- First Name
- Brian
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2021
- Threads
- 4
- Messages
- 14
- Reaction score
- 78
- Location
- Indianapolis
- Vehicle(s)
- 2025 Ford Maverick XLT, 2.0 Ecoboost, AWD, 4K Tow Package, FX4
- Engine
- 2.0L EcoBoost
- Thread starter
- #1
Minnesota Trip Report: The Winners, The Losers, The Meh.
Friend and I often do one away game a season to see the other Big 10 stadiums. 2009 he went to Minnesota to see the then brand new stadium, but I had to back out as my bathroom wall fell into my bathtub and I had to put in a new bathtub surround that weekend. This year our alma mater Purdue was going back to Minnesota and I floated the idea of going to St. Paul, MN as I missed the first trip. Last year my friend bought a 1978 Rockwood trailer in Wisconsin and has been slowly fixing it. I just bought the Maverick on Labor Day weekend and when he found out I had the 4,000 lb tow package he volunteered my Maverick as the tow vehicle. To be fair, my Maverick is a far superior tow vehicle to what my friend normally uses.
At least this trip forced my friend to finally finish fixing the Rockwood. Nothing like a hard deadline to motivate a person.
The Ford Maverick itself is just a winner. If you get the tow package you can tow 4,000 lbs. I know in the modern truck world that's not a huge number, but it'll tow many pop-up trailers, A-frame trailers, a small boat, two Jet-Skis, or a small utility trailer. For many people, that's enough capability to work with. Towing my friend's 1,500 lbs 1978 Rockwood trailer wasn't a problem.
As soon as we plugged the 4-pin wiring into the hitch, a screen popped up asking for the trailer dimensions. The blind spot monitoring system adjusted for the extra 18 feet in length and the 7 foot width of the trailer. That was so useful on the interstate. The warning light came on earlier and lasted longer than normal, and performed flawlessly. I installed some clip on tow mirrors so I could see vehicles, but sometimes my friend would bump the one on the passenger side when he got back into the truck and I wouldn't know it was out of alignment until I was already back on the interstate. The blind spot monitoring made up for that user error.
The 2.0 Ecoboost was great and I honestly couldn't imaging towing with the hybrid engine. The Maverick felt the weight of the trailer during acceleration and breaking, but drove fine at 70-75 mph. In the level lands of Indiana and Illinois I even managed a little over 20 mpg while towing. In the more hilly sections of Wisconsin and Minnesota it dropped to 19 mpg. That's not bad fuel economy while towing. Sans towing I normally get 24-25 mpg, so it wasn't a big hit.
The Maverick is a surprisingly capable long-distance cruiser. The ride is nicer than a Ford F-150 loaner I had for two days. The seat was comfortable, and I'll admit to using the heated seat in the lowest or next to lowest setting to act as a heating pad for my lower back. I pulled some muscle the morning before the trip and that heated seat was very comforting. The highest heat setting is like sitting on a campfire and not advised. After 9-plus hours in the Maverick I was tired and wanting to stretch, but I wasn't wanting to murder people. Coming out of my old Elantra after a long trip I was ready to murder people.
We stayed at St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park. It's a 635 acre park along the river run by Washington County, Minnesota. Saturday October 11th was the next to last weekend this campground was open. Fabulous campground that accommodates anything from large RVs, 5th wheel campers, small pop-up trailers, and tent camping. Trails are all over the park. Tennis courts, big playground for kids, basketball courts, boat launch into a small protected cove that'll get boats out to the river, and who knows what else I missed. $35/night plus a $7/day vehicle fee. Well worth it.
The campground host was a pretty cool guy. He was from Florida, but he starts August 1st to the end of the season to be the host. It is a volunteer position, but he doesn't get charged for the camping spot, has electricity and water for his trailer, and gets to use a cart to drive around. I suspect he's originally from Minnesota as he's a fan of the Minnesota football team. He teased us Boilermakers a bit, but it was fair. If you're retired and have a comfy trailer, maybe being a campground host wouldn't be a bad gig for two and a half months.
The St. Croix River forms part of the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. After exiting I-94 and taking the St. Croix River Scenic Byway you travel through several picturesque small towns. It is a very nice valley. The byway is a winding two lane road, so be careful with a trailer. Many motorcycles and classic cars enjoyed the road this fine autumn weekend. The patio of The Lumberyard Pub in Afton, MN is a fine place for dinner on a cool sunny autumn day. Dog friendly as well so if you like to pet dogs in public it's a target rich environment.
I would love to go back for 4-5 days to explore and hike the park, visit the small towns, and spend a day or two exploring M/SP. It was a very nice area.
One reason I bought the Maverick was to be a camping and outdoor adventure vehicle. I haven't had a chance to tent camp yet, but after towing a small pop-up camper my idea of buying one in the future is still valid. The Maverick towed like a champ, was comfortable to drive in for long distances, and had reasonable mileage. I just love this little truck.
Friend and I often do one away game a season to see the other Big 10 stadiums. 2009 he went to Minnesota to see the then brand new stadium, but I had to back out as my bathroom wall fell into my bathtub and I had to put in a new bathtub surround that weekend. This year our alma mater Purdue was going back to Minnesota and I floated the idea of going to St. Paul, MN as I missed the first trip. Last year my friend bought a 1978 Rockwood trailer in Wisconsin and has been slowly fixing it. I just bought the Maverick on Labor Day weekend and when he found out I had the 4,000 lb tow package he volunteered my Maverick as the tow vehicle. To be fair, my Maverick is a far superior tow vehicle to what my friend normally uses.
At least this trip forced my friend to finally finish fixing the Rockwood. Nothing like a hard deadline to motivate a person.
The Ford Maverick itself is just a winner. If you get the tow package you can tow 4,000 lbs. I know in the modern truck world that's not a huge number, but it'll tow many pop-up trailers, A-frame trailers, a small boat, two Jet-Skis, or a small utility trailer. For many people, that's enough capability to work with. Towing my friend's 1,500 lbs 1978 Rockwood trailer wasn't a problem.
As soon as we plugged the 4-pin wiring into the hitch, a screen popped up asking for the trailer dimensions. The blind spot monitoring system adjusted for the extra 18 feet in length and the 7 foot width of the trailer. That was so useful on the interstate. The warning light came on earlier and lasted longer than normal, and performed flawlessly. I installed some clip on tow mirrors so I could see vehicles, but sometimes my friend would bump the one on the passenger side when he got back into the truck and I wouldn't know it was out of alignment until I was already back on the interstate. The blind spot monitoring made up for that user error.
The 2.0 Ecoboost was great and I honestly couldn't imaging towing with the hybrid engine. The Maverick felt the weight of the trailer during acceleration and breaking, but drove fine at 70-75 mph. In the level lands of Indiana and Illinois I even managed a little over 20 mpg while towing. In the more hilly sections of Wisconsin and Minnesota it dropped to 19 mpg. That's not bad fuel economy while towing. Sans towing I normally get 24-25 mpg, so it wasn't a big hit.
The Maverick is a surprisingly capable long-distance cruiser. The ride is nicer than a Ford F-150 loaner I had for two days. The seat was comfortable, and I'll admit to using the heated seat in the lowest or next to lowest setting to act as a heating pad for my lower back. I pulled some muscle the morning before the trip and that heated seat was very comforting. The highest heat setting is like sitting on a campfire and not advised. After 9-plus hours in the Maverick I was tired and wanting to stretch, but I wasn't wanting to murder people. Coming out of my old Elantra after a long trip I was ready to murder people.
We stayed at St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park. It's a 635 acre park along the river run by Washington County, Minnesota. Saturday October 11th was the next to last weekend this campground was open. Fabulous campground that accommodates anything from large RVs, 5th wheel campers, small pop-up trailers, and tent camping. Trails are all over the park. Tennis courts, big playground for kids, basketball courts, boat launch into a small protected cove that'll get boats out to the river, and who knows what else I missed. $35/night plus a $7/day vehicle fee. Well worth it.
The campground host was a pretty cool guy. He was from Florida, but he starts August 1st to the end of the season to be the host. It is a volunteer position, but he doesn't get charged for the camping spot, has electricity and water for his trailer, and gets to use a cart to drive around. I suspect he's originally from Minnesota as he's a fan of the Minnesota football team. He teased us Boilermakers a bit, but it was fair. If you're retired and have a comfy trailer, maybe being a campground host wouldn't be a bad gig for two and a half months.
The St. Croix River forms part of the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. After exiting I-94 and taking the St. Croix River Scenic Byway you travel through several picturesque small towns. It is a very nice valley. The byway is a winding two lane road, so be careful with a trailer. Many motorcycles and classic cars enjoyed the road this fine autumn weekend. The patio of The Lumberyard Pub in Afton, MN is a fine place for dinner on a cool sunny autumn day. Dog friendly as well so if you like to pet dogs in public it's a target rich environment.
I would love to go back for 4-5 days to explore and hike the park, visit the small towns, and spend a day or two exploring M/SP. It was a very nice area.
One reason I bought the Maverick was to be a camping and outdoor adventure vehicle. I haven't had a chance to tent camp yet, but after towing a small pop-up camper my idea of buying one in the future is still valid. The Maverick towed like a champ, was comfortable to drive in for long distances, and had reasonable mileage. I just love this little truck.
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