Towing Advice

DrSafety

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Looking at purchasing a new camper to be towed by the Ranger (4X4 ) Lariet. We will only be traveling a max of 4 hours to campsites. We will be using a weight-distribution hitch and brake controller. Wondered your thought on the following specs.

Trailer 26' box 30ft overall
Dry Weight - 6000 w/propane
Tounge Weight 600
GVWR - 7000

Put the numbers in a calculator loading trailer to the max 7000 and 750 tongue weight (assumption) 2 passengers, and 200 lbs cargo including the hitch. We never travel with water so I don't see us ever getting to the GVWR of the trailer. The calculator came up with have 56 lbs of payload capacity to spare.

Is the assumption reasonable for tongue weight? Is this too much trailer for this truck (length/weight)? I know gas mileage will go down the tubes and I won't be a speed demon.

Trailer Calc.JPG
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I'm not a towing expert, but I always take the towing limits as "don't even think about going over these" limits. I would say that trailer is too much for a Ranger. I'm sure you COULD do it, but I'm not sure I'd WANT to pull that much weight for 4 hours, no matter how slow I went.

I once experienced a bad towing situation where the trailer was "wagging" the truck. Scared the crap out of me. I don't ever want to experience that again. In hindsight, I should have had trailer brakes and/or had a larger truck. I had not exceeded the towing limits of my Ranger, however. So I'm probably a little conservative on towing.... :)
 

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Looking at purchasing a new camper to be towed by the Ranger (4X4 ) Lariet. We will only be traveling a max of 4 hours to campsites. We will be using a weight-distribution hitch and brake controller. Wondered your thought on the following specs.

Trailer 26' box 30ft overall
Dry Weight - 6000 w/propane
Tounge Weight 600
GVWR - 7000

Put the numbers in a calculator loading trailer to the max 7000 and 750 tongue weight (assumption) 2 passengers, and 200 lbs cargo including the hitch. We never travel with water so I don't see us ever getting to the GVWR of the trailer. The calculator came up with have 56 lbs of payload capacity to spare.

Is the assumption reasonable for tongue weight? Is this too much trailer for this truck (length/weight)? I know gas mileage will go down the tubes and I won't be a speed demon.

Trailer Calc.JPG
Good research showing the GVWR and GCWR limits with this trailer. These numbers seem to show that you are at the limits of the Ranger. A full size truck or a smaller trailer will be a better choice.
 

RedlandRanger

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This is slightly off topic and my opinion only, as some may disagree, but towing should be a graduating system under licensing and training.
Far too much inexperience with trailers ends up ugly and is totally preventable.
I would agree to an extent. For me personally, I'd say I've been educated by the school of hard knocks. But it would have been nice if I knew more about towing before I almost got myself in trouble.

What is it they say? Good judgement typically comes from bad judgement? That has been pretty true in my life and in many others, I'm sure. :)
 

P. A. Schilke

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Looking at purchasing a new camper to be towed by the Ranger (4X4 ) Lariet. We will only be traveling a max of 4 hours to campsites. We will be using a weight-distribution hitch and brake controller. Wondered your thought on the following specs.

Trailer 26' box 30ft overall
Dry Weight - 6000 w/propane
Tounge Weight 600
GVWR - 7000

Put the numbers in a calculator loading trailer to the max 7000 and 750 tongue weight (assumption) 2 passengers, and 200 lbs cargo including the hitch. We never travel with water so I don't see us ever getting to the GVWR of the trailer. The calculator came up with have 56 lbs of payload capacity to spare.

Is the assumption reasonable for tongue weight? Is this too much trailer for this truck (length/weight)? I know gas mileage will go down the tubes and I won't be a speed demon.

Trailer Calc.JPG
Hi Dave,

First, let me congratulate you for thinking about GCW and tongue weight! So many folks just hook up a trailer and go. You are clearly approaching the GCW limit of the vehicle with this trailer. You will probably experience sluggish performance of the truck but if traveling on flat land, probably not too bad. For this truck and trailer combination, it would be important to weigh the the combination on a scale at a truck stop to get a real number instead of estimates....The dilemma is you have to buy the trailer first, unless you can get agreement from the Trailer Sales to do this before purchase. So weigh the combination as loaded for your trip, then break off the trailer and weigh the truck. Now armed with that data you will likely find where you are in the real world against the published maximums for the Ranger.

We do perform trailer tow testing at over the max specified in the owners manual, but I do not recommend trying to take advantage of this fudge factor..... This testing is to find out if anything really weird might happen when overloaded and is not a durability test.

A slightly smaller trailer is likely your best route. How you can to some extent lower the trucks weight by going on a diet to reduce driver load contribution, eh? ;)

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired
 


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DrSafety

DrSafety

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Hi Dave,

First, let me congratulate you for thinking about GCW and tongue weight! So many folks just hook up a trailer and go. You are clearly approaching the GCW limit of the vehicle with this trailer. You will probably experience sluggish performance of the truck but if traveling on flat land, probably not too bad. For this truck and trailer combination, it would be important to weigh the the combination on a scale at a truck stop to get a real number instead of estimates....The dilemma is you have to buy the trailer first, unless you can get agreement from the Trailer Sales to do this before purchase. So weigh the combination as loaded for your trip, then break off the trailer and weigh the truck. Now armed with that data you will likely find where you are in the real world against the published maximums for the Ranger.

We do perform trailer tow testing at over the max specified in the owners manual, but I do not recommend trying to take advantage of this fudge factor..... This testing is to find out if anything really weird might happen when overloaded and is not a durability test.

A slightly smaller trailer is likely your best route. How you can to some extent lower the trucks weight by going on a diet to reduce driver load contribution, eh? ;)

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired
Yes,Phil, my wife already suggested to increase payload I could lose 50 lbs. or more :). Yes thats the rub... buy the trailer then weigh. There is a Cat Scale close so maybe I can weigh before purchase, just not loaded for camping and the Cat Scale allows to weigh truck and trailer separately (also each axle of the truck).
 
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DrSafety

DrSafety

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Thanks all for feedback. I agree shorter and lighter would be better. We also looking a 3 foot shorter unit 27' but it is only 500 lighter and the tongue weight is approximately the same.

I used max numbers on the loading weight for the trailer. I think based on our previous traveler travels that we will be about 500 lighter that will result will some savings tongue weight. I know I am trying to convince myself its OK. But I want to travel safely and not feel like I am white knuckling it on the way to a campsite.

@Gray Horizons Helicopter and @RedlandRanger , I thoroughly agree that there needs to be a mandatory towing class. I learned on the fly with a couple of white knuckle trips that makes me much more cautious.

Probably need to keep shopping.
 

P. A. Schilke

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Yes,Phil, my wife already suggested to increase payload I could lose 50 lbs. or more :). Yes thats the rub... buy the trailer then weigh. There is a Cat Scale close so maybe I can weigh before purchase, just not loaded for camping and the Cat Scale allows to weigh truck and trailer separately (also each axle of the truck).
Hi Dave,

Yep...do the CAT scale on the unloaded trailer, then weigh all the items you put in the trailer and you will have an idea of how close to trailer GVW you are and will be able to determing GCW.... Glad you are taking this slowly and diligently. Sorry for the rub, but I just could not help myself....:)

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired
 

DrRoger

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Looking at purchasing a new camper to be towed by the Ranger (4X4 ) Lariet. We will only be traveling a max of 4 hours to campsites. We will be using a weight-distribution hitch and brake controller. Wondered your thought on the following specs.

Trailer 26' box 30ft overall
Dry Weight - 6000 w/propane
Tounge Weight 600
GVWR - 7000

Put the numbers in a calculator loading trailer to the max 7000 and 750 tongue weight (assumption) 2 passengers, and 200 lbs cargo including the hitch. We never travel with water so I don't see us ever getting to the GVWR of the trailer. The calculator came up with have 56 lbs of payload capacity to spare.

Is the assumption reasonable for tongue weight? Is this too much trailer for this truck (length/weight)? I know gas mileage will go down the tubes and I won't be a speed demon.

Trailer Calc.JPG
I tow a 7X17 foot cargo trailer that has a total trailer weight of about 6000 pounds when loaded.
It tows well. I tow long distances (usually 3500 miles per trip, loaded one way, empty returning). I try to keep the tongue on the heavy side, it seems to tow better, but never exceed the 750 pound limit. I have a P3 brake controller which works very well. Maintain two "profiles" one for loaded and one for unloaded.

However, I would be concerned with lateral wind loading with something 30 feet long.
Since I have not towed anything that long, this is just my impression.
 
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DrSafety

DrSafety

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However, I would be concerned with lateral wind loading with something 30 feet long.
Since I have not towed anything that long, this is just my impression.
Yes my concern exactly that it will be a big sail and as Redland Ranger put it will be the tail wagging the dog.
 
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DrSafety

DrSafety

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Here are the numbers for the other tailer with a realistic loading of 500lbs. and a tongue weight of 700lbs. And most importantly the camper is 3.5' (26.6') shorter than the other. I think I am much more comfortable with these numbers. Still will get rotten gas mileage and will need to go slow. However, the diet might be optional with this camper :)

Trailer Calc 2.JPG
 

P. A. Schilke

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Here are the numbers for the other tailer with a realistic loading of 500lbs. and a tongue weight of 700lbs. And most importantly the camper is 3.5' (26.6') shorter than the other. I think I am much more comfortable with these numbers. Still will get rotten gas mileage and will need to go slow. However, the diet might be optional with this camper :)

Trailer Calc 2.JPG
Hi Dave,

Much better numbers! Good Luck!

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired
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