Is my truck capable? Do you have any XP with this much trailer?

[E Monty]

My experience is towing a 28’ #5,500 camper a lot with an ‘03 Excursion V10 gasser. Pulled with the Ranger once for 60 miles. The Ranger pulled in a straight line better than the EX, hearing maybe? But the Ranger was all over with passing traffic. Classic tail wagging the dog, not safe in my opinion. We had the WDH and anti-sway on. True apples to apples comparison. My 2 cents.

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[Danager]

In summary…
The people on the RV forum said don’t do it. But, maybe check with the people on the Ranger forum.
The people on the Ranger forum are split between don’t do it and you can but keep the speed low. Both agree you should check with the folks over on the RV forum.

 

[Big Blue]

Freeway/Highway/city, and then wherever the spot to park it is.

William, I'm not going to tell you whether to do this or not. All I will say is you are definitely jumping in to the deep end of the pool. Will your Ranger tow it, yes it will. Only suggestions are as @Grumpaw said a good WDH in the 8000/800 pound range, get it setup correctly. Probably will take a few tries to get it right. I would also suggest different rear shocks and maybe a rear sway bar. This is not the same as a sway bar on the hitch.

My biggest concern is your lack of towing experience. You admitted to being a newbie. You are looking at a big trailer by pretty much any standard. Handling a rig this long in tight spaces, such as in town or heavy traffic is a learned skill and even experienced towers kringe at the thought. Towing on the highway is a piece of cake compared to downtown traffic at rush hour in a strange city. As far as wind or semi trucks they are a fact of life, calm windless days are few and far between and there will always be semis.

All this being said the choice is up to you. I've pulled my 4000 lb, 20 ft TT across country for vacation and feel comfortable doing it. Would I do that with the setup your looking at, NO. Your situation is a bit different as it is for your work and you may have deadlines to keep.

What ever your choice I wish you the best and safe travels.

 

[JimG_AZ]

what is THE best WD and sway control you would recommend, friend?

When considering weight distributing hitches, here is my take:

• Most RV dealers seem to recommend a simple weight distributing hitch with the add on friction sway control. This is what I started out with, and I can tell you from experience, they are junk. Don’t waste your money on one.
• The next level up are the hitches with built in 2-point sway control. I believe the Fastway hitch mentioned on this thread is one of these. I have never used one, so I cannot comment on these.
• The next level up are the hitches with built in 4-point sway control. These hitches are pretty good. The one that I have a lot of towing moles with is the genuine Equal-i-zer hitch. If you are on a budget, this would be the hitch to buy. They go for @ $750 new. I just picked up a used one recently that I use with my 4100# trailer for $250.
• The best hitches would be the Hensley and the ProPride. Both were designed by the same guy and the ProPride is the newer version of the hitch. I have never used a ProPride, but I have used the Hensley. If you are looking for the best, these are the two hitches to research. The sway control capabilities of these hitches are vastly superior to the other levels of hitches that I listed. The only better than these would be a 5th wheel.

Regarding the trailer you want to tow with your Ranger, IMO it is too big. If you decide to do it, I would only consider a Hensley or ProPride hitch. The sway control of the Jim Hensley design is so superior that it is worth it for what you plan to pull. These hitches geometrically move the pivot point of the trailer from behind the rear bumper to near the rear axle. The Hensley has been around for years, and I would start checking OfferUp and ClraigsList to see if I could find one used. They are going to be expensive, but if you can find one used, you should be able to sell it in a few years for close to what you paid for it.

Seriously though, if you really want to buy that trailer, you would be better off selling the Ranger and buying a F-150 or a Ram up front. You may find it is a lot more comfortable at 60% of the tow capacity rather than at 99%. What you probably don’t want to happen is to buy this trailer, and then find out that its too much for your Ranger. I have seen this happen many times. Then to solve the problem, you buy a F-150 with the max tow package and then want to a bigger trailer. Just a thought.

Since it looks like you are going to be full-timing in an RV, have you looked at 5th wheels? Just for fun, you may want to check one out. I think you will find that that a 5th wheel is a lot more livable than a bumper pull trailer. The pro’s to the 5th wheel are space, and with the pivot point at the rear axle, they pull way better. The con is bye-bye Ranger and hello Super Duty truck. Due to the pin weight, you really need a ¾-ton tuck at a minimum. I would also not hesitate to compare the price of a new bumper pull trailer against a used full-time quality 5th wheel.

 

[JimG_AZ]

Yeah and you will be fine, if its within capacity hou will be fine. Can there be issue with trailer lenght? Maybe but even then I could care less as long as it is within towing capacity specifications. Some may think I'm a bit crazy for saying such but its the truth. As long as you arw being smart while towing you should be fine for the most part. Its when other things like other drivers or mother nature that can make things a bit more interesting. Regardless you should be fine. As for the WDH as long as you fine the right one(as close to the toung and trailer weight as possible). Brand probably wont matter that much as most are the same with the exception of special manufacturer designs(like the built in sway control from Reese)

IMO, I would not say that you are good to go as long as you are within the tow capacity. The truth is that not all trailers pull the same. A travel trailer with its large frontal area and high sides will be more difficult to pull than boat or a flatbed trailer. Also, forget the tow capacity and the figures I would look at are the GVWR and the GCWR. Typically, the tow capacity = GCWR - vehicle weight - 150 for the driver. So, as you load people in the truck and stuff in the bed, the tow capacity drops.

 

[Frenchy]

IMO, I would not say that you are good to go as long as you are within the tow capacity. The truth is that not all trailers pull the same. A travel trailer with its large frontal area and high sides will be more difficult to pull than boat or a flatbed trailer. Also, forget the tow capacity and the figures I would look at are the GVWR and the GCWR. Typically, the tow capacity = GCWR - vehicle weight - 150 for the driver. So, as you load people in the truck and stuff in the bed, the tow capacity drops.

You aren't wrong about the wait there but then again that's why you still take the time to make sure what you're towing it's going to be within Towing specifications. Why do you think we were given a maximum towing capacity a 7500 lb? I'm pretty sure it wasn't to exceed that at all. It was probably also due to the fact that Ford wanted to outdo the competition. My point being as long as you're within capacity for the most part you're going to be fine. Of course you still need to be mindful of what you're doing and where you're going and what other conditions might affect. That's just a fun game of everything

 

[JeeperCreeper]

You're doing travel nursing, you can afford to fix anything you screw up.

Go for it

 

[Rob09]

Anything else I can do for you?

I love the internet ?

 

[Sardog]

For the record I am in the camp of yes the trailer is within weight spec and can do it, but whether you should based on sail area of the trailer I would strongly advise against it. The experience that drives me to that conclusion was prior to owning the ranger I owed a 35 ft (yes it is bigger but not by an extreme amount) bumper pull travel trailer. I pulled that with a 1 ton crew-cab long bed Dually. On paper the truck was overqualified to pull the trailer. Trailer at max weighed in at 13k and truck rated for 22k. That being said when towing even with literally the best truck to pull there were times when I would encounter a wind gust from passing vehicles like tractor trailers and other RV's and the RV would encounter a noticeable amount of sway. With the ranger pulling such a large Trailer there is a chance that it would not be able to stop a dangerous amount of sway in such a situation. The biggest factor though is how little time it takes for it to go from completely normal to downright dangerous if things go wrong.

One thing I did not really see is if you have considered it, have you looked into to getting a similar sized motorhome and towing your ranger? That could be a good option and then you are only limited by your budget with regards to the size.

 

[D Fresh]

One thing I did not really see is if you have considered it, have you looked into to getting a similar sized motorhome and towing your ranger? That could be a good option and then you are only limited by your budget with regards to the size.

If it can be done within the OP's budget I vote for this as the best option

 

[briwill70]

Personally I would not feel comfortable or safe towing anything longer than 23' with my Ranger and I have towed many campers and boats over the years. I think 25' is pushing it let alone 29'. I would adjust to living in a smaller space or buy an RV to tow another vehicle as others have mentioned.

 

[Gsxrdoug]

Sounds like time for a motorhome and pull the Ranger.

 

[KNI]

Looking at the trailer specs I don't see any issues with it. It complies with all mechanical and legal limitations (at least in here) and should work quite fine.

I really don't understand why some people think that things should not be used to their rating. The rating in itself if is devaluated by safety margin of 30% - 50% when the truck leaves factory.

I'd bet these people are happy when they buy pint of beer which holds only two thirds so that the liquid doesn't spash.

 

[Danager]

Looking at the trailer specs I don't see any issues with it. It complies with all mechanical and legal limitations (at least in here) and should work quite fine.

I really don't understand why some people think that things should not be used to their rating. The rating in itself if is devaluated by safety margin of 30% - 50% when the truck leaves factory.

I'd bet these people are happy when they buy pint of beer which holds only two thirds so that the liquid doesn't spash.

You really don’t understand? Everybody agrees you CAN tow it. And though some are saying “shouldn’t”, maybe “wouldn’t want to” would be more fitting.
A trailer at 29’ is going to have the wheels closer to the rear of the mid-point - let’s just say 16’ back from the hitch. The trailer is going to be nearly the weight of the truck, and a lever that is longer than the wheelbase of the tow vehicle. A little input from the trailer is going to be felt in the truck. It probably is not going to be pleasant sometimes, or worse.
The OP knows they are bordering the limitations of TV/TT and their experience.

And I don’t drink beer.

 

[Groo]

Groo here
I have a 2020 XL 4x4 STX off road trailer package ...
I have also loaded the truck to max GVW with steel ..
Also towed Horse trailers 1/4 horse , goose necks up to 32 ft , [with 1/2 3/4 and one ton trucks matched to weight]
AND 80,000 fuel tankers [aka bombs]
With the Ranger.
Weight is not a problem [ lost 1 to 1.5 mph is all rural roads 75 mile run]
Breaks stopped the load fine [ just takes longer]
So long as you stay in the hitch weight/ trailer weight limits the truck will do fine..
The big problem is the driver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First , some think truck can be run the same loaded as empty "WRONG!!!"
Pulling 70/75 mph with a trailer is only for the most experienced..........
For YOU , and your rig, 50/55 mph...
After a year or so , you "might " go faster...
When in doubt"SLOW DOWN"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If that means 20mph in a high wind area , so be it.....
Also , this crap about being run over cause you only are going the mimmium
on the freeway is just crap.
As long as your above the mimmium and below the max, and in the correct lane [aka the right one], the POPO will not bother you ..
Was a POPO for a "few " years and know of several court cases [Judges get Pissed when a driver is
doing things legal and get a ticket]

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