Not dead yet...

[Av8or1]

It's not gone yet... but my wife and I decided with our growing family it will be best to trade the Ranger in for a Timberline trim (off road) Explorer. It won't be nearly as capable as the Ranger, but will be more practical and will still get us going camping while I get the Disco up and running.

It's been a really fantastic truck. I bought the very first one my dealership sold, a Lariat with the FX4 package in Saber. I learned a lot about modifying vehicles in good and bad ways, and it lead me on a journey to building a dedicated 4-wheeler land rover.

It did strand me once driving on a cold slushy day when ice froze up the throttle body. I coasted to a stop and then the engine heat must have melted the ice, and it worked again after 5 minutes or so. There is a TSB on a bad throttle gasket, so I got that fixed under the powertrain warranty. Otherwise the Ranger has been a beast. Off road, on road, hauling steel it can do it all.

I've begun the unceremonious process of stripping off the easy-to-get-to mods to re-sell, I also flashed the Ranger back to stock tune. I did steal the engine cover, since the Explorer has the same 2.3L ecoboost. This will be the first time in my adult life that I will be truck-less.

Sponsored

 

[Stevedbvik1]

It's not gone yet... but my wife and I decided with our growing family it will be best to trade the Ranger in for a Timberline trim (off road) Explorer. It won't be nearly as capable as the Ranger, but will be more practical and will still get us going camping while I get the Disco up and running.

It's been a really fantastic truck. I bought the very first one my dealership sold, a Lariat with the FX4 package in Saber. I learned a lot about modifying vehicles in good and bad ways, and it lead me on a journey to building a dedicated 4-wheeler land rover.

It did strand me once driving on a cold slushy day when ice froze up the throttle body. I coasted to a stop and then the engine heat must have melted the ice, and it worked again after 5 minutes or so. There is a TSB on a bad throttle gasket, so I got that fixed under the powertrain warranty. Otherwise the Ranger has been a beast. Off road, on road, hauling steel it can do it all.

I've begun the unceremonious process of stripping off the easy-to-get-to mods to re-sell, I also flashed the Ranger back to stock tune. I did steal the engine cover, since the Explorer has the same 2.3L ecoboost. This will be the first time in my adult life that I will be truck-less.

What year Explorer? The 24 has the port and direct injected 2.3L. From what I’ve heard our engine cover doesn’t fit those. Either way you could always auction it off here .

 

[Av8or1]

What year Explorer? The 24 has the port and direct injected 2.3L. From what I’ve heard our engine cover doesn’t fit those. Either way you could always auction it off here .

Looking at 2022's that have just come off lease, and there's only 13 2024 timberlines that are still "new" left in the country, since they axed that trim for 2025. We are considering going to get one of those as well. I looked at a couple of 2022 Timberlines locally, neither of which passed the sniff test.

 

[Dereku]

Dual injection would be worth a flight to get one. Just saying all things being equal. Would solve a lot of issues and give you extra injectors to really push the HP limits lol.

 

[Av8or1]

It looks like it wasn't until 2025 that dual injection got incorporated across the platform, including the Bronco, Ranger, and explorer. So no matter what if I want a timberline I get our old 2.3L ecoboost. It's okay. I know its quirks and know to put a catch can on right away .

 

[Grumpaw]

I'm just waiting too see what goodies your gonna be sellin....
Waiting in the wings.......

 

[subquark]

It's not gone yet... but my wife and I decided with our growing family it will be best to trade the Ranger in for a Timberline trim (off road) Explorer. It won't be nearly as capable as the Ranger, but will be more practical and will still get us going camping while I get the Disco up and running.

It's been a really fantastic truck. I bought the very first one my dealership sold, a Lariat with the FX4 package in Saber. I learned a lot about modifying vehicles in good and bad ways, and it lead me on a journey to building a dedicated 4-wheeler land rover.

It did strand me once driving on a cold slushy day when ice froze up the throttle body. I coasted to a stop and then the engine heat must have melted the ice, and it worked again after 5 minutes or so. There is a TSB on a bad throttle gasket, so I got that fixed under the powertrain warranty. Otherwise the Ranger has been a beast. Off road, on road, hauling steel it can do it all.

I've begun the unceremonious process of stripping off the easy-to-get-to mods to re-sell, I also flashed the Ranger back to stock tune. I did steal the engine cover, since the Explorer has the same 2.3L ecoboost. This will be the first time in my adult life that I will be truck-less.

Beautiful pics!

I'd have a hard time walking away from all the damper benefits ...

Come and visit and post more fantastic pics and good luck! =)

 

[Glocker]

Good luck on your Timberline search!

 

[got3fords]

Pics of the new ride when you get it. Rode in a friend's Explorer last year and it was really sweet.

 

[Av8or1]

The local dealer was willing to replace some of the interior pieces we had concerns with. So there she goes. Ranger is gone. Explorer is here. It's got 38k miles to the 60k on the ranger. Really the intent was less about getting something newer and more about something that fits the family, and is nicer to commute in. This ticks both of those boxes. I'm really impressed with how the explorer drives and the refinement of the interior and minimal road noise.

I will absolutely miss the ranger. I bought it thinking it would be a forever truck, and it would have been, but family comes first. I pulled the wheel spacers and molle panels but sold it with the CAI, AFE intake, roof rails (im proud of that install), deaver leaf springs and OME shocks on all 4 corners, also all lights are LED. And unlike some of you I'm not ditching it for a competing midsized truck . Just it's family friendly Ford brother. I did already order the integral factory off road lights for the grill, and a catch can .

I got a few last day shots of the ranger before it goes to a new home.

But you guys aren't so lucky. I'll still stick around these parts.

 

[OGMix376]

It's not gone yet... but my wife and I decided with our growing family it will be best to trade the Ranger in for a Timberline trim (off road) Explorer. It won't be nearly as capable as the Ranger, but will be more practical and will still get us going camping while I get the Disco up and running.

It's been a really fantastic truck. I bought the very first one my dealership sold, a Lariat with the FX4 package in Saber. I learned a lot about modifying vehicles in good and bad ways, and it lead me on a journey to building a dedicated 4-wheeler land rover.

It did strand me once driving on a cold slushy day when ice froze up the throttle body. I coasted to a stop and then the engine heat must have melted the ice, and it worked again after 5 minutes or so. There is a TSB on a bad throttle gasket, so I got that fixed under the powertrain warranty. Otherwise the Ranger has been a beast. Off road, on road, hauling steel it can do it all.

I've begun the unceremonious process of stripping off the easy-to-get-to mods to re-sell, I also flashed the Ranger back to stock tune. I did steal the engine cover, since the Explorer has the same 2.3L ecoboost. This will be the first time in my adult life that I will be truck-less.

Bitter sweet… love the pic of the ranger with the aurora? don’t mind if I snatch that one and put it as the laptop background ?… do you?

 

[Av8or1]

Bitter sweet… love the pic of the ranger with the aurora? don’t mind if I snatch that one and put it as the laptop background ?… do you?

There's more where that came from:

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/aurora-ranger-thread.29228/

 

[got3fords]

The local dealer was willing to replace some of the interior pieces we had concerns with. So there she goes. Ranger is gone. Explorer is here. It's got 38k miles to the 60k on the ranger. Really the intent was less about getting something newer and more about something that fits the family, and is nicer to commute in. This ticks both of those boxes. I'm really impressed with how the explorer drives and the refinement of the interior and minimal road noise.

I will absolutely miss the ranger. I bought it thinking it would be a forever truck, and it would have been, but family comes first. I pulled the wheel spacers and molle panels but sold it with the CAI, AFE intake, roof rails (im proud of that install), deaver leaf springs and OME shocks on all 4 corners, also all lights are LED. And unlike some of you I'm not ditching it for a competing midsized truck . Just it's family friendly Ford brother. I did already order the integral factory off road lights for the grill, and a catch can .

I got a few last day shots of the ranger before it goes to a new home.

But you guys aren't so lucky. I'll still stick around these parts.

What year is the Explorer?

 

[Av8or1]

I'm just waiting too see what goodies your gonna be sellin....
Waiting in the wings.......

So the Ranger was supposed to be a "forever" vehicle so I didn't keep any stock parts to swap back on. So my list for sale is pretty small, and a friend already snagged my Built-right Bed Molle panels.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/bora-wheel-spacers.35135/
https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/diode-dynamics-ditch-light-bracket.35134/#post-769624
https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/velossa-tech-big-mouth-scoop.35136/

 

[Av8or1]

My Ranger survives within the Exploder! The engine cover fit beautifully. This vehicle is absolutely bigger than the ranger, the engine is so far away and so low from the outside I have to reach miles over stuff to get to it! The catch can is installed but that was also far more difficult than the ranger, all the PCV stuff is at the rear of the engine which is a weird way to route it.

The light install was the easiest ever... with factory wiring and switches already installed, it was just plug in and go it took 5 minutes.

I still have a kit coming in today to get rid of the silly hood prop rod and go to gas struts like the Ranger had.

Sponsored