Propane Tank Issue

Originally posted by offgrid The dry weight is meaningless. If you haven't weighed it loaded (batteries, water, options, gear, food, tools, clothing, etc etc) then do that before you do anything else. I think you will be surprised, I was.

I respect your ObieWan position here, but the OP already said he would not be packing water, would be loading light.  Has towed the trailer some distance and is content with the performance.

Obi-Wan was the mentor to Luke Skywalker, teaching him the ways of the Force. It was a compliment.

Okay. the TV is a factor now. What is it if the concern is a class 2 hitch? What is the tow capacity? A class 2 hitch is a 1-1/4" hitch rated up to 3,500 lbs. Now if it is a 2" hitch, then it might be a class 3 hitch.

I would be leery of hitching up an RPod if it really is a Class 2 hitch.

Okay. I towed our 179 with a 2016 Ford Escape SE until we hit ice with a crosswind. Now I tow with a 2010 Nissan Frontier LE 4x4. I did use an Equal-i-zer hitch with it. While it can be done, the vehicle is marginal for the task. Don't exceed 60 mph if you don't want to stop every 100 miles for premium gasoline. If you have a stiff headwind, it is like towing faster, and your mileage will drop. I used a Purpleline AeroPlus wind deflector with the Escape. It worked well, and it did help with the mileage. It doesn't help with the Frontier though as it sits too far ahead of the trailer to do any good. You can see it if you look at my early mods pictures.

Since I have no idea where you live, I don't know if you would be close enough that it would be practical for you to get the AeroPlus that I have. I was going to take it to the FROG rally this past summer, but that got cancelled. Ultimately, you do need a tow vehicle with both a higher tow rating and a proper Class 3 hitch and a larger gas tank. Did your Escape come with the factory tow package? The 3,500 lb rating is for that. If it is an aftermarket hitch, then it does not have the 3,500 lb rating. It would also lack the transmission cooler which is very important, especially if you have to climb some long mountain slopes.

Okay. You must have been on flat land and had a tailwind. The best I ever got was about 16 mpg. With a headwind, it was more like 12-13 mpg. As for anti-sway, are you talking vehicle stability control or an actual brake controller for the trailer brakes? Unless Ford has changed things dramatically, the Escape did not come with a brake controller. I had to run the wiring myself for the one I installed. It wasn't fun. If you don't have a brake controller, you need one before you tow again to be legal. As for anti-sway, the Escape I had did have stability control, but not trailer anti-sway. If it has it, it still only controls the vehicle's brakes, not the trailer brakes. The last thing you need is to be passed by the back end of your trailer while you are trying to slow down. I've been there and it isn't pleasant. (see http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9133&PID=86002&title=i-wrecked-our-escapod#86002 ).

I was always impressed with the power of the 2L Ecoboost engine. I am sure the newer ones have more improvements. That probably explains the 16 mpg. It wasn't until I installed the Purpleline AeroPlus on ours before I saw 16 mpg while towing, and that was only if we did not have a headwind.