oregonbrewski

We purchased a new 2012 Ford Fusion SEL in August 2011 as a tow vehicle for our motor home. We specifically said that we did not want to deal with pulling fuses, etc. They said the Fusion would do, and we purchased. The first tow was across the country, and the Fusion's battery was dead after 4-hours when we stopped to run the engine to let the transmission oil circulate (per instructions). We thought we were doing something wrong. This happened multiple times. Upon return, our Ford dealership discovered that although putting the key in accessory, several things stay on such as the auto-wipers, and 2 other minor circuits... just enough to drain the battery after 3 to 4 hours of towing. They said, pull these 3 fuses (not all the same amps) and you will be fine. NO WAY, we said. We complained enough that the Ford dealership paid our RV repair shop to run a charge wire from the coach to the vehicle's battery. It cost them about $130 to resolve.

We purchased a new 2012 Ford Fusion SEL in August 2011 as a tow vehicle for our motor home. When we were considering cars, we specifically asked the sales representative what Ford products could be flat-towed behind our motor home as we did not want to deal with a tow dolly. We were told a Fusion would meet our needs. Accordingly, we purchased a Fusion. Six months later, an "Owners Guide Supplement" dated February 2012 has come out saying that "Front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicles CANNOT be flat-towed (all wheels on the ground) as vehicle or transmission damage may occur. The front wheels must be placed on a two-wheel tow dolly." We have experienced transmissions issues already, and wondering if anyone has gotten any satisfaction from Ford or a sure-to-resolve solution, other than a dolly?

1. How many miles do you typically dinghy tow your vehicle yearly? We have done as little as 1,000, and as much as cross-country, 7,000 2. What is the total tow mileage you have on your vehicle now? 20,200 3. What is the total tow mileage you expect to put on the vehicle before you upgrade to a new vehicle? Usually not mileage related... 10-year vehicle life 4. When towing, what is the average amount of time between stops? (be it restroom or fuel)? We like to switch drivers every 3 to 4 hours. 5. How often do you stop for a period of 10 min or more? (be it restroom, stretch, eat, fuel)? We usually keep our stops to a minimum of 30-minutes and multi-task (fuel up, eat, use the restroom, and run the tow vehicle) 6. What is your preferred cruising speed? Usually a top spped of 62. 7. Do you use a rock shield? No 8. Where does the rock shield mount (bumper,towbar,dinghy, or... so what type)? NA