TCBob Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 proper 3:2 converter Where do you get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 proper 3:2 converter Where do you get it? The Curt number is 56090. I got a Hopkins, don't know the number. Probably have to get over the Web or in a specialty tow shop, since the typical trinket stores (Tractor Supply, O'Reilly's, AutoZone) don't have it and they don't know what it is. You are looking for a converter that takes the separate turn/brake circuits (3) of the Transit down to the combined brake/turn circuits (2) of the trailer, but WITH an additional hot (battery) wire to supply the trailer lights, so that the trailer lights do not get powered through the Transit's turn signal circuits. The Hopkins kit was very nice, with a 20' 14 gauge battery wire. I ended up buying 20' of flexible plastic wire-covering to protect the wire and routed it through the passenger compartment, under rugs, etc. up through the firewall through one of two handy firewall rubber grommets which then feeds right into the engine compartment near the battery. Of course, you also have to locate the taillight/brake circuits in the back, which directions I think are available on the web if you google it (I did not do this part, so I can't help). Plan on spending about $100 and a couple of hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCBob Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Thanks Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwin3000 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I feel that one must take towing with a Transit somewhat conservatively, meaning things like a gross trailer weight of 1500-1800 lbs. also, as already noted, keeping the trans. out of overdrive with the possible exception of downhills. Reason for all this conserving is that the motor and transaxle assy. are Focus products and though of good quality still a light passenger car unit. We really are talking about what kind of life should be had while towing with our Transits and my many years of automotive repair and parts tells me that driven prudently this vehicle will go a long ways, towing or not! I think that FORD is fearful of customers loading excessively, towing ridiculous trailer weights, and resulting in breaking drive train components, engines, brakes, wheel bearings, etc. etc. The last thing Ford needs is this great design to garner a rep. for being a lemon, even if caused by a handful of not very knowledgeable owners. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwin3000 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Here I am again. Yes there are receiver hitches available for Transits, you might as well get a class 111 hitch as it gives you a great choice of accessories to choose from, not to mention heavier duty components and construction. Remember though, the hitch will easily do 3500 lbs, but the vehicle would split at her seams, so don`t try it! There are a few things one can do to help the longevity of our Transits when towing light to moderate loads, such as: Changing Tranny fluid and filter more than regularly, clean effective fluid grabs better and cools better. Excessively hot tranny fluid is a big cause of breakdowns and a Transmission cooler would go a long ways towards alleviating this problem. Keep the tires pumped up. remember Red Green, we`re all in this together!!!! Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
framebinder Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Though Ford doesn't recommend putting a hitch on our Transits, I did and it works fine. Draw-Tight hitch bolted right on. The turn signal fuse did not like the extra load, so the installer got power off of the top center brake light. What I am looking for from the members is if any of you have experience pulling any weight. Like 1000 pounds, trailer and load combined. I have a small 4 x 8' trailer and am thinking about loading it with my Kingpin Tour motorcycle, which weighs about 750lb. Thanks in advance. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKE SAG Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I thought I would give everyone an update. I now have had our TC for almost 1 year. I am towing with it. I have 50,000 miles and Have close to 40,000 mile towing. I have had to replace the tires on both the TC and Trailer. The Trailer scales at 2,000 lbs and I am still under the rear axle weight by 600lbs. For what I am doing the TC is working out great. I have gone over steep grades with it and still passed the 18 wheelers. I average 17mpg towing at 70mph. At 20,000 miles I took it in because of noise. It was diagnosed as tire noise. At 40,000 miles it turned out to be a wheel bearing and that was not from towing. Ford did cover it under warranty. I love my TC and it is doing well. It is the perfect van for what I need to perform my business with. I agree with most of you and would prefer to have a diesel engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollowwood Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Has any one found an oil cooler listed for the TC? And to add a side note to towing for those new to it! If you are going to go over 1500 lbs, consider electric brakes for the trailer. A light tow vehicle and heavy trailer on a down hill corner with out trailer brakes is not fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike56 Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I tow a 900lb 8X10 enclosed cargo trailer. When I tow I do not use overdrive. I think the vehicle is rated for 3500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtn Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I tow regularily with mine. It doesn't have the ooomph for highway acceleration or heavy inclines but it's usable. Can't even tell it's back there stability wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goco Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 http://www.ford.com/trucks/transitconnect/specifications/towing/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkey-1 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 My dad tows a 4x6 enclosed trailer for his candle business and it works great. Here is a pic: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollowwood Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Yes you can tow with a TC! But you should not take it to the extream as I have. I have tried to attach 2 photos showing our 33' long towing combo. I will not know if they took till I post this. I have a 5'x14' cargo trailer loaded to it's limit and beyond with house hold items for our move from New Hampshire to Prince of Wales, Alaska. We are presently in Williams,Arizona. We are headed to California to visit the misus family for Mother's Day. I found out today that I did not have the spring movement I thought I had and we have to lighten the load a bit before we head north. The trailer has a 3500 lb. axle. The trailer alone weighs 880lbs. With one side dead axed, and the other close to it, the tires started wearing on the inside and will have to be replaced. My mistake in not double checking the trailer before we left. We were packing up to the last day and got focused on the move only. On the van side, it has about 1200 lbs of people, cargo, and hitch weight(324lbs).I am guessing that the trailer is sprung lighter than the axel rating. The trailer has a 1900 lb cargo capacity.I think I am now closer to 2400lbs. Add the 880lbs of trailer weight, and, you have me towing about 3300 lbs. Add the 1200 lbs in the van,and, you get 4480. That is about the weight of another TC. As I said, do not do as I did. We are getting 16-18+ mpg. Speeds are 35mph on the steep hills to 60mph on the flatter roads. Handling above 60 is not stable as sway come into being. I am super carefull with how I brake on the hills so as not to get into trouble. I had 4 years of towing a travel trailer with a 65hp diesel. The TC's 130 hp does better. I am putting this here to show an extreem example of what the TC can do. You can gage your use of it from mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollowwood Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 I am writting this from Bellingham,WA. We made it with no major damage. The bias ply tires wore badly from the weight. The Radial replacements did not. Plus, they are much nicer running and do not hobby horse on concreat roads like the bias ply do. They absorbed most of the cracks and seams. We did lighten the load by about 200 lbs from one side to even the load and gain a bit of spring travel. It also brought the tounge weight down to an even 300lbs. So, after about 4,000 miles of cross country towing at altitures of 7,000"+, I can say that the TC will do most average tow jobs plus.A 2,000 lb gross should be very easy. A 3,000 lb load is possible. I do wish I has a gear between first and second. After having done this close to 4,000 lb load, I would not do it again. It is asking too much of the TC. Our Red Wagon will now make the trip tp Prince Of Wales , AK and lead a less stressfull life. Rusty_dutch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmbomb Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) Also, look at the ford accesory brochure, is has a few nice TC accesories. ..And can you please give a link to the UK accessory brochure?? I cannot find it on your link already provided. Or does anyone else have a link to some UK accessories? Thanks so much jh Edited June 24, 2012 by jimmbomb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
103west43rd Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) Try www.fordpartsuk.com They carry all the Ford accessories. Trevor Porter handles the parts sales. A very nice guy. I, and others on this forum, have purchased accessories from Trevor. That is where I purchased my european third brake light that fits in the right rear door, and my hub caps for my steel wheels. Also, try the UK Transit Forum website, www.fordtransit.org and chose the Transit Connect forum. One of the members, valetech, even builds and sells accessories like running boards, skid plates and roof spoilers! eBay UK also has many accessories listed for the Transit Connect. Edited June 24, 2012 by 103west43rd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmbomb Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 (edited) While preparing to consider doing the lights module for my 2012, I pulled the passeanger tailight assembly out and did notice the extremely small holes in whick to pass the plugs thru.. ALSO I noticed a double wire with a small plug that was just laying there. Not hooked to anything... Unfortunatly, I didnt take a picture. BUT Does any one know what that plug goes to>>?? or what assessories could be there that plugs into this plugged wire? I mean,, its just laying there waiting to be plugged into something?? thanks alot for all your replies and comments.. jh Edited July 1, 2012 by jimmbomb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiin64 Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I look at it this way. The max payload capacity is 1600#. Whether you put it in the back of the TC or put it on a trailer behind the TC, the engine and drivetrain still has to pull the same amount of weight. thehitchstore.com has a complete package for the TC. Receiver, ball mount, ball and wiring kit. I'm getting mine in the next couple months. I've ordered 2 sets of hitch packages from them for other vehicles in the past and they've always had great parts and service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmicray Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 For now, I'm taking the opinion that the cargo space in the TC will meet most of my immediate needs. I have a small enclosed cargo trailer (4-ft x 8-ft) presumed to weight ~800 lbs empty. I doubt that I've ever had more than 300-lbs of cargo in it. So I *think* the 1100-lbs is within the GVWR rating of the TC. For now I'm going to wait and see how often I come up short of needed space before I invest in the hitch receiver and wiring. A small 1 1/4" receiver is all I would ever need. I wonder if the presence of a hitch receiver and wiring might cause Ford to disallow a warranty repair on the transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDFTC Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 My 2012 FTC can pull my 2007 FXSTC on a Kendon folding trailer. 1000 lbs total. Seems to have minimal tongue weight. Slow on hills, but feels safe and controlled. Gets the job done. I can live with that performance, considering the value of where this will take me and my bike. Live to Ride, Ride to Live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtn Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Stability wise it's perfect. I have towed well over 3000 lbs together with the stuff in the boot, sure, it struggles to hold speed as I have a 75 hp diesel but it retains a sense of control well. Most of the times the 10 ft trailer is loaded with 500 lbs plus minus printers and you couldn't tell it's there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertlane Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 My 2012 FTC can pull my 2007 FXSTC on a Kendon folding trailer. 1000 lbs total. Seems to have minimal tongue weight. Slow on hills, but feels safe and controlled. Gets the job done. I can live with that performance, considering the value of where this will take me and my bike. Live to Ride, Ride to Live. Stability wise it's perfect. I have towed well over 3000 lbs together with the stuff in the boot, sure, it struggles to hold speed as I have a 75 hp diesel but it retains a sense of control well. Most of the times the 10 ft trailer is loaded with 500 lbs plus minus printers and you couldn't tell it's there. Thanks for the two replies above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2013TransitConnect Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I'm thinking of getting this trailer. Its half the weight of my teardrop and all I really need is the extra luggage space and not a bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnyguy Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I'm thinking of getting this trailer. Its half the weight of my teardrop and all I really need is the extra luggage space and not a bed. what about a roof rack? not enough or those plastic containers on the roof i see all over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2013TransitConnect Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 A roof rack wouldn't hold as much plus it would be more difficult to get to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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