Community Forums

timmy g · 02-13-2016, 09:31 AM

We have a new Ford C-Max and tow it behind our Tiffin Open Road 36LA, it is a Ford chassis with a V-10, we bought it because Ford says you can tow this without voiding warranty. it is very easy to hook up,I have a Blue OX tow bar, though it took dealer 11 hours to install front crossbar. I just pull car behind MH and connect it shift to neutral, set ventilation to recycle mode, release parking brake and shut off engine. follows right behind us i forget it is there, Ford recommends 65 mph top speed and start engine every 6 hours.no big deal.
Tim

ajlcal · 02-15-2016, 06:50 AM

I have a thread I started about towing the c-max myself.

I have enough towing experience with it now to confidently say that the c-max is an excellent toad. No problems at all towing this car. However, you must install a toad charger to prevent battery drain. The wife and I love this car for everyday driving and as a toad.

For The Dogs · 07-13-2017, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geaux Tigers

I appreciate everyone's input and we thought long and hard before making a decision. Yesterday we made our move and bought the C-Max. My wife liked it from the first time she saw it and 99% of the time she will only need 1 car seat for the grandkids that live near us. When our daughter's family comes to visit is when there is a need for two car seats for her twins. Weight was part of our consideration and the C-Max is about 300 pounds lighter than the Edge. A bonus is that both batteries stay connected in the C-Max and the maximum towing speed is 70MPH instead of the 65MPH limit in the Edge. I usually drive 62-63MPH in the MH so there is a little more of a safety cushion for the toad's transmission. The dealership where we bought the C-Max is roughly 90 miles from where we live and during the trip home I thought the ride and driving characteristics were very comparable to the Volvo S80 we had just traded in.

Now, I'll start looking into base plates and auxiliary braking systems. I have a Roadmaster Falcon tow bar I had bought at a garage sale before we got the VW and I also have another tow bar that was on the back of our MH when we bought it a little over 2 years ago. I'll check both of them over to see which one is in better shape and then go from there. We are keeping our VW Beetle and it will be our toad for some trips.

Thanks again for all the feedback. ----- Jim

Hi Geaux Tigers. I'm wondering if you can share how things have worked out with C-Max as your toad. We are about to purchase a 2016 and are wondering if we will need a charge line. You mentioned "both batteries stay connected." Does this mean no charge line is needed? Any advice based on your year or so of experience would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

Podivin · 07-13-2017, 01:42 PM

'Dogs
I used to have a C-Max and spent some time on the C-Max forum.
The general consensus there seemed to be that a trip under 4 hours would be OK, but a trip over 4 hours would drain the battery in the C-Max unless a charge line was installed.
(Due to the need to power on the C-Max to unlock the steering wheel. )

I'd say that a charge line is in your future if you get the C-Max.

jmckinley · 07-13-2017, 03:37 PM

Definitely need a charge line.

USCGMech · 07-13-2017, 06:09 PM

I have a 2016 C-Max, it has the charge line, no battery issues. It tows fine, I use a Roadmaster setup for everything, tow bar, plate, brakes,etc. I have had the dreaded death wobble twice, both time on very slow turns, stopped rig and then went on my way without issue.

Geaux Tigers · 07-14-2017, 12:13 AM

For the Dogs, I apologize for taking some time to reply but we are currently on a trip and had to get to a place with good WiFi. We did buy the 2016 C-Max and we love it. However, I must confess that it has not been setup to be a toad yet. We did not have a major trip planned in 2016 so the toad equipment wasn't going to be installed until this year. In the meantime, I was able to acquire an '87 Ford Bronco II that has A/C, automatic transmission, and the manual transfer case. It is in terrific shape and got it for a really reasonable price. That is what we are towing on our current trip. So far the B2, has been problem free.

As far as the C-Max goes, everything I read indicated that a charge line from the MH to the toad was required. We still may setup our C-Max as a toad but that would be a few years away.

------ Jim

For The Dogs · 07-14-2017, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajlcal

I have a thread I started about towing the c-max myself.

I have enough towing experience with it now to confidently say that the c-max is an excellent toad. No problems at all towing this car. However, you must install a toad charger to prevent battery drain. The wife and I love this car for everyday driving and as a toad.

We did the paperwork on the C-Max yesterday and are due to pick it up today, so this is very good to hear! If I can bother you a bit more... I have been reading about "death wobble" and watched a YouTube video. It seems no everyone has this problem, but I am wondering if you have. I also read about adjusting the positive caster to as high as possible, but upon research, I am reading the caster can not be adjusted on the C-Max! All very confusing. Thanks in advance!

**CountryFit** · 07-14-2017, 09:41 AM

i started towing a 2014 c-max energi, very happy with it. easy tow; drives nice, interior is bigger than it appears at exterior. my impression is that it's better than a prius v.

have yet experienced the death wobble. if it did, not biggy - just stop and go.

**CountryFit** · 07-14-2017, 11:34 AM

started towing this car in march this year...

jmckinley · 07-14-2017, 11:49 AM

Started towing mine in February 2013. Have towed ~20k miles no problems. Must have a charge wire.

jmckinley · 07-15-2017, 08:35 AM

By the way, if you do run down the battery, you can't unlock the car. I just don't lock mine when towing. Just in case, however, you should familiarize yourself with how to find the metal key hidden inside the key fob. See your owner's manual.

Sent from my XT1032 using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

TripleE · 07-15-2017, 04:01 PM

We tow a 2013 C-Max hybrid and I think it is a great tow car. I also love it as a daily driver. We have had the death wobble a couple of times but they have been on turns (2 on right, 1 on left turns). Slowing down/stopping corrects the problem. We have a charge line and haven't had a problem but the longest I have towed it is about 5 hours.

For The Dogs · 07-16-2017, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryFit

i started towing a 2014 c-max energi, very happy with it. easy tow; drives nice, interior is bigger than it appears at exterior. my impression is that it's better than a prius v.

have yet experienced the death wobble. if it did, not biggy - just stop and go.

Thanks CountryFit. The roominess was a big reason for this car as our toad. We are owned by an Irish Wolfhound and an Aussiedoodle and we needed interior space. We were very surprised and thrilled that both fit quite comfortably in the back of the car. Thanks for responding!