Hybrid Towing trip report & MPG stats

[mercube]

Just got back to Georgia after helping my aunt move down from Tennessee. I’ve got a 2023 Hybrid Maverick and here’s my stats from the trip. Overall the truck pulled and drove well. I don’t know how much weight I had total but there was a lot of stuff.

I was towing a 5x9 U-Haul open air trailer. In the trailer was 2 smaller dressers, a king size bed, a lazy boy chair and some other small items. Plus the truck bed had boxes in it and there were boxes in the cab. Normally I average about 40 mpg. MPG with the trailer took a serious hit (almost 20 mpg) but I was still happy with the way it performed.

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[mav47]

Similar experience here:

I average the same 20mpg on the hybrid Maverick towing our little camper trailer, which is about 2,000 lbs fully loaded.

The hybrid actually tows much better than expected. I keep it in tow/haul mode, and it feels fairly quick accelerating from a stop (seems quicker than our 300hp Highlander Hybrid towing the same little rig). On inclines you do notice the 100+ hp difference and there the Highlander has it, but the Maverick hybrid does plenty well enough for my liking.

The truck's stiffer suspension helps make it feel better as a tow vehicle versus the soft sprung Highlander.

 

[Oscarcat]

Similar experience here:

I average the same 20mpg on the hybrid Maverick towing our little camper trailer, which is about 2,000 lbs fully loaded.

The hybrid actually tows much better than expected. I keep it in tow/haul mode, and it feels fairly quick accelerating from a stop (seems quicker than our 300hp Highlander Hybrid towing the same little rig). On inclines you do notice the 100+ hp difference and there the Highlander has it, but the Maverick hybrid does plenty well enough for my liking.

The truck's stiffer suspension helps make it feel better as a tow vehicle versus the soft sprung Highlander.

Hi from down the road - Encinitas. Question: Do you have trailer brakes and a trailer brake controller? What is the make of your trailer? Thanks in advance. [I have a '24 hybrid now, sold the EB in the photo]

 

[KimDP]

I am about the same 43 without and 26 with camper trailer. Tows great, but lacks power going up steep grades

 

[Samcat13]

Hi from down the road - Encinitas. Question: Do you have trailer brakes and a trailer brake controller? What is the make of your trailer? Thanks in advance. [I have a '24 hybrid now, sold the EB in the photo]

I also would like to know the make and model of the comper

 

[mav47]

Hi from down the road - Encinitas. Question: Do you have trailer brakes and a trailer brake controller? What is the make of your trailer? Thanks in advance. [I have a '24 hybrid now, sold the EB in the photo]

Hello neighbor,

Our camp trailer is a Jayco Jay Feather Micro 12SRK, and it comes standard with electric trailer brakes on the axle. It weighs about 1,600lbs dry, but I built out the kitchen a bit, remodeled the interior somewhat, and with stores and everything loaded it should weigh around 2,000lbs.

On the Maverick I installed a 7-pin plus 4-pin trailer connector (removed the stock 4-pin and had to cut a new hole for the new connector block), and I also installed a Redarc Tow-Pro Liberty brake controller.

I had experience with the Redarc because about two years ago I also installed it in our Highlander Hybrid and found it works well.

This brake controller has a nice small rotary dial that installs cleanly next to the Maverick's light switch. The brake controller itself I installed behind the back seat, roughly behind the driver, which also puts it conveniently close to the battery. Redarc uses a standard Cat-5 Ethernet cable between the brake controller and the rotary dial (!). The controller needs +12v, a ground and a brake switch input, and since I installed the controller in the back I picked up the brake signal from the Maverick's center brake light (remove the light, T-splice in a wire and run it behind the headliner and then down behind the seat). I used protective sleeving and lots of zip ties running the wiring, especially back underneath the vehicle to the trailer connector. The continuous +12V feed to the trailer comes directly from the battery + terminal (used a waterproof fuse block with a 30A fuse) And then I picked up the reverse light feed on the trailer connector from the LH taillight on the Maverick.

This Redarc brake controller works great, installs easily and cleanly in these hybrids (with the battery back there) and it is easy to dial in the trailer brakes, but unfortunately it is quite expensive at around $160.

 

[Oscarcat]

Hello neighbor,

Our camp trailer is a Jayco Jay Feather Micro 12SRK, and it comes standard with electric trailer brakes on the axle. It weighs about 1,600lbs dry, but I built out the kitchen a bit, remodeled the interior somewhat, and with stores and everything loaded it should weigh around 2,000lbs.

On the Maverick I installed a 7-pin plus 4-pin trailer connector (removed the stock 4-pin and had to cut a new hole for the new connector block), and I also installed a Redarc Tow-Pro Liberty brake controller.

I had experience with the Redarc because about two years ago I also installed it in our Highlander Hybrid and found it works well.

This brake controller has a nice small rotary dial that installs cleanly next to the Maverick's light switch. The brake controller itself I installed behind the back seat, roughly behind the driver, which also puts it conveniently close to the battery. Redarc uses a standard Cat-5 Ethernet cable between the brake controller and the rotary dial (!). The controller needs +12v, a ground and a brake switch input, and since I installed the controller in the back I picked up the brake signal from the Maverick's center brake light (remove the light, T-splice in a wire and run it behind the headliner and then down behind the seat). I used protective sleeving and lots of zip ties running the wiring, especially back underneath the vehicle to the trailer connector. The continuous +12V feed to the trailer comes directly from the battery + terminal (used a waterproof fuse block with a 30A fuse) And then I picked up the reverse light feed on the trailer connector from the LH taillight on the Maverick.

This Redarc brake controller works great, installs easily and cleanly in these hybrids (with the battery back there) and it is easy to dial in the trailer brakes, but unfortunately it is quite expensive at around $160.

Thank you, thank you thank you for the excellent photos and details! Very nice install all the way around. The brake controller looks great where you mounted it and $160 for a good system is not unreasonable. Well done!

 

[The Real Maverick]

Hello neighbor,

Our camp trailer is a Jayco Jay Feather Micro 12SRK, and it comes standard with electric trailer brakes on the axle. It weighs about 1,600lbs dry, but I built out the kitchen a bit, remodeled the interior somewhat, and with stores and everything loaded it should weigh around 2,000lbs.

On the Maverick I installed a 7-pin plus 4-pin trailer connector (removed the stock 4-pin and had to cut a new hole for the new connector block), and I also installed a Redarc Tow-Pro Liberty brake controller.

I had experience with the Redarc because about two years ago I also installed it in our Highlander Hybrid and found it works well.

This brake controller has a nice small rotary dial that installs cleanly next to the Maverick's light switch. The brake controller itself I installed behind the back seat, roughly behind the driver, which also puts it conveniently close to the battery. Redarc uses a standard Cat-5 Ethernet cable between the brake controller and the rotary dial (!). The controller needs +12v, a ground and a brake switch input, and since I installed the controller in the back I picked up the brake signal from the Maverick's center brake light (remove the light, T-splice in a wire and run it behind the headliner and then down behind the seat). I used protective sleeving and lots of zip ties running the wiring, especially back underneath the vehicle to the trailer connector. The continuous +12V feed to the trailer comes directly from the battery + terminal (used a waterproof fuse block with a 30A fuse) And then I picked up the reverse light feed on the trailer connector from the LH taillight on the Maverick.

This Redarc brake controller works great, installs easily and cleanly in these hybrids (with the battery back there) and it is easy to dial in the trailer brakes, but unfortunately it is quite expensive at around $160.

I did something very similar, and tow something a little larger.

The hybrid is more capable than most people give it credit for. Towing over the Sierras on a 95 degree day with A/C on, not a problem.

Pro Tip: any road and speed an 18 wheeler can do, the Mav Hybrid can do better. Some people pass me, but I can still pass Semi's. Even towing.

 

[TimeOutside]

...This Redarc brake controller works great, installs easily and cleanly in these hybrids...

I'm installing the same. I have a question. Did you run the white ground wire from the controller harness to the negative post on the battery or did you just anchor it to the frame. If you attached it to the negative post, where and how did you attach it? With the hybrid sensor there, we're not supposed to actually attach it to the post.

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[mav47]

@TimeOutside

If I recall correctly I simply tied it to the chassis. If you do this properly with a crimped on ring terminal it will be absolutely fine.

Note that if you wanted to ground anything directly to the battery negative terminal you just have to connect it on the side of the sensor where the main ground cable already is attached (=not to the battery negative terminal directly).

Cheers!

 

[TimeOutside]

Thanks. I was thinking grounding it to the frame would be adequate, but I wanted to check.

 

[Jallen0946]

Hello everyone, I'm getting a 2,000lb Prolite camper next weekend that has trailer brakes and comes from the factory with the Tucson electronic built in anti-sway controls connected to those brakes. Does anyone know if I get the Redarc brake controller installed, how will it affect the anti-sway system? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Maverick123]

Hello everyone, I'm getting a 2,000lb Prolite camper next weekend that has trailer brakes and comes from the factory with the Tucson electronic built in anti-sway controls connected to those brakes. Does anyone know if I get the Redarc brake controller installed, how will it affect the anti-sway system? Thanks in advance for your help!

Sounds like a great question for the manufacturer ... https://www.tusonrvbrakes.com/
Also, #12 here > https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1726/5421/files/TSC_FAQ-April-18.pdf?4750501167811177578

 

[Jallen0946]

Sounds like a great question for the manufacturer ... https://www.tusonrvbrakes.com/
Also, #12 here > https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1726/5421/files/TSC_FAQ-April-18.pdf?4750501167811177578

Thanks very much Mav123, very helpful with the links!

 

[Jallen0946]

@TimeOutside

If I recall correctly I simply tied it to the chassis. If you do this properly with a crimped on ring terminal it will be absolutely fine.

Note that if you wanted to ground anything directly to the battery negative terminal you just have to connect it on the side of the sensor where the main ground cable already is attached (=not to the battery negative terminal directly).

Cheers!

Thank you for your post about the Redarc controller. I'm picking up a small travel trailer next weekend and want to have the controller installed by then. I should receive it any day now...

Did the controller come with the pigtail to connect to the battery, 3rd brake, etc.? I understand I can use a standard Cat5 from the controller to the round knob installed up front.

To confirm my understanding, on the pigtail, one wire is connected to the 12V positive, one wire is grounded to the chassis, one wire is connected to the 3rd brake light, and I assume the final wire is connected (along with another 12V+) to my newly installed 7-pin connector?

So 2 wires run back to the 7-pin, one from the Redarc and a separate wire from the battery 12+ for recharging the camper battery.

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

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