6464 miles towing 7200lb TT

[J Krutsch]

Just got back from a 6464 mile camping trip towing our TT. Thought I would share my experience.
First, background. I have - '19 Ranger with Eibach 3-1/2" front and 1" rear lift. 285/70/17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Clear view tow mirrors. No other mods.
TT weighs about 7200 lbs fully loaded with slide out. I use a weight distribution hitch.
8.5'x11' frontal area because the wife insisted on a king bed.
Started in AZ, worked our way up through CO, into WY, over to ID, down through UT, and back to AZ. 6464 total miles and 169.53 running hours on the truck.
Crossed the continental divide multiple times and many mountain passes including Wolf Creek Pass made famous by CW McCall
Averaged about 10mpg for the trip.
I've been towing with the Ranger for about a year and half now, but this is our longest trip towing with the Ranger. I would consider myself very experienced at towing, not to the level of someone whose does/did it for a job, but I have been towing for over 40 years.

My thoughts -
Pros

• The Ranger is incredible for a midsize tow rig. The Ranger is a beast.
  
• It is as good as some full size 1/2tons with V8s that I've owned.
• The 2.3L with 10 speed never struggled to pull the load except on an occasional very strong head wind.
• Stability was very good with only strong cross winds bother it.
• Will tow at any speed you force it to as long as you are willing to pay for the gas.
• Is very happy towing at 2500 rpm in 7th and 8th gear (depending if you're going 60 or 70)
• 10 speed trans was usually in the right gear.
• Automatic down shifts were good (not perfect).
• Really glad that manual downshifts can be made.
• Cooling system was flawless even up very long, very steep grades.
• Biggest pro of all, the Ranger fits in my garage.

Cons

• fuel economy. I think a 3/4 ton would get better or at least as good fuel economy while towing
• Tank size. The small tank coupled with the poor fuel mileage made me feel like I was road tripping an EV. Planning out where gas stations were. Topping off at every town I came to.
• Engine braking going down hill. 2.3L isn't enough displacement to hold back alot of weight. I never had an issue, but I had to use the brakes way more than I like. Did you click the youtube link and listen to CW?
• Automatic downshifts down hill. While the trans was good about downshifting and holding going down hill, it wasn't as aggressive as it needs to be for the small displacement. I manually downshifted frequently on down hill slides.
• Automatic upshifts. After descending the hill the trans didn't want to upshift and would often wrap up to 5000 rpm while stepping on the gas and accelerating before it would upshift. I wish there were a way to manually force an upshift like you can force a downshift.

Summation
Having towed with 1/2tons, 3/4tons, and 1 ton duallies, I don't think my towing experience would have been significantly different with a full size 1/2 ton. The option for a larger gas tank in the full size would be the biggest advantage in my opinion. That said, if I were buying a truck with no other purpose other than to tow this trailer (and money wasn't a consideration) I would go 3/4ton first, a 1/2ton second, and the Ranger last. When I throw in that I can't fit a full size in my garage though, Ranger moves to first place. Other than gas tank, I have zero concerns about towing this size trailer with the Ranger. The Ranger is far, far better at towing than I ever thought it would be. How Ford left off the trailer brake controller from such a wildly capable tow vehicle, I will never understand.

Nice write up. As for the lack of upshift at the bottom of the hill, I have found that if I click off Trailer Mode at that point it will upshift sooner. Just press the button for off, then back on shortly after works for me.

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[Kemo Sabe]

Just got back from a 6464 mile camping trip towing our TT. Thought I would share my experience.
First, background. I have - '19 Ranger with Eibach 3-1/2" front and 1" rear lift. 285/70/17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Clear view tow mirrors. No other mods.
TT weighs about 7200 lbs fully loaded with slide out. I use a weight distribution hitch.
8.5'x11' frontal area because the wife insisted on a king bed.
Started in AZ, worked our way up through CO, into WY, over to ID, down through UT, and back to AZ. 6464 total miles and 169.53 running hours on the truck.
Crossed the continental divide multiple times and many mountain passes including Wolf Creek Pass made famous by CW McCall
Averaged about 10mpg for the trip.
I've been towing with the Ranger for about a year and half now, but this is our longest trip towing with the Ranger. I would consider myself very experienced at towing, not to the level of someone whose does/did it for a job, but I have been towing for over 40 years.

My thoughts -
Pros

• The Ranger is incredible for a midsize tow rig. The Ranger is a beast.
  
• It is as good as some full size 1/2tons with V8s that I've owned.
• The 2.3L with 10 speed never struggled to pull the load except on an occasional very strong head wind.
• Stability was very good with only strong cross winds bother it.
• Will tow at any speed you force it to as long as you are willing to pay for the gas.
• Is very happy towing at 2500 rpm in 7th and 8th gear (depending if you're going 60 or 70)
• 10 speed trans was usually in the right gear.
• Automatic down shifts were good (not perfect).
• Really glad that manual downshifts can be made.
• Cooling system was flawless even up very long, very steep grades.
• Biggest pro of all, the Ranger fits in my garage.

Cons

• fuel economy. I think a 3/4 ton would get better or at least as good fuel economy while towing
• Tank size. The small tank coupled with the poor fuel mileage made me feel like I was road tripping an EV. Planning out where gas stations were. Topping off at every town I came to.
• Engine braking going down hill. 2.3L isn't enough displacement to hold back alot of weight. I never had an issue, but I had to use the brakes way more than I like. Did you click the youtube link and listen to CW?
• Automatic downshifts down hill. While the trans was good about downshifting and holding going down hill, it wasn't as aggressive as it needs to be for the small displacement. I manually downshifted frequently on down hill slides.
• Automatic upshifts. After descending the hill the trans didn't want to upshift and would often wrap up to 5000 rpm while stepping on the gas and accelerating before it would upshift. I wish there were a way to manually force an upshift like you can force a downshift.

Summation
Having towed with 1/2tons, 3/4tons, and 1 ton duallies, I don't think my towing experience would have been significantly different with a full size 1/2 ton. The option for a larger gas tank in the full size would be the biggest advantage in my opinion. That said, if I were buying a truck with no other purpose other than to tow this trailer (and money wasn't a consideration) I would go 3/4ton first, a 1/2ton second, and the Ranger last. When I throw in that I can't fit a full size in my garage though, Ranger moves to first place. Other than gas tank, I have zero concerns about towing this size trailer with the Ranger. The Ranger is far, far better at towing than I ever thought it would be. How Ford left off the trailer brake controller from such a wildly capable tow vehicle, I will never understand.

Amazing!

 

[Montana Ranger]

We tow a 7000 TT. The 2.3L with 10 speed rarely struggles; only on the steepest grades at speed where you'd be surprised if it didn't.

Stability: A windy day definitely makes for a less pleasant driving experience that would be a bit more comfortable with a longer and heavier truck.

Speed: At 65 or above, it definitely feels less stable and safe, so we usually cruise at a maximum of 60. Mileage goes to hell after 55 anyway, requiring more fuel stops that would eat up the time saved anyway.

Gears: On the highway, we spend most of the time in 8th and occasionally 9th if no headwinds. Tow mode picks gears well as well as providing decent additional braking when slowing. I shift to Sport mode and usually manually downshift at the crest of any grade.

Cooling: We've travelled up many steep grades and passes during heat waves and the engine temp has never budged. (Would be nice to have the transmission temp displayed for these passages)

Garage: Not only does it fit comfortably, I can lower the tailgate and load and unload in the garage with the garage door closed, which is nice when it's either very cold and very hot outside. It's only of the main reasons I did not want a full-sized truck.

Fuel economy: I get roughly the same mileage as most of my friends with full-sized trucks. If it's less, it's because the 2.3 is working harder most of the time when towing. W/O trailer, I frequently get 22-28.

Tank size: Agreed. The tank on the Ranger really should be closer to 30 gallons. As we typically get 10-11 mpg, our range is therefore only around 200 miles and trip planning around fuel is much more critical than it should be, especially out west where legs with steep grades are common and gas stations are more sparse.

Braking: Yup, you don't get much braking going downhill with the 2.3. On our steeper passes, I'll be in manual nearing redline in 3rd or 2nd. It's the price you pay for so little displacement with this level of weight. I've gotten used to it.

 

[Davidjc]

Just got back from a 6464 mile camping trip towing our TT. Thought I would share my experience.
First, background. I have - '19 Ranger with Eibach 3-1/2" front and 1" rear lift. 285/70/17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Clear view tow mirrors. No other mods.
TT weighs about 7200 lbs fully loaded with slide out. I use a weight distribution hitch.
8.5'x11' frontal area because the wife insisted on a king bed.
Started in AZ, worked our way up through CO, into WY, over to ID, down through UT, and back to AZ. 6464 total miles and 169.53 running hours on the truck.
Crossed the continental divide multiple times and many mountain passes including Wolf Creek Pass made famous by CW McCall
Averaged about 10mpg for the trip.
I've been towing with the Ranger for about a year and half now, but this is our longest trip towing with the Ranger. I would consider myself very experienced at towing, not to the level of someone whose does/did it for a job, but I have been towing for over 40 years.

My thoughts -
Pros

• The Ranger is incredible for a midsize tow rig. The Ranger is a beast.
  
• It is as good as some full size 1/2tons with V8s that I've owned.
• The 2.3L with 10 speed never struggled to pull the load except on an occasional very strong head wind.
• Stability was very good with only strong cross winds bother it.
• Will tow at any speed you force it to as long as you are willing to pay for the gas.
• Is very happy towing at 2500 rpm in 7th and 8th gear (depending if you're going 60 or 70)
• 10 speed trans was usually in the right gear.
• Automatic down shifts were good (not perfect).
• Really glad that manual downshifts can be made.
• Cooling system was flawless even up very long, very steep grades.
• Biggest pro of all, the Ranger fits in my garage.

Cons

• fuel economy. I think a 3/4 ton would get better or at least as good fuel economy while towing
• Tank size. The small tank coupled with the poor fuel mileage made me feel like I was road tripping an EV. Planning out where gas stations were. Topping off at every town I came to.
• Engine braking going down hill. 2.3L isn't enough displacement to hold back alot of weight. I never had an issue, but I had to use the brakes way more than I like. Did you click the youtube link and listen to CW?
• Automatic downshifts down hill. While the trans was good about downshifting and holding going down hill, it wasn't as aggressive as it needs to be for the small displacement. I manually downshifted frequently on down hill slides.
• Automatic upshifts. After descending the hill the trans didn't want to upshift and would often wrap up to 5000 rpm while stepping on the gas and accelerating before it would upshift. I wish there were a way to manually force an upshift like you can force a downshift.

Summation
Having towed with 1/2tons, 3/4tons, and 1 ton duallies, I don't think my towing experience would have been significantly different with a full size 1/2 ton. The option for a larger gas tank in the full size would be the biggest advantage in my opinion. That said, if I were buying a truck with no other purpose other than to tow this trailer (and money wasn't a consideration) I would go 3/4ton first, a 1/2ton second, and the Ranger last. When I throw in that I can't fit a full size in my garage though, Ranger moves to first place. Other than gas tank, I have zero concerns about towing this size trailer with the Ranger. The Ranger is far, far better at towing than I ever thought it would be. How Ford left off the trailer brake controller from such a wildly capable tow vehicle, I will never understand.

Hey man. I have a 21 ranger lariatvthat we pull behind a class c. But in my previous turn dra towing g 5th wheels I discovered a way to manual uoshift after going downhill.
Just turn tow haul off for a second, let it up shift then turn towhaul back on. Hope this helps. Thanks for the report on your trip. Good insight.

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