GG,
Are you the same person who posted on the TCT facebook page?
I know in the past 15 pages you were deluged in information.
I'm a dreamer and a road warrior and a romantic so i will take one more stab at advice from that perspective.
First, don't be so intimidated about towing. And don't try to fit your trailer and tow vehicle choices into your experience and comfort level. Get more experience and get used to being uncomfortable. You could get in my Expidtion pulling my 6000 lb 30 foot vintage trailer and you'd be comfortable with in a day. (might be a long scary day)
Join Sisters on the Fly and get some other women to help you figure it out.
Consider changing the car. Like all of these popular crossover things the Escape is just a tiny little car with some macho lines and the soul of a mazda 626. No matter what trailer you put behind it, the car will always be begging for mercy and the MPG will rival a city bus.
On the other hand, cute little cars are popular and easy to sell.
But cute little campers are ridiculously expensive.
So if you get used to the idea of pulling somethign a little bigger and then look at the total cost of car and trailer it opens up a lot of options.
Forget about MPG. Vehicles that are working too hard are not very efficient. We towed a tiny Scotty with a Chrysler minivan- minivan was rated at 3500 lb, had the tow package. Scotty weighed 1400 lb. We got 11 MPG.
We got about the same mileage pulling a 27-footer with the Expedition.
If you move up to a six cylinder truck like a Isuzu Rodeo, Foreunner, Explorer, etc then you can put any number of 4000 lb trailers behind and travel in relative comfort and security.
Good Luck
