Towing Capacity

Hi! I have a 2005 ford escape limited 6 cylinder automatic. I need to tow a 1952 RED MG TD convertible to Maine on a trailer that is flat (where all the wheels are off the ground) Do I have the towing capacity ?

check your owners manual and find out the combined weight of trailer and MG…then you will know the answer.

Ditto to what Mshunga said. Your owner’s manual is the authority here.

One way to find the weight of your trailer and MG is to tow them to your nearest highway truck weighing station and get it done. Call ahead to make sure that they are willing to do it. Also make sure they can weigh as little as you have on the back of your truck. An alternative is to weight the Escape at the same time and subtract out the curb weight and your weight.

3500lbs max capacity according to edmunds.com

If you look on page 181 of your owners manual as seen here
http://www.motorcraftservice.com/pubs/content/~WO5204/~MUS~LEN/34/05204og5e.pdf

We can see that the maximum trailer weight is 3500 pounds. I’m not sure how much the car weighs, but if you’re putting it on a trailer, you’re likely going to be right at or slightly exceeding the towing capacity of the Escape. I would borrow or rent a truck for the job.

With a max towing capacity of 3500lbs, I wouldn’t do it with this vehicle. A rule of thumb for towing is to stay in the lower 80% of your towing capacity to avoid any problems. Mechanically, your Escape probably wouldn’t feel too overworked towing this much weight as the V6 is fairly powerful, but towing capacities also take into account things such as the towing vehicle’s weight and brake system, and it’s ability to cope with sway, dogtracking, and other potentially dangerous things that can occur with a trailer. I would look into renting or borrowing a half ton pickup or full size SUV (Tahoe, Expedition, Suburban, etc) to do this job.

Your Escape would be hard pressed to tow the trailer and MG safely. I use the rule of thumb amount of 75% of the vehicle weight (very conservative) but 80% will work as well. You have to remember that the little Ford must be able to stop quickly and safely in any emergency event. I too recommend renting or borrowing a larger truck or SUV to do the job.

The GVW for the car should be on the door post. the id lable on the trailer should also list a GVW. Add them up to see if you have the capacity, but take into account the other posts here regarding safety factors.