[jbgriggs]

Fiona gets initiated into our farm. Just got back from 25 hours of driving to visit family/friends near the Yukon border and needed to pick up some more hay for the livestock. Over the scales at 13,800 lbs. that's with just over 6,000 lbs trailer total weight. The tow/haul button works AWESOME. Actually downshifted more aggressively than I needed which helped the brakes out which actually didn't need help. Tracks better than expected. Ecoboost power makes the steep hill seem effortless. Our trailer less long road trip got us 14 mpg average at 70+ mph. My short trailer haul averaged 12 mpg. Totally blown away by this wagon still and loving it.

 

[joefromga]

Cue the weight police and the "if you crash and kill a kid and then get sued and then they weigh your crashed trailer and all the stuff on the highway that spilled over and test your brakes and they win the lawsuit you could go to jail!" people.

 

[TomB985]

Cool! Glad to hear she exceeded your expectations. I really think they under-rate the towing capacity of these things. They have all the ingredients of a great tow vehicle...plenty of power, long wheelbase, short rear overhang, full-floating rear axle, and the GVWR to handle massive amounts of tongue weight.

 

[joefromga]

The problem is the low GCWR. I've easily towed over 13,000 weighed and I know I've towed more than that but wasn't able to weigh it.

Handled everything ive thrown at it easily.

 

[jbgriggs]

Canada is different. That load was legal and insured with that trailer. That trailer carries it's own insurance for weight. A small personal license plate. The trailer I usually use needs the insurance carried entirely by the tow vehicle. A larger commercial plate. Same load, better trailer but all of a sudden illegal. Bureaucracy : Because I haul personal and not for hire or business then I can, and did, up my insured weight to just over 17,000lbs to make sure I can still haul those same 4 hay bales on the other trailer. Costs $110 more per year but now I am legal if the unthinkable happens.

 

[joefromga]

But the GCWR is still over the van's rated capacity. Legalities aside.