Examples of maximum trailers a non-tow package Maverick can safely tow

[Koybot]

I do.

I have the the heavy Duty one. Bought it last summer and have probably used is a couple dozen times. Absolutely love it. I do fold it up and put it in my garage. Feel free to ask any questions you want.

The price is for the 'frame' only. whatever floor you put down is completely up to you. Side note. I used 3/4" plywood for my flooring and that is the absolute max thickness of what you can install and still have it fold.

Overall, it trailers well. I haven't had any issues with it. I did install a trailer jack and Bearing Buddies.

Excellent to hear that, thanks for the info! I'm pretty handy with the tools and looking forward to building something similar to yours

I did read that some people opt'd to upgrade the tires to a 13" to improve highway handling, have you taken yours up to highway speeds, and if so, did you find that the smaller wheels were problematic? Will for sure invest in some of those bearing buddies, didn't know those were even a thing.

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[msimon]

Would we be able to pull 2 jet skis with the hybrid?

 

[Dallas Maverick]

Would we be able to pull 2 jet skis with the hybrid?

https://www.jetdrift.com/jet-ski-weights/#:~:text=How Much Does a Double,or even 4 jet skis!

 

[RustyF150]

I ordered a hybrid, and only added the hitch because it seemed really cheap at $100....
I don't plan on towing anything, but it will be nice to have the option to rent a lightweight, small cargo trailer if needed. I'm amazed at how little a 2000 lb towing limit actually is!

My days of needing a big super capable work truck are over. My '95 F-150 served me well but at 62 I'm downsizing EVERYTHING so the FWD Hybrid is all I'll need. I may tow a log splitter or a open trailer of yard waste but that's about it. My bad back, shoulders and heart will last longer.... I hope. I Ordered my XLT with the tow pkg Aug. 3rd so perhaps by Thanksgiving it'll arrive.

 

[BILLNOROVILLE]

Like the Harbor Freight trailers there are versions available in aluminum. The come in different sizes. I got the smallest size available. I got this one from Northern Tool. I put this trailer together (pretty easy) for hauling a motorcycle behind an electric car and had a weight capacity I had to meet. I extended it on both ends a little. I has worked well for hauling a 400 pound motorcycle. I did have to make better brackets for the tail lights as they vibrated and cracked the box aluminum that was around them. But overall the trailer ended up around 120 pounds finished.

 

[Dallas Maverick]

Excellent to hear that, thanks for the info! I'm pretty handy with the tools and looking forward to building something similar to yours

I did read that some people opt'd to upgrade the tires to a 13" to improve highway handling, have you taken yours up to highway speeds, and if so, did you find that the smaller wheels were problematic? Will for sure invest in some of those bearing buddies, didn't know those were even a thing.

First, harbor freight has a couple different trailer sizes. The one shown above is the super duty option and comes with wider tires and weighs more than the others. The light weight trailer comes with smaller, 4 lug wheels. Mine has 5 lugs and bigger tires.
https://www.harborfreight.com/autom...x-96-in-super-duty-folding-trailer-62647.html

That being said,

Even though I have the 'heaviest' one they sell, it's still pretty light at 300 lbs. At highway speeds, it has the potential to bounce. I say 'potential' because I've never had any issues. pot holes on a dirt road, yes, it'll bounce. I try to avoid those at 70pmh though.

I have towed it fully weighed down (1,700 lbs) with concrete pavers and it's actually a pleasure to tow. the weight settles it down quite nicely.

Coincidently this trailer, when fully loaded, is 2,000lbs., which just so happens to match the hybrid capacity. If I need to tow anything larger, I have a V8 that can handle that.

 

[FloodingdowninTX]

I ordered a hybrid, and only added the hitch because it seemed really cheap at $100....
I don't plan on towing anything, but it will be nice to have the option to rent a lightweight, small cargo trailer if needed. I'm amazed at how little a 2000 lb towing limit actually is!

Exactly, and there are hitch attach accessories to look at from Yakima and AutoAnything for example.

 

[Emily-Perkins]

I don't completely agree with the 80% rule since its arbitrary. If you have the right trailer with appropriate brakes and loaded correctly I don't see anything wrong with towing at the limit.
If Ford wanted you to only tow at 80% they would set tow limit there.

I agree with this, typically manufacturers dont rate something AT its limit. Typically they will rate something at 80% so that there is a margin for error. Most people don't have a scale in their front yard that they can toss the trailer on to make sure they dont exceed the "max" towing capacity.

I expect that the actual true capacity is likely 5,000 lbs.

This is also just my opinion and my experience with ratings on other things not specifically towing capacities.

 

[hcforde]

I edited for clarity, but your statement is exactly the point. A non-4k-towing Mav should only tow this trailer if empty, and a 4k Mav would probably be hard pressed to tow anything except a Smart Car on this trailer.

2000lbs is plenty for a lot of trailers and probably a lot of the usage most people looking at Mavs want/need. Here's an example of some uhaul trailers the 2000lbs rated Mavs can tow:

https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/5x8-Cargo-Trailer-Rental/AV/

900lbs empty so you could load up to 1100lbs in it legally.

https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/Motorcycle-Trailer-Rental/MT/

800lbs empty so you could put up to a 1200lb motorcycle in it legally

https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/4x7-Utility-Trailer-Rental/FS/

630lbs empty so you could load it up with 1,370lbs of stuff

General rule of thumb --- but in reality you still need to calculate the whole thing out including passengers weight and weight of the gear in the bed. and you should not go over 80% of capacity. Some rental places will check it out before renting to you.

 

[hcforde]

I don't completely agree with the 80% rule since its arbitrary. If you have the right trailer with appropriate brakes and loaded correctly I don't see anything wrong with towing at the limit.
If Ford wanted you to only tow at 80% they would set tow limit there.

The limit is set not so much for you but for them. If you go over it and get in an accident, an insurance company may not be liable. Ford itself will be protected because you went over. If you attempt to rent and the agent knows you are over, it will not be a deal. If you get in an accident with a rental and you are over, and even if you paid renters insurance. You are taking the risk and it will ALL be on you. Some even require a buffer. especially if it is a travel trailer.

Wind gust, 18 wheelers, can create havoc especially if you are not evenly loaded in a travel trailer. You also have the issue of how fast do you want to get to your destination. The heaver the load the more strain on the Maverick. The faster you go the greater the tendency to sway/fishtail. The smaller the towing vehicle the more difficult it is to get it under control quickly.

The other thing is that bed capacity and towing capacity are NOT mutually exclusive. Add on top of that this is a unibody, not a frame vehicle. I believe that telling people to max it out is dangerous to themselves as well as others on the road. The Maverick with 4K tow package would not tow a trailer weighing 3940lbs with 325lb passengers and a 175lb generator in the bed within the suggested limits.

 

[hcforde]

There are a lot of small campers that fit under the 2000 lb limit.

Also keep in mind that Ford's rating is based on stock suspension and tires, for the safety sticklers out there.

That doesn't matter legally what you change. The rating is the rating.

 

[hcforde]

Well it depends on the height of the trailer as well as the aerodynamics. For example, a V-nose trailer technically has less frontal area than an equivalent flat-front trailer, even though the V-nose has more surface area.

But regardless, for an occasional tow, I wouldn't have an issue with exceeding the frontal area as long as it's not grossly unreasonable. I'd hitch on either of those trailers to a non-4k-tow Maverick without a second thought.



You are correct; it's more a rule-of-thumb for vehicle longevity, but as you would with any tow vehicle, you also have to consider your locality and how often you're going to tow. I'd tow the full 2k limit, even exceeding the frontal area slightly as I mentioned, across Florida or west Texas without any hesitation.

What about Louisiana?

 

[hcforde]

Would we be able to pull 2 jet skis with the hybrid?

Depends on the jet skis and the weight of the trailer. sea doo spark type yes.

Kawasaki 310lx NO!!!

 

[msimon]

Depends on the jet skis and the weight of the trailer. sea doo spark type yes.

Kawasaki 310lx NO!!!

We were thinking about the sea doo spark type! Nothing too crazy just recreational

 

[OperationBlueTruck]

I currently pull an aluminum trailer with a Chevy Volt. IIRC the empty weight on the trailer, 5x10 with a ramp, is under 500lbs. I suspect that Maverick will pull it just fine too. I can get exact specs and brand info if anyone is interested in the info. 1500lbs of capacity is a good bit for my usual needs. This is one of the reasons I'm so excited for the Maverick.

BTW: Hi! First post.

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