Towing U-Haul with 23’ Ranger Tremor

[rangerjonathan]

5" drop may not be enough. If you don't have the hitch yet, take a tape measure to the rental place and determine the height of the tongue when the trailer is level, then determine the drop you need. Should try to get the tongue level or slightly low when it's hooked up.

I have a 7" drop hitch and it's about right for my 5.5x9 trailer hauling a UTV.

I went with the 5” because someone else said it worked perfect and had some solid pictures of it, I’m gonna go to U-Haul today and test it out (I already got the 5”)

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[rangerjonathan]

By the way I should mention I’ll be hauling this from Raleigh, NC to Seattle, WA. It’s gonna be about 6 days of driving.
Planning on the cargo trailer being 5x8, I only need to put a (heavy-ish) queen mattress and bedframe that folds in there, along with maybe a few boxes and things as to not fully pack the truck itself.

 

[rangerjonathan]

I have a Tremor and it has the tow package. Look on your console and you should see a button with a trailer. It's a Tremor I'm sure it has the tow package. I've towed a few things. If I'm not mistaken it automatically turns off overdrive. When you plug in the harness to the truck you will have options a to blind spot length and do forth. Your manual has a wealth of info in it.

I’m pretty sure you’re right and I’m pretty sure it has the tow package. It does indeed have the trailer button and I’ll definitely take a look in the manual.

 

[rangerjonathan]

I tow my 4000# boat/trailer 110 miles at 67 mph through hilly eastern Iowa. I used the 'tow' setting once and didn't see any improvement in mileage or performance. The 2.3 has enough torque to stay in 10th up moderate hills w/o the setting. The 10R80 and controller find the perfect gear without any wild downshifts or engine rev increases.
I pedal up shift in 1st and 2nd from a dead stop to prolong the time in each gear to get momentum before I let the trans take over.

And this is where the newbie part of me kicks in, I barely understood half of that (not your fault, I’m learning!) I just wish it clicked in my brain so I can use the advice!

 

[Tom_C]

Assuming when I get to the U-Haul store and the hitch and everything line up well, should I reserve the trailer for a day before I really need it to get that practice in as some of y’all were saying?

If it will make you more comfortable, then do it. It's better to be prepared and not worrying about it.
When you connect the trailer, you'll get a dash pop-up that says it's been connected and it will test your lights for you. Maybe a good idea to check the lights yourself, but I never do. If your truck has blis (blind spot sensors) then it will also ask for the length of the trailer so it can adjust the detector range.

 

[Dereku]

I use a 3” drop. Mostly tow uhaul trailers. If its heavy enough the truck sags a bit anyway. I always end up loading the bed too. 5” should be fine.

 

[Grumpaw]

And this is where the newbie part of me kicks in, I barely understood half of that (not your fault, I’m learning!) I just wish it clicked in my brain so I can use the advice!

First, you will be towing thru and over lots of hills, grades, and probably mountains.....use the tow/haul feature....it reprograms the trans to take advantage of gearing when going up, and actually acts like a kind of "jake brake" when going down a grade (although what your towing will NOT place any strain on your Ranger).
As for the drop needed....it depends on the rear height of your particular truck, 2 or 4 wheel drive....4 wheel drive may be a bit higher in the back thus needing a lower drop. Your looking at getting the trailer tongue just a bit lower than the rear of the trailer. It might take a 5 inch or a 7 inch....heck, I use a 7 inch drop for my travel trailer.
What you are carrying sounds like you will have a very light tongue weight....probably not more than a few (200) lbs which is really nothing for the Ranger.
Many of us are towing 5,6.7000 lb trailers with 5,6,700 lb tongue weights....so we know that what your pulling is an easy pull.

 

[rangerjonathan]

I’ve taken all of your advices into consideration! I went with the 5” drop hitch, just went to U-Haul, tested out the setup it went perfectly, and someone there was super helpful as well. Made the reservation, now just to load it and hit the road in a few days! Thank you ALL of you, seriously, I was definitely overthinking this entire process, and it went much smoother than I thought it would. The truck does have the tow package, and trailer system worked like a charm the moment it turned on.
Now it’s just the driving part!

 

[Racket]

Truck barely noticed trailer was back there for a 650 mile trip.

Didn't climb any mountains though.

 

[Dinofun]

Make sure your tongue weight is not too light. If it is the trailer will swing left and right and cause problems. Probably at least a hundred pounds.

 

[Dereku]

Make sure your tongue weight is not too light. If it is the trailer will swing left and right and cause problems. Probably at least a hundred pounds.

Uhauls are very heavy. Should be fine unless you put everything on the back of the trailer. They feel like solid steel construction.

 

[OGMix376]

By the way I should mention I’ll be hauling this from Raleigh, NC to Seattle, WA. It’s gonna be about 6 days of driving.
Planning on the cargo trailer being 5x8, I only need to put a (heavy-ish) queen mattress and bedframe that folds in there, along with maybe a few boxes and things as to not fully pack the truck itself.

Make sure you take your rest periods, keep hydrated, and be patient… it can be easy sometimes to forget you have a trailer on the back when driving those long distances..(especially with that lite of a trailer.) or the urge to speed up a little bit as you start getting closer to the finish line… do your best to remain carful and consistent..
We hit a few grades when driving around here in Cali, with 4k on the back the truck when right over the “grapevine” heading to LA from SF.. so you should.. the tow/haul button being active really helps on the down hill side…(also when going down hill allow for even more stopping distances, than if you were towing on flat.)..
You’re actually going to be taking what I would call a good first timers trip… well the distance isn’t..?.. but the rest of your towing situation is going to be good training, taking the time to make sure you’re setting up correctly.. reaching out for advice.. that’s all good… it’ll be your job now to make sure you use the knowledge you’re collecting…
Tom_C makes a good point about the bliss.. (Hope he will correct me if I’m wrong.) the length of the trailer you will need to enter in the prompt is from hitch to the rear of the trailer and not just 8’ (the trailer box)..it’ll probably be more like 12’ (full length of the trailer)… also always check your lights.. it’s just good practice to check it out personally…
It would suck having to deal with getting pulled over for a trailer light being out.. or possibly worse someone plowing into it.
Safe travels brother.. be sure to report back and let us know how the experience was for you?

 

[rangerjonathan]

Make sure you take your rest periods, keep hydrated, and be patient… it can be easy sometimes to forget you have a trailer on the back when driving those long distances..(especially with that lite of a trailer.) or the urge to speed up a little bit as you start getting closer to the finish line… do your best to remain carful and consistent..
We hit a few grades when driving around here in Cali, with 4k on the back the truck when right over the “grapevine” heading to LA from SF.. so you should.. the tow/haul button being active really helps on the down hill side…(also when going down hill allow for even more stopping distances, than if you were towing on flat.)..
You’re actually going to be taking what I would call a good first timers trip… well the distance isn’t..?.. but the rest of your towing situation is going to be good training, taking the time to make sure you’re setting up correctly.. reaching out for advice.. that’s all good… it’ll be your job now to make sure you use the knowledge you’re collecting…
Tom_C makes a good point about the bliss.. (Hope he will correct me if I’m wrong.) the length of the trailer you will need to enter in the prompt is from hitch to the rear of the trailer and not just 8’ (the trailer box)..it’ll probably be more like 12’ (full length of the trailer)… also always check your lights.. it’s just good practice to check it out personally…
It would suck having to deal with getting pulled over for a trailer light being out.. or possibly worse someone plowing into it.
Safe travels brother.. be sure to report back and let us know how the experience was for you?

Thank you very much, I’m definitely not going to be getting cocky with it, getting there in one piece is all I care about, I have my drive planned out and it’ll be a few 8hr drive days and one 10hr drive and one 4hr drive, and that’s with some wiggle room. Plan is to take my time, focus on the road and not let myself forget that I’ve got 2,000lbs attached to the back. I’ve done a lot, A LOT, of long distance solo driving before (I’m 28, been driving distance trips solo since 15/16), but never hauled anything before and the furthest I’ve taken this truck all loaded up inside was from Colorado to North Carolina.
I’ll definitely be reporting back along the journey not just after the finish line!

 

[JohnnyO]

Weight will be fine. U-Haul trailers have surge brakes so you don't have to worry about hooking up electric brakes. I once rented their big open trailer to haul a fermenting tank from my bud's microbrewery across town, total weight was about 3600 lb, no issues. Turn on the Tow Mode button. Yes it's true, my best friend owns a brewery. ?

 

[rangerjonathan]

Weight will be fine. U-Haul trailers have surge brakes so you don't have to worry about hooking up electric brakes. I once rented their big open trailer to haul a fermenting tank from my bud's microbrewery across town, total weight was about 3600 lb, no issues. Turn on the Tow Mode button. Yes it's true, my best friend owns a brewery. ?

Any advice on right/left hand turns, particularly in mild city driving? I will be driving literally across country so there will be some areas that I’m bound to have some tight turns.

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