I have spoken with many FEH Owners or Purchasers who have a need for a hitch, not just for towing up to 1,000 lbs., but also as a mount for their bicycle, electric cart, or cargo box. I was able to get such a 2 x 2 inch hitch.

Ford Motor Company is working on a solution now that their engineers seem to agree that the unmodified hitches for the regular Escape will not fit. This modification will take from 3-6 months to reach the market.

I want to bring to your attention the Da'Lan (Curt Manufacturing Co. of Wisconsin) Class 2.5 Hitch we were able to modify for the market, and is not available to all.
I am not affiliated at all with this company but they helped me so I want to pass on their name. Hitch-Web.Com is on the internet and you can contact them at their site with your questions about their product.

I would like to hear from others about their own solution to the problem of having a vehicle with the ability to tow but not the means. I think a SUV without a hitch is like a bull without horns.

Mike

Mike Maline - Sdctcher
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid Owner
California School Teacher

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

Thanks Wayne -

I agree that towing even 1,000 lbs. must not be taken lightly but the other uses do not even approach that load...they have more to do with tongue weight and total vehicle cargo load max.

I have spent the last 2 months or more scouring the market place and wrote to the top ten hitch manufacturers in the US and received replies from most. No hitch is available and most are waiting until the FEH is more available until they will begin engineering a solution. The hitches Ford tried for the regular 2005 Escape were priced at about $200 for Class II and $300 for Class III plus the $230 my dealer wanted for install. The less than $300 (installed) hitch from Hitch-Web and Curt is comparable and they understand that they will not become rich off of this. They only want to demonstrate they are responsive and perhaps they might draw people to their other products and services.

I wanted the heavier hitch for the 2 X 2 inch insert rather than have to go back and buy a 2 X 2 adapter.

Ford was unresponsive during these months until Hitch-Web.Com and Curt partnered to come up with a solution. Quickly, Ford became responsive and I did provide their engineering team with photographs and contact information.

I do hope they might move forward to supply a need. It seems that us FEH people are Type A and after waiting months for our car we are not willing to wait months more to accessorize it.

May the new year give Hybrid Owners everything they want and Hybrid Purchasers a short waiting period.

Mike
(SDCTCHER)

Mike Maline - Sdctcher
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid Owner
California School Teacher

Ford said today that they still maintain that their Hitch
5L8Z-17D826-AC for the regular 2005 Escape will fit the hybrid because
"the tow
hitch that we sell is a channel fit so it never goes below the frame of
the vehicle and, therefore, would never interfere with the cooling
line." I am not an engineer but I do know that the coolent lines are
mounted so close to the frame you cannot slide anything underneath.
They will continue to work on it I am sure. I am happy with my Da'Lan.

There does not seem to be a problem getting oil and front air filters
for the FEH. Mine came within two weeks. The rear air filter is
another story. Ford is checking on where they are in the pipeline.
Maintenance says they do not need to be replaced until 20,000 miles.

Finally, Ford says they do monitor, or have others monitor (but not
take part in) Forums and Chatrooms, and they react to information
through this back channel. So people, keep posting and perhaps
someone will hear the echos.

Mike

Mike Maline - Sdctcher
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid Owner
California School Teacher