Seeing a TFL Ike tow with the new Raptor leads me to finding an interesting change to high altitude towing restriction/guidance.

[ControlNode]

Today I saw a video by TFL where they used a Raptor at max load. Before I commented on the altitude impacting GCWR, as stated in the 5G ranger manual, I decided to look up what is in the new Ranger manual. To recap the 5G stated: "Reduce the stipulated permitted gross combination mass by 3% for every additional 1,000 ft (300 m) in high altitude regions above 1,000 ft (300 m). " Fairly easy to understand, the higher you go the lower your rated GCWR.

Now, in the new manual, this is the wording: "Your vehicle could have reduced performance when operating at high altitudes and when heavily loaded or towing a trailer. When driving at elevation, to match driving performance as perceived at sea level, reduce gross vehicle weight and gross combination weight by 2% per 1,000 ft (300 m) of elevation." It no longer changes the limit, just states that the performance will be degraded from sea-level performance and that to make sea-level performance this would be the suggested max weight.

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[Jhbryaniv]

Interesting...

The 6G manual makes sense, the 5g manual not so much...

 

[Grumpaw]

Us old timers who tow get around the performance loss by stopping every time we go upwards by 1000 feet, pull over, and start dumping stuff out of our trailers to make em lighter.
Why one year, after going up the Rocky's, by the time we reached the top, my travel trailer was nothing but an empty shell !!!

 

[ctechbob]

I really wish they would do the test on hot days, like the actual Davis Dam test in J2807.

We're at the point where pretty much everything can make it up that hill at 60mph. I want to see the trucks actually stressed from heat, much like Andre's Powerboost a few years back.

The downhill braking test, yea, that's nice and all, but the trend towards smaller gas engines means that engine braking is severely reduced. Props to Ford for programming the ECU to downshift and all, but these small motors just don't have enough resistance to help to much degree with some of the weights we carry.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

I really wish they would do the test on hot days, like the actual Davis Dam test in J2807.

We're at the point where pretty much everything can make it up that hill at 60mph. I want to see the trucks actually stressed from heat, much like Andre's Powerboost a few years back.

The downhill braking test, yea, that's nice and all, but the trend towards smaller gas engines means that engine braking is severely reduced. Props to Ford for programming the ECU to downshift and all, but these small motors just don't have enough resistance to help to much degree with some of the weights we carry.

I love the down shifting when we're driving the mountain roads.

They talk about the displacement in some of the videos. Maybe I'll spend some time on the tubes of you looking to see if there is more information on small displacement towing improvements... Just for my information on how and why things work. #nerd

 

[JimJa]

I live at 7,500' and have used the 3% per 1,000 feet since, well, forever. It's a 3% loss of O2 and with a 21% loss at our altitude, visitors from lower elevations may get altitude sickness. One was so bad she was confined to a bed for their three day visit. Bummer. Sever headaches are the first sign.

But, our turbo engines mitigate, to some extent, the O2 loss at altitude. The air is "thinner" of course, but the turbo spins faster to overcome the lost. The boost stays the same so power loss should be minimal. Some of course, but not nearly as much as a non-turbo engine.

Shawn is exactly correct about engine braking. Just isn't much with a small 4-cyl engine. Okay for light loads but not so much for a hard-wall trailer.

 

[ControlNode]

Agreed the turbo helps, but it is compressing the air more at high altitude to get the same absolute manifold pressure as it gets as sea-level, and the more you compress it, the more heat is created. Also, I think the thinner air through the intercooler likely means it can't wick as much thermal energy back out before it's into the intake manifold.

 

[ctechbob]

Yep, less air density, less ability to cool.

 

[dtech]

Us old timers who tow get around the performance loss by stopping every time we go upwards by 1000 feet, pull over, and start dumping stuff out of our trailers to make em lighter.
Why one year, after going up the Rocky's, by the time we reached the top, my travel trailer was nothing but an empty shell !!!

I just tell the wife to get out and walk the rest of the way. Just came back from a trip where I did Wolf Creek Pass and the 3 550 passes out and back and the Ranger towed well, so much stuff these days is strictly cautionary, with almost a year of trailer ownership I finally decided to remove some of the cautionary stickers plastered everywhere inside and outside of the trailer - stuff like do not touch heater exhaust vent of it may cause a burn - doh ! on the trip home decided to count the no of RZR and other side bys I saw and stopped after 50 - does anyone hike/walk anymore ?

 

[dtech]

Today I saw a video by TFL where they used a Raptor at max load. Before I commented on the altitude impacting GCWR, as stated in the 5G ranger manual, I decided to look up what is in the new Ranger manual. To recap the 5G stated: "Reduce the stipulated permitted gross combination mass by 3% for every additional 1,000 ft (300 m) in high altitude regions above 1,000 ft (300 m). " Fairly easy to understand, the higher you go the lower your rated GCWR.

Now, in the new manual, this is the wording: "Your vehicle could have reduced performance when operating at high altitudes and when heavily loaded or towing a trailer. When driving at elevation, to match driving performance as perceived at sea level, reduce gross vehicle weight and gross combination weight by 2% per 1,000 ft (300 m) of elevation." It no longer changes the limit, just states that the performance will be degraded from sea-level performance and that to make sea-level performance this would be the suggested max weight.

I posted some yrs back about the growth of owners manuals - back in the 50s and 60s they would be 30 ~ 40 pages long, the 2019 Ranger is some 500 pages - so what person with a functioning brain doesn't realize that towing sh*t up mountain passes is going to impact performance ? Well I guess there is an audience for that TFL stupidity but count me out.

 

[Chris M]

I just tell the wife to get out and walk the rest of the way. Just came back from a trip where I did Wolf Creek Pass and the 3 550 passes out and back and the Ranger towed well, so much stuff these days is strictly cautionary, with almost a year of trailer ownership I finally decided to remove some of the cautionary stickers plastered everywhere inside and outside of the trailer - stuff like do not touch heater exhaust vent of it may cause a burn - doh ! on the trip home decided to count the no of RZR and other side bys I saw and stopped after 50 - does anyone hike/walk anymore ?

Yep. Right after they break them.

 

[Cmar]

We had our water heater in the tea room recently replaced with a new "safe" model where you have to push half a dozen buttons and flip a lever before the hot water will come out. - in the name of safety. By the time I'd figured it out my tea break was almost over. All this to "protect" us. We work in a laboratory- every day we handle dangerous, carcinogenic, and infectious agents. I think we can handle hot water.

Oh and PS It's broken down already. Bring back the simple Zippy boiler with a tap which served us so well for many years.

 

[Cmar]

I posted some yrs back about the growth of owners manuals - back in the 50s and 60s they would be 30 ~ 40 pages long, the 2019 Ranger is some 500 pages - so what person with a functioning brain doesn't realize that towing sh*t up mountain passes is going to impact performance ? Well I guess there is an audience for that TFL stupidity but count me out.

And back in those days those manuals would actually have some useful information in them about service intervals, lubricant requirements, and basic trouble shooting. Now all you get is twenty pages on how to wind your windows up and down, and use your stereo unit, and anything technical simply says "Refer to Dealer"

 

[Friday yet?]

I just tell the wife to get out and walk the rest of the way. Just came back from a trip where I did Wolf Creek Pass and the 3 550 passes out and back and the Ranger towed well, so much stuff these days is strictly cautionary, with almost a year of trailer ownership I finally decided to remove some of the cautionary stickers plastered everywhere inside and outside of the trailer - stuff like do not touch heater exhaust vent of it may cause a burn - doh ! on the trip home decided to count the no of RZR and other side bys I saw and stopped after 50 - does anyone hike/walk anymore ?

I'm seriously starting to think that answer is a resounding 'No." Average American these days favors activities that do not require burning calories or improving your physical condition.

I do get tickled here in TN when I often pass a house.... ok, shack.... but they have a new/newer F150 out front and a brand new looking high dollar ATV sitting in the yard. Priorities people. Priorities.

 

[fjwlobo]

I just tell the wife to get out and walk the rest of the way. Just came back from a trip where I did Wolf Creek Pass and the 3 550 passes out and back and the Ranger towed well, so much stuff these days is strictly cautionary, with almost a year of trailer ownership I finally decided to remove some of the cautionary stickers plastered everywhere inside and outside of the trailer - stuff like do not touch heater exhaust vent of it may cause a burn - doh ! on the trip home decided to count the no of RZR and other side bys I saw and stopped after 50 - does anyone hike/walk anymore ?

Sooooo, did that mean she walked to the top and you got to walk home?
????

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