Towing problems with Ford Escape

Yeah, I, too, think you are just over the limit with the Escape. 2900 lbs dry weight only gives you 600 lbs for "stuff" and that is easy to exceed. That it feels "bouncy" sounds like too much weight behind the rear wheels, thus unloading the fronts. There is also the matter of just not enough horsepower to drag that huge wall down the road; wind resistance would be a killer. I'm afraid your best bet is to tow with the PU.

Thanks for all the help. I have a Chevy PU to pull it with. I was just hoping I could pull it with the Escape. It can carry passengers and the PU is a single cab. We had popup before and traded for a TT.

The only thing you should be towing with that is maybe a oust lawn mower. Go trade in in and get a bigger rig.

Are you using a WD hitch. It sounds like you have to much weight on the rear axle and that is unloading the front axle.

What dealer did you buy it from?

Although not mentioned yet - and I'll sound like a broken record.....

It's all about the TV wheelbase - a short wheelbase TV like the Escape just plain
sucks for towing a large TT. I've had 4 TVs and each has had a longer wheel-base
than the previous. The difference is remarkable - no more white-knuckle driving.

another example of another CUV owner towing a full height TT and not happy.

and also believing what a RV dealer tells them.:S

first, Ford has a frontal area limitation for the Escape, which any TT will exceed.
second, apparently only an antisway bar and no WDH with built-in sway control.
third, the loaded numbers appear to exceed the max amounts of the Escape, especially tongue weight vs the Escape's payload capacity.

this statement is just wrong:"The Escape has a the 6 cylinder engine and is rated for towing."
maybe for popups and A-frame trailers but not for a full height TT!

Hitch weight is the killer. Your rear suspension is being overtaxed if it's 443 lbs; you should have a max hitch weight of 350 lbs. Yes a class 3 hitch can take more than that, but can the attachment points, springs, and shocks/struts take the strain?

For the 'bounce' I would have recommended a weight distribution hitch, but they weigh another 60 to 90 lbs and you sure don't want to add insult to injury.

If you are unhappy with the acceleration and hill climbing, well, that's how it is when you tow. It will be slower than you're accustomed to but it is manageable (assuming your Escape has everything the factory tow package would include... especially for transmission cooling). 240HP and 223 lb-ft torque should do ok if you lock out overdrive for towing, keep top speed around 55-60 mph, and don't push hard on long grades.

I think we should give the salesman the benefit of the doubt. He wasn't necessarily trying to deceive you; it's just as likely he was ignorant instead. That TT is just too nose-heavy for your vehicle. A 13' or 16' Scamp or Casita would have been a better choice for their low, narrow, rounded profile and lighter hitch weight.

It is not just the weight of the trailer but the wind resistance. That is way too much trailer for a Ford Escape. Your car might tow a pop up, but a full hard sided trailer...no way!

"After much discussion the RV dealer..." Oh boy. The suggested items may help but the real answer is a real tow vehicle.