Ranger Sam
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Next Wednesday as I drive my 2021 XLT Tremor from Idaho to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with my family it will mark one year of ownership and 19,000 miles on the clock.
I joke that this truck was my graduation present to myself. After graduating from college debt free I decided I should go get a truck loan so I didn’t feel left out with my friends and their student loans. (Joking aside, I was very blessed with the scholarships I received and the good-paying summer jobs I had).
With putting 19,000 miles on the truck in the first year I can honestly say that for me the truck is almost perfect. I only go into the office once a week, so most of those miles are from my travels around Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming as I camp, fish, and visit friends and family. Here are my main takeaways from this past year.
Engine: I still have a hard time getting over the fact that this is a 4-banger. However, the power is adequate for passing on Wyoming 2-lane highways and towing a 4-seater RZR up the Utah canyons. The thing that scares me is the life of the engine. I opted for the 10-year, 100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty but I never would have guessed I would do 19,000 miles in the first year. It was a very fun summer. At the current rate, I will be over 100,000 miles in 5 years, and I was hoping this truck would last me a bit longer than that. I am hoping to get at least 150,000 miles from this truck.
Transmission: For being a 10-speed I would think that the 10th gear would be much higher than it is. I-15 from Idaho down to Utah is 80 MPH with traffic moving around 85. I am constantly disappointed at how high my RPMs are going in 10th gear at that speed. If you are going to have 10 years, why not make them useable?!
Ride: I think the ride is fine, but on longer trips, my backseat passengers seem to get a bit carsick. This seems to be a common issue with the ranger, and I was hoping the Tremor package would solve this issue. The front-seat passenger is always fine though.
Cabin: For the driver the cabin is great. It is relatively quiet; the dash layout is incredibly simple and easy to keep clean. The back seat passengers suffer limited legroom, but that is a compromise on a mid-size truck. Having USB ports and a 110 outlet in the back seat is incredibly nice.
Interior storage: The ranger lacks greatly in usable interior storage when compared to its bigger brother the F-150, but that is one of the compromises of a smaller truck. I try to make the most of the rear under and behind seat areas.
Bed: I wish the bed were half a foot longer. I have a roll-up cover and try to keep all my camping gear stowed below the cover to keep it out of the rain, or from getting stolen. My Gazel T4 tent is just a few inches too long to fit lengthwise, which makes for an interesting puzzle each time I pack to go camping.
Towing: When I moved into my new place after graduation, I used the dual axel U-Haul trailer to travel close to 300 miles and the truck did amazing. I have also towed a Polaris XP4 RZR a few times up and down from the mountains on a dual axel flatbed trailer and I have no complaints. I did install the red arc trailer brake controller myself.
Fuel tank: Overall I average between 18-19 mpg. On the highway cruising between 60-70 I can get upwards of 24 mpg, but it is rare to be traveling at those speeds. I am normally around 80-85 mph. With only an 18-mpg fuel tank range anxiety often sets in when traveling to my more remote destinations. When towing I get between 11-14 mpg which makes longer journeys almost impractical.
Lighting: I spend lots of time driving back roads at night and working around our family property. The stock headlights are a joke, and the aftermarket offerings are both incredibly ugly and expensive. I have a rough country light bar in the front grill, but I will be upgrading that to the Baja designs light bar instead. I will also probably be adding some Baja desgins ditch lights. I am undecided about the entire build of the truck, but if a roof rack is added, you can bet I will be adding some side scene lights up top. People make fun of trucks that have a million LED light bars, but I’m telling you, go drive a few miles on an empty back road, try to extend your workday at the family property, or set up camp long after the sun goes down. More lights are needed.
Styling: I love the way the 5th gen ranger tremor looks. One of my biggest complaints about the 6th gen ranger is its styling. It looks like a grown-up Maverik. Not a fan at all.
Size: This was the biggest reason I went for a mid-size truck instead of looking for a used F-150. My one-car garage would be very tight with an F150 and if I had a wider truck, I’m sure there would be even more trail pinstriping than my Ranger already has. It is also easy to park and drive around town (even though my truck rarely sees tight cities. Sometimes Idaho Falls and Jackson Hole, but that is it.)
Maintenance: I used my points and had the dealer do the first oil change and tire rotation at 5,000 miles. I did it myself for both the 10k and 15k intervals, and I will have the dealer do it again for 20,000 miles as that will be in the middle of winter and my garage is not big enough for me to do it myself. I don’t really want to change the oil in -11 degree Idaho temperatures out on the snow-covered driveway. I use Motorcraft synthetic blend oil and the Motorcraft filter.
Modifications I have done:
I joke that this truck was my graduation present to myself. After graduating from college debt free I decided I should go get a truck loan so I didn’t feel left out with my friends and their student loans. (Joking aside, I was very blessed with the scholarships I received and the good-paying summer jobs I had).
With putting 19,000 miles on the truck in the first year I can honestly say that for me the truck is almost perfect. I only go into the office once a week, so most of those miles are from my travels around Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming as I camp, fish, and visit friends and family. Here are my main takeaways from this past year.
Engine: I still have a hard time getting over the fact that this is a 4-banger. However, the power is adequate for passing on Wyoming 2-lane highways and towing a 4-seater RZR up the Utah canyons. The thing that scares me is the life of the engine. I opted for the 10-year, 100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty but I never would have guessed I would do 19,000 miles in the first year. It was a very fun summer. At the current rate, I will be over 100,000 miles in 5 years, and I was hoping this truck would last me a bit longer than that. I am hoping to get at least 150,000 miles from this truck.
Transmission: For being a 10-speed I would think that the 10th gear would be much higher than it is. I-15 from Idaho down to Utah is 80 MPH with traffic moving around 85. I am constantly disappointed at how high my RPMs are going in 10th gear at that speed. If you are going to have 10 years, why not make them useable?!
Ride: I think the ride is fine, but on longer trips, my backseat passengers seem to get a bit carsick. This seems to be a common issue with the ranger, and I was hoping the Tremor package would solve this issue. The front-seat passenger is always fine though.
Cabin: For the driver the cabin is great. It is relatively quiet; the dash layout is incredibly simple and easy to keep clean. The back seat passengers suffer limited legroom, but that is a compromise on a mid-size truck. Having USB ports and a 110 outlet in the back seat is incredibly nice.
Interior storage: The ranger lacks greatly in usable interior storage when compared to its bigger brother the F-150, but that is one of the compromises of a smaller truck. I try to make the most of the rear under and behind seat areas.
Bed: I wish the bed were half a foot longer. I have a roll-up cover and try to keep all my camping gear stowed below the cover to keep it out of the rain, or from getting stolen. My Gazel T4 tent is just a few inches too long to fit lengthwise, which makes for an interesting puzzle each time I pack to go camping.
Towing: When I moved into my new place after graduation, I used the dual axel U-Haul trailer to travel close to 300 miles and the truck did amazing. I have also towed a Polaris XP4 RZR a few times up and down from the mountains on a dual axel flatbed trailer and I have no complaints. I did install the red arc trailer brake controller myself.
Fuel tank: Overall I average between 18-19 mpg. On the highway cruising between 60-70 I can get upwards of 24 mpg, but it is rare to be traveling at those speeds. I am normally around 80-85 mph. With only an 18-mpg fuel tank range anxiety often sets in when traveling to my more remote destinations. When towing I get between 11-14 mpg which makes longer journeys almost impractical.
Lighting: I spend lots of time driving back roads at night and working around our family property. The stock headlights are a joke, and the aftermarket offerings are both incredibly ugly and expensive. I have a rough country light bar in the front grill, but I will be upgrading that to the Baja designs light bar instead. I will also probably be adding some Baja desgins ditch lights. I am undecided about the entire build of the truck, but if a roof rack is added, you can bet I will be adding some side scene lights up top. People make fun of trucks that have a million LED light bars, but I’m telling you, go drive a few miles on an empty back road, try to extend your workday at the family property, or set up camp long after the sun goes down. More lights are needed.
Styling: I love the way the 5th gen ranger tremor looks. One of my biggest complaints about the 6th gen ranger is its styling. It looks like a grown-up Maverik. Not a fan at all.
Size: This was the biggest reason I went for a mid-size truck instead of looking for a used F-150. My one-car garage would be very tight with an F150 and if I had a wider truck, I’m sure there would be even more trail pinstriping than my Ranger already has. It is also easy to park and drive around town (even though my truck rarely sees tight cities. Sometimes Idaho Falls and Jackson Hole, but that is it.)
Maintenance: I used my points and had the dealer do the first oil change and tire rotation at 5,000 miles. I did it myself for both the 10k and 15k intervals, and I will have the dealer do it again for 20,000 miles as that will be in the middle of winter and my garage is not big enough for me to do it myself. I don’t really want to change the oil in -11 degree Idaho temperatures out on the snow-covered driveway. I use Motorcraft synthetic blend oil and the Motorcraft filter.
Modifications I have done:
- Baja designs SAE amber fog lights
- Rough country front grill light bar
- Red Arc trailer brake controller
- BAK Revolver X4s roll-up bed cover
- Upgrade front light bar
- Bumper with winch mount? Undecided
- Ditch lights
- GJ Motorsports upgraded third break light/chase light
- Rear bumper reverse LED
- In bed power
- On board air
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