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Old 06-09-2019, 01:17 PM   #41
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Old 06-09-2019, 03:34 PM   #42
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Hmmm, I wonder if this would work with an Andersen Ultimate and a 5.0TA?
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Old 06-09-2019, 03:43 PM   #43
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One word

Engine torque and the RPM at which it is maximized play a huge part in a vehicle's performance as a tow vehicle. It's a good idea to compare torque curves along with the other variables that matter to you.
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Old 06-09-2019, 03:47 PM   #44
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Engine torque and the RPM at which it is maximized play a huge part in a vehicle's performance as a tow vehicle. It's a good idea to compare torque curves along with the other variables that matter to you.
So what's ideal, I have no idea about those.
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Old 06-09-2019, 04:06 PM   #45
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More torque, peaking at lower RPM, generates more towing power.
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Old 06-09-2019, 05:26 PM   #46
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More torque, peaking at lower RPM, generates more towing power.
Which means either a diesel set up or small v-8....
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Old 06-09-2019, 06:53 PM   #47
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Which means either a diesel set up or small v-8....
Or a V6 with twin turbos...
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Old 06-09-2019, 11:20 PM   #48
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Honestly, if you're towing a 15A anything with a 5000lb+ towing capacity is going to be overkill enough that it won't matter beyond that. Highlander, Cayenne, F150, 4runner, Santa Fe, Pilot, Ascent, Ridgeline... all are fine. For that matter an SUV with 3500lbs of towing capacity is probably ample, or even a minivan. Comfort-wise, I'd just go with whichever one has the seats you like best.
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Old 06-10-2019, 08:03 AM   #49
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I pulled my 2008 19 with a 2009 Pilot most of the time. It only had a 4,500 lb towing capacity but did the job fine. Only on a very few steep inclines did I have to slow down, plus I never took it over 100 kph regardless of terrain. The only downside was while towing my fuel economy dropped a fair bit, but as a runaround vehicle at home or when camping it was fantastic. I did use my Ford Super Dutys a few time when doing a mountain run with very little driving outside of towing as the fuel costs were not much more and boy could I go fast.

My brother tows the new 19 with the same Pilot as has found it to react the same as I did although the trailer is a bit heavier. He had the vehicle so has not wanted to spend more money on a new one yet. When he does he is wanting to stay in the SUV class as he has no use for a pickup as a run around town vehicle, in my mind a good choice.

As long as you are under all the vehicle towing limitations AND you have your trailer brakes set up properly, safety is not a concern, only performance.

It seems a few here want to tow with something way bigger than needed. If you were towing most of the time with this vehicle the extra costs might be just fine for you even if not needed. You do get generally the same fuel economy of a mid-sized SUV when towing with better hill and passing capacity. If you like to drive fast they can do that too.

I have towed almost constantly for the last 30 years, mostly construction trailers around town. When I was always towing heavy weights I was glad to have a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel pickup to do so. After driving one of these for over 25 years I was certainly glad to be able to no longer own one and go with my half ton to tow my trailer, and my work trailers when needed, and it does great, even with the heavy dump trailer often getting around 9,000 lbs when loaded.

In my opinion, while bigger, more powerful, faster and costlier tow vehicles will work, most are overkill for towing an Escape. Pickup wise, the F-150 with and EcoBoost is plenty good and often more than really needed for towing an Escape. Quite a few SUVs with 5,000 or greater tow capacity, and one of the reasons we buy an Escape is because of the weight.
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Old 06-10-2019, 09:14 AM   #50
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Honestly, if you're towing a 15A anything with a 5000lb+ towing capacity is going to be overkill enough that it won't matter beyond that. Highlander, Cayenne, F150, 4runner, Santa Fe, Pilot, Ascent, Ridgeline... all are fine. For that matter an SUV with 3500lbs of towing capacity is probably ample, or even a minivan. Comfort-wise, I'd just go with whichever one has the seats you like best.
That's what I'm thinking but worried that I'll still feel the bumps under the trailer if the vehicle isn't any bigger than the Forester. (Say the 2020 Outback, which is going to tow 3500)- it's rated higher, may take hills faster, but will it still be work to tow with it?
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Old 06-10-2019, 03:49 PM   #51
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What's the difference between the 2019 Pilots and Passports? They look the same to me, and they're the same size.
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Old 06-10-2019, 05:20 PM   #52
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In terms of feeling bumps, the larger the tow vehicle is compared to the trailer the less you'll feel.

Weight distributing hitches do play a pretty significant role in transmitting bumps from the trailer to the tow vehicle, so anything big enough to not need a weight distributing hitch is going to do noticeably better there (though at the cost of the contents of the trailer maybe getting bounced around a bit more)

Not sure what kind of suspension the 15A has, but probably a rubber torsion beam. Some of the other trailers like Casita have aftermarket shock absorbers that might be able to be adapted to the Escape. Better shock absorption means less of a bump to be transmitted to the tow vehicle.

Overall, the large luxury-ish SUVs with dynamic independent suspensions (air or magneride) will probably have the smoothest tow for a small trailer like that.
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Old 06-10-2019, 05:25 PM   #53
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My experience with weight distribution is the opposite as far as transmitting bumps. I've towed my 17B a couple kilometres to the RV service shop I use and it's a much less comfortable ride without WDH. I put up with it because it's a short trip.
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Old 06-10-2019, 05:29 PM   #54
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What's the difference between the 2019 Pilots and Passports? They look the same to me, and they're the same size.
I'm pretty sure the Passport is just a shorter version of the Pilot. No third row but it does have slightly higher ground clearance. I think that in order of towing desirability it would be Ridgeline first, then Pilot then Passport. Towing specs are similar between the three models. I'm just recalling this from memory so verify before purchase.
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Old 06-11-2019, 05:49 PM   #55
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No. Ideally, nothing bigger than I have now, but one of my concerns is would another smaller mid-sized SUV just have the same kind of ride even with an increased tow rating? I'm looking at things from Forester-sized up to about Pilot-sized, nothing bigger (and I think the Pilot is too big or at least too wide.)...If I could test-drive the options with my trailer behind them, this would be easy.
You are welcome to check out my 2019 Ridgeline. We are close enough and I could get my Corgi fix too. The only problem is I currently do not have a brake controller but hope to remedy that in the near future.
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Old 06-11-2019, 06:16 PM   #56
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Thanks! I wish I had time this week as I'm headed over that way, but have a 3:30 PM ferry and need to get to Westport. I wanted to switch to Friday morning but one cancellation and the rest booked until 2 PM. But if you get down this way let me know. Stopping isn't the problem so it is pretty easy to see how something feels towing without a brake controller. (I did it with my Forester before I had one installed, just to make sure I was okay with the uphills, and just locally where stopping was not a problem.)
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Old 06-11-2019, 06:23 PM   #57
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After ample towing capability, our #2 priority is seat comfort for the long haul. If we drive for 10 hours, we don't want to feel like we've been driving for 20 hours when we arrive at our destination. Lower lumbar support is important for my wife, especially for long drives, so any vehicles with 10-way adjustable front seats for both driver AND passenger get our attention.
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Old 06-19-2019, 03:29 PM   #58
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The RIDE!!! I finally figured that out. If you're not comfortable... what a bad trip you're on.
Agree. That's why we went with the Infiniti QX80 - comfortable ride. Our other top criteria:
- everyday vehicle,
- luxurious interior, and
- plenty of towing capability
for our Escape 19.

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Old 06-19-2019, 05:54 PM   #59
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In terms of feeling bumps, the larger the tow vehicle is compared to the trailer the less you'll feel.

Weight distributing hitches do play a pretty significant role in transmitting bumps from the trailer to the tow vehicle, so anything big enough to not need a weight distributing hitch is going to do noticeably better there (though at the cost of the contents of the trailer maybe getting bounced around a bit more) <SNIP>


.

Like gbaglo, my experience is the opposite. My Ford Ranger can tow our 17B without a WDH but it 'porpoises' over bumps. The WDH takes that away and the ride is much more enjoyable.
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Old 06-19-2019, 06:04 PM   #60
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Interesting. I suspect the difference is axle count. The single axle on the 17B probably means much more porpoising than the on the double-axle 19, so even though the WDH transmits some bumpiness to the tow vehicle it means an overall smoother ride.
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