TrailManor Owner's Forum - View Single Post

**Bill** · 09-03-2009, 07:59 PM

The Ford Edge is kind of marginal as a tow vehicle for a TM. The fact that you are in Florida (flat country) will help. You really need to go to ford.com, type "towing" in the search box, and download and read the towing guide for the Edge. And read the Owner's Manual for the Edge, also available online.

Ford has one of the best towing guides out there, and if I read it correctly, it says that the basic Edge has a tow rating of 2000 pounds. As a factory option, you can equip it with a Class 2 hitch and a 3500-pound rating. That is really not sufficient. The tow vehicle must have at least a Class 3 hitch. I don't think you can get a WDH for a Class 2 hitch. And 3500 pounds is pretty light, even with a Class 3 hitch and a WDH. And even with the factory option, you get only a 4-wire wiring harness, which has no connection for electric brakes, backup lights, or a trailer battery charge line. You can do without backup lights, I suppose, but the others are required. (By the way, there is no such thing as a 4-to-7 pin "adapter" that will overcome these difficulties.)

So, if you already own the Edge, what can you do? First, you will need to add a 7-wire harness and a 7-pin connector on the back of the vehicle. And although the factory doesn't offer it, you can get an aftermarket Class 3 hitch for an Edge. Then you will need a WDH. And you will need to be very careful to control the weight of the people and cargo in the Edge, and the loaded weight of the trailer, all of which contribute to the Gross Combined Weight (GCW) of the vehicle, the trailer, and their contents. I'm having trouble finding the GCW Rating (GCWR) for the Edge, but you will need to know it.

The factory towing package appears to include an engine oil cooler and an oversize radiator, both good things. But I see no mention of an auxiliary transmission cooler, and Ford warns specifically about overstressing the transmission while towing. So you will want to have an aux transmission cooler added as an aftermarket item as well. Like all automatic transmission vehicles, the Edge already has a transmission cooler. I am talking about adding a second, or auxiliary, cooler.

I suggest you do some research on this vehicle. Then look for harveyrv's posts on GCWR - they are quite good.

Bill

09-03-2009, 07:59 PM	#3
Bill Site Team Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine Posts: 10,097	The Ford Edge is kind of marginal as a tow vehicle for a TM. The fact that you are in Florida (flat country) will help. You really need to go to ford.com, type "towing" in the search box, and download and read the towing guide for the Edge. And read the Owner's Manual for the Edge, also available online. Ford has one of the best towing guides out there, and if I read it correctly, it says that the basic Edge has a tow rating of 2000 pounds. As a factory option, you can equip it with a Class 2 hitch and a 3500-pound rating. That is really not sufficient. The tow vehicle must have at least a Class 3 hitch. I don't think you can get a WDH for a Class 2 hitch. And 3500 pounds is pretty light, even with a Class 3 hitch and a WDH. And even with the factory option, you get only a 4-wire wiring harness, which has no connection for electric brakes, backup lights, or a trailer battery charge line. You can do without backup lights, I suppose, but the others are required. (By the way, there is no such thing as a 4-to-7 pin "adapter" that will overcome these difficulties.) So, if you already own the Edge, what can you do? First, you will need to add a 7-wire harness and a 7-pin connector on the back of the vehicle. And although the factory doesn't offer it, you can get an aftermarket Class 3 hitch for an Edge. Then you will need a WDH. And you will need to be very careful to control the weight of the people and cargo in the Edge, and the loaded weight of the trailer, all of which contribute to the Gross Combined Weight (GCW) of the vehicle, the trailer, and their contents. I'm having trouble finding the GCW Rating (GCWR) for the Edge, but you will need to know it. The factory towing package appears to include an engine oil cooler and an oversize radiator, both good things. But I see no mention of an auxiliary transmission cooler, and Ford warns specifically about overstressing the transmission while towing. So you will want to have an aux transmission cooler added as an aftermarket item as well. Like all automatic transmission vehicles, the Edge already has a transmission cooler. I am talking about adding a second, or auxiliary, cooler. I suggest you do some research on this vehicle. Then look for harveyrv's posts on GCWR - they are quite good. Bill __________________ 2020 2720QS (aka 2720SL) 2014 Ford F-150 4WD 5.0L Bill's Tech Stuff album