Caution

[down_home]

The Ford Dealer sent our Ford Edge St to Sun Valley Bumpers to install the towing gear. Bad experience all around, I won;t go into except....they did not even try to adjust air brake cylinder.
Result pulling away, after from the RV wash after hooking up the rig started jerking and then we saw smoke from the Edge.
The front brakes were on fire.
Too it back after unhooking and makign sure everything was operating properly to Sun Valley...They said make an appointment. That would mean at least a week wait.
Took it to Trotters and he set it up properly and it worked fine. now on the way out of town near Seligman, stopped the rig to use the facilities. Started back up and about the time we reached the exit smoke from the Edge's tires.
Four tires all destroyed with parts of the threads around the axles.
It had electronically shifted into park.
Sitting at Ford right now. Seems this is a problem with other edge STs.
If Ford can't or won't fix it...will they replace it with one we can agree on and not lose any money.

[Scottiemom]

Grit dog wrote:
Sorry to hear of the issues, but this is a classic case of needin to have some knowledge of what you’re operating and responsibility to check proper operation and the ability to understand and maintain, or be at the mercy of others.

Tough spot though, hope you get the best possible resolution.

Yes, very important you know your equipment.

A couple years ago, we traded toads. Since we fulltimed, we were not familiar with the dealership, etc. We bought a newly used Ford Flex which, based on all our information, was towable. Even though the manual says we can, I rarely trust them because manuals have a way of getting switched between cars. Always in the past, my DH did all the work installing the base plate and wiring, etc. We did not buy it at a Ford dealer and when we asked detailed questions about the towing, the dealership called the Ford service manager in town who was a friend. He was very kind and walked us through the procedure to follow when hooking up.

The salesman's high school friend owned a garage where we had the base plate dropped shipped and they put it on for us. BUT, after all that was done, we hooked up and one of us always walks along behind watching for problems as the other drove through the parking lot. Satisfied all was working, we left. But we did stop and check that first day. We do have a TPMS which gives us tire temps.

The only problem we had was the battery going dead. This was a concern I had when speaking with the Ford service manager who assured me this would not happen. But after it happened twice, my DH put a battery disconnect (a blade type switch) and the last thing he does upon hookup is to throw that blade. AND, most importantly, if you start the car soon after flipping that blade back on, all the settings are restored, i.e, clock, radio presets, etc.

Dale

[Y-Guy]

All good travisc, just needed to make sure others understood.

[travisc]

My post regarding a lawyer was not guidance just a suggestion sometimes folks do not think of all off their options

[down_home]

............

[Y-Guy]

Just as a reminder to all discussion about hiring lawyers can get a thread shut down. The mention of it once is ok, but continued discussion is where things get shut down.
Posts are not allowed in which a local, state, or federal consumer action board and/or legal counsel is/have been involved. This includes posts related to future, ongoing or past lawsuits.

[travisc]

Question to the original poster have you read and understood the flat tow instructions for your model

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?bookCode=O41026&variantid=6275&languageCode=EN&countryCode=USA&marketCode=US&vCode=&vFilteringEnabled=False&subTitleSelected=G1953026&chapterTitleSelected=G1676120&topicHRef=G1953027&viewTech=IE&div=f&userMarket=USA

[travisc]

There are a lot of missing details on this one, but it’s sounds like you might want to engage a lawyer for guidance with no easy way out, when we tow our wrangler 2006, we always ease into it after hook up and watch it on the camera, I recently added the tpm system to the rv and Jeep to watch temp and pressure, you might consider something like that as it would have helped, I wish we would have years ago.

Folks may not realize on the thread it was the Ford Edge that went into park, a brake indicator will moot show that, it sounds like some malfunction of the car electrical or neutral setting. Lots of unknown on this one.

[willald]

Grit dog wrote:
You all must have some high powered Are Vees there!
I can feel a brake hanging up a little on a trailer behind a diesel pickup, but there are folks who can drag a car down the road in park or with the brakes locked up and not notice anything is a bit off??

If that's the case, you only need to look in the mirror to assign blame or fault. Wake up!

I've said it before, driving or towing a large vehicle or trailer isnt in everyone's bag of tricks.
I'd never attempt surgery or computer programming and some people shouldn't tow things.

Not really that powerful, it’s more of simple physics - when the towing vehicle weighs 5 or 6 times more than the unit being towed, it is quite possible to drag brakes on the towed vehicle and not really notice it much up front. If you’d ever towed a car behind a motorhome like many of us, you’d know that and understand why it’s wise to wire in an indicator to let you know when towed vehicle brakes are being applied.

[Grit_dog]

You all must have some high powered Are Vees there!
I can feel a brake hanging up a little on a trailer behind a diesel pickup, but there are folks who can drag a car down the road in park or with the brakes locked up and not notice anything is a bit off??

If that's the case, you only need to look in the mirror to assign blame or fault. Wake up!

I've said it before, driving or towing a large vehicle or trailer isnt in everyone's bag of tricks.
I'd never attempt surgery or computer programming and some people shouldn't tow things.

[willald]

CA Traveler wrote:
For 14 years I've had a cab light connected to the toad brake lights so that I know when the toad brakes are applied, no help with the ebrake of course.

Yep, I do the same, always have. Am a firm believer that no matter what toad braking system one uses, it is a very good idea to wire some kind of indicator to let you know any time toad vehicle's brakes are being applied. Without that, if something goes wrong and toad's brakes start dragging...By the time you realize it up in the Motorhome cab, a LOT of expensive damage may well already be done to your toad.

I would not want a toad that required disconnecting the battery. A sitch external to the hood area might be acceptable.

Agreed, wouldn't want that, either, not even if it was via a switch. Would get very old, having to reset the clocks, etc. in the car after every trip. That, and I'd always be afraid I'd forget one time to disconnect it and would cause a bunch of damage.

[CA_Traveler]

For 14 years I've had a cab light connected to the toad brake lights so that I know when the toad brakes are applied, no help with the ebrake of course.

I would not want a toad that required disconnecting the battery. A sitch external to the hood area might be acceptable.

[larry_barnhart]

New ford edge was being towed by a friend of mine and both rear tires were flat on the tread. parking brake came on. left at a ford store and nothing was done or figured why it happened. It was a long story so he bought a car trailer and carried it back to Canada to the dealer where t was purchased. I need to find out what happened. the last time I saw them was when my wife fell out of that car and broke her leg in 2 places in January. chevman

[in5r]

I may be wrong but I don't believe the 2019 Edges and up can be towed 4 wheels down. Unless there is some kind of way around it.

[willald]

What does your Ford Edge's owner's manual say about towing it 4 down?
Specifically, look for the section on recreational towing. Does it say that you need to disconnect the battery before towing it? Some Ford vehicles require that.

This sounds like you have one that requires you to disconnect the battery when flat towing, to prevent exactly what happened to you - transmission electronically shifting into gear while towing.

If that is the case (required to disconnect battery when towing and you did not), then Ford is right on here, and this is indeed your responsibility. This would not be the first time that has happened, either.

The other issues you had with brakes apparently dragging and doing some damage....Welll, that's a whol'e nother story, and shows why no matter what system you use, you need to wire in an indicator light of some kind so that you know in the Motorhome exactly when the towed vehicle's brakes are engaging or not. If you'd had that, there is a good chance you'd have known there was an issue before it did so much damage.