will it handle it

[Muddycowboy]

im thinking about towing my buddies 2wd ranger to the anniversary next year on my 12,000lb equipment trailer with the truck in my signiture. its a 8 hr drive normal ,longer if i was hualing something. i have a brake controler box setup for the trailer in my truck so im not worried about stopping just the weight. think i could pull it off with out messin my truck up.

heres his truck.

http://a476.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/127/l_354163fd3609bc3cffcfac5410a365fb.jpg

heres what the trailer looks like (top left)

http://www.leppos.com/sales/images/equippro2.jpg

[Jspafford]

I am going to say that I wouldn't

The truck of his probably weights in at close to 4K. The trailer looks to be all steel, and probably weights well over 2K. You are over your limit. Even with a brake controller the truck is going to be overloaded. You could be fined quite a bit if they pull you over and weight it.

Not to mention 8 hours is a long trek with that setup and a truck that is rated to tow it.

Ford manuals are only rated at half of the automatics. Even with the auto's, they can only handle 5500lbs.

Tow at your own risk.

[Muddycowboy]

well ill have to put a reese hitch on the stroker then. or find a goose neck that will haul 2 rangers lol

[Will]

That trailers nearly 3,000# empty. It's too much for a Ranger by far. Get Jspafford to lease you his F250.

Edit: You have a truck with a Powerstroke and no hitch? I thought they came stock as part of the car slide-under protection guards? I've never seen a HD pickup without a hitch.

[Muddycowboy]

it has a goose neck ball no need for a bumper pull on the farm cuase when we bought the truck we had all goose neck trailers. now i work for an equipment dealership and i have about 30 bumper pull flat bed trailers at my disposal and no truck to pull them with lol. ive pulled them with my ranger before just never with that much weight them max ive had was a 2850LBS bobcat track loader pulled it about 20 miles

[Will]

You don't work for a Bobcat dealership do you?

Edit: Is that 2850# loader a walk behind? My neighbor had a T250 and it was close to 10,000# I'd bet. Anyway, a 2wd Ranger isn't much more than 2850# so if that is the same trailer the Ranger won't be much different on there.

[Muddycowboy]

ya i do Leppo Equipment in northeastern ohio. one of Bobcats top ten dealers in the US.

[Will]

I was just wondering what parts Bobcat still stocked for my old M371. I was thinking about going through the clutches during the wet season so it will be ready for summer. Didn't want to start getting too far into it before I knew what I could still get. I don't know if you are involved in parts and had a general idea.

[Muddycowboy]

i can check into it tomorrow at work you know the s/n pm it to me

[Jspafford]

That trailers nearly 3,000# empty. It's too much for a Ranger by far. Get Jspafford to lease you his F250.

Edit: You have a truck with a Powerstroke and no hitch? I thought they came stock as part of the car slide-under protection guards? I've never seen a HD pickup without a hitch.

When we got our new 2500HD Silverado at work back in 2005 it had no hitch on it.

Which was fine, because we ended up putting a "Tow Beast" 2 1/2" 14,000# reciever on it.

The hitch on my F250 is factory.

[Will]

i can check into it tomorrow at work you know the s/n pm it to me

I believe it's Serial# 4953-5621 UGM and the model is M-371.

[Muddycowboy]

i checked on our system today we can order clutchs from the manufacturer but we done carry them in stock. so you can either get them from us or a dealer out your way.

[Will]

Thanks for checking. That's kind of suprising considering the age of this thing. On the other hand, unlike cars, almost all of the ones ever made are probably around somewhere.

[Muddycowboy]

i had the priviege of opperating the first model ever built the m52. it ran and handled suprisingly well for being built in 1952. looks a litte scary comparied to the newer models

[07rangersport]

don't do it. A ranger isn't designed for towing that much weight.

[Will]

i had the priviege of opperating the first model ever built the m52. it ran and handled suprisingly well for being built in 1952. looks a litte scary comparied to the newer models

I've seen pictures of the first ones. No ROPS? That's insane.

Mine isn't very good compared to a newer one either--not a lot different from the early ones. My dad has a model the same size as mine--like a 463 but gas powered. Hydrostatic; the bar that comes down--not only can you rest your elbows on it (mine hurt bad) but you don't get thrown around. The balance is better. The cage is wider--my shoulders rub the sides of mine. The pedals on mine are in too tight a box for comfort.

The biggest thing is the hydrostatic drive. I love driving my dad's. I've moved a half milion pounds of dirt in the last 2 years on mine in a huge excavation I've carved in my hillside. Hours of bumping back and forst across the yard. I wish I had his because it flies. Mines one speed.

That said, my Bobcat is the best damn thing I own. I have pallet forks for it too, I use it for everything that you keep your clothes on for. I've pulled engines, carried my truck body, unloaded trucks, changed tires, moved trailers with a ball hole I drilled through the bucket--I've even used it as a clamp to hold my backhoe bucket down while I was pounding it back in shape with a sledgehammer. I move snow, grade, spread gravel, clear brush, load logs--I dunno, everything. It's like being the bionic man--jump in and you can lift or push anything.