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Old 04-07-2019, 09:24 PM   #1
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Trailer: 2019 Escape 19'
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Tow Vehicle for Escape 19 and Escape 17

All, we're shopping the Escape 17 and 19. What do you use to tow your 17 or 19 and how do you feel about it? Thanks!
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Old 04-07-2019, 09:32 PM   #2
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Look for a tow vehicle for the 19.

Starting over, I'd have a 19' and probably a Toyota Highlander.
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Old 04-08-2019, 05:24 AM   #3
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Just remember, with the longevity of a fg trailer, you will probably go through several tow vehicles over the years.
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Old 04-08-2019, 06:27 PM   #4
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17B tow vehicle

Hi.
I used a Ford Escape 6 cyl. to tow a packed 17B. Towed it well overall with a bit of lugging on steep inclines.
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Old 04-08-2019, 09:50 PM   #5
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I second the Highlander XLE with tow package. The 3rd gen Tacoma’s (2016 or later) rev about 700 RPM higher than the 2nd gen for the same grade and towing oomph. They are fine for the weight of a 17’ Escape, but need to down shift on grades for the weight of the 19’. The Taco will tow it just fine, but there will be a lot of time spent in 3 & 4th gear, so milage will go down.

The Highlander actually has higher cargo rated capacity than the Tacoma because it is designed to handle the weight of 6 or 7 adults. So you are not as limited in how much you carry while towing with the Highlander.

With a Tundra or Ford ecoboost, you wouldn’t even know the trailer is back there. The choice really comes down to how will you use the vehicle when not towing. Do you need a truck? Prefer an SUV? Or will it only be used for towing.

Edit: all the above advice is for new Escapes. The Classic Escapes weigh about 1000 lbs less and my 2016 Tacoma at the time towed my 2013 19’ no problem. (The devil is in the details as they say.)

My 2 cents ... ;-)
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Old 04-09-2019, 06:38 AM   #6
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Just remember the Toyota Highlander does not have a full sized spare. Something to think about if you go flat while towing....even my Ram did not have one, I had to add later upon realizing this issue.
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Old 04-09-2019, 07:43 AM   #7
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Silverado truck has a full size spare. I needed it once. My (classic) 19 has no idea about that and I pull it everywhere, up the hills and on the plains, through the winds, etc, without complaint, even through the briars and the brambles where a rabbit wouldn't go.

(OK that last boast is a little over the top.)
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Old 04-09-2019, 11:28 AM   #8
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We tow our 2018 19 with a Chevy Colorado 4X4 Duramax diesel. So far I've been really happy with our setup. Where the diesel shines is going down steep grades, it has an exhaust brake and controls the trailer beautifully. I estimate our 19 is around 4,100 lbs fully loaded for travel. It's not a "I can't even feel it back there" type situation though, as others have described for full-sized pickups. I definitely know it's back there, but there is plenty of power for climbing and acceleration. One other thing to consider is these modern diesels have enhanced maintenance costs and complicated emissions systems that can be problematic. I've not had problems with mine so far but have read accounts of others having trouble. The flip side is they make stellar tow vehicles and get exceptional gas mileage.
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Old 04-09-2019, 12:09 PM   #9
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Although I have not towed an Escape with my 2019 Honda Ridgeline RTL AWD, I have towed a 4000# trailer and was very pleased with the results. So, based on that limited sample if the Ridgeline appeals to you, it would make a very comfortable/capable tow vehicle for an E19. The AWD Ridgeline has a 5000# max towing and 600# tongue weight.
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Old 04-09-2019, 12:35 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by salmo7000 View Post
Where the diesel shines is going down steep grades, it has an exhaust brake and controls the trailer beautifully.

Does it somehow activate the trailer brakes?
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Old 04-09-2019, 12:49 PM   #11
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Does it somehow activate the trailer brakes?
No it just holds the truck and trailer at a constant speed, so there is no need to use the brakes. Anytime we go anywhere from our home in central Idaho, we have to contend with some seriously long and steep mountain grades, including an infamous one that's 8 miles in length and 7-8% grade. The exhaust brake holds the truck and trailer at a constant 55 mph the whole way down. I was amazed the first time. This grade is a serious test for any tow vehicle, and the Colorado passed with flying colors. I usually keep it around 50 mph going up though, although it could go faster. I don't want to fry my transmission.
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Old 04-09-2019, 12:51 PM   #12
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Does it somehow activate the trailer brakes?
No trailer, the exhaust brake aka Jacobs Brake is a diesel feature that uses decompression as a means to slow the engine, thus slowing the vehicle and any thing attached. It is supposed to be used in lieu of your vehicle and trailer brakes, thus saving brake wear and tear.
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Old 04-09-2019, 12:57 PM   #13
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'jake brakes' are largely because diesels don't have as much natural engine braking when you let off on the throttle going down a grade or whatever. you don't use them to stop, just to slow or hold your speed, but they tend to make a loud obnoxious noise when they are applied, and many towns with through roads ban their use in city limits (you'll see signs if you look)
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Old 04-09-2019, 07:35 PM   #14
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No trailer, the exhaust brake aka Jacobs Brake is a diesel feature that uses decompression as a means to slow the engine...
A compression (not decompression) brake system is often called a Jacobs Brake (after the best-known manufacturer) or a Jake Brake for short. No pickup truck has a compression (or Jake) brake because they are only available on larger engines; instead, they have an exhaust valve that works like a throttle, but in the exhaust plumbing instead of the intake plumbing. An exhaust throttle valve is not as effective as a compression brake, but it is about as effective (for braking) as the throttle valve in a gasoline engine.

In some cases, the variable control vanes around the turbine of the turbocharger are used instead of a separate throttle valve in the exhaust, for similar effect.
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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
'jake brakes' are largely because diesels don't have as much natural engine braking when you let off on the throttle going down a grade or whatever.
True - diesels inherently have minimal engine braking because they don't have a throttle valve.

Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
you don't use them to stop, just to slow or hold your speed, but they tend to make a loud obnoxious noise when they are applied, and many towns with through roads ban their use in city limits (you'll see signs if you look)
Their effectiveness depends to some extent on speed, which is one reason to not use them alone for stopping, but also they are not smoothly controlled. They are just turned on or off in cylinder pairs, so a six-cylinder only has off plus three levels of braking.

The loud noise is the result of the way a compression brake works: it allows the engine to compress intake air, but opens the exhaust valve at the beginning of what would be the power stroke, so the energy of the compressed air is not recovered by the piston stroking down; this results in a gunshot-like noise for each piston cycle. Fortunately, the exhaust throttle valve "brakes" that some pickup trucks have do not work this way so they do not make this noise.
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Old 04-09-2019, 07:52 PM   #15
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So, is that very different from me gearing down to 3, which is what I do, along with short applications of the vehicle ( and trailer ) brakes?
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Old 04-09-2019, 07:54 PM   #16
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I am happy towing our 19 with a 2014 Highlander LE. Another vehicle that has emerged on the market is a Honda Passport. 3.5 litre and AWD like the Highlander. We just checked it out today and for us, it would be a toss-up between the 2 vehicles.
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Old 04-09-2019, 10:22 PM   #17
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A Chevy Colorado especially if equipped with the diesel engine would make a great tow vehicle for an Escape 17B.
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Old 04-10-2019, 01:34 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Fulica View Post
I am happy towing our 19 with a 2014 Highlander LE. Another vehicle that has emerged on the market is a Honda Passport. 3.5 litre and AWD like the Highlander. We just checked it out today and for us, it would be a toss-up between the 2 vehicles.
note the original Passports (up til they were discontinued in 2002) were in fact rebadged Isuzu Rodeos, which were quite sturdy albeit somewhat underpowered true all terrain 4x4s, with a frame and primarily RWD.

the new 2019 Passport is a short wheelbase Pilot, which in turn is built on a raised Odyssey minivan chassis.

Personally, I would be hesitant to regularlly tow a 19 or larger with a FWD based platform, even if it was an AWD model. but, I live in the mountainous west coast and spend a lot of my vacation time in the mountains
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Old 04-10-2019, 06:36 PM   #19
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We tow with a Toyota Sienna
It pulls great


Lost my last post...sorry if this is a repeat
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Old 04-11-2019, 05:11 PM   #20
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Honda Passport

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Originally Posted by Old Fulica View Post
I am happy towing our 19 with a 2014 Highlander LE. Another vehicle that has emerged on the market is a Honda Passport. 3.5 litre and AWD like the Highlander. We just checked it out today and for us, it would be a toss-up between the 2 vehicles.
Thanks for the suggestion - we weren't aware of the Passport until you mentioned it. After much discussion with my DH, the Highlander and Passport are frontrunners in the TV debate. It will be his daily driving vehicle and he'd prefer something that drives more like a car, so the truck options have been back burnered. I was dismayed to find a long thread fueled by the angst that Highlander owners are feeling about having to get trailer wiring done aftermarket. I agree that it's an annoyance for sure. I noted today on the Honda website that the trailer hitch option for the 2019 Passport is wired with a 7 pin adaptor at the hitch. Thanks to the input from the forum, we're going to do plenty of homework to confirm the exact status of the wiring. It would be nice to have one less thing to install. Since it's just the two of us and our 50lb dog, we don't really need 8 seats, so the Passport certainly appeals in that it's just a 5 seater.
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