Pushed the towing limits

B. Adams · May 10, 2025

My F350 has my 36' gooseneck on it this week, so rather than unhooking it I figured I'd see what my hybrid Maverick can do. This 22' flatbed weighs about 3k empty, and the pallet racking I picked up was about 1k, so I was right at the 4k limit. I loaded everything a little further back than I normally would to avoid overdoing the tongue weight, and I think I did OK.

I took it a little easy on the trip home, which was about an hour drive, but overall my little truck did great and handled the load just fine. Mileage was worse than usual, of course, but still almost double what my F350 would have gotten at about the same speed.

I feel like I finally found the limit of what I can or should do with this truck, but I'm happy with how it performed. It's a small truck, but it can do some real work.

Ford Maverick Pushed the towing limits 20250506_170145

Ford Maverick Pushed the towing limits 20250506_170153

Ford Maverick Pushed the towing limits 20250506_170109

Darryl · May 11, 2025

I'm not surprised at the ability to tow the heavy load. For 2025 Ford has beefed up the transmission and now offers the hybrid in AWD and an optional 4,000 lb towing package. That's how my 2025 is equipped.

Cherokee · May 11, 2025

Is the Maverick the first or one of the first unibody pick ups ?
4,000, 5,000 pounds towing loads, towed with a unibody.
Any history out there ? Of other vehicles similar to ours towing 2 to 2.5 Tons .

I was wondering about long term effects on the unibody platform.
Data may be non existent. We may be on uncharted ground.
What was the towing limits on the old rangers, the body on frame?
I know a guy that pulls parade floats down the interstates to parades in other cities in an Older Ranger.
He said most of the floats were well over 5,000 with two or three axles.

Maverick123 · May 11, 2025

Thanks for the write-up, I'm sure there's still a ton of people (I was one of them) who think the hybrid can't tow heavy because of the "CVT" transmission. Now I learned what an e-CVT is and I know better, can't wait to get mine and try it out!

PS: There's a ton of unibody SUVs that are rated to tow 5k. The Maverick is basically a unibody SUV with an open bed

GaryTerry · May 11, 2025

Cherokee said:
Is the Maverick the first or one of the first unibody pick ups ?

I would think the Honda Ridgeline might be the first Unibody Pickup.

Carlitos_92 · May 11, 2025

GaryTerry said:
I would think the Honda Ridgeline might be the first Unibody Pickup.

And you'd be way off.

The Subaru Brat is an obvious first thought from the '70's. Internationally, Australia has been crazy for "utes" since at least that far back.

Cherokee · May 11, 2025

MavStangVa said:
Ranchero and El Caminos were. Also F-100 61 to 63. Chevy had the Corvair based pickups in the 60s.

I did not know unibody tech was that old.
Interesting.

Snox801 · May 11, 2025

Well so far they work great as a uni body. I’ve hauled just a touch over 8k lbs from LA to Mi with mine and several times hauled 6k from NY to Mi. Most hauling is around 3500-4000k with mine. So far so good. But I know I overwork my truck and am ok to see what the weak spots are and how they hold up.
Very impressed with this truck so far.

Waterick · May 11, 2025

MavStangVa said:
Google Corvair pickup. My brother had one of those with a side gate, no tail gate.

I can remember my father borrowing a Corvair Rampside van to move stuff to our lake cabin in the early sixties. Even then, as a youngster I was wowed by the tech of the built in side ramp. A feature yet to be repeated. All on a unibody.

ianjay · May 11, 2025

El Caminos have a frame. They are not unibody in any of the generations back to 1959. The Ranchero is a little different. Some generations were, some were not.
The Corvair rampside was not unique. The Volkswagen transporter trucks from the 1950's also had a side ramp on some models. The rear engine of these platforms meant that a flat floor was not possible front to back, but the floor that had the ramp was much lower than the conventional pickup.

SafetyGuy · May 11, 2025

B. Adams said:
My F350 has my 36' gooseneck on it this week, so rather than unhooking it I figured I'd see what my hybrid Maverick can do. This 22' flatbed weighs about 3k empty, and the pallet racking I picked up was about 1k, so I was right at the 4k limit. I loaded everything a little further back than I normally would to avoid overdoing the tongue weight, and I think I did OK.

I took it a little easy on the trip home, which was about an hour drive, but overall my little truck did great and handled the load just fine. Mileage was worse than usual, of course, but still almost double what my F350 would have gotten at about the same speed.

I feel like I finally found the limit of what I can or should do with this truck, but I'm happy with how it performed. It's a small truck, but it can do some real work.

I think what has been missed here (so far) is the Hitch being used! I like this set up.

No guessing as to Hitch weight (...that should be about right...let's go!)

We all probably see too many people on the road with no clue as to the properly loading a trailer...secured...weight distribution...etc....or GVWR/GCWR.

Here is my example of a simple, portable pin/tongue scale I snagged 2nd hand off the inter-web. 2 guages, depending on the weight being tested for.

There is no "should be good" where there are simple solution is available, to me anyways.

Too many years growing up on a small farm, working on big farms (good enough taught), to RCAF (relearn pretty much everything) to safely tow everything from light and heavy choppers, go-fasts, A310's, 707's and everything in-between.

Use the right tool for the job, knowledge is power.

Cheers

Andy

SafetyGuy · May 11, 2025

Sorry I neglected adding my pics.

Andy

Ford Maverick Pushed the towing limits 20250511_090234

GaryTerry · May 11, 2025

Carlitos_92 said:
And you'd be way off.

The Subaru Brat is an obvious first thought from the '70's. Internationally, Australia has been crazy for "utes" since at least that far back.

Was that a Unibody???

The Real Maverick · May 11, 2025

Lots of people called me nuts for towing 3200# with a hybrid.

Not so nutty now, is it?!

Trailer brakes, yes.

Carlitos_92 · May 11, 2025

GaryTerry said:
Was that a Unibody???

Yep. Based on some small station wagon they had at the time.

Pushed the towing limits

B. Adams

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Darryl

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Cherokee

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Maverick123

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GaryTerry

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Carlitos_92

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Cherokee

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Snox801

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Waterick

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ianjay

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SafetyGuy

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SafetyGuy

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GaryTerry

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The Real Maverick

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Carlitos_92

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