A Tale of Two U-Haul Trailers (Towing Report)

[davidpreuter]

So, let me get this straight.
Inadequate cooling, Inadequate Brakes, That’s not a weak link, that’s two of the main things you need besides power. That’s not enough truck for the bigger trailer.
In my not so humble Opinion.
Just saying, :’P

I’m not sure I’m following your logic.

My Maverick has the 4k towing and FX4 packages, which in those packages includes a higher capacity radiator, upgraded cooling fan, a transmission oil cooler and a trailer brake controller, not to mention towing aides like trailer sway control and the tow mode that all Mavericks have. Each of those systems are specifically engineered by Ford to work together to make a Maverick capable of safely towing up to a 4,000 load (trailer and cargo.) Your comment on inadequate cooling and power are not informed, especially since I just towed 1,700 miles without the engine temperature being the least bit affected (I know because I was monitoring it the entire trip.) And the truck had plenty of reserve power. It never struggled to climb the long grades I encountered in the Smokey Mountains and was able to safely maintain 70mph for much of the trip.

To your last comment on brakes, the larger trailer I was towing was a tandem axle unit with its own integrated surge/hydraulic brakes (see last photo.) I’m glad it came with this because they did provide an extra measure of safety, especially in the mountains. At no time did the truck and trailer combo even come close to feeling unsafe from a braking perspective.

My perspective is not only influenced by the positive experience I had towing these trailers, but also by the fact I spent 25 years in the auto industry working for several OEMs, including Ford early in my career. I’ve seen what goes into engineering and designing a truck and I know how they test these vehicles to ensure they are absolutely capable of doing what the spec them to do.

The truck had more than enough power and cooling for this trip, and the truck and trailer combo had more than enough braking capability.

As I said originally, the Mav can tow these trailers well as long as you observe the truck and drivers’ limits.

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[Platinum2]

So, let me get this straight.
Inadequate cooling, Inadequate Brakes, That’s not a weak link, that’s two of the main things you need besides power. That’s not enough truck for the bigger trailer.
In my not so humble Opinion.
Just saying, :’P

I said the Intercooler was a weak link. Not sure how you interpret otherwise.

Also, I never said the brakes were inadequate. Not sure how you interpret otherwise. I simply mentioned I had upgraded mine.

 

[Cherokee]

I said the Intercooler was a weak link. Not sure how you interpret otherwise.

Also, I never said the brakes were inadequate. Not sure how you interpret otherwise. I simply mentioned I had upgraded mine.

_____________________________________
Post #23 led me to my apparently wrong conclusion.
“In my opinion, the weak link in the Maverick's towing capability is the Intercooler. It is simply too small. I replaced mine with Buschur's within the first few hundred miles after I purchased my truck. I also upgraded my pads and rotors.”
————————————————————

You saw the need for the two upgrades so I figured you experienced the need or felt the brakes were not strong enough and you saw the intercooler as a weak link.

Your words not mine.

I figured you towed a heavy trailer and actually experienced problems.

A truck, any truck that feels like the brakes are inadequate or the cooling system needs more would indicate to me I needed a bigger stronger truck.
So far I’ve never felt any vehicle I’ve ever had needed better brakes but I have driven a few trucks that were overloaded, not big enough for that load.
Still never felt I needed more brakes.

I did add a 13,000 btu tranny intercooler to one of my Taco’s, severe commercial duty in city traffic. The fluid was burning at 12,000 miles.
After installing the correct size intercooler it stayed pink for the next 50,000 miles.
Got 380,000 out of that one.

No biggie.

 

[CaliMav68]

I just returned from a 1,700-mile trip towing two different U-Haul trailers behind my 2025 Maverick XLT EcoBoost AWD/FX4/4K Tow. Overall, the truck did great in some challenging mountainous terrain. But what struck me the most was how different the experience was between hauling a U-Haul 5x8 Cargo trailer vs. the larger and heavier 6x12 Cargo trailer. In a nutshell, the 5x8 was well suited to the truck and pulled smooth, while the 6x12 was clearly pushing the limits of what the truck can safely tow — especially due to its larger frontal area, added weight and some not-insignificant elevation/windy conditions in the Great Smokey Mountains.

I know there have been various posts of Maverick owners' experiences towing both of these trailers, but what was unique for me was having the opportunity to tow both nearly back-to-back in the same week.

Here are some insights and stats to chew on:

The 4K tow package did its job with both trailers. No sway to speak of even in very windy conditions, and I used Tow/Haul mode for the entire trip, which was essential to helping the truck get up some long pull grades in the mountains. The fuel economy suffered, but mid-to-high teens isn't terrible considering the conditions I was towing in (very windy, mountainess) and the fact I was trying to keep a steady speed of 70 mph throughout most of the trip. Cruise control was activated for probably 75% of the time as well.

The addition of the trailer surge brakes was noticeable on the larger 6x12 trailer and fully welcomed especially in the mountains.

If you're debating between the 5x8 U-Haul Cargo or the larger 6x12, I'd tell you to stick with the 5x8 unless you absolutely need the additional space. You can fit an entire queen bedroom in the 5x8 if you pack smartly and the truck will pull it with no sweat. I pulled the 5x8 from south Florida to Nashville and then on to Memphis and it was a pleasant experience. A few days later I needed to move my son out of his apartment in North Carolina back to Nashville, so we went with the 6x12 for that trip. We needed every inch of space the 6x12 could offer, although due to the items packed inside we weren't maxing out the trailer's weight capacity but definitely on the bubble for the Maverick's 4k tow rating. And that larger trailer frontal area in the 6x12 showed up in the windy conditions where it was obvious the truck was loaded down in the mountains.

Bottom line: the Maverick tows well and will handle either a U-haul 5x8 Cargo or the larger 6x12, as long as you have the 4k Tow package and observe the weight capacities of trailer+cargo.

Excellent post. I've helped my kids move more times than I can count. Not yet with my Mav. I have the same set up as you so this is great information.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

You are correct they

Yes, you are correct They originally came with the 2.5 but the 3.0 was a common swap for these cars.They were available in all types of things From the tauras, escape and sable i believe both of these are out a Taurus..I have another as well but it spun a bearing so its in need of a rebuild

That's what I was thinking the 3.0 was out of a Taurus Escape or Sable and is what was in My parents 2010 Escape and they're a DOHC 24 Valve engine like the 2.5 was correct?

 

[ice445]

That's what I was thinking the 3.0 was out of a Taurus Escape or Sable and is what was in My parents 2010 Escape and they're a DOHC 24 Valve engine like the 2.5 was correct?

From what I remember from my time in that scene was that you used a 3.0 block from a Taurus/Sable/Escape and put your original SVT cylinder head on it. Both heads were 24v, but the SVT contour head has better cams and flows better. Doing this was the best of both worlds. For some reason the 2.5 block liked to eject rods under hard use unless you overfilled it on oil by .5 quarts or so. The 3.0 block gave more reliability as well as slightly more power.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

Ya it is.. I added some airbags in the rear and I've never had any issues with it

Do You have a Trailer Brake Controller? You haven't had any over heating issues? I think the 4K Tow package has an upgraded cooling system? Either way good to know You haven't had any problems My 2025 had the Hitch on it from the factory and has the 2K towing also.

 

[Tom 71 Maverick 24]

I've towed both sizes of trailers also. I think that if you fully load, floor to ceiling, front to back, the 5X8 is a better fit. When you start packing boxes full of stuff, they start getting heavy.

With both types of trailer, it was a one-way trip, towed, emptied into storage, and then turned in the trailer. 2 trips with a 5X8 and on with a 6X12. All part of a move covering about 575 miles.

I have to say, while the maverick handled the trailers well, I did keep my speeds below 65. Was a little disappointed that the transmission didn't downshift more on long descents, but never had brake issues. Perhaps part of the reason was I kept the speed down a bit. Sway wasn't an issue, although with the larger trailer loaded up, you definitely knew you had something significant behind you.

There have been several threads on the forum about towing with the mav and i recommend reading them. Some very experienced people helped me a good deal with loading, getting that weight down low and concentrated a bit forward of the trailer's axle. Put the heavier stuff on the floor, and medium to light stuff on top. Pack it tight so stuff doesn't shift. Keep the speed down, and take frequent breaks.

Oh, and re-aim your headlights if you think you'll be driving after dark. They will blind everyone when you put 400 pounds of tongue weight back there. just remember how much you lowered them, and turn them back where they were afterwards.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

From what I remember from my time in that scene was that you used a 3.0 block from a Taurus/Sable/Escape and put your original SVT cylinder head on it. Both heads were 24v, but the SVT contour head has better cams and flows better. Doing this was the best of both worlds. For some reason the 2.5 block liked to eject rods under hard use unless you overfilled it on oil by .5 quarts or so. The 3.0 block gave more reliability as well as slightly more power.

So the SVT 2.5 Contour Heads fit the 3.0 block good to know,Thanks

 

[Mavtremor24]

From what I remember from my time in that scene was that you used a 3.0 block from a Taurus/Sable/Escape and put your original SVT cylinder head on it. Both heads were 24v, but the SVT contour head has better cams and flows better. Doing this was the best of both worlds. For some reason the 2.5 block liked to eject rods under hard use unless you overfilled it on oil by .5 quarts or so. The 3.0 block gave more reliability as well as slightly more power.

You are correct. This is the hybrid version which gave you as you said the best of both worlds. The reason why they liked to throw rods is oil starvation under hard right hand turns.. But you can do 2.5 liter heads on the 3.0 block from a non svt or you can go full 3.0 build With stock 3l heads and cams, so there are a couple of different ways you can
Mine are all hybrid 3l

 

[Mavtremor24]

So the SVT 2.5 Contour Heads fit the 3.0 block good to know,Thanks

Yes but do not get the newer version with the coil on plug,it's too much work to try to adapt it for little to no gain

 

[yank283]

I have a 25 hybrid and I have two rules for towing besides the weight limit. 1) no towing anything with double axles. Better left for a mid sized truck 2) Do not drive over 60mph when towing. Been great so far.

 

[JasonDroninAround]

I am not trying to say that I towed this thing anywhere significant. It was just a fun little favor I did for a friend. I moved it about 3 blocks, on residential streets, and never got over 20 mph. The person was living in this thing, full time, and I'm sure it was heavier than it looks. The reason we used my truck is because it was very tight getting it out of where it was coming from. Also, we had to spot it right up against this fence, where it was going, and there was not a lot of room to pull up. I understand and agree with all the reasons a Tremor is only 2k towing. We just watched the squat as we were hooking it up and it was fine for such a short 3 block move.

 

[Cherokee]

I have to say, while the maverick handled the trailers well, I did keep my speeds below 65. Was a little disappointed that the transmission didn't downshift more on long descents, but,,,,

Ive never towed with my Ecoboost but when descending hills empty or with 7 or 800 pounds in the bed there is almost no engine braking. The engine and crank is just too small to help no matter the rpm, I’m not ever going to let it get above 5,000,
No mass.
BUT !
My Cruise Control slows me down on descents with the brakes perfectly with all the stopping power of the very good stock brake system as needed.

When playing with it I will drop CC speed down from 65 to 30 mph on a long descent as I approach my local Dollar store.
Pepper brakes with smooth powerful confidence all the way down the hill.

I assume the brake lights do not light up, Anyone know ?

The Dollar store stop, a great place to pick up chicks btw, LoL
When I need that tasty bottle of Merlot wine that cost $4.25
For my spaghetti,
Half the bottle goes in the spaghetti and I drink the rest.
It taste good :’P
Why in the hell did I tell anyone that ?

 

[YV1227]

I wonder what would the other guys layer say if you get involved in an accident with a 2k Tremor towing close to 4k, that is going to hurt and leave a mark in your account.

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