New Tow For The Escape 5.0 (Experienced Advice Needed)

[MrLynn]

We have an older (2013) Expedition, the Max version with the full tow package, and a 5.4L V8: mileage is poor, but good power. Towing the 21C is fairly effortless.

Only problem was opening the liftgate, which hits the power jack on the tongue; we have the Fastway E2 WDH. Solution was to get a 14" ball mount, which allows plenty of clearance.

[DanandDaphne]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

Having had a couple trucks as tow vehicles, and having had the fiberglass shells on both trucks leak and get our gear wet in downpours, we have opted for a full sized RV. Just before that 9900 mile Mexico trip, we got a recent year Ford Expedition 4x4, which is a F150 based SUV, with the Ecoboost 3.5L and 10 speed transmission, as a 2019, it has some engineering improvements over the first gen ecoboost and stuff. Its not perfect, but damn, it was comfortable for that 9900 mile 4 month road trip. Towed the 4500 lb E21 like a dream over all sorts of rough roads. After getting home from that trip, I did get an Andersen WDH hitch because we did feel a little tendency to sway and pitch once in awhile, and the Anderson on our first trip after getting it completely eliminated any of that.

The Expedition 4x4 (not Max) turns in a 42 foot circle, I have to be a little careful not to clip a taillight doing a really tight circle. My tow vehicle for this E21 for most of the years we've owned it was a 2002 F250 4x4 diesel 8' long bed monster truck, that thing had a 62 foot circle, which made tight maneuvers really difficult.

If you prefer chevy, a late model Tahoe would be the equivalent of the Expedition (not Max). or if you prefer the long wheel base, then its a Suburban vs a Expedition Max.. I wanted to be able to parallel park in a normal sized parking space so I got the short version, its still a 3 row SUV with 8 adult seats, its just shy on cargo space if the 3rd row is deployed.

Since there's just two of us, heh, cargo space?

Couldn't agree any more, I don't care for a topper on a pick up. It defeats most of the usefulness of a pick up and it just turns it into a sort of SUV but not as good. Most people once that heavy fiberglass topper goes on their truck it never comes off the entire time they own it.

They would be better served with a Suburban or Tahoe or Ford Expedition. You can still haul just as much stuff (probably more) but you can also comfortably haul additional passengers.

And if you need a truck for dirty work, hauling firewood, dirt or compost and that sort of thing then a pickup without a topper is usually better.

We have a 4wd 93 Toyota pickup short bed standard cab and we have a toper on that. It's our Jeep for getting into the back country on all the mountain passes here in Colorado. I would prefer a first generation 4runner over it but this came our way and is in great shape with only 85K on the odometer. The cab is so small it's nice to have a topper on it and we don't use it for much of anything else.

[brroberts]

There are many reasons to choose a 5.0 or travel trailer. We chose travel trailer. We prefer them, but there are pros and cons to both. We have two trucks. I’m considering a third. We still chose travel trailer. My parents only had one truck and chose 5.0. Get what fits your needs best.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I had a topper on both my pickup trucks, they were being used to carry astronomy gear as well as camping gear. No SUV has the cargo volume of a 8' longbed F250 :

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Drumstick63

....
We understand that the 3220 currently manufactured is Generation 3 and has a smaller footprint (welcomed) but also a different setback, putting the ball either closer to the cab or closer to the tailgate by 2plus inches than the previous Generation 2 version. We also understand the Generation 3 Hitch is slightly taller as well. ....

Mark - this perhaps of interest / FYI ....
(Andersen installation instructions for both Gen 2 and Gen 3 stipulate that the Andersen Ultimate Gooseneck Base should be installed with the Andersen ball to the rear of the gooseneck ball, therefore no 'reversed base' configuration is shown)

[Drumstick63]

Alan, am I correct in assuming that the new Gen 3 Andersen Ultimate Hitch will offer less cab clearance from the leading edge of the 5.0TA in turns making for a greater possibility of contact between the trailer and the cab? Also, would the closer distance between the tailgate and the camper possible cause contact with the rear of the truck during turns? If so, the Gen 3 Andersen doesn't look like good choice for the 5.0TA and 5.5' bed pickups. Please correct me if I am wrong!

I guess I will keep looking for an F150 XLT Supercab, 6.5' bed, White, 3.5 Ecoboost, 4x4, 36 gallon tank, tow/haul package, etc. So far, there is not much available even when searching nationwide.

Thanks again for all you help!

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Drumstick63

Alan, am I correct in assuming that the new Gen 3 Andersen Ultimate Hitch will offer less cab clearance from the leading edge of the 5.0TA in turns ....

I don't know any way to convey the clearances more clearly than the diagram I posted above.

IMO the second configuration shown (GEN 3 ANDERSEN, COUPLER BLOCK TO REAR OF KINGPIN) will not result in trailer>rear of truck conflict but will require more care regarding an 'open tailgate' when hitching/unhitching.

I don't know the 'jackknife' angle that can be achieved with the GEN 2 on a 5.5ft bed - I only have experience with the 6.5ft bed which provides generous cab clearance with the GEN 2 Andersen. So, I don't know if the trailer being ~2" closer to the cab with a GEN 3 will present a meaningful constraint with the 5.5ft bed (again, how often do we 'jackknife' our rigs to extreme angles?).
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One other possibility, IF it will fit under the Andersen GEN 3 Base (I do not know if it will!), is addition of the B&W Turnoverball 4" Extender. See below, this provides more cab and open-tailgate clearance than the GEN 2, while also providing adequate closed-tailgate clearance IMO.
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Personally, I'd look for the truck with the features and overall length you want to be driving mile-after-mile on your travels (for me, a SuperCrew with 6.5ft box is just too long, but YMMV). I strongly suspect that the hitch situation, GEN 2 or GEN 3, can be worked-out and yield miles of happy-camping with whatever bed length.

All the above is about all I can think of to offer at the moment.

[Jeremy Kessenich]

Thanks for the graphic Alan.

Question on mounting the coupler block to the front vs rear of the kingpin. Though all the combinations show the pinbox clearing the tailgate, would the pinbox clear the bedrails with the coupler to the front of the kingpin?

Where I'm heading with this is, am I'm correct in thinking that if I wanted more clearance for the tailgate opening it's better to get the 4" extender than turning the coupler around because using the 4" extender wouldn't impact the pinbox and bedrail clearance (coupler to the rear of kingpin with 4" extender) but the turning the coupler block around (coupler to the front without the 4" extender) would impact the bedrail clearance?

Thanks in advance

Jeremy

[jnfrombigt]

I don't know how it will work with the shortbed Ford but I have used 4" offsets with both a RAM and A GMC both shortbeds. I have an older Anderson hitch and according to the ESCAPE compatibility chart I can do a 70 degree angle. I picked up the ESCAPE in Chilliwack and transported it to South Carolina with the RAM and no offset ball. I didn't experience any negative issues. The 4" offset ball was later installed. No, you won't have 90 degrees but...

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kessenich

....
Question on mounting the coupler block to the front vs rear of the kingpin. Though all the combinations show the pinbox clearing the tailgate, would the pinbox clear the bedrails with the coupler to the front of the kingpin?....

My F150 is 63.5" inside-of-rail-to-inside-of rail. So the rail is 31.75" from the pivot-point.

If you orient the coupler block forward of the kingpin the pivot-point to back-of-pinbox is 36".

So yeah, that's a problem, and should have been noted on the diagrams.

Originally Posted by Jeremy Kessenich

... Where I'm heading with this is, am I'm correct in thinking that if I wanted more clearance for the tailgate opening it's better to get the 4" extender than turning the coupler around because using the 4" extender wouldn't impact the pinbox and bedrail clearance (coupler to the rear of kingpin with 4" extender) but the turning the coupler block around (coupler to the front without the 4" extender) would impact the bedrail clearance?

That makes sense.