Seeing a TFL Ike tow with the new Raptor leads me to finding an interesting change to high altitude towing restriction/guidance.

[fjwlobo]

I posted some yrs back about the growth of owners manuals - back in the 50s and 60s they would be 30 ~ 40 pages long, the 2019 Ranger is some 500 pages - so what person with a functioning brain doesn't realize that towing sh*t up mountain passes is going to impact performance ? Well I guess there is an audience for that TFL stupidity but count me out.

In today's world, they're trying to cover every angle as people will try to sue you because THEY did something STUPID and you didn't say that you shouldn't do it.

As people say:

YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!!! ????‍??

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[Frenchy]

Today I saw a video by TFL where they used a Raptor at max load. Before I commented on the altitude impacting GCWR, as stated in the 5G ranger manual, I decided to look up what is in the new Ranger manual. To recap the 5G stated: "Reduce the stipulated permitted gross combination mass by 3% for every additional 1,000 ft (300 m) in high altitude regions above 1,000 ft (300 m). " Fairly easy to understand, the higher you go the lower your rated GCWR.

Now, in the new manual, this is the wording: "Your vehicle could have reduced performance when operating at high altitudes and when heavily loaded or towing a trailer. When driving at elevation, to match driving performance as perceived at sea level, reduce gross vehicle weight and gross combination weight by 2% per 1,000 ft (300 m) of elevation." It no longer changes the limit, just states that the performance will be degraded from sea-level performance and that to make sea-level performance this would be the suggested max weight.

I don't care what vehicle you have. Any vehicle will have "Reduced Performance" anywhere above Sea Level. This is nothing new. This is a combination of reduced Air Pressure and less Oxygen in the Air.

Regardless when towing you should always be smart and keep it safe the whole way.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

I don't care what vehicle you have. Any vehicle will have "Reduced Performance" anywhere above Sea Level. This is nothing new. This is a combination of reduced Air Pressure and less Oxygen in the Air.

Regardless when towing you should always be smart and keep it safe the whole way.

Except an electric vehicle...

Did you see the Ford "truck" on Pikes peak hill climb? Even with having it shutdown completely and having to restart the vehicle they still finished 1st overall.

 

[ControlNode]

I think some of the replies went I little off topic into the general laziness or intelligence of people. I was just pointing out that what was a more restrictive reduced GCWR limit based on altitude is now just a "hey, when you go higher, your performance it reduced." caution. I think all of us knew the performance impact of thinner air.

I still plan to drive mine based on its documented limits, do avoid any issues. For all I know the new Ranger has better cooling due to it having an electrical radiator fan it can max out the speed of without max engine RPM, a limitation our Rangers have thanks to the fan being crank driven, allowing it so safely tow at max GCWR at all altitudes.

 

[Grumpaw]

Except an electric vehicle...

Did you see the Ford "truck" on Pikes peak hill climb? Even with having it shutdown completely and having to restart the vehicle they still finished 1st overall.

Electric vehicles still need oxygen.....for when the catch fire and burn.......

 

[Friday yet?]

I think some of the replies went I little off topic into the general laziness or intelligence of people. I was just pointing out that what was a more restrictive reduced GCWR limit based on altitude is now just a "hey, when you go higher, your performance it reduced." caution. I think all of us knew the performance impact of thinner air.

I still plan to drive mine based on its documented limits, do avoid any issues. For all I know the new Ranger has better cooling due to it having an electrical radiator fan it can max out the speed of without max engine RPM, a limitation our Rangers have thanks to the fan being crank driven, allowing it so safely tow at max GCWR at all altitudes.

Interesting. Did not think of it that way.

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