Hitch Weight and Payload

[Big Blue]

Today I picked up a Apex Nano, 25’, dry weight about 4,000. Towed it just over 400 miles. Ranger had enough torque but that short wheel base results in a rough ride and getting pushed around. The small gas tank is also a pain. Had many hours on the drive to consider upgrading to an F-150, but I sure do like my 2019 Ranger for everything but towing a travel trailer.

First a couple questions. First is your Ranger suspension stock? Second were you using a WDH?
If the answer to the first is yes, there are a number of things that can be done to help. If the answer to the second is no, then get one and get it setup properly. There are many threads here about what many of us have done to make the Ranger tow better and more comfortably. Unfortunately not much can be done about the mileage. You can get a larger tank, but that is pretty pricey unless your towing a lot. There are a few that tow close to max with the Ranger, and I'm sure they will chime in.

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[ctechbob]

Yep, stock shocks are garbage for towing. WDH is necessary, and that's just the starting point. There's a whole list of things you can do, some more expensive than others, but all of them will make it a much better experience.

Also, things you can control for free, or next to it. Properly load, spend $20 on a run through a set of scales to check your work, etc.

As for the gas tank, that's a feature. Just gas up every time the wife/kids/dog needs to piss/eat/stretch. Usually you can't go 2 hours without one of those things happening when you're camping. I'm kidding of course, but that's usually the way it works out for us.

- Tows a 29' overall 6000ish pound unit.

 

[dtech]

Today I picked up a Apex Nano, 25’, dry weight about 4,000. Towed it just over 400 miles. Ranger had enough torque but that short wheel base results in a rough ride and getting pushed around. The small gas tank is also a pain. Had many hours on the drive to consider upgrading to an F-150, but I sure do like my 2019 Ranger for everything but towing a travel trailer.

I like it most when it "porpoises" , have set things up when "porpoisesing" so the radio automatically plays Low Rider , windows roll down and volume goes to max, gotta enjoy the ride.

 

[ControlNode]

I've never used WDH on my Ranger and have pulled well over 6,000lb on multiple occasions. I agree there are cases where it would help, but not required. I would first look at the weight distribution of the trailer, you said dry weight is 4,000lb., what was it when you towed it, and what was the weight of the trailer on the tongue?

 

[dtech]

I've towed a 4162 lbs TT with and without a WDH, can't say I've ever towed in high wind conditions, as far as semis passing seems nearly the same with or without wdh , but having spent ~ $400 on a WDH I feel compelled to use it and took some trial and error adjustments till it towed marginally better with the WDH. As it so happened a hitch I had bought from Uhaul that didn't have any way to adjust the height provided a good height for my trailer, but with the WDH I do tow with the front of the trailer down a bit more.

 

[Pete 2019]

Stock suspension and WD hitch with sway control. Hauled mostly dry, factory specs say tongue weight 450. Truck barely squatted before installing WD hitch, and with WD hitch almost exactly back to original. Unfortunately TT is “off-grid version so it sis raised. More wind resistance and had to raise hitch to highest setting. Also believe that the wife, who going to have back surgery will never survive the rough ride even if I do suspension mods.

 

[Cabose-1]

Get a 4x2.

2022 xlt fx2 1700 payload

 

[ctechbob]

Get a 4x2.

2022 xlt fx2 1700 payload

Yup, 1711# for my STX.

 

[dtech]

Driving like he stole it - which it was, but by the fire trail you can clearly see that the flux capacitor failed before he was able to hit that magical 88 mph.


Cowboy State Daily

A 44-year-old Cheyenne man was arrested Sunday, accused of running from the law in a stolen Winnebago with its tires shredded by spike strips. Video shows the RV throwing sparks 50 feet behind it while driving at high speeds through the city.

 

[emesel]

I have a 2019 Lariat SuperCrew with all stock suspension and a 1438# payload. I have a rigid bed cover, running boards, bed liner and I carry a bunch of tools (to be able to fix the many required repairs of the Airstream). I tow a 22 ft, 4500# gross Airstream with a WD hitch with 600# bars. My loaded weight is about 4200# with a 600# tongue weight. I've towed this combination just under 40k miles. I've never towed anything else, but I'm very comfortable towing this. I've been to a CAT scale several times and I'm always under, but not by much. I wouldn't be able to tow anything heavier based on my CAT scale numbers.

The only times I've experienced porpoising is going over the Cape Cod bridge and one other bridge.

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