Ford Maverick Pickup?

[WinterDeere]

So, honestly, the Maverick isn't that small. It's roughly the size of a Ford Explorer, although it is maybe 3-4" shorter vertical. I view the Explorer as a mid sized SUV, but its maybe medium-large.

On towing, your typical, TSC/Lowes landscape trailer, 5x10; 5x12, single axle; is rated for 3500#; and that's the most the vast majority of people use.

At one point, I looked at ditching both the truck and the sedan, and compromising on a Durango SRT (500 hp 6.4L Hemi) to replace two vehicles with one, which is similar width and height to an Explorer or Maverick. It's rated to tow 8700 lb., which is less than my Ram 1500 (11k#), but still perfectly adequate for my 7000 lb. landscape trailer on local roads at lower speeds. Morover, it's a much better vehicle than the Ram pickup for hauling boats and boating gear to races, as my racing boats are under 2k# trailer weights, and the SUV has way more room for gear and boat covers.

I went so far as to haul my landscape trailer over to the dealership and connect it to a Durango, and drive it around a bit. It pulled and stopped just fine, but what I couldn't get past was the width. These mid-size SUV's and mini trucks are just too narrow, to where the mirrors don't stick out far enough to see the trailer wheels. All I could see was the front wall of the trailer.

So yes, a Maverick, Explorer, or Durango can pull a landscape trailer. But even for someone with a lot of trailering experience, it's not a really nice option.

 

[ning]

At one point, I looked at ditching both the truck and the sedan, and compromising on a Durango SRT (500 hp 6.4L Hemi) to replace two vehicles with one, which is similar width and height to an Explorer or Maverick. It's rated to tow 8700 lb., which is less than my Ram 1500 (11k#), but still perfectly adequate for my 7000 lb. landscape trailer on local roads at lower speeds. Morover, it's a much better vehicle than the Ram pickup for hauling boats and boating gear to races, as my racing boats are under 2k# trailer weights, and the SUV has way more room for gear and boat covers.

I went so far as to haul my landscape trailer over to the dealership and connect it to a Durango, and drive it around a bit. It pulled and stopped just fine, but what I couldn't get past was the width. These mid-size SUV's and mini trucks are just too narrow, to where the mirrors don't stick out far enough to see the trailer wheels. All I could see was the front wall of the trailer.

So yes, a Maverick, Explorer, or Durango can pull a landscape trailer. But even for someone with a lot of trailering experience, it's not a really nice option.

If you don't trailer a lot, would you consider towing mirror extenders?
We used them a few times when we had a cabover camper on the F350, as I didn't spec it with trailer mirrors - and considering how much use the truck got pulling anything that would need mirrors (ie, occasional, not often) IMO it was a good choice.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've never had a car with the dial or button gearshift, but don't they have a dash display that shows the gear, just like the conventional shifter. If you have an automatic with a console shifter, you can only tell the gear by the feel or the dash display unless you look down. Why is it different?

Had a 1960’s Plymouth with push button auto transmission…

 

[ultrarunner]

I’ve pushed limits with my Samurai hauling a yard of rock in my box trailer…

I think the factory rating is conservative… but only 3 blocks from the stone yard to the job…

 

[Jstpssng]

I’ve pushed limits with my Samurai hauling a yard of rock in my box trailer…

I think the factory rating is conservative… but only 3 blocks from the stone yard to the job…

Pulling isn't the problem; stopping the load is. If some kid steps out in front of you the tail is going to be wagging the dog. I pulled into a coworker's driveway behind him, glanced at the crushed stone in the borrowed dump trailer he was pulling behind his company 1/2 ton Sierra and said "what's that, about 3 yards?"
"Yup, 8000 lbs." He said "I just pulled it through town, pulled it no problem."
Just the load weighed more than the pickup, plus dump trailers aren't light.

 

[jyoutz]

Pulling isn't the problem; stopping the load is. If some kid steps out in front of you the tail is going to be wagging the dog. I pulled into a coworker's driveway behind him, glanced at the crushed stone in the borrowed dump trailer he was pulling behind his company 1/2 ton Sierra and said "what's that, about 3 yards?"
"Yup, 8000 lbs." He said "I just pulled it through town, pulled it no problem."
Just the load weighed more than the pickup, plus dump trailers aren't light.

^^^^this^^^

 

[ultrarunner]

20 mph for 3 blocks is a risk I am willing to take plus in a panic stop the surge brakes should be at maximum.

The front disk brakes on the Samurai are large for such a light vehicle.

Kind of like a 1950 tractor bringing a loaded hay wagon in from the field… only 2 wheel brakes and running a quarter mile on paved county road.

But I have towed often with small rigs.

The bottom picture is all Mechanical Brakes with a lever to activate the trailer brake.

Just not sure how a CVT trans will hold up compared to gear?

 

[Ortimber]

Tell him to at least look at the Tacoma Hybrid. $46k MSRP.

The problem is 4 adults won't fit in a new Tacoma. I have one...

 

[ning]

Considering towing capacity is assigned based on being able to handle it safely at highway speeds (as safely as a Samurai is at highway speeds on it's own! jk jk), 20mph vs 60mph should require like 1/9th the braking capability (kinetic energy = ½mv²) so I suspect you were reasonably safe.

 

[Hughman]

I once used my samurai to pull my busted rv off I-5. Granted I needed 4-low to move it, but we made it safely off the freeway. I always view towing a car as an insurance policy for when the RV breaks down.