Would I be okay towing this RV?

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Schnellfeuer

Schnellfeuer

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Hi SF,

If you really want to play it safe, load your truck and the RV for your first trip and take it to your friendly truck stop scale. Weigh the assembly of Truck and RV. The Truck and then just the RV. If you find you have exceeded the GCW etc (Owner's Manual). You can unload items until you are with in limits. Then you are making decisions with real data...not guessing and hoping.

Good luck with your adventure!

Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired
Thanks there is actually a cat scale right outside the RV place lol.

Also what about getting a ProPride 3P hitch. They are just so expensive.
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Rviator

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Do not go to Mexico....It is imperative if you do you carry a full fresh water tank...

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Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
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The trick is diluting the water with the alcohol of your choice. Took a few dive trips in the '80's before hotels started installing water purification systems. That's all there was safe to drink or some orange soda that wasn't too bad.
 

Sashimi_Moto

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Looking forward to feedback on how she tows, especially at speed and over long distances. Is it a relaxing, comfortable tow where you cruise along at 70mph and arrive at your destination with energy to spare? Or is a white knuckle experience where you have adjust speed constantly and arrive at your destination exhausted.

My 20' enclosed @ 7500lbs with Equalizer WD/sway hitch was fine for power/brakes but the wind and difference in track width meant that 65 was "doable" and 70 was uncomfortable (although it's better with the eibach shocks). I couldn't imagine adding another 13' of trailer and the experience not being worse. If I didn't have my motorhome to tow with and had tow hundreds of miles with my Ranger on freeways where I need to be doing 70+ to not be in the way of semi's - I would personally buy a bigger truck.
 

LightingBlue

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So I took my dad with me who tows heavy ass trailers all the time and he seemed to think I'd be fine. We want ahead and are going to get this RV.

We hooked it up to the truck without a WD hitch and the truck sat level. I am still concerned about the length a little bit but we shall see..

As with all things, this wont be a problem at all. Until it is.

The engineers at Ford probably just made up their ratings anyway.

Don't forget to report the trailer to your insurance company as, based on experience, they get broken into all the time or stolen. Might ask them what happens in the event of an accident if you're over the GVW specified by the manufacturer as well. (My insurance carrier asked some questions about along those lines and decided for my specific use that it was covered on the trip, your mileage may vary).
 


Montana Ranger

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We've been towing a 24' (29' LOA) travel trailer at around 6,500 lbs with water. This is a bit longer and heavier than we had originally planned, but has been working out okay. I really wouldn't consider anything longer or heavier. Our highest comfortable highway speed is 65, but we back off to 60 or 55 if there is any significant crosswind as we do get bounced around quite a bit. Going faster than 65 doesn't feel confident or comfortable, even in calm wind, and that would just further tank the mileage anyway. The biggest disappointment is range, which is about 185 miles as our mileage at highway speeds averages only about 9 mpg. I really wish we had an extra 5 gallons or so of fuel capacity. We have more than enough power going up mountain passes at highway speeds but we typically go a bit slower on the downhill side. The tow mode on the transmission works surprisingly well, automatically downshifting when you touch the brakes, meaning I rarely have to manually downshift. The Ford/Redarc brake controller works well, and the few times that I've had to brake aggressively, the truck and trailer have behaved compliantly. I've never had to manually hit the brake controller. The one time I got a surprise gust at the peak of a hill, everything straightened out almost immediately. The Ranger's built-in sway control likely restored order before I had a chance.
 

Chili Rick

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Thanks for sharing. I am glad to hear it tows well. I think that's the biggest I would tow, I like having some overhead between the load and max towing capacity.
 

LightingBlue

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We've been towing a 24' (29' LOA) The biggest disappointment is range, which is about 185 miles as our mileage at highway speeds averages only about 9 mpg.
Would be genuinely interested to hear what kind of range you get with that trailer if you removed the cab over the bed. Have always wondered how those benefit MPG when towing a tall trailer near max GVW.

Yes, studies have shown that the tailgate down doesn't really impact much as the air lands basically just above the tailgate, but the cab topper should further help your cause.
 

BeachRanger19

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We had looked at larger heavier trailers before settling on our 21ft single axle. 3400 dry, 4000 a bit over 50% towing capacity loaded.
Our Ranger yanks it around no problem, accelerating uphill on steep grades like a bat out of hell getting 13.7 avg towing so far.
Hitting the mountains next Monday for a week and will see how the mileage does with no real highway driving.

20200618_122518~2.jpg
 
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RangerDangerStranger

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What type of trailer
So I took my dad with me who tows heavy ass trailers all the time and he seemed to think I'd be fine. We want ahead and are going to get this RV.

We hooked it up to the truck without a WD hitch and the truck sat level. I am still concerned about the length a little bit but we shall see..

I'm going to get a Curt WD hitch and Sway bars.

Anyone really think I'll have trouble?

Coachmen Freedom Express Select Edition 29SE

The specs are as follows.

Hitch Weight:
639 lb.
GVWR:
TBD
UVW
5638 lb.
CCC
1962 lb.
Exterior Length:
33' 5"
Exterior Height:
10' 9"
Exterior Width:
96"

How are you activating the trailer brakes? did you install a trailer brake adapter? Or does the trailer have a brake adapter?
 

Montana Ranger

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Would be genuinely interested to hear what kind of range you get with that trailer if you removed the cab over the bed. Have always wondered how those benefit MPG when towing a tall trailer near max GVW.
That would be interesting to know. The mileage I was getting without the trailer before the topper was on wasn't much different than after. I didn't start towing the trailer until after the topper was on. It's been my assumption that the topper has only improved (or at least has not degraded) the situation by delaying the onset of most of the turbulent flow until the gap between the truck and the trailer, where everything goes to heck aerodynamically.
 

Pete Warfield

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I agree with Greg, my concern would be mileage and frequent stops for fuel. Phil does Ford have an extended range tank or maybe an after market option? The Aussie version can be equipped with after market fuel tank.
 

mtbikernate

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I agree with Greg, my concern would be mileage and frequent stops for fuel. Phil does Ford have an extended range tank or maybe an after market option? The Aussie version can be equipped with after market fuel tank.
This would definitely catch my interest if it was available. Regardless of the mpg I'm getting, I like more range.

I towed my teardrop something like 3600mi RT with a Subaru XV Crosstrek (was within towing capacity, but not by a lot) and the frequent stops for fuel were maddening. That car took a bigger hit to economy with that trailer than the Ranger does, and it was getting notably worse economy, to boot. I think 150mi was about right for that trip and it drove me nuts.
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