Soon to be new owner of 2619

[kingjoanfla]

We are picking up our 2009 TM next week and will take a two night trial run to a state park about 60 miles away. This board has been so helpful. We have a few questions for now. Where is the optional 17 in TV go in the 2619 and is anyone pulling with a Ford Edge and if so, does it need a weight distributing hitch?
Thanks again for all the information.
Joan and Jim King
Daytona Beach Shores

 

[BLAZER]

We pulled our 2619 with a 97 Chevy S10 blazer and we could have gotten by without the WDH, but it pulled sooooo much better with it and back end didn't drop the 3". The blazer was rated @ 5200# tow also and we still needed the WDH, Check your owners manual, but I would recommend one.

 

[Bill]

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

 

[gocntry]

Where is the optional 17 in TV go in the 2619

My 2008 Has A 17" LCD Screen Mounted In The Bathroom Wall Facing The Front Of The Trailer.

But I Believe They Changed All That For 2009.

 

[Scott O]

To add to Bill's sage comments, our daughter has an Edge and I would consider it marginal at best to tow most anything except a smallish tent trailer. As a family vehicle is is absolutely fabulous and Ford did a good job with it. As someone on this forum has pointed out in the past (harveyrv?) towing is only half the battle. The more important half is stopping...

 

[kingjoanfla]

Ford Edge

We have the 2010 Edge Limited with the towing package included. We are adding the brake controller and we will check about the WDH. We talked to the Ford people and they said we would be ok trailering the TM. Hope they are right.

 

[Shrimpburrito]

Don't forget your loaded 2619 is probably going to weigh ~4,000 lbs with all the options, full propane tanks, water, batteries, awning, air conditioning, etc. None of those things are included in the specs on TM's website.

Dave

 

[dbnoll]

As Bill mentioned, the transmission cooler is a must. If the Edge does not have one, I would definitely add it. It is much cheaper than having the transmisson rebuilt or replaced...I also agree that a WDH is a great plus when towing. I tow a 2619 with a Buick Ranier and am very happy that I have the WDH.

Dave...Cleveland, OH

 

[ED-n-KEL]

We have the 2010 Edge Limited with the towing package included. We are adding the brake controller and we will check about the WDH. We talked to the Ford people and they said we would be ok trailering the TM. Hope they are right.

If your overloaded TV causes an accident with injuries, you can't tell the police, judge, lawyers, that "the Ford people" told me it was ok.
You, the owner/driver of the vehicle are fully responsible for determining if you load is safe prior to leaving the driveway.

Please research this thoroughly before proceeding with your plans. I think you will find that the Edge (3500 lb TC) will be overloaded with the basic TM, before you add a single piece of camping gear.

The WDH hitch does not add towing capacity in any way. It merely transfers load from the rear axle to the front axle to make the TV handle better.

I hope the TM factory reconsiders their marketing practices before someone gets seriously hurt.