Am I Screwed? (Tow rating question.)

[Noseoil]

Whatever the tow rating, I limit towing to 1,500# without trailer brakes. Above that number & it isn't safe to tow. Not saying you can't do it around town in a pinch without problems, just saying that trying to stop on a curve at speed will end in a problem very quickly.

This is similar to the above post about limits, roads weights & drivers. The weak link is usually the driver, so act accordingly. Towing a trailer without brakes is an accident waiting to happen. Towing 7,500# takes some skill & experience to do it safely at highway speeds...

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[Deleted member 1634]

Hi Rob,

Yep! a trailer of that weight needs brakes and a brake controller. Ford tests trailer tow at the listing in the owners manual. So for those that do not feel they can do at the max recommendation, that is their call, but to imply that Ford recommends something that is not safe, which another poster implied, is not at all accurate. If Ford max is 7500lbs then it is 7500Lbs. It is a personal choice if you think the max is less than this...Do not blame Ford. We kick butt in trailer tow thanks to the Ecoboost engines and transmissions and light weight trucks that the competition is scrambling to meet.

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

Agreed 100%. As with anything, stay within the abilities of yourself and the vehicle. The absolute max of all that is 7500lbs, YOUR max is whatever you feel comfortable with as the operator. No judgement. I know my personal limits and they're less than 7500lbs. Doesn't mean someone else isn't comfortable and capable of towing more with the same equipment.

My personal max is probably 5500lbs with this rig. That's what I towed last summer for 6+hrs on rural highway roads. I had no issues, because this truck tows like a beast, but I was extra cautious.

It's the same for driving in inclement weather. Living in the Great Lakes region all my life, I'm more comfortable at driving in winter conditions than someone who's lived in Florida all their life. Doesn't mean no one should ever drive in winter weather. Just means some people can and some people can't. We're all different and the best at something.

 

[GTGallop]

3. 15 year olds are not aloud to drive in my state.
* Just my opinions

Au contrair mon Frier! New York requires you to be 16 to get a learners permit and does not issue "Hardship" Licences for people under 16 but in some states they do. So while your state does not issue a license to anyone under 16, a 15 year old with a legal license and two months of experience under his or her belt can legally cruise right through your state - in a Ranger, towing 7,499.99lbs. ;-)

https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/some-teens-can-drive-at-14

* Just my facts

 

[Snorebaby]

I have only towed 3000lb with my Ranger and no trailer brakes....not ideal but needed to in a pinch. It was across town and I was extra vigilant with stopping distances/spacing. The Ranger done great I wouldn't have an issue towing up to 7500lb with a TBC. But that is me. I am going to add the brake controller soon so I can tow the 3000lb with peace of mind.

* (My opinion only) I feel the Ranger can stop up to 3000lb (in an emergency) without trailer brakes safely. Anything over that I think is pushing the envelope. I know the recommended towing without a TBC is something like 1600lb, but I think it can do 3.

A 6x12 open single axle trailer (1200lb) plus a Goldwing (900lb) IMO can be done safely. Most single axles do not have brakes anyway. As stated somewhere before, the F-150 weighs only ~350lb more than the Ranger and most folks wouldn't have a problem towing that setup in an F-150 without a TBC.

(We are really talking about stopping the weight being towed, as this beast will pull 7500# with ease.)

 

[Glocker]

I'll be towing a Sea Ray 185 on a single axle trailer. I need to look up the wet wait of that thing.

 

[Glocker]

So the boat weighs 2700 to 2800 lbs dry. Factor in the trailer weight, and 25 lbs of fuel on board the boat...

Ughhhhh I need to find the trailer weight.

 

[Glocker]

25 gallons of fuel is about 125 lbs.
2000 Sea Ray 185 is 2800 lbs.
I just need to find out the trailer's weight. It's a single axle and has an emergency brake on it but no other brakes.

 

[Glocker]

I just looked it up again somewhere else and got 125 gallons at 150 lbs'

 

[Cape Cruiser]

John fuel is 6-7 lbs per gallon.

 

[Floyd]

There are three factors to consider where a vehicles performance is concerned.
1. What is the Vehicle Capable of?
2. What are the Roads Capable of?
3. What is the DRIVER Capable of?

You ALWAYS drive to the LOWEST ability in that trifecta.

Example:
1. A professional long haul truck driver can tow 7,500lbs in a Ranger on warm sunny dry roads with good visibility.
2. A professional long haul truck driver should tow LESS when going up mountain passes in the rain in a Ranger.
3. A 15 year old first time driver should not tow anything at all.
4. As is evidenced in the Colorado Bent Frame posts, you tow less weight as the roads become more aggressive or rugged or technical.

And if someone says they aren't comfortable towing more than 3,000 lbs, GOOD FOR YOU! Most people never stop to question what they are comfortable with. Manual says 7,500 so they tow 7,500 regardless if they are ready for it or not. No shame in not being comfortable towing more than 3,000 or 4,000 lbs. You probably have a greater appreciation for what you are doing than some people who wished the Ranger could pull 13,000 lbs.

We all fell out of our mamma soft, wet, and stoopid. Everything you are capable of today, you learned.

Your point is well taken, but...
Not to be argumentative, but having held a CDL from before its inception until retirement, I must say that towing a bumper pull trailer with a light truck is a different skill altogether from driving a tractor trailer.

 

[NOVA_Ranger]

As others have pointed out, getting a trailer rolling and stopping a trailer are two very different things. Personally I would tow anything over about 3000 pounds with a mid-size truck, even if the trailer had brakes. Just too many things that could go terribly wrong.

 

[Snorebaby]

As others have pointed out, getting a trailer rolling and stopping a trailer are two very different things. Personally I would tow anything over about 3000 pounds with a mid-size truck, even if the trailer had brakes. Just too many things that could go terribly wrong.

A properly equipped truck will be able to tow it's rated capacity. Mechanically speaking, they rate the truck for less than what it actually can tow. The stated towing capacity is 7500lb. The actual weight it can tow safely is probably (and this is just my guesstimate) 150% of the stated towing capacity. For the Ranger that would be 11,250lb.

The biggest thing with towing is the weight distribution and the ability of the tow vehicle. Unequal distribution will cause a lot of issues with trailer sway, tongue weight, etc. If your weight is right and the vehicle is capable, you will not really feel the trailer as it is being towed. And with trailer brake gain set correctly, it will help the vehicle to stop smoothly without you even feeling much of that either.

I will not try to tow 3000lb with a Suzuki Samurai, but I have seen it done.?

 

[quangdog]

I once towed about 7500lbs of river rock in a box trailer with a 2000 Honda Odyssey. That was NOT a good idea. Learned a lot since then....

 

[Deleted member 1634]

A properly equipped truck will be able to tow it's rated capacity. Mechanically speaking, they rate the truck for less than what it actually can tow. The stated towing capacity is 7500lb. The actual weight it can tow safely is probably (and this is just my guesstimate) 150% of the stated towing capacity. For the Ranger that would be 11,250lb.

The biggest thing with towing is the weight distribution and the ability of the tow vehicle. Unequal distribution will cause a lot of issues with trailer sway, tongue weight, etc. If your weight is right and the vehicle is capable, you will not really feel the trailer as it is being towed. And with trailer brake gain set correctly, it will help the vehicle to stop smoothly without you even feeling much of that either.

I will not try to tow 3000lb with a Suzuki Samurai, but I have seen it done.?

As someone who does this type of analysis and design as my job, I can assure everyone that this is largely correct. The value of the safety factor is the only thing I'm not sure on (in the aviation industry we use 150%, but I'm not sure about other industries). So yes, this truck, and any vehicle, can technically do more than what it is rated to (i.e. it's not going to turn to dust if loaded to 7501 lbs), but only to a certain degree. At least in the aviation industry, we allow things to permanently deform (yield) above the rated limit (100% of load), they just have to still be able to carry the load for a set period of time and can't catastrophically fail and cause loss of control (i.e. you can still get home, but it will require repair when you get there). So if you load beyond the limit/ratings, you risk damaging and deforming parts of the truck, and ultimately maybe scrapping out the vehicle if it's a hard to repair/replace component.

In the end the safety factor is for unforeseen instances or improper loading techniques as stated, and meant for emergency situations only to protect the occupant above all else, not for everyday repeated use.

 

[levimac`]

1/2 ton full size pickups have a larger foot print than a midsize ranger so in my mind , at least, it is safer to pull the rated manufacturer rating because
there is more on the ground. If a person is comfortable with the 7500 rating for our Rangers then go for ,it just do not pull at 60-80 per on the highways, all the trailer manuals I have read limit the speed to 55 for pickup trucks as their recommendation, I believe most do not adhere to that. There are other folks on the road so just drive safely for yourself and others, I would just die if what I did caused someone else to suffer the consequence's but, I feel that way about everything,
Enjoy yourselves with our beautiful little big man Rangers.
It sure is nice to be an American and live in this beautiful land of the free and home of the brave.
Peace and kindness to all

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