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whtnrdy

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That doesn't matter legally what you change. The rating is the rating.
Not exactly sure what you mean here. Yeah, the value on the sticker on your car doesn't change, but making changes can detrimentally effect the car's ability to tow up to the rated weight. If an owner makes changes that lowers the effective towing capability and an accident occurs related to this, Ford would not be liable. The owner would be liable if liability were to be important to the case.

However, on a similar note, there are alteration companies that have the ability to "legally" change things like gross weight and tow rating and they have to put a new sticker on the car.
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donkiboy

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Don't you have to factor in people weight along with gear weight?
The weight of what you're towing is separate from weight of passengers & gear.
Passenger / gear would be factored into payload which is the difference between GVWR and curb weight. That payload is about 1300 more or less depending on the Maverick equipment and trim.
 
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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. :)
I'm not pushing the brand because all aluminum trailers brands should be a comparable weight but here is the trailer that I have. 5x10 @ #440 I tow my motorcycle with it, no problems.
https://www.alumaklm.com/utility/single-axle/6310-utility-trailer#standard-equipment
 
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oljackfrost

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I have been looking at stock trailers to modify, looking to basically achieve a utility trailer of sorts with cubbies to store camping equipment in (I am still a "tent" camper). I've been pretty excited about a Harbor Freight folding trailer so I can store in my garage against the wall, detaching the boxes I build for it and storing separately. Not my first time towing but first time owning a trailer.

Does anyone here have any experience with those? They are wicked affordable and I don't plan to haul a tremendous amount of gear, i just need to keep my bed empty for the doges.

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Harbor Freight trailer tires are only rated for 45-50 mph. If you get a HF trailer, get some good Carlisle trailer tires.
 

Fred

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Scamp 5th wheel. 2900 lbs with 400 lb tongue weight.

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Apologies for a stupid question....I have never been camping, or had a trailer, etc....aren’t these limited where you can actually sleep in them?
They look cool though.

You can’t just spend the night on some residential side street, it must be a designated camping site....right? (I told you it was going to be stupid!). Thanks in advance.
 

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hcforde

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My point was for me 80% is an arbitrary number depending on who, what, when, where, etc. Don't get me wrong you have made a lot of good points especially with a travel trailer but there is a reason Ford set the limit where they did. I have seen a lot of drivers with trailers who are a hazard to others but we both know you can't legislate stupidity so some drivers will never follow the rules.
Since I have never driven let alone seen a Maverick nor read any road tests so when I get mine only time will tell.
My fly in the soup is a new light weight aluminum 2 axle utility trailer (loaded) to replace my current one is another $8-10K to keep below the 4k limit but I will not buy one until I see if the Maverick does what I want and need. If not I will sell it and save the $8-10k then buy a new Ranger and have money left over for a good steak dinner :) But I commend you for staying safe and towing at 80%.
Safety
The towing thing is fairly new to me, in the last 3 years. I understand why we have chains first hand. So the safety issue is front and center in my mind. The other reason is that I began to look into it even deeper after they canceled my Maverick FWD 2.0EB w/4K towing. When that happened I began to look into towing very intensely. Afterwards, I switched to a Hybrid Maverick XLT for city driving. I will be buying a 2022 Nissan Frontier for hauling and towing a travel trailer. The sad truth is that some people are going to try and max the Maverick out and attempt to make it something it was not meant to be.

In doing a total cost analysis, towing a travel trailer with a 2022 Frontier is actually cheaper and safer. I find it interesting that people are going to buy a Maverick then buy a travel trailer. They should be looking at them(truck and trailer or whatever they want to tow) as a package price and see what is more efficient cost-wise.

Cost of the truck and trailer
A Frontier S will cost me ~$33,000 (SV ~$34,500)out the door, BUT, I can get more trailer for less money. If I buy a 30,000 Maverick(4k + AWD), I am forced to buy a very expensive smaller trailer for $35-$40,000. The total combo expenditure $68-$74,500. What truck/trailer combo can I buy for $73,000 if I buy a Frontier that can tow 6700lbs? I can get a 25ft Shasta Oasis 21CK for example for $23,000 it weighs about 3940lbs. I am now paying $56,000-$57,500 for the combo. The difference is a lot of money to spend on gas.

Cost of operation-gas
Towing with a Frontier will result in less decrease in MPG(14-16mpgtowing VS normal 24mpg hwy) than towing a heavy load with a Maverick based on Ecoboost 2.0 (Ford Escape) results (9-11MPG towing VS normal 29mpg hwy) That tells me the engine is straining harder and not designed for the workload. (checkout the ecoboost forums and towing) This is all real world, not apples to apples. It also tells me that maybe people try to push smaller vehicles to accomplish what they were not meant to do. Granted you are not going to be towing continuously. But if you are traveling any distance, there will be frequent stops for fill-ups. Also, if you are towing you should be using premium gas especially in the Maverick.

Bottom Line: I can get a bigger trailer and truck and get better mpg when towing and along with that not spend up to $18,500 on the truck and trailer which can be used for a lot of gas. Or I can get a Frontier with a crew cab for $1,500 more. That will still leave $17,000 for gas

My Decision:
$25,000 Hybrid Maverick, $34,500 Frontier, Trailer 23,000= $82,500. I love the hybrid Maverick but it will be my daily in-town driver. The Maverick will replace my 2010 Honda Insight. Great looking with great gas mileage. When I need to haul my trailer or travel trailer, I will use the right tool for the job required.
 

hcforde

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Apologies for a stupid question....I have never been camping, or had a trailer, etc....aren’t these limited where you can actually sleep in them?
They look cool though.

You can’t just spend the night on some residential side street, it must be a designated camping site....right? (I told you it was going to be stupid!). Thanks in advance.
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hcforde

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*****DISCLAIMER THIS IS NOT ADVICE*****


I know this is controversial and does not constitute legal advice. But the whole reason that tow ratings are so ridiculously low here in the US compared to say Europe where a VW Golf tows trailers, is because their speed limits are much lower than here, and distances are generally shorter which allow you to get away with lower speeds. Also they generally mandate electric trailer brakes at lower weights than we do. Lastly, our tow limits are defined by a grueling Davis Dam test that has a steep grade, requires the A/C on full blast, has strong requirements for acceleration and braking, etc. and they have no such well defined metric.

Theoretically if you drive slow, have trailer brakes, etc. you should be able to exceed at least the 2,000 lb tow limit. Then if you’re mindful of how you load the trailer and watch for signs of sway you’ll be safer than the Peugeot in France towing an RV because its under the tow limit. This is also evidenced by the fact that they offered a FWD 4k tow package for months so the vehicle/chassis is certainly capable of pulling it.

Just don’t expect your insurance company to be happy if you get in an accident and they find out.

Edit: I also feel its necessary to point out that this is ALL THEORETICAL AND JUST A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT.
Land of the free and home of the brave.......we WILL push all limits more than they will(excluding Germany)
 
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Shecster

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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.

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Nice work and a good looking rig. I like the permanent trailer plate option you got from the DMV.
Happy trails and safe travels.....✔🇺🇸
 

hcforde

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Not exactly sure what you mean here. Yeah, the value on the sticker on your car doesn't change, but making changes can detrimentally effect the car's ability to tow up to the rated weight. If an owner makes changes that lowers the effective towing capability and an accident occurs related to this, Ford would not be liable. The owner would be liable if liability were to be important to the case.

However, on a similar note, there are alteration companies that have the ability to "legally" change things like gross weight and tow rating and they have to put a new sticker on the car.
Paragraph 1 - I totally agree, the issue is when people "beef-up" their vehicle. their ratings in capacity do not change legally

Paragraph 2 - They are licensed to do so. Very different. They have the necessary testing equipment and procedures. Some places get trucks with only a cab and do their own modifications. Take cement trucks for instance, they are delivered as a truck with a cab and a platform.
 

Delzona

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If you’re looking for good towing capability, get a Buick

I just knew all those tow limits and weights were just 🐂💩 rules made up by some 🤡!! This video proves it!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
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hcforde

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The weight of what you're towing is separate from weight of passengers & gear.
Passenger / gear would be factored into payload which is the difference between GVWR and curb weight. That payload is about 1300 more or less depending on the Maverick equipment and trim.
Just do not figure that payload and tow capacity can be combined, they can't, actual payload detracts from tow capacity.
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