SeattleJohnC
Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Hello Folks,
In September 2020 I bought a new Ford F150 Ranger
2020 Ford Ranger XLT, 4 Dr, 4WD, Supercrew, 5 foot bed, with the tow package. I bought it because I need the utility of a truck with the versatility of having a city driver that's not too difficult to park in tight spaces. I downsized from an F-350 Super Duty that I used to pull my big 26 foot Travel Trailer but also had to use as a city commuter. I sold me big Winnebago RV and bought a much smaller 2000LBS HELIO O3 RV and paired it with the new Ranger. I wanted to report some observations of the truck and the trailer in case there are others out there considering the same configuration.
First and foremost, I will say on a score of 1-10 (all things considered) I would give this truck a 10. It handles very well, accelerates nicely, and pulls a light duty load without any issues. I do mostly city driving as a city commuter and I average 21MPG with gentle city driving. I don't do jack rabbit starts, I usually drive the speed limit, and I coast down hills when I can (if there's nobody behind me). I also have installed a folding, hard-cover tonneau cover.
I currently have a HELIO O3 RV which I tow using a CURT wireless brake controller and a drop down hitch. I settled on a 10 inch drop aluminum hitch. The tongue weight on my HELIO is about 150 pounds. The CURT wireless brake controller works well and does the job without having the added expense of installing an after market in dash brake controller. After I had about 1000 miles on the odometer of city driving I towed my 2000 pound RV from Seattle to Yellowstone National Park and crossed about 6 mountain ranges round trip. The truck performed flawlessly and I didn't even feel the trailer behind me. I accelerated gently and stayed in the right lane on the highway and followed the speed limits. I never exceeded 65MPH while towing (even when I felt it would have been OK to go 80 in Montana). When I had to pass, I made sure I had plenty of room and power to do so, and I passed gently to avoid trailer sway. I averaged about 17MPG while towing, far better than my 9MPG I would average with the F350 Diesel pulling a 6500 pound trailer.
Road noise was minimal, comfort was excellent inside the cab, fuel economy was excellent, handling was excellent. I had the back of the truck loaded with equipment (coolers, gear, tools, etc). I probably had about 500 pounds of gear in the bed.
My only complaint so far about the truck is that the fuel door sometimes is difficult to close and when fueling, the fuel nozzle has to be oriented just right or it will kick back and stop. The neck of the fuel fill is configured in such a way as to only allow the fuel nozzle to be inserted in a specific angle configuration. This isn't a big deal, it just concerns me a bit that the fuel door is so easy to access and open.
I didn't always use the tow mode because at first I had trouble discovering exactly what it did but after reading up on it I will probably use it next time I tow. We recently had snow and ice in Seattle and the truck performed well in the snow. I engaged 4 low a few times to get up some steep snowy hills and it did great.
All in all I am very pleased with the way the Ranger has performed. I also like that it is a mid sized truck and is a great solution for someone who has light duty towing requirements combined with an all around city driver. I like the electronics and safety features of the truck too including lane departure and blind spot warnings.
Thought I'd share this with the forum for what it's worth. I am very pleased with this truck and I look forward to driving it. I leased this truck because I want to see what is available in 3 years time since I am very interested in electric trucks with increased torque in the future. In three years I can just turn this truck back in and upgrade to a model with more technology and perhaps even an electric offering. If that's not available in three years, I'll just keep the truck.
Thoughts?
Red
In September 2020 I bought a new Ford F150 Ranger
2020 Ford Ranger XLT, 4 Dr, 4WD, Supercrew, 5 foot bed, with the tow package. I bought it because I need the utility of a truck with the versatility of having a city driver that's not too difficult to park in tight spaces. I downsized from an F-350 Super Duty that I used to pull my big 26 foot Travel Trailer but also had to use as a city commuter. I sold me big Winnebago RV and bought a much smaller 2000LBS HELIO O3 RV and paired it with the new Ranger. I wanted to report some observations of the truck and the trailer in case there are others out there considering the same configuration.
First and foremost, I will say on a score of 1-10 (all things considered) I would give this truck a 10. It handles very well, accelerates nicely, and pulls a light duty load without any issues. I do mostly city driving as a city commuter and I average 21MPG with gentle city driving. I don't do jack rabbit starts, I usually drive the speed limit, and I coast down hills when I can (if there's nobody behind me). I also have installed a folding, hard-cover tonneau cover.
I currently have a HELIO O3 RV which I tow using a CURT wireless brake controller and a drop down hitch. I settled on a 10 inch drop aluminum hitch. The tongue weight on my HELIO is about 150 pounds. The CURT wireless brake controller works well and does the job without having the added expense of installing an after market in dash brake controller. After I had about 1000 miles on the odometer of city driving I towed my 2000 pound RV from Seattle to Yellowstone National Park and crossed about 6 mountain ranges round trip. The truck performed flawlessly and I didn't even feel the trailer behind me. I accelerated gently and stayed in the right lane on the highway and followed the speed limits. I never exceeded 65MPH while towing (even when I felt it would have been OK to go 80 in Montana). When I had to pass, I made sure I had plenty of room and power to do so, and I passed gently to avoid trailer sway. I averaged about 17MPG while towing, far better than my 9MPG I would average with the F350 Diesel pulling a 6500 pound trailer.
Road noise was minimal, comfort was excellent inside the cab, fuel economy was excellent, handling was excellent. I had the back of the truck loaded with equipment (coolers, gear, tools, etc). I probably had about 500 pounds of gear in the bed.
My only complaint so far about the truck is that the fuel door sometimes is difficult to close and when fueling, the fuel nozzle has to be oriented just right or it will kick back and stop. The neck of the fuel fill is configured in such a way as to only allow the fuel nozzle to be inserted in a specific angle configuration. This isn't a big deal, it just concerns me a bit that the fuel door is so easy to access and open.
I didn't always use the tow mode because at first I had trouble discovering exactly what it did but after reading up on it I will probably use it next time I tow. We recently had snow and ice in Seattle and the truck performed well in the snow. I engaged 4 low a few times to get up some steep snowy hills and it did great.
All in all I am very pleased with the way the Ranger has performed. I also like that it is a mid sized truck and is a great solution for someone who has light duty towing requirements combined with an all around city driver. I like the electronics and safety features of the truck too including lane departure and blind spot warnings.
Thought I'd share this with the forum for what it's worth. I am very pleased with this truck and I look forward to driving it. I leased this truck because I want to see what is available in 3 years time since I am very interested in electric trucks with increased torque in the future. In three years I can just turn this truck back in and upgrade to a model with more technology and perhaps even an electric offering. If that's not available in three years, I'll just keep the truck.
Thoughts?
Red
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