Hi, I'm looking for a good tow vehicle for a 16' Scamp Deluxe. I'm wondering if anyone has tried pulling it with a Ford Escape 2.0L 4 cyl. engine with turbocharger? The vehicle is supposed to have a 3500 lb. tow capacity but I am wondering about pulling a Scamp up and down hills/mountains. Any advice would be appreciated!
We use an older Subaru Forrester. BUT, our Scamp has neither an AC nor a bathroom, to save on weight. Dry = 1700 lbs, thus can be pulled with (the right) car. You would need to check the vehicle documentation for both max trailer towing weight (including the trailer as you configure it, and all your stuff in it) and tongue weight on your receiver hitch. As long as you stay within vehicle specs, I think hills would be OK both up and down.
D Shields
It also depends on where you will be towing. We have found that we have to do much more down shifting ( stick shift TV) east of the Mississippi. That is, even on the interstates in the east the hills are steeper. Also most of the southeastern states are fairly flat. We tow our 13 Scamp with a 2.5 L engine. I would not want any less power in the Northeast.