Is my Ford Escape worthless for fullfilling my dream? :-(

[GaiaGoddess]

I've had this dream to live in an RV (travel trailer, specifically) for about 5 or 6 years now. I was drawn to the Ford Escape and was happy to learn they can tow up to 3500 pounds. I bought one last year. Step one complete!

Now i've run into a problem...people are telling me my Escape shouldn't tow that much, it's not safe. I heard horror stories about Escapes not being able to handle it. They recommend I stick to 2000 pounds or less, but what trailers weigh that little?! I want to live in this thing which means it needs to be self sustainable, with a full kitchen, bathroom, and at least a full size bed. All the trailers I found with that stuff are at least 3000 pounds. And then you have to figure the weight of the fluids and cargo, which would be a lot since i'd be living in it. I cannot live in a pop up camper or a teardrop camper.

Are there any decent trailers I can safely tow? Is my Escape worthless for what I wanted to do with it? I bought it specifically for this reason! By the way, it's a 2008 6-cylinder automatic transmission, front wheel drive. There is no towing package on it yet but I was planning on having one put on, IF I can even find a trailer I can tow! Any advice?

[Bumpyroad]

Lantley wrote:

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
12 pages on " Is my Ford Escape worthless for fullfilling my dream? 😞 " OMG

We have all been too politically correct to say "Yes your escape is worthless for fulfilling your dream".:@
Instead we indulged the OP in a drawn out discussion,trying to enlighten and inform her as to how she should proceed:S

X2, buy one, have the dealer tow it to your "permanent" site, and then figure out if your vehicle will tow something acceptable for part time use.
bumpy

[Bumpyroad]

WoodGlue wrote:
Here you go bumpy:

T@B w/ wet bath

rPod w/ wet bath

Casita w/ wet bath

Lance 1274 with a DRY BATH

It's amazing how Lance can put a dry bath in their little 1274 trailer when the T@B and Casitas and Scamps can't seem to figure it out!!

WoodGlue

I've seen and come close to buying a Casita and a r POD but that T@B is sort of neat. don't think I would fit into that bath however. 🙂 I thought the R POD was a tiny bath but that tab outdoes it.
don't remember if Scamp has been mentioned but years back when I was looking the Casita bath was much superior IMHO.

bumpy

[Lantley]

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
12 pages on " Is my Ford Escape worthless for fullfilling my dream? 😞 " OMG

We have all been too politically correct to say "Yes your escape is worthless for fulfilling your dream".:@
Instead we indulged the OP in a drawn out discussion,trying to enlighten and inform her as to how she should proceed:S

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

12 pages on " Is my Ford Escape worthless for fullfilling my dream? 😞 " OMG

[WoodGlue]

Here you go bumpy:

T@B w/ wet bath

rPod w/ wet bath

Casita w/ wet bath

Lance 1274 with a DRY BATH

It's amazing how Lance can put a dry bath in their little 1274 trailer when the T@B and Casitas and Scamps can't seem to figure it out!!

WoodGlue

[bikendan]

WoodGlue wrote:
And congrats on finding the .1% of the Truck Camper without a bathroom!

Almost every Truck Camper mfg today offers at least a wet bath.

WoodGlue

x2!! if you were only looking at truck campers for a Ranger, then no wonder you only found Tc's with no bathroom!:R any TC that would work with the Ranger, would probably be less than 5% of all truck campers.
by the way, i owned a Ranger and would never put a TC in the back of it.

here's 8 different TC floorplans from Arctic Fox, all with bathrooms.
Arctic Fox truck campers

but they are made for real trucks, not grocery getters like the Ranger.

[Bumpyroad]

WoodGlue wrote:
T@B's have models w/ wet baths, as well as R-Pods and Casita's, etc.

WoodGlue

I'll take your word for it on T@bs having a wet bath but the only "facility" I have seen in one is a port-a-pot.
bumpy

[Bumpyroad]

make it a condition of the purchase of the Vibe that the dealer tows it the 2 miles to the campground. don't fool around with towing it yourself.
bumpy

[WoodGlue]

T@B's have models w/ wet baths, as well as R-Pods and Casita's, etc.

WoodGlue

[wnjj]

GaiaGoddess wrote:
but i've never seen a pop up with a bathroom and I dont want an outside shower

The larger pop ups have bathrooms and even showers inside.

[GaiaGoddess]

rexlion wrote:
Hey guys, if she started talking about getting a truck camper, you all know you'd be telling her she needs a 3/4 ton pickup, minimum! So there's no point in going down that road.

My thoughts exactly, that's why I explained why I didn't get one even when I had the Ranger.

GG, I'm sure the Escape could tow the Vibe the few miles to the 'permanent' campground, just take it slow is all. As for a 2nd trailer to tow all the time, yes a teardrop would work. Or a Scamp. Or a popup.

I'd rather let someone experienced tow the Vibe, I wouldn't want to wreck my Escape on the only tow it will be doing!

I will keep doing my research and figure out which one will be best for me, but i've never seen a pop up with a bathroom and I dont want an outside shower so most likely i'll go with the T@B or a Scamp, or Casita. Actually I found a website that has a huge list of like 20 teardrop manufacturers so maybe there will be something else I like more than the T@B but so far I really like that one, you can get it in pretty colors like blue and green! 🙂

[challeno]

rexlion wrote:
Hey guys, if she started talking about getting a truck camper, you all know you'd be telling her she needs a 3/4 ton pickup, minimum! So there's no point in going down that road.

GG, I'm sure the Escape could tow the Vibe the few miles to the 'permanent' campground, just take it slow is all. As for a 2nd trailer to tow all the time, yes a teardrop would work. Or a Scamp. Or a popup.

Nah , I'd be telling' her that she needed a 1 Ton Dually , I've seen what a rear blowout can do to a SRW truck when a welder I know had a 1 ton SRW all rig out , wouldn't nothing pretty , totaled it .

[rexlion]

Hey guys, if she started talking about getting a truck camper, you all know you'd be telling her she needs a 3/4 ton pickup, minimum! So there's no point in going down that road.

GG, I'm sure the Escape could tow the Vibe the few miles to the 'permanent' campground, just take it slow is all. As for a 2nd trailer to tow all the time, yes a teardrop would work. Or a Scamp. Or a popup.

[challeno]

GaiaGoddess wrote:

challeno wrote:
You dismissed a TC when ya sold the little Ranger ?? ,,,,,,,,,,,, Nah , They were pretty much dissmissed with/while you was driving' the ranger , only camper that would haul would be a little "Shell " type with a mattress and a few things throwed in .

I've seen Rangers towing things, but my main concert was the stick shift, way too jerky for needing to be careful towing something.

The below link would pretty much cover all your needs concerning cleanliness >

http://www.cabelas.com/category/Showers-Toilets-Accessories/104569380.uts

Ooh those are interesting! Although that would be terribly uncomfortable from

November until March though. But good idea for when I only go down south!

I didn't say they wouldn't tow anything , ,,,,,,,,,,,,,you said "" That is pretty damn nice! That is also the first TC i've seen with abathroom in it. But I dismissed them 2 years ago when Isold my Ranger ""

[GaiaGoddess]

WoodGlue wrote:
A truck camper with MUCH MORE ROOM THAN A SCAMP !!!




Here is a video of this Truck Camper, a Lance 1172 (double slide with a dry bath)

2013 Lance 1172 Truck Camper

And congrats on finding the .1% of the Truck Camper without a bathroom!

WoodGlue

Very nice, wow! I'm pretty sure my Ranger wouldn't have been able to carry THAT thing though...so either way I would have been buying a new vehicle.