2019 ford ranger burned to the groud during flat towing

[RoadtripsOfUnusualSize]

Dear Lord. That is terrible. We must find out why this happened.

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[Flarider]

I also flat tow my 2021 Ranger and would be very interested in any other information you learn from this incident.

 

[JesseS]

Here is another one, but they stated the issue was the tranny was in 'N' but not flat tow mode.
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local...-after-catching-fire-on-i-15-in-washington-co

This is a good reason to 'roll' the truck a bit after engaging flat tow mode!

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I just list my ford ranger while towing it behind my rv. Anyone else heard of this happening. For the record I followed all the procedures and got the indication it was in neutral tow mode. I

Sorry for your loss...there is something going on here....Towing with someone wiring this up for brake or aux braking made an error in my opinion...there are many here on these forums, including me, that have accumulating many tow miles. Very sad to see this happen... Need specifics of what and who did the tow mods.... I bet there was a direct run to the battery that overheated and trashed the Ranger...the front end only is a pretty sound indicator of miswiring of the electical system. Hope I am wrong but my experiences at Ford raise my radar screens.

Sad, sad to see a Ranger Flambe...

Phil

 

[Cabose-1]

Look at all that copper!!
Thats some bad luck.

 

[mtbikernate]

Do you smoke?

good question. I once witnessed unreal carnage on I-70 in eastern Ohio. A farm truck hauling a large trailer of hay caught fire. Instead of stopping and GFTO, the driver tried weaving and tossing the flaming hay off the trailer to save everything else. they succeeded in throwing flaming piles of hay along several miles of interstate before they wizened up, pulled off the interstate, and got out of their vehicle.

news reports I read later stated that one of the occupants tossed a cigarette butt out the window and lit their load on fire.

 

[9zero1790]

sun of a beach... thats bad . sorry about your ranger. id cry if it was mine. it looks like the battery is totally gone and most all the wires near it melted down to bare copper. maybe it started with the battery. id bet on electrical. im kinda shocked how extensive the damage. glad you are safe. trucks replaceable.

 

[9zero1790]

I would think a not fully released hand brake, other than that maybe electrical. Who installed your tow wiring & supplemental braking system? I tow also with the same tow base connectors, this worries me and I hope you find the cause and post it. What type of braking do you use?

the parking brake only does the rear brakes? i think. i may be totally wrong.

 

[JesseS]

the parking brake only does the rear brakes? i think. i may be totally wrong.

You're not wrong, I am thinking either the X-fer wasn't dis-engaged, or an issue with tow wiring. The other Fired up Ranger I posted it was the transfer case.

 

[9zero1790]

kinda scary i dont flat tow the ranger currently but it was on my mind for the future. now i dont want to until whats causing this is solved.

 

[GitRDone]

I'm going with electrical also, lots of potential energy in the battery. I would rule out dragging brakes, you would feel and smell it before any risk of fire. I'm thinking a battery or accessory cable shorted, most other circuits are fuse protected.

 

[jblc]

I would rule out dragging brakes, you would feel and smell it before any risk of fire.

Hmmm...respectfully , I disagree.
It can be very hard to feel added friction, eg brakes binding. Funny story: I once drove behind a truck pulling a jeep, with the jeep's entire rear AXLE (and wheels) was missing. The axle + wheels narrowly missed hitting my vehicle as it fell off. The truck didn't even slow down to the point that the jeep's rear was glowing red hot from heat, and the asphalt was melting and on fire wherever it contacted the jeep. The searing left miles of deep grooves on the highway.

We tried for minutes, but were never able to communicate with the driver to stop, despite honks, pulling alongside and waving / pointing, etc. There was too much power in their truck for them to notice anything was off...

Also, brake smell might not be smelled if driving fast.

 

[RoadtripsOfUnusualSize]

I towed my Ranger 7,000 miles behind a motorhome in 2021. Believe me, you have no idea what's going on back there.

 

[9zero1790]

it was put in to flat tow mode but possibly not really disengaged due to some error or glitch with the truck. so the truck told elk hunter it was ready to roll, but mechanically was not. which could be like jesse said with the truck from the link posted. one of the reasons i was thinking electrical was that most of the damage is on the forward end of the truck where the bulk of wiring, fuse boxes are. the aft end appears to be in better shape. that may point to two in a row both fires caused by same problem. unsettling to think about how quickly things can go from normal and having a nice drive to disaster. fire like that with so much combustibles could have been the end of the road. im following to see the outcome and learn what the pros determine as the cause of fire.

 

[THLONE]

Fire started in front of vehicle. The transmission is in the middle. Emcy brake is in the back. If the transfer case was in not neutral then the trans output shaft and all the gears, bearings in the back of the trans would run dry because of no oil pressure to lube them. Did the back of the tow vehicle get burnt also?

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