On Friday, February 14, 2020 at 11:39:03 PM UTC-5, 2G wrote:
On Friday, February 14, 2020 at 9:06:00 AM UTC-8, Ray Lovinggood wrote:
On Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 6:33:47 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Any opinions on Ford Escape SUV 2liter as a tow vehicle? I live on the east coast but may want to tow to sailplane destinations out west. Near certain my trailer and glider is under a ton.

I guessed at my trailer's loaded weight and I was WAY wrong. To find out, I drove to a truck stop along the interstate that had truck scales and weighed the loaded trailer there. "Swan" trailer with fiberglass top and LS1-c plus a few sundry items in the trailer (tow-out equipment, a few wrenches/screwdrivers, etc). The trailer weighed 2,040 lbs with a 180 lb tongue weight.

My friend pulled his Libelle 201 in a Schreder trailer with his Escape. It was probably a mid 2000's year model with a four cylinder engine and five speed manual transmission. It worked well for him. I drove it once while pulling the trailer, following him on a flight, so the trailer was empty. Pulling empty was no problem.

This trailer does not have brakes.

Last car I bought was a Subaru Outback. It has a 2.5 liter four cylinder engine and a Continuously Variable Transmission. Rated tow capacity is 2,700 lbs.

I also looked at the Ford Escape, but settled on the Subaru. The only Escape rated to tow my trailer was the version with a turbo engine, and I really didn't want that added complexity on the car.

I think you should read your Outback manual about trailers w/o brakes. I don't think you can tow a 2,000 lb trailer that does not have trailer brakes. I have read that the limit is 1,000 lb. I found this in the 2019 Outback User Manual:

Trailer brakes are required when
the towing load exceeds 1,000 lbs
(453 kg). B

I presume that a similar requirement exists for all other vehicles - the car's brakes are just not designed to handle an additional ton of weight. Also, all of the cargo and passenger weight in the car must be added to the trailer weight in determining these limits.

Tom

Poorly worded - let me try to clarify:

I was driving my friend's Escape pulling his Schreder trailer which was empty. His trailer does not have brakes.

My Swan does have brakes and I pull it with the 2016 Outback. The maximum trailer weight for the 2016 Outback (US market) for trailer with brakes is 2,700 lbs.