Since the 2021 Ford Escape had a towing capacity, it also had a tow package that was available for certain models. Not all models had this towing package available to them and the models that did have this package available did not really get a whole lot of equipment that was included, just the basics that were needed.
There were only four main components that made up these towing packages and we will get into what those components were and what role they played when it came to towing anything with your vehicle.
What Was Included in the 2021 Escape Tow Package?
If we look at the chart that I have listed below (that I found in the towing guide that Ford publishes), we can see that four components consisted of the 536 tow package for the 2021 Ford Escape which included a trailer wiring harness, a hitch receiver, an automatic transmission oil cooler and a trailer sway control feature.
I do want to point out that there was a note in the chart which was indicated by the number one and I posted the note below the chart itself. It really applies to the engine and submodel of the vehicles. This tow package was available for models that have the 2.0 L EcoBoost engine equipped or models that have the 2.5 L engine equipped, which was the hybrid and plug-in hybrid models with the SEL or Titanium trim levels.
1. Available with 2.0L EcoBoost® I4 or 2.5L I4 Hybrid/Plug-in Hybrid (SEL or Titanium) only.
4 Pin Trailer Wiring Harness: A 4-pin trailer wiring harness was included in the package and if you are unfamiliar with what this is, it is basically just a connection on your vehicle that allows you to hook up your trailer to (similar plug) and will synchronize your vehicle's lights with your trailer's lights. It is essentially an extension of your vehicle's lights that are being used by the trailer itself.
You would have all of the necessary lights that you would need to legally drive down the road, like you would with your vehicle.
2. A Hitch Receiver: What is a tow package without the hitch receiver? The hitch receiver is the actual name for the hitch that gets mounted on to the frame of your vehicle and will be located towards the rear of the vehicle and mounted underneath, as shown by the image that I have posted below. Sometimes you will see these hitches and they will stick out a little bit and other times they will be hidden and more aesthetically pleasing, but still function the same way.
Hitch Class: When I looked at the type of hitch that was installed on these vehicles, I was able to find out that a Class 2 hitch was used, which provides a maximum trailer weight rating of up to 3,500 lbs. and is appropriate for the 2021 Escape's towing capacity.
There are different classes of hitches and will go in sequence from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on. You could always use a class that is above what is required by your vehicle, but never go below that because you will be limited by that hitch's weight rating.
Hitch Receiver Dimensions: It is important to note that the interior dimensions of the hitch receiver at self are important because there are a couple of different size dimensions that come with hitch receivers.
The 2021 Ford Escape used a hitch receiver that had an interior dimension of 1-1/4" which is smaller than what is found on most other vehicles, which has a 2" interior measurement.
Be sure when looking at hitch accessories that you keep the dimensions in mind and make sure it's compatible with what your hitch dimensions are.
3. An Automatic Transmission Cooler: An automatic transmission oil cooler was also available in this package, but this was only included for automatic transmission models, so if you had a manual transmission model you would not have this equipped, obviously. This was an auxiliary transmission cooler that was available and will look similar to one of the two images that I have posted below and works the same way that your car's radiator works.
Fluid flows into the radiator in down the fins (internally) and when air blows through the fins, it cools down the oil that is flowing through inside. These are usually found mounted on the front of the vehicle, in front of the radiator itself and are usually visible if you look closely.
4. Trailer Sway Control: The trailer sway control feature that was listed in the tow package table is basically a feature that comes with these vehicles and it's usually activated by default until you manually turn it off.
It works by carefully applying your vehicle's brakes to individual wheels and reduces the torque that the engine produces at the same time. When it senses any type of swaying that might be going on with your trailer, it applies these two tactics to try and reduce the swaying.
How To Turn Sway Control On/Off: I thought I would quickly go over how to turn the sway control feature on and off, as I was able to find the directions in the owner's manual and figured it might help some people out there who may not be familiar with this feature of their vehicle.
- Press the Features button on the touchscreen.
- Press Towing.
- Switch the Trailer Sway Control feature on or off. (The system turns on each time you start your vehicle.)
Resources I Used...
I used two different sources for the research of this article, which was more than enough because of the information that I found in these two resources. Everything I needed to know was pretty much presented to me in Ford's Towing guide, but the owner's manual also has some additional information that I was looking for and came in helpful, as well.