Tow Vehicle, Tongue weight issue Santa Fe vs Escape

[bucketbass]

I would like to get some feedback and recommendations from some folks that have trailering experience.

My Situation, Trailer/Boat Package Weight 1600-1700 lbs. No Gear, Fuel etc. Tongue weight of the trailer heavy for it's weight about 250 lbs, probably more like 280 with batts and trolling motor. Boat is a 16' Princecraft, single axle trailer with no brakes.

My tow vehicle is a 08 Santa Fe AWD limited, however I noticed major rear sag and investigated it more, seems to be a common problem with this SUV.

My previous tow vehicle was a 06 Escape and I had no sag issues at all. I am thinking about replacing the Santa Fe with a 09 Escape Limited. I tow every weekend June through Sept and sometimes 4 or 5 hour stretches so I really do not want to be towing at my vehicle's at full capacity for both safety and performance reasons.

Please let me know if you have any advise, or experience with either vehicles, or if you had to deal with tongue weight issues in the past.

Thanks

[Mr.J.]

I have an '04 Sata Fe

Up until this year I towed a 16 FT Princecraft (appx 1500 lbs) and never had any towing issues. As a matter of fact I used to be able to take off from a stop pretty good too.

NOW, and this is an imprtant NOW, I have the front wheel drive which has a higher towing capacity (3200 lbs) than the all wheel drive.

Now I tow a '07 Legend (appx 2110 lbs) ans it's a slow going from a dead stop (added trailer brakes, I'm so happy I did) but she cruises fine and I keep my eyes on the temperature gauge.

I do not know the tongue weight of either boat but yes the rear seems to show it has a load on it but not more then I would have expected.

I have done a bit of poking around to see about upgrading the shocks but have yet to find any info on boats and Santa Fe's.

Why don't you get a buddies truck and hitch up the boat and see if it is any different.

I know I have really answered your questions but IMHO I think what you may be seeing is normal? Or can be fixed with a suspension upgrade?

[Fish'n Technish'n]

Last fall I was looking for a new vehicle, one that would tow my boat just in case I get rid of my van. I looked at EVERYTHING! I really liked the SantaFe but after much investigation(phone calls to Hyundai etc) I stroked it off the list, as I would have to add trailer brakes 'cuz the Santa Fe 's brakes were not up to the task of stopping a 2100 lb boat!
I ended up with a 2008 Escape FWD and it is rated for 3500 lb. One thing to be careful of.... in 2008 and on, Ford does not add an oil cooler for the tranny in the Towing Package!!! Did some research ...again and they said the upsized the cooler in the radiator to compensate. Apparently there have been a few Escapes where the tranny blew from heat issues, so now ALL the Escapes have the "bigger" cooler added in. I did not order mine with the TOW PKG and had a Class III hitch put on with an added tranny cooler for a lot less than the dealer quoted. Just for my own piece of mind and I firmly believe that you can never have too much cooling. It is great to have a vehicle that will GO towing your boat but a LOT of people forget about STOPPING!!!
My rig is 16' with dual console, 75 HP Merc/Honda 9.9 and all the bells/whistles, so when it is loaded up I am pushing 2100-2200 lbs.
There are a lot of great vehicles out there that will tow your package, just make sure you ask LOTS of questions beforehand.


Hope this helps,

FT

[CNs]

I have an 08 escape with the towing package.

My boat loaded (tackle gas batteries etc) tops out @ 3000lbs


With me and a passenger I am just at the tow limit. It does not take off from a start like a scalded cat but it moves well enough. I also have a dual axle trailer and that actually helps in towing. I am considering putting on a tranny cooler.

Any boat over 2000 lbs (total package) you should have trailer brakes.

Also remember that the towing capacity is not just the weight of the trailer boat motor. It also includes you and whatever is in your vehicle.

I am considering getting a vehicle specifically for towing.

[cprince]

I would like to get some feedback and recommendations from some folks that have trailering experience.

My Situation, Trailer/Boat Package Weight 1600-1700 lbs. No Gear, Fuel etc. Tongue weight of the trailer heavy for it's weight about 250 lbs, probably more like 280 with batts and trolling motor. Boat is a 16' Princecraft, single axle trailer with no brakes.

My tow vehicle is a 08 Santa Fe AWD limited, however I noticed major rear sag and investigated it more, seems to be a common problem with this SUV.

My previous tow vehicle was a 06 Escape and I had no sag issues at all. I am thinking about replacing the Santa Fe with a 09 Escape Limited. I tow every weekend June through Sept and sometimes 4 or 5 hour stretches so I really do not want to be towing at my vehicle's at full capacity for both safety and performance reasons.

Please let me know if you have any advise, or experience with either vehicles, or if you had to deal with tongue weight issues in the past.

Thanks

Good chance that the Escape was higher than the Hyundai at the hitch. This would shift the loads center of gravity forward and causing higher tongue weight at the hitch. Even if it is just a couple of inches this could make a big difference if your center of gravity gets shifted forward.

Try loading all you can in the back of the boat rather than the front. Does your winch post slide? Some are ajustable, and if you have room on the trailer to shift the whole load back about 6 to 8 inches, it might balance out the load better. Depending how much lower the Hyundai is than the Escape, it may not make enough of a difference. The only option may by to raise your Hyundai's suspension or, if possible, lower the trailer's?

Too much tongue weight will cause your load to go out of control under emergency breaking situations. Not enough will make your load "Dolphin" at higher speeds. Each one is quite dangerous.

And as others have mentioned here, Trailer brakes are worth the investment.

Good luck!

[Jimmy_1]

I had a similar issue. I drove a 2004 Sienna. We tow sleds, ATV's, boats etc.

I couldn't get a truck because I have 2 samll kids. So I decided to get an SUV. I drove them all!

My 2 favorites were the Acura MDX and the Nissan Pathfinder. I decided on the Pathfinder because they were cheaper than an MDX.

My pathfinder will tow 6000 lbs and has a 4 litre engine. The 4wd system is a dial you turn. The ride is awsome and the gas mileage is preetty good to. I went from Smiths Falls to Lanark County and back to CP in one day and burnt about a quarter tank.

I am pretty happy with it to be honest. I lucked out and managed to find an LE model with low-mileage for the year. She has leather, DVD, sunroof, wireless headphones/BOSE stereo....the whole 9 yards.

The Pathfinder is also an excellent vehicle in off-road situations and has arguably one of the best 4x4 drive systems on the market. Nissan has been making them since the 80's. Back then they were 2 door 4-bangers with stick shift. You still see alot of them on the road.

My $0.02.

But between the Santa Fe and the Escape. My opinion would be the Escape. I am not biased toward either as I also drive an 03 Elantra GT and have never had any issue with it.

I just find Ford has really stepped it up with the escape and as mentioned the Santa Fe in 2wd version tows more than the 4x4. If you want 4x4 with no worries about maxing out I'd say the Escape is better...

But drive a Pathfinder. You'll be impressed.

[Mr.J.]

My boat is a 2007 Legend 18Xcalibur

I contacted Legend and the boat, motor and trailer are 2109 lbs.

This does not include batteries and a full gas tank etc.

I went to Stittsville trailer and put hydraulic brakes

Total cost including taxes was $805 (best money I ever spent)

My Santa Fe now stops in a shorter distance with the trailer then without, but I also need new front brakes

[bigpikemike]

hyundies and kias cant tow crap....i used to sell them and no fishin guy would buy them after researching them....they cant handle the tongue weight and they have pittifull breaking systems....the escape is not bad and will do the job but u need a good tranny cooler....but guys stay away from the korean models for a tow rig....although there mini vans could do it

[Badger Shark]

I have towed my Alumacraft with a Santa Fe and my boat is heavier than many others in this class. I had no issues with the towing of the boat or stopping, what I did have issue with was the gearing, it was an annoying pain when driving on hilly roads, whenever you head up a hill the thing revs like its in a race. And forget about cruise while towing.

My other vehicles I currently tow with are fine with cruise and dont go nuts when encountering a hill. I drive either my old 91 Cheorokee or my 02 Ram 1500, no issues at all with them.

I would think the escape would be a better choice if that is what you are considering.

[bucketbass]

Thank you everyone for you feedback. I have emailed Princecraft and am waiting to hear back about the gross trailer and boat weight.

MrJ, This is a good example as your boat is slightly heavier. The tounge weight issue might be something specific to my setup in the sense that not only is there more sag than I would have expected on the Santa Fe, but it actually causes the headlights to be angled significantly up in to oncomming traffic, last trip people were flashing me left and right while comming back from the lake. It seems to me the tongue weight of my rig is near the same as some rig's that are twice the gross weight. Regarding the breaks, did you have difference choices of elecric, mechanical vs hydralic, Is there a huge difference in the upkeep on these types?

Fish'n Technish'n, Thank you for this info, I would be going with a 09 Escape which has an additional 40 hp and 6sp tranny ( V6 Limited). The Oil cooler is included as part of the tow pkg that the dealer installs. Hopefully this will be suffient, it is more the tongue weight load that I am concerned about as that has been the real problem with the current setup.

ChampionNorm, Regarding the breaks, 1600lb is my calculation of the gross trailer weight, I am waiting for Princecraft to give me there package weight as a more accurate comparison. I agree that breaks on the trailer would be a good investment. I might consider this once I try towing with the escape, I know the breaks are not the strongest piont of the escape anyways when compared to others in it's class it falls in the slower range of 60-0 distances, at about 160 ft.

cprince, Good point, I know that the receiver is atleast 2 or 3 inches vertically higher on the escaspe's bumper, this could lead to a significant difference as you pointed out. I have about 3 or 4 inchs of the bunks sticking off the back from where the end of the boat is on the trailer when loaded, If I can adjust the whole Crank/Front support on the trailer back so it's flush with the bunks this should also help balance it out a little.

Jamsers, thank you, I have closely considered the pathfinder, however I find it more comparible to the explorer in both seating, engine choice and overall size. Forsure the pathfinder would do the job, it's just such a fine balance of everyday drivability and towing capacity.




Author Message
Badger Shark Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:09 am Post subject:

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I have towed my Alumacraft with a Santa Fe and my boat is heavier than many others in this class. I had no issues with the towing of the boat or stopping, what I did have issue with was the gearing, it was an annoying pain when driving on hilly roads, whenever you head up a hill the thing revs like its in a race. And forget about cruise while towing.

My other vehicles I currently tow with are fine with cruise and dont go nuts when encountering a hill. I drive either my old 91 Cheorokee or my 02 Ram 1500, no issues at all with them.

I would think the escape would be a better choice if that is what you are considering.


bigpikemike Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 11:04 pm Post subject:

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hyundies and kias cant tow crap....i used to sell them and no fishin guy would buy them after researching them....they cant handle the tongue weight and they have pittifull breaking systems....the escape is not bad and will do the job but u need a good tranny cooler....but guys stay away from the korean models for a tow rig....although there mini vans could do it


Mr.J. Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:15 pm Post subject:

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My boat is a 2007 Legend 18Xcalibur

I contacted Legend and the boat, motor and trailer are 2109 lbs.

This does not include batteries and a full gas tank etc.

I went to Stittsville trailer and put hydraulic brakes

Total cost including taxes was $805 (best money I ever spent)

My Santa Fe now stops in a shorter distance with the trailer then without, but I also need new front brakes

[Luke]

I was talking to a guy last year that was towing a 21ft triton bass boat with an Escape and he told me that he never had any issues. Not sure the year of the vehicle but it was his second season with the boat...

[Prairieboy]

I have about 3 or 4 inchs of the bunks sticking off the back from where the end of the boat is on the trailer when loaded, If I can adjust the whole Crank/Front support on the trailer back so it's flush with the bunks this should also help balance it out a little.

Check out the following website, knowing that each manufacturer will state the specific range for tongue weight (5-7%, 5-10%, 10-12%, 10-15%) but this gives the idea. Once your boat is normally loaded and fully fueled, it is a pretty easy check with a bathroom scale if you want to verify it empirically versus theoretically. Just put a piece of plywood under the trailer jack wheel first

http://www.shorelandr.com/pages/forum/f_trstep3.html

For proper support the entire hull of the boat should be resting on the bunks up to the transom (i.e.: should be in line with the end of the bunk not overhanging). If you need to change the tongue weight to lighten it up you can move your crank back since you have 3-4" of extra bunk so long as you stay within your trailer manufacturer’s min-max for tongue weight. You can also adjust your trailering height by getting a different reciever for your hitch.

Cheers,
Prairieboy