Ford Ranger Tow Vehicle
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Topic: Ford Ranger Tow Vehicle
Posted By: BigGrover
Subject: Ford Ranger Tow Vehicle
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2013 at 8:23pm
Thinking about pulling the trigger on a Rpod for my wife, our Boston Terrier and me. I have a 2011 Ford Ranger 4.0 L 2 wheel drive extended cab truck for a tow vehicle. Was wondering if anyone out there uses a Ranger for TV and what Rpod you are towing and how it handles? 
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Replies:
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2013 at 8:35am
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Welcome. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2013 at 9:48am
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It looks like it would be within the towing weights allowed, They are short trucks, even in the long bed configuration, so use of WDH and sway control would be a good idea in my opinion. If you haven't seen this.. it would appear you should be good for 5800 lbs or so, depending on axle ratio and if it's an automatic transmission, if manual, a bit over 3000... http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/11FLMRVTT_RangerNov18.pdf And, welcome, and good luck in your search.. ------------- |
Posted By: Old Dingo&Mrs.Dingo
Date Posted: 10 Sep 2013 at 10:37pm
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Can't go wrong with a r.pod BigGrover, but you might want to do some research on the Ford website. While the trailer weight falls with in the tow rating, only Ford, out of "the big three" suggests a limit on the "frontal area" of the trailer.
Case in point. I used to tow my 182G with a 4.0 liter, 6 speed manual, Nissan 4x4 pickup, it was rated to tow 6200#, had 261 horsepower and 281 ft. lbs. of torque, and weighted 4900#, it had everything covered. The Nissan had no trouble handling and stopping the extra the weight and would go just as fast as I wanted. I found if I lost momentum, I had to drop down to 4th or even 3rd gear before I could accelerate. For me, (and my wife) towing, with the engine screaming up every grade, was stressful, and forget about using the cruise control. (some people say you shouldn't use it while towing anyway) The key isn't horsepower, it's torque. I have owned three Rangers, enjoyed them all but, even with the 4.0 V6, the Ranger doesn't have an abundance of torque or horsepower for towing. One of the other things you need to be concerned with is stopping, and Rangers have notoriously poor brake life, even without a trailer. I now tow with a 5.7 liter Jeep, same weight, same tow rating, same 12 mpg. and much less drama, much more relaxing. This is NOT an advertisement for a Jeep, just suggesting a little "overkill" in the power department isn't always a bad thing. ------------- Old Dingo and/or Mrs. Dingo 181G 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee |
Posted By: BigGrover
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2013 at 8:41am
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Dingo,
Thanks for the reply, you pretty much validated my suspicions regarding towing a Rpod with my Ranger. |