Ranger Camper Limitation

[gkendrick]

No one seems to have noted that Ford is discouraging putting slide-in campers in the new Ranger.

Buried in a single line on page 13 of the huge Ranger Owner's manual:

Using a Slide-In Camper
We do not recommend using your pickup for carrying a slide-in camper​

Nowhere in any of Ford's promotional info on the Ranger, or in any professional reviews or dealer information, has that limitation been mentioned. Everyone just talks about the Ranger's bigger payload and towing capacity compared to the Tacoma.

But the Tacoma has no such camper limitation, and the Tacoma Owner's Manual even lays out specific guidelines on using slide-in campers:
http://www.ttguide.net/camper_information-168.html

The Tacoma has been a highly successful platform for a wide range of lightweight slide-in campers, especially pop-up campers, and it dominates in that market in the USA. If Ford really wants to compete in Tacoma's market, I think it needs to figure out a way to match Tacoma in every category, including the camper topic.

We are proceeding carefully with installing a lightweight pop-up Four Wheel Camper on our new Ranger, keeping the weight down and the center of gravity very low. I'll be closely monitoring the rig's performance on and off the road in the months ahead.

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[dmeyer302]

I don’t know why Ranger would necessarily be any worse for a slide-in than a Taco is. Probably more a case of: we don’t have time to write a manual for slide-in campers right now.

 

[Rviator]

Keeping the weight low such as in a popup is a good move. Perhaps Ford limits it for the lack of a rear sway bar? The Ranger appears to have a higher load rating than the Toyota.. Does the Taco have a rear sway bar? Or its just what dmeyer said Ford has camper hauling on a low priority.

 

[gkendrick]

Keeping the weight low such as in a popup is a good move. Perhaps Ford limits it for the lack of a rear sway bar? The Ranger appears to have a higher load rating than the Toyota.. Does the Taco have a rear sway bar? Or its just what dmeyer said Ford has camper hauling on a low priority.

I suspect (and hope) it's what dmeyer suggested, that Ford simply hasn't had time to focus on campers. It shouldn't be a payload issue as long as one stays well under the maximum. Our Ranger's door sticker payload rating is 1,550 lbs, which is 400 lbs more than a similarly-equipped Tacoma. I understand that many folks installing slide-in campers in Tacomas generally need to beef up their suspension with beefier springs, air bags, and sway bars. We're planning to add air bags for leveling, but shouldn't need the rest for our popup.

 

[rang19ca]

I feel that Ford is being cautious for liability reasons. I used to see broken leaf springs in the old rangers when our beer delivery guys loaded their trucks with too much product.

 

[beetlespin]

When I had a F-150 I did the research on this and it was best to use a F-250 for a slide in camper so I would expect a no for a Ranger.

 

[gkendrick]

We cautiously proceeded to install our new Four Wheel Camper (FWC) shell on our Ranger. The truck’s stock suspension (with FX4 off-road package) seemed to handle the FWC's weight (~1000lbs) fine on a recent 200-mile trip, with only a slight lowering of the back end, the parabolic leaf spring was still well above the helper spring, no problem going up hills or accelerating to pass on 60-65 mph highways (lots of torque in this Ecoboost engine). We replaced the Hankook Dynapro LT C-rated tires with better E-rated tires (Falken Wildpeak ATM 265/70-17), and for leveling and sway resistance we’ll definitely be adding Firestone airbags as soon as they become available.

We’ll be adding a small cabover roof rack and wind fairing soon. We seem to be getting 23 mpg with the truck unloaded, and 15-17 mpg fully loaded with the camper shell, depending on headwinds, terrain, and speed. Still in the early phase of testing and break-in.

 

[Deleted member 773]

I have been testing a rear sway bar from Hellwig Products this weekend, it’s excellent. I’ll make a post when they become available along with their airbag kit.

 

[gkendrick]

Quick update on our Ranger suspension testing. Our stock FX4 Ranger came rated with a 1,550 lb payload, but our new camper shell came in weighing roughly 1,050 lbs, about 150 lbs higher than expected. Although the engine handles the weight fine, the slight lowering of the back end and minor sway on corners suggest a need for some suspension assistance. Plus, we’ll probably end up right around our rated payload capacity when the rig is fully loaded wet.

So, to improve off-road handling with the load, we will try out a set of Dobinson heavy duty leaf springs (4 + 3 Leaves, 280Kg Constant Load - I believe they may be model L19-132-R). Unlike the USA, Australia has enjoyed an uninterrupted supply of Rangers over the years, so Dobinson has developed a lot of Ranger aftermarket parts. We'll do some testing and report back.

 

[HighFivenWhiteGuy]

Quick update on our Ranger suspension testing. Our stock FX4 Ranger came rated with a 1,550 lb payload, but our new camper shell came in weighing roughly 1,050 lbs, about 150 lbs higher than expected. Although the engine handles the weight fine, the slight lowering of the back end and minor sway on corners suggest a need for some suspension assistance. Plus, we’ll probably end up right around our rated payload capacity when the rig is fully loaded wet.

So, to improve off-road handling with the load, we will try out a set of Dobinson heavy duty leaf springs (4 + 3 Leaves, 280Kg Constant Load - I believe they may be model L19-132-R). Unlike the USA, Australia has enjoyed an uninterrupted supply of Rangers over the years, so Dobinson has developed a lot of Ranger aftermarket parts. We'll do some testing and report back.

I have been looking into either a small camper or one of those pop-up tents so this is very helpful, thank you!

 

[Rinn69]

I've watched this series a couple of times about a young guy that builds his own truck bed camper for his Nissan Frontier short bed. Very innovative and pretty unique. Folds down for better aerodynamics, and easily removable. I'd use fiberglass instead of the "poor man's fiberglass" (painted canvas). He put together a good little series of his build and if I wanted a camper for my Ranger, I'd make one based on his design. His final weight was 370 lbs (camper only).

His channel is "Moser Makes".

 

[Desert Rider]

I own a Four Wheel Camper and it sits on my 99 Super Duty. Four Wheel Campers are one of the lightest and most durable pop up truck campers out there. While at Overland Expo West a couple of weeks ago, I saw several Tacos and Chevy Colorados with Four Wheel Campers mounted, and they all had some type of “helper springs/suspension”. Once you get heavier rear leaf spring packs (also consider Deaver, OME, or Atlas springs) and sway bar, you’ll be fine.

 

[Stevie Gee]

Take a look at this oldie...

https://jalopnik.com/this-dually-ford-ranger-camper-is-the-only-home-i-could-1835133296

 

[Stic-o]

This is great, I actually have thought about this. I sold my Super Duty and Lance Camper when I bought the Ranger.

Do you leave the camper on all the time? My Lance had electric Jack's, that I could load or unload it in about 10 minutes.

 

[gkendrick]

This is great, I actually have thought about this. I sold my Super Duty and Lance Camper when I bought the Ranger.

Do you leave the camper on all the time? My Lance had electric Jack's, that I could load or unload it in about 10 minutes.

No, we use the Ranger as a pickup truck 80% of the time, and so we take off the camper when not using it. Unloading the camper is an easy exercise with the jacks. Loading it is a bit more involved and slower due to the close fit on the bed and the need for a spotter to help guide the driver when backing up.

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