Towing with a Ford SportTrac - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Problem Solving | Owners helping each other
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-28-2012, 11:32 AM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 1
Towing with a Ford SportTrac

Does anyone tow their Escape with a Ford SportTrac? I am considering the 5th wheel and wondering how it will tow?
Happy Camper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2012, 04:49 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
JeffZ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 893
Re: Towing with a Ford SportTrac

I think the box will be too small for the hitch..but I could be wrong.
__________________
Former 17ft Plan "B" Escape
Toyota Highlander w/tow pkg


favorite quote: "Put the candle back"
JeffZ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2012, 05:35 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
dave macrae's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: St.Albert, Alberta
Trailer: 21 ft November 17th
Posts: 847
Re: Towing with a Ford SportTrac

Doesn't that truck have a really short box. I do know that gm doesn't recomend a 5th wheel hitch in the 1/2 ton with a 5ft 6 box due to turning radius. I am pretty sure the explorer sport trac is significantly shorter than 5ft 6".
__________________
MacRae, 21ft
2016 GMC Yukon SLT
St.Albert Alberta
dave macrae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2012, 07:38 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
escape artist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,035
Re: Towing with a Ford SportTrac

Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Camper
Does anyone tow their Escape with a Ford SportTrac? I am considering the 5th wheel and wondering how it will tow?
Hi: Happy Camper...IMHO the Honda Ridgeline and Ford SportTrac are out . The hitch for a 5.0 needs to be located over or slightly ahead of the rear axle. The hitch tie downs have to be bolted thru the box and into the frame. This makes special requirements needed for a composit box truck like the Toyota Tacos.
The 6'1" bed on our long wheel base Crew Cab Frontier seems full of hitch. There's just enough space for a small- to med. sized tool box, or a few large plastic totes. Next time I hitch up I will take some pic's.
Check with Reace at Escape for his thoughts. Regards Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
escape artist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2012, 10:41 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: ,, Oklahoma
Trailer: 17
Posts: 840
Re: Towing with a Ford SportTrac

They have sliding 5th hitch's for short box trucks. You can see them in action on youtube.
gocamp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2012, 12:42 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
escape artist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,035
Re: Towing with a Ford SportTrac

Hi: gocamp... There's a difference between a shortbox pickup and a really short box pickup though. I have a Husky 16K EZroller slider hitch which we took out of our (6'6") shortbox GMC Sierra and reset into our (6'1") Long bed Frontier. We really didn't need the slider...but I already owned it.
The big issue is with the axle placement and the rear of the cab. Far be it for me to say someone can't have an Escape 5.0. I think everyone should have one!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
Attached Thumbnails
party at the beach.jpg   Coffee\'s ready.jpg  
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
escape artist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2012, 03:14 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: ,, Oklahoma
Trailer: 17
Posts: 840
Re: Towing with a Ford SportTrac

Hammy camper,
Superglide makes an automatic slider for the 5-1/2 ft bed, and so do a couple other hitch mfgrs. It can do 90 degree turns.
gocamp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2012, 06:09 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 489
Re: Towing with a Ford SportTrac

The issue is getting the center of pressure of the king pin over, or in front of, the rear axle. If you can achieve that and the slider allows you to make tight turns, you're golden. If you can't center the hitch over the rear axle, you're probably out of luck.

Dave
__________________
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary, and those who don't.
Garand is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:09 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.