RV from Memphis to Key West, to the Grand Canyon. Sante Fe, Roswell NM, the National Parks of Utah, across the Great Divide into Colorado, to Dodge City, through out the Smokey Mountains, Charleston, Richmond Va, Destin Fl, through Atlanta traffic and many more places. I did this with a F150. No problems.

Just trying to figure if this is doable. Thanks!

Booyah
Look into Sunray, they have quite a few rigs that the weight would better suit you all around.

https://sunsettrailers.com/

 

[thev8man]

I was referring to the derating necessary for the increases in elevation.

I have a 1996 Ford Bronco with a 5.8 L EFI V8 engine. There is no chance whatsoever that a Maverick with with the hybrid powertrain or the EcoBoost could even approach the pulling power of the Bronco. We had a 1992 F-150 with the 4.9L inline 6 that was a torque monster. My comment was that Ford will claim anything but the Maverick was, and is, basically a passenger vehicle that looks like a truck, and can do some truck type things, but it appears people are trying to stretch the limits of what the vehicle is and I am fearful many might get a sudden surprise on a downhill grade, or see their engine, and/or transmission, fail pulling something like the original poster showed.

Wowser's your pretty harsh. I have fully tested my truck's and have not had a bad day yet. The knowing your limits is with any vehicle. The Maverick is a truck, it has everything most people need or want.

Positive thoughts ✨️ to you.
Booyah

 

[thev8man]

Right. So a vehicle that is rated by the manufacturer to tow 4000 lbs, and which passed SAE J2807 towing test at that capacity, isn't able to safely tow 4000 lbs.

What exactly would be the point of tow ratings them?

When TFL Truck tested a hybrid Maverick loaded with 4000 lbs on the Ike gauntlet and it succeeded, do you believe special effects were involved?

Lots of people have these rules where "if you want to tow 4000 lbs you need a truck rated for 6000 lbs" or 8000 lbs or whatever. I guess you don't know any good engineers because you'd know they always leave a healthy safety margin into any rating.

Booyah
Facts, but I would stay at 3200 to 3500 for a good cushion. What are you putting in the truck for payload? That's what I would worry about.

Look in to some TimBren's

https://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Suspension/Timbren/T25MR.html?feed=npn

 

[thev8man]

I tow a 13' long, 90" Wide and 90" high trailer with 2 snowmobiles, No mountains but do have some good hills in northern ME. Frontage calc's out to 43 sq ft, however the front of the trailer tips back quite severely. My calc on total weight is 3200 to 3400 lbs depending on how much addl stuff we are carrying with us. Sorry, best picture I could find of the 2 of them together. Truck and trailer were buried in 24+" of new snow when we got back to our hotel. lol

Booyah

 

[thev8man]

No Issues with about the same specs trailer.no power or climbing issues.Only downside after going from Florida through the Tenn.Mountains gas mileage went from 39.7 without trailer to 13.7

Booyah

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