Towing 4 Down

[RV Tony]

Thank you John, Dan, Phil for your inputs they will all help. Now i just need to find the time to do it all.
Tony

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[BoilerMike]

Flat towing doesn’t always end well. Especially in 4-LO.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/39794...-new-jeep-wrangler-by-flat-towing-it-in-4-low

 

[RoadtripsOfUnusualSize]

It will be on FB Marketplace next week touting light use and great interior.

 

[RV Tony]

I had a 2014 Jeep with that 3.6 v6 and had no problem and towed it all over the US and CAN until I purchased my 2020 Lariat. The clue here is don't take setup for granted and pay attention when getting ready to tow.

 

[slowmachine]

I had a 2014 Jeep with that 3.6 v6 and had no problem and towed it all over the US and CAN until I purchased my 2020 Lariat. The clue here is don't take setup for granted and pay attention when getting ready to tow.

Yep, paying attention is the key factor. On my first RV trip, I dragged my CR-V several hundred feet through the campground with the parking brake engaged. If not for the small crowd of campers shouting and waving, I'd have had a real mess on the highway. A "preflight" checklist is the answer for many people.

 

[RoadtripsOfUnusualSize]

A "preflight" checklist is the answer for many people.

We use our 'tow' checklist every time.

 

[mwhite084]

I just tried out towing my Ranger and thought the brakes weren’t working quite right. I’m using a ReadyBrake and this is my third installation so I’m pretty sure it’s installed right.

So after I unhooked, it parked at the top of my driveway and did the whole Flat Tow procedure then released the parking brake. As I started rolling down the hill the first three brake applications were fine but the fourth time the effort required went up a lot because the vacuum was exhausted so the booster was ineffective. This is not unusual and most supplemental braking system instructions advise making multiple brake applications before towing to empty the vacuum reservoir. But, then, much to my surprise, there was a whirring noise under the the hood and the brakes applied with a vengeance.

I suspect there is an electric vacuum pump somewhere to provide vacuum in certain situations but I just can’t find it anywhere and there is no fuse designated for a pump. I know that ReadyBrake advises pulling a certain fuse to deactivate the pump on the Ford C Max to avoid erratic braking.

Does anyone know where the pump might be on this thing? It’s probably shown in the service manual but I don’t have one.

I am in the process of installing an M & G 2.0 on my Ranger. M & G sent everything to me as if the Ranger had a vacuum pump and I spent quite a while trying to find the pump. At least in my 2020 Ranger XL STX there is no electric vacuum pump. I just wanted to put that out there because I was trying to find that information and I didn’t see it anywhere. After a 3rd call to M & G I finally realized the instructions they sent for a wrangler gladiator didn’t fully apply to the ranger and the parts for tying into the vacuum line aren’t necessary, which surprised me based on their web site. Apparently for the ranger they send a larger cylinder that will apply the necessary tension on the brake without use of the vacuum pump. With that said, my installation became a lot easier without needing to tie into the vacuum line and splice into or install a vacuum pump. I haven’t finished installing everything to test it out but thought I’d throw it out there in case there was some other person working with an M & G braking system.

 

[RV Tony]

Great Information to know, thanks mwhite084.

 

[mwhite084]

Since I’m doing things different than what I’d read in this thread, I figure I’d add that I opted not to use the diode wiring kit and tie into the ranger wiring system. I used a blue ox BX8869 kit and added the extra bulb to the tail light. There was plenty of room to add the bulb and I didn’t have to worry about messing with the manufacturer wiring. Everything works great, very simple install.

 

[gmadams]

I have had my 2019 XLT 4x4 since April 30th 2020 and have been flat towing it since then. On our trip returning back to NC from the Florida keys we stopped in Bradenton, FL to spend a week visiting friends. We stopped and unhooked the truck from the motorhome and I wasn't able to get the transmission into Drive or Reverse. Had towed to a local dealer and they said that the transmission had burned up. I followed the written procedures (every time) when I put the truck into towing mod. According to the service advisor, I am one of about five Rangers where this has happened while towing. Good thing is that I'm under warranty but they can't get a new transmission and installed for another week and a half.

 

[Bsenecal]

I have had my 2019 XLT 4x4 since April 30th 2020 and have been flat towing it since then. On our trip returning back to NC from the Florida keys we stopped in Bradenton, FL to spend a week visiting friends. We stopped and unhooked the truck from the motorhome and I wasn't able to get the transmission into Drive or Reverse. Had towed to a local dealer and they said that the transmission had burned up. I followed the written procedures (every time) when I put the truck into towing mod. According to the service advisor, I am one of about five Rangers where this has happened while towing. Good thing is that I'm under warranty but they can't get a new transmission and installed for another week and a half.

That is a bummer. I assume they are standing behind it though?
Brian

 

[gmadams]

That is a bummer. I assume they are standing behind it though?
Brian

Yes. It is covered under the warranty.

 

[TimmyB]

Hey, everyone. I flat-towed my Ranger Tremor last week for the first time. Everything was flawless, except the power died in the 12V plug about 5 minutes before we got home. I guess the time-out period was less than what I was told! Fortunately, we're in a very flat area and made it home safely.

One thing I forgot to check (and it's kind of important to me as I lease my vehicles) was the odometer. On my 2018 Explorer, which was electronically very similar to my 2021 Ranger, the miles did not add to the odometer when being towed. I assumed (I know, BAD word) that this would be the same, but just wanted confirmation. Has your experience been the same with towing your Ranger?

Thanks for any assistance.

 

[Bsenecal]

Hey, everyone. I flat-towed my Ranger Tremor last week for the first time. Everything was flawless, except the power died in the 12V plug about 5 minutes before we got home. I guess the time-out period was less than what I was told! Fortunately, we're in a very flat area and made it home safely.

One thing I forgot to check (and it's kind of important to me as I lease my vehicles) was the odometer. On my 2018 Explorer, which was electronically very similar to my 2021 Ranger, the miles did not add to the odometer when being towed. I assumed (I know, BAD word) that this would be the same, but just wanted confirmation. Has your experience been the same with towing your Ranger?

Thanks for any assistance.

How did it tow< did you notice much of a difference?
What set up are you using for baseplate etc.

Looking to get mine set up soon to tow behind our 2018 Jayco 29V.

Thank you.

Brian

 

[TimmyB]

How did it tow< did you notice much of a difference?
What set up are you using for baseplate etc.

Looking to get mine set up soon to tow behind our 2018 Jayco 29V.

Thank you.

Brian

Piece of cake. It's almost identical in weight to my Explorer so I hardly noticed it. (It helps being in flat country, rather than the hills and mountains.)

I have a Blue Ox Avail towbar (overkill, I know, but it was on sale), Blue Ox 2679 baseplate, and Blue Ox Patriot II supplemental braking system. I would much rather have a permanently installed braking system but I lease my vehicles so I'm wanting to move the system into the new vehicle, as I just did with this one.

One thing that I love is the menu driven setup for flat-towing. It is quite reassuring to have the vehicle tell you that you may now safely tow the Ranger. The only thing that I can possibly screw up is leaving the hand brake on.

Hope this helps.

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