Hi Sdcatcher:

___I am not dissuading owners of Escape HEV’s from installing a hitch as I would too but be **** careful as to what you are towing. Hybrids of all types use the pack in low speed accelerations like you would not imagine and a dynamically changing load (any small trailer etc.) is about the worst abuse I can imagine throwing at a hybrid automobile of whatever type is all. Carrying bikes and such off of one of the many hitch-mate type carriers is fine as that is a secure, stable, and very light load unlike the load dynamics of a regular towed trailer so just be careful is all.

___Secondly, since the Escape HEV is such a new vehicle, why not give some time to the hitch makers. IIRC, you paid something south of $250.00 for your one off and that is great but E-Trailer sold me std. Class III hitches for both the 03 MDX and 03 Ranger for ~ $100.00 each. I don’t see the need to pay much more (steel prices have risen significantly since then) then $130.00 or so today. In other words, $250 + to be the first on the block might be peanuts for a $27 - $30,000 automobile but if you do not really need it today, why not wait until they are back to less then $130.00 or so as this is all they are truly worth.

___Might I suggest that you pair up Ford and Curt Manufacturing to supply OEM hitches. Ford will probably sell them south of $180.00 or so while picking them up in 1,000 lots for $70 - $80.00 but in that kind of quantity, Curt might be just the company to take on the project for a nice profit as well as employing a few more welders, packers, managers before the rest of the hitch manufacturers come online with their own solutions.

___Good Luck to you and yours this holiday season.

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net