2020 FORD ESCAPE towing

Tire and Loading Label Information
Example:
Payload
Payload is the combined weight
of cargo and passengers that your
vehicle is carrying. The maximum
payload for your vehicle appears
on the Tire and Loading label. The
label is either on the B-pillar or the
edge of the driver door. Vehicles
exported outside the US and
Canada may not have a tire and
loading label. Look for
“The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg OR XXX lb ” for maximum
payload. The payload listed on the
Tire and Loading Information label is the maximum payload for your
vehicle as built by the assembly
plant. If you install any additional
equipment on your vehicle, you
must determine the new payload.
Subtract the weight of the
equipment from the payload listed
on the Tire and Loading label.
When towing, trailer tongue
weight or king pin weight is also
part of payload.
WARNING: The
appropriate loading capacity of
your vehicle can be limited either
by volume capacity (how much
space is available) or by payload
capacity (how much weight the
vehicle should carry). Once you
have reached the maximum
payload of your vehicle, do not
add more cargo, even if there is
space available. Overloading or
improperly loading your vehicle
can contribute to loss of vehicle
control and vehicle rollover.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight
Rating)
GAWR is the maximum allowable
weight that a single axle (front or
rear) can carry. These numbers
are on the Safety Compliance
Certification label. The label is
located on the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch post,
next to the driver seating position.
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The total load on each axle must
never exceed its Gross Axle
Weight Rating.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)
GVWR is the maximum allowable
weight of the fully loaded vehicle.
This includes all options,
equipment, passengers and cargo.
It appears on the Safety
Compliance Certification label.
The label is located on the door
hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the
door edge that meets the
door-latch post, next to the driver
seating position.
The gross vehicle weight must
never exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating.
Safety Compliance Certification Label
Example:
WARNING: Exceeding the
Safety Compliance Certification
label vehicle weight limits can
adversely affect the
performance and handling of
your vehicle, cause vehicle
damage and can result in the
loss of control of your vehicle,
serious personal injury or death.
Maximum Loaded Trailer
Weight
Maximum loaded trailer weight is
the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can
tow. Consult an authorized dealer
(or the RV and Trailer Towing
Guide available at an authorized
dealer) for more detailed
information.
GCWR (Gross Combined
Weight Rating)
GCWR is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the
loaded trailer, including all cargo
and passengers, that the vehicle
can handle without risking
damage. (Important: The towing
vehicle ’s braking system is rated
for operation at Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating, not at Gross
Combined Weight Rating.)
Separate functional brakes should
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be used for safe control of towed
vehicles and for trailers where the
Gross Combined Weight of the
towing vehicle plus the trailer
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of the towing vehicle.
The gross combined weight must
never exceed the Gross Combined
Weight Rating.
Note:
For trailer towing
information refer to the RV and
Trailer Towing Guide available at
an authorized dealer. WARNING: Do not exceed
the GVWR or the GAWR
specified on the certification
label. WARNING:
Do not use
replacement tires with lower
load carrying capacities than the
original tires because they may
lower your vehicle's GVWR and
GAWR limitations. Replacement
tires with a higher limit than the
original tires do not increase the
GVWR and GAWR limitations. WARNING: Exceeding any
vehicle weight rating can
adversely affect the
performance and handling of
your vehicle, cause vehicle
damage and can result in the
loss of control of your vehicle,
serious personal injury or death. Steps for determining the
correct load limit:
1. Locate the statement "The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lb." on your
vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from XXX kg or XXX lb.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the “XXX” amount
equals 1,400 lb. and there will
be five 150 lb. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lb.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lb.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the
available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
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TOWING A TRAILER
WARNING: Towing trailers
beyond the maximum
recommended gross trailer
weight exceeds the limit of your
vehicle and could result in engine
damage, transmission damage,
structural damage, loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover
and personal injury. WARNING:
Do not exceed
the GVWR or the GAWR
specified on the certification
label.
Note: See
Recommended
Towing Weights (page 277).
Your vehicle may have electrical
items, such as fuses or relays,
related to towing. See
Fuses
(page 304).
Your vehicle's load capacity
designation is by weight, not by
volume, so you cannot necessarily
use all available space when
loading a vehicle or trailer.
Towing a trailer places an extra
load on your vehicle's engine,
transmission, axle, brakes, tires
and suspension. Inspect these
components periodically during,
and after, any towing operation. Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer
movement affects your vehicle
when driving:
•
Load the heaviest items closest
to the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items
centered between the left and
right side trailer tires.
• Load the heaviest items above
the trailer axles or just slightly
forward toward the trailer
tongue. Do not allow the final
trailer tongue weight to go
above or below 10-15% of the
loaded trailer weight.
• Select a ball mount with the
correct rise or drop and load
capacity. When both the
loaded vehicle and trailer are
connected, the trailer frame
should be level, or slightly
angled down toward your
vehicle, when viewed from the
side.
When driving with a trailer or
payload, a slight takeoff vibration
or shudder may be present due to
the increased payload weight.
Additional information regarding
proper trailer loading and setting
your vehicle up for towing is
located in another chapter of this
manual. See
Load Limit (page
270).
You can also find information in
the
RV & Trailer Towing Guide
available at your authorized
dealer, or online.
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RV & Trailer Towing Guide Online
http://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/
Website
TRAILER SWAY CONTROL (IF
EQUIPPED) WARNING: Turning off trailer sway
control increases the risk of loss of
vehicle control, serious injury or death.
Ford does not recommend disabling this
feature except in situations where speed
reduction may be detrimental (such as
hill climbing), the driver has significant
trailer towing experience, and can control
trailer sway and maintain safe operation.
Note: This feature does not prevent trailer
sway, but reduces it when it begins.
Note: This feature cannot stop all trailers
from swaying.
Note: In some cases, if your vehicle speed
is too high, the system may turn on multiple
times, gradually reducing your vehicle speed.
The system applies the brakes to the
individual wheels and reduces engine
torque to aid vehicle stability. If the trailer
begins to sway, the stability control
warning lamp flashes and a message
appears in the information display. See
Information Messages
(page 117). Slow
your vehicle down, pull safely to the side
of the road and check for correct load
distribution. See
Load Carrying (page
268).
You can switch this feature off in the
information display. When you switch the
ignition on, the system automatically turns
on. RECOMMENDED TOWING
WEIGHTS WARNING:
Towing trailers
beyond the maximum
recommended gross trailer
weight exceeds the limit of your
vehicle and could result in engine
damage, transmission damage,
structural damage, loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover
and personal injury.
Note: Do not exceed the trailer
weight for your vehicle
configuration listed in the following
chart.
Note: Do not exceed the trailer
frontal area for your vehicle
configuration listed in the following
chart.
Note: For high altitude operation,
reduce the gross combined weight
by 2% per
1,000 ft (300 m)
starting at the 1,000 ft (300 m)
elevation point.
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Note:
Certain states require
electric trailer brakes for trailers
over a specified weight. Be sure to
check state regulations for this
specified weight. The maximum
trailer weights listed may be limited
to this specified weight, as the
vehicle ’s electrical system may not
include the wiring connector
needed to activate electric trailer
brakes. Your vehicle may tow a trailer
provided the maximum trailer
weight is less than or equal to the
maximum trailer weight listed for
your vehicle configuration on the
following chart. Maximum Trailer
Frontal Area
Maximum
Trailer
Weight 1
Maximum
GCWR
Powertrain
20 ft² (1.86 m²)
2,000 lb
(907 kg)
5,639 lb
(2,558 kg)
1.5L GTDI FWD
20 ft² (1.86 m²)
2,000 lb
(907 kg)
5,810 lb
(2,636 kg)
1.5L GTDI AWD
30 ft² (2.79 m²)
3,500 lb
(1,588 kg)
7,251 lb
(3,289 kg)
2.0L GTDI FWD
30 ft² (2.79 m²)
3,500 lb
(1,588 kg)
7,403 lb
(3,358 kg)
2.0L GTDI
AWD
20 ft² (1.86 m²)
1,500 lb
(681 kg)
5,705 lb
(2,588 kg)
2.5L PHEV
FWD
20 ft² (1.86 m²)
1,500 lb
(681 kg)
5,375 lb
(2,437 kg)
2.5L FHEV
FWD
20 ft² (1.86 m²)
1,500 lb
(681 kg)
5,505 lb
(2,498 kg)
2.5L FHEV
AWD
1 Calculated with SAE J2807 method.
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ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
Follow these guidelines for safe towing:
•
Do not tow a trailer until you drive your
vehicle at least 1,000 mi (1,600 km).
• Consult your local motor vehicle laws
for towing a trailer.
• See the instructions included with
towing accessories for the proper
installation and adjustment
specifications.
• Service your vehicle more frequently if
you tow a trailer. See your scheduled
maintenance information.
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives
you.
You can find information on load
specification terms found on the tire label
and Safety Compliance label as well as
instructions on calculating your vehicle's
load in the Load Carrying chapter. See
Load Limit
(page 270).
Remember to account for the trailer
tongue weight as part of your vehicle load
when calculating the total vehicle weight.
Trailer Towing Connector
(If Equipped) When attaching the trailer wiring connector
to your vehicle, only use a proper fitting
connector that works with the vehicle and
trailer functions.
Note:
Install the water proof protection cap
back onto the trailer towing connector
whenever it is not in use. This helps to
prevent water damage and trailer towing
connector malfunction.
Note: You cannot use a seven-pin trailer
wiring connector for your vehicle and the
trailer lighting equipment. Function
Color
Left direction indicatorand stop lamp
Yellow
Ground (-)
White
Right direction indicatorand stop lamp
Green
Running lights
Brown
Hitches
Do not use a hitch that either clamps onto
the bumper or attaches to the axle.
Distribute the trailer load so 10-15% of the
total trailer weight is on the tongue.
Safety Chains
Note: Never attach safety chains to the
bumper.
Always connect the safety chains to the
hook retainers of your vehicle hitch.
To connect the trailer ’s safety chains, cross
them under the trailer tongue and allow
enough slack for turning tight corners. Do
not allow the chains to drag on the ground.
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Trailer Brakes
WARNING: Do not connect a
trailer's hydraulic brake system directly
to your vehicle's brake system. Your
vehicle may not have enough braking
power and your chances of having a
collision greatly increase. WARNING:
Do not tow a trailer
fitted with electric trailer brakes unless
your vehicle is fitted with a compatible
aftermarket electronic trailer brake
controller. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in the loss of
control of your vehicle, personal injury or
death. For additional information and
assistance, we recommend that you
contact an authorized dealer.
Electric brakes and manual, automatic or
surge-type trailer brakes are safe if you
install them properly and adjust them to
the manufacturer's specifications. The
trailer brakes must meet local and federal
regulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's braking
system operation is at the gross vehicle
weight rating, not the gross combined
weight rating.
Separate functioning brake systems
are required for safe control of towed
vehicles and trailers weighing more
than 1500 lb (680 kg) when loaded. Trailer Lamps WARNING:
Never connect any
trailer lamp wiring to the vehicle's tail
lamp wiring; this may damage the
electrical system resulting in fire. Contact
your authorized dealer as soon as
possible for assistance in proper trailer
tow wiring installation. Additional
electrical equipment may be required.
Trailer lamps are required on most towed
vehicles. Make sure all running lights, brake
lights, turn signals and hazard lights are
working.
Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing up
to get the feel of your vehicle-trailer
combination before starting on a trip.
When turning, make wider turns so the
trailer wheels clear curbs and other
obstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
• Do not drive faster than
70 mph
(113 km/h) during the first 500 mi
(800 km).
• Do not make full-throttle starts.
• Check your hitch, electrical connections
and trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly
after you have traveled 50 mi (80 km).
• When stopped in congested or heavy
traffic during hot weather, place the
transmission in park (P) to aid engine
and transmission cooling and to help
A/C performance.
• Turn off the speed control with heavy
loads or in hilly terrain. The speed
control may turn off automatically
when you are towing on long, steep
grades.
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