GG, if you're not comfortable with a larger vehicle, it is possible that you won't feel comfortable towing, either. Maybe, maybe not. So trying it out before buying would be a great idea. Do you have any relatives, friends of relatives, anybody who owns a trailer you could borrow? Or maybe even borrow their entire rig for a short tryout?
I would like to think that my advice to you was pretty well-balanced and middle of the road. I do believe that your Escape can tow a trailer, can get it up to speed and all, but I think the particular trailer you mentioned is going to put a strain on it. Particularly on the hitch receiver attachments.
Let me mention that when I was in my 20s I towed a 13' fiberglass egg trailer 2000 miles with my '84 Dodge Omni. 2.2L 4-cylinder engine, 1000 lb. tow rating. I think it had about 90 HP. It didn't kill the car or anything, but we rarely could get above 50 mph. So I have sort of been where you are now. The thing is, I don't believe I would do such a thing again... voice of experience.
One of the people over on Fiberglass RV (not the couple mentioned previously) was proud of his towing an egg trailer with a small car... I think it was a VW, though not positive now... but at some point he looked underneath and was shocked to see that the hitch was ripping the sheet metal underside of his car! He stopped doing that.
I just don't know if you can keep your trailer tongue's weight under 350 lbs. My little 16' trailer had a dry hitch weight of 280 lbs., but when I get ready to camp (fill the little 10 gallon water tank and let water into the hot water heater, plus battery and 20 lb. LP tank on the tongue, and a few clothes in the front cabinet) it's nearly 400 lbs instead of 280.
If you put on a weight-distribution hitch or a sway bar, you have to add the weight of those toward the 350 allowable lbs. Most WD hitches weigh close to 100 lbs.
If you do get a trailer, find out from a Ford dealer exactly what components were included in the tow package for that Escape. For example, it may have included an extra, or larger, transmission cooler (besides the one normally put on). Then try to add as much of that stuff as you can. Don't assume the tow package was just a hitch receiver and trailer wiring receptacle.
