2023 FORD MAVERICK tow

CONNECTING A TRAILER
PRECAUTIONS
Do not tow a trailer until you drive yourvehicle at least 1,000 mi (1,600 km).
Consult your local motor vehicle laws fortowing a trailer.
See the instructions included with towingaccessories for the proper installation andadjustment specifications.
Service your vehicle more frequently if youtow a trailer. See Normal ScheduledMaintenance (page 453).
If you use a rental trailer, follow theinstructions the rental agency gives you.
When attaching the trailer wiring connectorto your vehicle, only use a proper fittingconnector that works with the vehicle andtrailer functions.
Account for the trailer coupler weight aspart of your vehicle load when calculatingthe total vehicle weight.
Do not exceed the load limits. SeeCalculating the Load Limit (page 259).
CONNECTING A TRAILER
Trailer Towing Connector (If Equipped)
When attaching the trailer wiring connectorto your vehicle, only use a proper fittingconnector that works with the vehicle andtrailer functions.
Note:Install the waterproof protection capback onto the trailer towing connectorwhenever it is not in use. This helps toprevent water damage and trailer towingconnector malfunction.
Trailer Lamps
WARNING: Never connect anytrailer lamp wiring to the vehicle's taillamp wiring; this may damage theelectrical system resulting in fire. Contactyour authorized dealer as soon aspossible for assistance in proper trailertow wiring installation. Additionalelectrical equipment may be required.
Trailer lamps are required on most towedvehicles. Make sure all running lights, brakelights, turn signals and hazard lights areworking.
Safety Chains
Install trailer safety chains to the trailerhitch as recommended by themanufacturer. Cross the chains under thetrailer coupler and allow enough slack forturning tight corners. Do not allow thechains to drag on the ground.
265
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingConnecting a TrailerE353969 E163167

TOWING A TRAILER
PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: Do not exceedthe GVWR or the GAWRspecified on the certificationlabel.
WARNING: Towing trailersbeyond the maximumrecommended gross trailerweight exceeds the limit of yourvehicle and could result in enginedamage, transmission damage,structural damage, loss ofvehicle control, vehicle rolloverand personal injury.
WARNING: Do not exceedthe lowest rating capacity foryour vehicle or trailer hitch.Overloading your vehicle ortrailer hitch can impair yourvehicle stability and handling.Failure to follow this instructioncould result in the loss of controlof your vehicle, personal injury ordeath.
WARNING: Make sure thatthe vertical load on the tow ballis between the minimum andmaximum recommended weightat all times. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in theloss of control of your vehicle,personal injury or death.
WARNING: Do not cut,drill, weld or modify the trailerhitch. Modifying the trailer hitchcould reduce the hitch rating.
WARNING: The anti-lockbrake system does not controlthe trailer brakes.
TRAILER BRAKE
PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: Do not connect atrailer's hydraulic brake system directlyto your vehicle's brake system. Yourvehicle may not have enough brakingpower and your chances of having acollision greatly increase.
WARNING: Do not tow a trailerfitted with electric trailer brakes unlessyour vehicle is fitted with a compatibleaftermarket electronic trailer brakecontroller. Failure to follow thisinstruction could result in the loss ofcontrol of your vehicle, personal injury ordeath. For additional information andassistance, we recommend that youcontact an authorized dealer.
Electric brakes and manual, automatic orsurge-type trailer brakes are safe if youinstall them properly and adjust them tothe manufacturer's specifications. Thetrailer brakes must meet local and federalregulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's brakingsystem operation is at the gross vehicleweight rating, not the gross combinedweight rating.
267
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingTowing a Trailer

Certain states require functioning trailerbrakes for trailers over a specified weight.Be sure to check state regulations for thisspecified weight.
Ford Motor Company recommendsseparate functioning brake systems fortrailers weighing more than 1,500 lb(680 kg) when loaded.
TOWING A TRAILER
LIMITATIONS
The vehicle's load capacitydesignation is by weight, not byvolume, so you cannot necessarilyuse all available space whenloading a vehicle or trailer.
Note:Your vehicle could havereduced performance whenoperating at high altitudes andwhen heavily loaded or towing a
trailer. When driving at elevation,to match driving performance asperceived at sea level, reduce grossvehicle weight and grosscombination weight by 2% per1,000 ft (300 m) elevation.
LOADING YOUR TRAILER
To help minimize how trailermovement affects your vehiclewhen driving:
•Load the heaviest items closestto the trailer floor.
•Load the heaviest itemscentered between the left andright side trailer tires.
•Load the heaviest items abovethe trailer axles or just slightlyforward toward the trailertongue. Do not allow the finaltrailer tongue weight to goabove or below 10-15% of theloaded trailer weight. Thetrailer tongue weight shouldnever exceed 10% of themaximum towing capacity.
•Select a ball mount with thecorrect rise or drop. When boththe loaded vehicle and trailerare connected, the trailer frameshould be level, or slightlyangled down toward yourvehicle, when viewed from theside.
TRAILER TOWING HINTS
Towing a trailer places an extra load onyour vehicle's engine, transmission, axle,brakes, tires and suspension. Periodicallyinspect these components during and afterany towing operation.
When driving with a trailer or payload, aslight takeoff vibration or shudder may bepresent due to the increased payloadweight.
Your vehicle may have a temporary orconventional spare tire. A temporary sparetire is different in diameter or width,tread-type, or is from a differentmanufacturer than the road tires on yourvehicle. Consult information on the tirelabel or Safety Compliance label forlimitations when using.
268
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingTowing a Trailer

When towing a trailer:
•Obey country specific regulations fortowing 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 connectionsand trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughlyafter you have traveled 50 mi (80 km).
•When stopped in congested or heavytraffic during hot weather, place thetransmission in park (P) to aid engineand transmission cooling and to helpA/C performance.
•Turn off the speed control with heavyloads or in hilly terrain. The speedcontrol may turn off when you aretowing on long, steep slopes.
•Shift to a lower gear when driving downa long or steep hill. Do not continuouslyapply the brakes, as they may overheatand become less effective.
•If your transmission has Grade Assistor Tow/Haul, use this feature whentowing. This provides engine brakingand helps eliminate excessivetransmission shifting for optimum fueleconomy and transmission cooling.
•Your vehicle has AdvanceTrac with rollstability control. When towing a trailer,additional loads could cause theAdvanceTrac system to engage duringcornering maneuvers. Reduce corneringspeeds to make sure that you canmaintain control of the vehicle andtrailer if the AdvanceTrac systemengages.
•Allow more distance for stopping witha trailer attached. Anticipate stops andgradually brake.
•Avoid parking on a slope. However, ifyou must park on a slope, turn thesteering wheel to point your vehicletires away from traffic flow, set theparking brake, place the transmissionin park (P) and place wheel chocks infront and back of the trailer wheels.
Note:Chocks are not included with yourvehicle.
LAUNCHING OR RETRIEVING
A BOAT OR PERSONAL
WATERCRAFT
When backing down a ramp during boatlaunching or retrieval:
•Do not allow the static water level torise above the bottom edge of the rearbumper.
•Do not allow waves to break higherthan 6 in (15 cm) above the bottomedge of the rear bumper.
Exceeding 6 in (15 cm) could allow waterto enter vehicle components, causinginternal damage to the components andaffecting driveability, emissions andreliability.
Note:Replace the rear axle lubricantanytime the rear axle has been submergedin water.
Note:Disconnect the trailer wiringconnector before backing the trailer into thewater.
Note:Reconnect the trailer wiringconnector after removing the trailer fromthe water.
269
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingTowing a Trailer

TOWING WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS
RECOMMENDED TOWING WEIGHTS
WebsiteMarket
https://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/United States of America
https://www.fleet.ford.ca/towing-guides/Canada
270
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingTowing a Trailer

WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM LOADEDTRAILER WEIGHT
The maximum loaded trailerweight is the highest possibleweight of a fully loaded trailer thevehicle can tow.
CALCULATING THE MAXIMUMLOADED TRAILER WEIGHT FORYOUR VEHICLE
1.Start with the gross combinedweight rating for your vehiclemodel and axle ratio.
2.Subtract all of the followingthat apply to your vehicle:
•Vehicle curb weight.
•Hitch hardware weight, forexample a draw bar, ball, locksor weight distributing hardware.
•Driver weight.
•Passenger weight.
•Payload, cargo and luggageweight.
•Aftermarket equipment weight.
This equals the maximum loadedtrailer weight for this combination.
Note:The trailer tongue load isconsidered part of the payload foryour vehicle. Reduce the totalpayload by the final trailer tongueweight.
Note:Consult an authorized dealerto determine the maximum trailerweight allowed for your vehicle ifyou are not sure.
271
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingTowing a Trailer

WHAT IS THE INTEGRATED
TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER
The trailer brake controller assists insmooth and effective trailer braking basedon the towing vehicle’s brake pressure.
INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE
CONTROLLER PRECAUTIONS
WARNING: Use the integratedtrailer brake controller to properly adjustthe trailer brakes and check allconnections before towing a trailer.Failure to follow this instruction couldresult in the loss of control of yourvehicle, personal injury or death.
•Only use the manual control lever forproper adjustment of the gain duringtrailer setup. Misuse, such asapplication during trailer sway, couldcause instability of trailer or towvehicle.
•Avoid towing in adverse weatherconditions. The trailer brake controllerdoes not provide anti-lock control ofthe trailer wheels. Trailer wheels canlock up on slippery surfaces, resultingin reduced stability of trailer and towvehicle.
•The trailer brake controller is only afactory-installed or dealer-installeditem. Ford is not responsible forwarranty or performance of thecontroller due to misuse or customerinstallation.
Note:Do not attempt removal of the trailerbrake controller without consulting theWorkshop Manual. Damage to the unit mayresult.
Note:Make sure to set the integrated trailerbrake controller gain to 0 if you are using anaftermarket trailer brake controller.
USING THE INTEGRATED
TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER
1.Make sure the trailer brakes are in goodworking condition, functioning normallyand properly adjusted. See your trailerdealer if necessary.
Note:An authorized dealer can diagnosethe trailer brake controller to determineexactly which trailer fault has occurred. Yourvehicle warranty does not cover issues withyour trailer.
2.Hook up the trailer and make theelectrical connections according to thetrailer manufacturer's instructions.
Note:Select default mode if the trailer hassurge brakes, or no brakes at all. The systemhas no effect on the braking performanceof the trailer in either of these cases.
Note:If a trailer is connected by a four-pinconnector, the trailer braking function willnot be supported.
3.When you plug in a trailer with electricor electric-over-hydraulic brakes, amessage confirming connectionappears in the information display.
4.Use the gain adjustment to find thedesired starting point. A gain setting of6.0 is a good starting point for heavierloads.
Note:Use the following steps to adjust thegain setting whenever road, weather andtrailer, or vehicle loading conditions, changefrom when you initially set the gain.
5.In a traffic-free environment, tow thetrailer on a dry, level surface andsqueeze the manual control levercompletely.
272
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingIntegrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped)

6.If the trailer wheels lock up, indicatedby squealing tires, reduce the gainsetting. If the trailer wheels turn freely,increase the gain setting. Repeat Steps5 and 6 until the gain setting is at apoint just below trailer wheel lock-up.If towing a heavier trailer, trailer wheellock-up may not be attainable evenwith the maximum gain setting of 10.
Note:Only perform this procedure atspeeds of approximately 20–25 mph(30–40 km/h).
Note:The trailer brake controller reducesoutput at vehicle speeds below 11 mph(18 km/h) so that trailer and vehicle brakingis not jerky or harsh. This feature is onlyavailable when applying the brakes usingyour vehicle's brake pedal, not thecontroller.
Note:Your vehicle's brake system and thetrailer brake system work independently ofeach other. Changing the gain setting on thecontroller does not affect the operation ofyour vehicle's brakes whether you attach atrailer or not.
Note:With the proper electrical connection,pressing your vehicle brake pedal or usingthe manual control lever illuminates bothtrailer and vehicle brake lamps.
Note:When you switch the engine off, thecontroller output is disabled and the displayand module shut down. The controllermodule and display turn on when you switchthe ignition on.
Note:Trailer braking is suspended duringstop/start events to minimize battery draw.
Adjusting the Trailer Brake Gain
Use the gain adjustment (+) and(-) buttons to increase ordecrease the gain setting to thedesired starting point. The trailerbrake controller allowsadjustment of brake gain from0% to 100% in 5% increments.
A
Trailer braking is directly appliedby the driver through this manualslider.
B
Note:Adjust gain setting before using thetrailer brake controller for the first time.
Note:The gain should be set to provide themaximum trailer braking assistance whilemaking sure the trailer wheels do not lockwhen using the brakes. Locked trailer wheelsmay lead to trailer instability.
Note:Setting adjustments are saved whena trailer profile is selected.
273
2023 Maverick (CFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 202208, First-PrintingIntegrated Trailer Brake Controller (If Equipped)E333154