What are you guys towing?

[Marshal.]

And?? how,d it go? camper specs etc. We are mainly backcountry, canoe, hike, etc. tent campers, but now in our mid 50s we are considering a rig like this for some longer trips, rpod, humminbird, etc.

Thanks, Todd

I hate to say it, but you could barely tell it was there on the highway. The terrain was quite hilly, lots of sustained uphill and downhill. Power is not a concern, but it’ll drink fuel if you keep the speed above 110kph. Generally the speed I went was 100kph. Dry weigh it’s 3000lbs, but with the battery, propane tank, fresh water, and other accessories, we were likely right at that 3800lbs(I admit, I did not weigh it though). My ONLY complaint with it, is the tiny pipet that is the fuel tank. I can only go about 300KMs on a tank of 91 octane. Highway boost was between 4-9psi, depending on wind direction, over 10hrs or driving. Kept it in 7th gear, where it seemed happiest.

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[MINI Ranger]

We averaged over 20 mpg towing our teardrop on a recent camping trip. Averaged 18.5 mpg towing it to Portland, Oregon from Bend over a mountain pass. It will be less coming back because it is more climbing from Portland to Bend. Still, pleasantly surprised with the mileage so far and love the towing capabilities.

Is your trailer a Little Guy Silver Shadow?

 

[ChiliTruck]

First tow with my Ranger. 8.5x17 Aluminum trailer (3250 lbs) with two sportbikes, generator, tool cart, spare rims/tires and gear (+/- 1k lbs.). Averaged 11.5-14mpg (87 oct.) between traffic (DC Metro to pick up bikes from shop) and out west (good hill inclines). Only had one stretch where it had to hold 4th gear and 4k rpm to maintain 60 mph. Otherwise 7-9th gear under 2500 rpm. Truck definitely needs a brake controller (waiting to see what Ford comes up with) and anti-squat springs for the rear (plenty of flashing high beams heading west at 5am, sorry!). Otherwise, impressed and happy I can get away with using the Ranger for my 5-6 weekends a year of hauling for race weekends and have a usable truck for my daily asshatery commuting in northern va haha.

 

[Texasota]

IMO the ranger feels soft in the rear. A lot of extra movement on the highway. Boat trailers in particular exacerbate this becauses it's very difficult to get enough tongue weight. Since your point of reference is an 18 footer behind a 3/4 ton, I assume you don't feel it much back there. With the Ranger, I think you will to a point that it may not be acceptable given the distance and frequency you will use it as a tow vehicle.

I have picked up lots of good information from the posts in this thread. Thanks.

Yesterday my dealer let me have a Ranger Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 (not FX4) for the day so that I could evaluate how well it will tow my Sea Ray boat (~4000 pounds). The rear squatted ~1.5" when I hitched the boat and I was expecting more because I think my tongue weight is very close to 350 pounds. Several posters have commented on this forum that a draw bar with a 6" drop is needed for this truck. I also found that to be the case because my trailer tongue was 2" higher than where it should have been. I also had to run and get a 12" extension for my trailer wiring because the receptacle's location was farther away as compared to my 2002 GMC Sierra 2500.

I towed for about 60 miles and headed for all of the steeper grades that I could find in my area. I was truly impressed with the torque of the Ranger's power train. It did not struggle on any of the grades and it did very little downshifting. It seemed to tow just as effortlessly as my Sierra which in a way is not surprising. My Sierra's 6.0 V8 produces 300 HP and 360 lb/feet of torque (compared to 270 & 310 for the Ranger) but the Sierra weighs 1000 pounds more. The Ranger got 15+ MPG (according to the trip computer) and my Sierra gets 12.5 MPG towing.

The ride was different. Being that the Sierrra is a 3/4 ton truck the ride is harsh and you feel every bump but it is very planted. The Ranger had some moderate seesaw action on some roads (probably because of the shorter wheelbase). There was no tail wagging the dog effect despite the Ranger's lighter weight. It towed very well even with the trailer not being properly leveled.

On the way home I stopped at a scale. I have 910 pounds of wiggle room with the GVWR and 3,640 pounds of wiggle room with the GCWR. This provides for plenty of spare capacity for our camping gear or future grandchildren. The extra room in my garage (17" more between the bumper and garage door) is a huge added bonus.

I really liked this truck and did not want to return it to my dealer. I plan on ordering a 2020 Ranger XLT 4x4 (not FX4) this fall.

Learning a lot from this forum. Thanks.

 

[rangermike]

Is your trailer a Little Guy Silver Shadow?

Nope. We looked at those but ended up having one built for us by Aero Teardrops out of Portland Oregon. They have enough head room to sit up and the mattress converts into a sofa so if it's raining you can set up a table inside and hang out.

We really like the trailer ... it's been everything we'd hoped.

 

[rangerdanger]

 

[Beef_Stew]

First tow with the ranger

 

[2.7EcoBoost]

Just pulled my 5,400 LB 30 ft TT. Was a pretty good 3 mile grade along the way . Held 60 mph in 4th gear all the way to the top at 4,300 rpm. I was impressed. Did much better than I expected.....

 

[Deleted member 1634]

Nothing too crazy or big, but definitely unique and different. 1 out of every 2 gas station stops, someone comes up and asks either about the truck or the camper.

Dry weight of 1150lbs. In this configuration, going on the road for 10days, I'd say it came in about 1800lbs.

Definitely has no problem towing this rig!

 

[Noseoil]

I've ordered a 2019 XL with the 4X4, tow & 101A packages, but will have to wait for 8-12 weeks for delivery from Ford. I was towing with an '07 Nissan Frontier 4 cylinder (see picture), but coming home from Bonneville I ended up going over Monarch Pass in Colorado to get home... That was a 2nd gear grind with the flashers running the whole way at 11,200'. Looking forward to the new Ranger for towing in the hills, but I have yet to find out what is done with the towing package at the factory. Is it just the hitch & wire harness, or is there an additional oil/transmission cooler & bigger radiator included? Anyone have a real answer as the general info is poor.

Here's the rig at Bonneville this month, a picture from camp. Not good racing this year, too wet on the salt due to the weather conditions. Trailer is a home-build teardrop, weight is about 1,700# when rolling. 5' wide, 9' long, 4' tall cabin & 12' long overall with the hitch Air conditioned (runs on 110v), propane stove, 12v system uses a solar panel, stereo, TV, Blu Ray, sound bar, USB charging ports, etc. etc. etc.

 

[rangerdanger]

I've ordered a 2019 XL with the 4X4, tow & 101A packages, but will have to wait for 8-12 weeks for delivery from Ford. I was towing with an '07 Nissan Frontier 4 cylinder (see picture), but coming home from Bonneville I ended up going over Monarch Pass in Colorado to get home... That was a 2nd gear grind with the flashers running the whole way at 11,200'. Looking forward to the new Ranger for towing in the hills, but I have yet to find out what is done with the towing package at the factory. Is it just the hitch & wire harness, or is there an additional oil/transmission cooler & bigger radiator included? Anyone have a real answer as the general info is poor.

Here's the rig at Bonneville this month, a picture from camp. Not good racing this year, too wet on the salt due to the weather conditions. Trailer is a home-build teardrop, weight is about 1,700# when rolling. 5' wide, 9' long, 4' tall cabin & 12' long overall with the hitch Air conditioned (runs on 110v), propane stove, 12v system uses a solar panel, stereo, TV, Blu Ray, sound bar, USB charging ports, etc. etc. etc.

Towing package is just a hitch and 4/7 pin connectors. The truck already has a beefed up transmission & cooling system as standard.

Edit: Added Trailer package info from the 2020 MY order guide.

 

[Tracy Bowman]

Nothing too crazy or big, but definitely unique and different. 1 out of every 2 gas station stops, someone comes up and asks either about the truck or the camper.

Dry weight of 1150lbs. In this configuration, going on the road for 10days, I'd say it came in about 1800lbs.

Definitely has no problem towing this rig!

I really like that! We’re looking to purchase some type of travel trailer soon & are checking out all options.

 

[Deleted member 1634]

I really like that! We’re looking to purchase some type of travel trailer soon & are checking out all options.

Our teardrop, and teardrops in general, are a nice minimalist camper. Lightweight, simple, aerodynamic, but still insulated, keeps you off the ground, has a fullsize queen bed, and with a hardshell to protect you from the elements. Only thing is that there isn't a bathroom on board and you can't stand up inside. But we don't mind using pit toilets or whatever at the campground, and we have a big awning to give us some protected outside space to stand up in. All-in-all, definitely recommend if you don't mind the small space and minimal amenities. Otherwise they do make slightly bigger teardrops that have a indoor kitchen and bathroom, that you can stand up in.

 

[Tracy Bowman]

Our teardrop, and teardrops in general, are a nice minimalist camper. Lightweight, simple, aerodynamic, but still insulated, keeps you off the ground, has a fullsize queen bed, and with a hardshell to protect you from the elements. Only thing is that there isn't a bathroom on board and you can't stand up inside. But we don't mind using pit toilets or whatever at the campground, and we have a big awning to give us some protected outside space to stand up in. All-in-all, definitely recommend if you don't mind the small space and minimal amenities. Otherwise they do make slightly bigger teardrops that have a indoor kitchen and bathroom, that you can stand up in.

Thank you for the info.

 

[Mjersk]

Love towing my 2000 Malibu Response LX

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