Would I be okay towing this RV?

[Pete Warfield]

There was a similar post a few months back and I mentioned needing a lower drop shank to get the truck ball height in line with the trailer coupler height to get the hitch weight distributed properly. It made a huge difference on my set up. I am towing a very similar dimension TT, my box is 27', but the other specs are nearly identical. I am estimating 6,000-6,300lbs as loaded. When I'm parked on level ground loaded for a trip, my trailer tongue is perfectly level. It should be at least level or slightly running down hill towards the truck. My RV dealer sold me 1,000/10,000lb weight distribution bars. I think 800/8,000 lb would have my set up fine tuned perfectly. The engine and transmission pull the TT surprisingly with little effort and I'm towing up some longer steep grades holding 55-58 mph in 4th gear @ 4,300 rpm. On a calm day I can tow 60 mph ( have no need to go faster) with no issues stable as can be. The Rangers shorter wheelbase is apparent when you get a windy day with gusty crosswinds. If you take your time and use common sense, the 6,000-6,500lb TT is not an issue. By comparison towing the same TT with my previous 2016 F-150 before I got the hitch setup fine tuned, it was less stable and swayed a lot more. That speaks volumes for proper hitch set up regardless of truck size.

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[Pete Warfield]

What mileage are you getting and distance between fill ups?.

 

[2.7EcoBoost]

What mileage are you getting and distance between fill ups?.

I really haven't checked. I usually only go to one of two camp grounds. One 35 miles north and one 35 miles south, so range isn't an issue for me. The exploring America doesn't happen for another 5 years when I retire. I'll likely be trading in for one last new truck at that time and I'll definitely need to know how far I can tow as that is a part of our plans.

 

[BeachRanger19]

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.

Well we hit the local mountains about 50 miles east of San Diego going from 220ft ASL to 5000ft and the Ranger didn't miss a beat ?upgrade we were able to keep at 55mph (speed limit there) all of the time and didn't need to use the turn outs. Used the tow/haul when in the mountains and its exceptional on steep downhill grades.
Over the 140 mile round trip we averaged 16.8 mpg! Our Ranger and trailer rock ? ? ?

 

[Schnellfeuer]

Well guys pulled it home 20 miles in a Florida rainstorm going about 55-60 MPG.

Multiple semis past and I felt it not gonna lie but nothing terrible or crazy. Engine was idling about 2000/2500 RPM the whole time pulling.

 

[BeachRanger19]

Well guys pulled it home 20 miles in a Florida rainstorm going about 55-60 MPG.

Multiple semis past and I felt it not gonna lie but nothing terrible or crazy. Engine was idling about 2000/2500 RPM the whole time pulling.

We experienced the same thing 1900rpm at 55mph and about 2400rpm uphill to stay at 55mph. It never struggled at all.

 

[Montana Ranger]

This weekend we were in largely mountainous terrain, and it was quite gusty for most of our 196 mile drive home yesterday. So our maximum speed was limited to 55 mph. But the upside was that our usual average of 9 mpg bumped up to 11, so we were able to make it all the way home on a single tank of gas.

At some point I am going to have enough data to do the calculus of if it's worth staying below 60 mpg to have fewer gas stops for an overall improvement of travel time.

 

[Pete Warfield]

Very nice what are spec’s on your trailer? It looks like a 25 footer

 

[Montana Ranger]

Very nice what are spec’s on your trailer? It looks like a 25 footer

It's a 24-foot box, 29 feet overall. About 6,500 loaded with water. (Although I rarely travel with full tanks)

 

[Pete Warfield]

That’s quite impressive, mine is currently my toad but next Camper will most likely be a TT.

 

[Zemog]

Well guys pulled it home 20 miles in a Florida rainstorm going about 55-60 MPG.

Multiple semis past and I felt it not gonna lie but nothing terrible or crazy. Engine was idling about 2000/2500 RPM the whole time pulling.

Congrats on your new rig, and thanks a million to all for sharing their experiences. I hope and pray that you do not have safety issues, rather nothing but fond memories and relaxation...
I purchased a 2019 Ranger to replace my 2001 F150 that I was hanging on to because I wanted to do the same thing that others in this thread are doing. I got a good deal on it because the dealer was wanting to clear out the 2019s to make room for 2020s. It has the shorter cab, but since I rarely have a load of passengers, I preferred the longer bed anyway.
Before I pulled the trigger on the purchase I looked close at the towing specs for the Ranger and was pleasantly surprised. I've also checked out other reviews and word out on the street is that this truck is a force to be reckoned with. I don't need to pull a rig anywhere near the size of your setup, but have seen some pretty nice offerings in the 4000 lb range that will meet my needs rather nice.
I have near zero experience towing; and that experience was not "travel", but hauling a flat bed trailer loaded with siding 5 miles from Home Depot & such. I've considered renting a TT for an extended weekend to get my feet wet without forcing a commitment. I have time to shop around since I won't be retiring for another 1083 days (if I were counting !! ).
Did you say you have the "Ford Approved" trailer brake unit? I contacted my dealer to get one installed, but unfortunately the inventory seems to be depleted so I'm on a waiting list. Will advise how that goes when I know more.
Please keep us update on how your rig works out.

 

[Zemog]

Congrats on your new rig, and thanks a million to all for sharing their experiences. I hope and pray that you do not have safety issues, rather nothing but fond memories and relaxation...
I purchased a 2019 Ranger to replace my 2001 F150 that I was hanging on to because I wanted to do the same thing that others in this thread are doing. I got a good deal on it because the dealer was wanting to clear out the 2019s to make room for 2020s. It has the shorter cab, but since I rarely have a load of passengers, I preferred the longer bed anyway.
Before I pulled the trigger on the purchase I looked close at the towing specs for the Ranger and was pleasantly surprised. I've also checked out other reviews and word out on the street is that this truck is a force to be reckoned with. I don't need to pull a rig anywhere near the size of your setup, but have seen some pretty nice offerings in the 4000 lb range that will meet my needs rather nice.
I have near zero experience towing; and that experience was not "travel", but hauling a flat bed trailer loaded with siding 5 miles from Home Depot & such. I've considered renting a TT for an extended weekend to get my feet wet without forcing a commitment. I have time to shop around since I won't be retiring for another 1083 days (if I were counting !! ).
Did you say you have the "Ford Approved" trailer brake unit? I contacted my dealer to get one installed, but unfortunately the inventory seems to be depleted so I'm on a waiting list. Will advise how that goes when I know more.
Please keep us update on how your rig works out.

One more note from a nosey newbie with towing... Saw some other write ups where a Hensley Hitch is probably a good idea since your rig is so long.

https://hensleymfg.com/how-does-the-hensley-hitch-work/

They seem pricey, but better safe than sorry.

 

[Schnellfeuer]

One more note from a nosey newbie with towing... Saw some other write ups where a Hensley Hitch is probably a good idea since your rig is so long.

https://hensleymfg.com/how-does-the-hensley-hitch-work/

They seem pricey, but better safe than sorry.

I took mine to the dealership and they installed a TBC. I believe it's a draw tite.

I thought about the Hensley Arrow or ProPride but I couldn't drop the 3k. I have a Curt TruTrack on my setup and it works pretty good.

 

[ElSolo]

Well we hit the local mountains about 50 miles east of San Diego going from 220ft ASL to 5000ft and the Ranger didn't miss a beat ?upgrade we were able to keep at 55mph (speed limit there) all of the time and didn't need to use the turn outs. Used the tow/haul when in the mountains and its exceptional on steep downhill grades.
Over the 140 mile round trip we averaged 16.8 mpg! Our Ranger and trailer rock ? ? ?

Nice setup! We’ve got an XLT SuperCrew FX2 coming into the dealer this weekend. We had our first kid about a year ago now and want to start taking him camping and creating the memories early on.

We plan on treating ourselves to our very first travel trailer. We have our eyes set on a 2021 Surveyor Legend 19BHLE (https://www.bestrv.com/New-Inventor...Surveyor-19BHLE-Forest-River-Surveyor-8152357). It seems like it’s in the same ballpark as your rig.

We’re new to RVing and I haven’t towed anything consistently since I was ~18yo. Think the Ranger will handle this trailer well?

 

[frosty110]

Nice setup! We’ve got an XLT SuperCrew FX2 coming into the dealer this weekend. We had our first kid about a year ago now and want to start taking him camping and creating the memories early on.

We plan on treating ourselves to our very first travel trailer. We have our eyes set on a 2021 Surveyor Legend 19BHLE (https://www.bestrv.com/New-Inventor...Surveyor-19BHLE-Forest-River-Surveyor-8152357). It seems like it’s in the same ballpark as your rig.

We’re new to RVing and I haven’t towed anything consistently since I was ~18yo. Think the Ranger will handle this trailer well?

I think you're going to love towing that size of trailer with your Ranger. Our SuperCrew FX4 just did its maiden (trailer) voyage with an older hybrid Palomino trailer that ran 4250lbs dry/5150lbs gross and paired with a new Blue Ox SwayPro + Curt Spectrum controller, i would say there was plenty of 'go' and more importantly, even more 'stop' when I needed it. For reference, it was about a 1400km (875mi) round trip. Enjoy!

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