Trailer?

[brendank]

I'd like to buy a camper type trailer to put at the lake over the summer, and I'm wondering what the biggest my truck can handle is.

I was thinking something slightly under 20', and it will be late 70's early 80's. Maybe something like this:

http://kijiji.ebayimg.com/i12/06/k/000/79/74/5d9f_20.JPG?set_id=1C4000

I have no idea what something like this would weigh, that's why I'm asking.

Pulling with a stock 95 4x4 4.0L w/ proper hitch.

[Wicked_Sludge]

something like that will probably be in the 3-4,000lbs range.

how comfortable are you on that 5 speed? :D

trailer brakes would be a very good idea, keep your extra gear to a minimum, and plan for a few slow climbs if you have to go over any mountain passes.

[07rangersport]

something like that will probably be in the 3-4,000lbs range.

how comfortable are you on that 5 speed? :D

trailer brakes would be a very good idea, keep your extra gear to a minimum, and plan for a few slow climbs if you have to go over any mountain passes.

Add an extra 1000-1500# for cargo and grey water, sewer etc.... to heavy for a ranger.

[Wicked_Sludge]

actually, properly set up, ford rated that generation of ranger to tow up to 5800lbs with a GCWR of 9500lbs. as long as he takes it easy on the extra gear, he'll be fine.

[brendank]

something like that will probably be in the 3-4,000lbs range.

how comfortable are you on that 5 speed? :D

trailer brakes would be a very good idea, keep your extra gear to a minimum, and plan for a few slow climbs if you have to go over any mountain passes.

Well, I drove with 3.27's and 35's on a ranger for quite a long time. I can make that 5 speed do things that very few others can. :woot:

Trailer brakes are a given. I'm also not too worried about driving slower if necessary. I know I'm not going to keep highway speed with something like this.

[07rangersport]

actually, properly set up, ford rated that generation of ranger to tow up to 5800lbs with a GCWR of 9500lbs. as long as he takes it easy on the extra gear, he'll be fine.

Yes properly set up, and rated up to. That was an option which probably included heavier suspension and beefier brakes. That rating is also with an automatic transmission. The stock tow capacity was about 4800#. I;m not trying to attack your posts or anything, you know a hell of lot more about these trucks than me, I've just seen a lot of people get themselves in over their heads, If people want to tow anything big or heavy please, please, please, get the right tool for the job(not a ranger).

[Wicked_Sludge]

there was no upgraded suspension or brake option. what i meant by "properly set up" is 4.0, 4x4, auto trans. and 4.10 gears.

hes got the 4.0 and 4x4 part. gears only effect takeoffs, and ford downrated the manual so they wouldnt have to replace clutches under warranty. the M5OD can easily out-tow any of the crap auto transmissions ford put in the rangers IF the driver knows how to use a clutch (most dont)...hens my "how comfortable are you with that 5 speed" comment. sounds to me like the OP is patient, and knows how to work a clutch.

rangers are much more capable than people give them credit for...and i see no reason to live outside of ones means.

[brendank]

there was no upgraded suspension or brake option. what i meant by "properly set up" is 4.0, 4x4, auto trans. and 4.10 gears.

hes got the 4.0 and 4x4 part. gears only effect takeoffs, and ford downrated the manual so they wouldnt have to replace clutches under warranty. the M5OD can easily out-tow any of the crap auto transmissions ford put in the rangers IF the driver knows how to use a clutch (most dont)...hens my "how comfortable are you with that 5 speed" comment. sounds to me like the OP is patient, and knows how to work a clutch.

rangers are much more capable than people give them credit for...and i see no reason to live outside of ones means.

I've towed all kinds of other stuff, from and F-350 towing an F-350 to a 3ton towing a 25k lb tracked machine. I'm not worried about whether or not I can handle towing it. I'm worried about the truck.

I just wanted to get an idea of whether it was a gray area, or just a plain no way. I guess I'll just have to be careful.

[Wicked_Sludge]

i towed 3,000lbs with my little 3.0, weaker 7.5" rear, bad 3.73 gears with 31" tires, and no trailer brakes.

sounds like your a pretty experienced driver, i think you'll be fine as long as you watch your GCWR.

[thegoat4]

Get trailer brakes and a WD hitch and you'll be comfortable.

[Will]

That thing is going to put a wild aerodynamic load on a Ranger. It's not the weight--the weight doesn't mean anything once it's going. That box is going to rock and roll you. You will need a pair of sway controls and an equalizing hitch. Your Ranger isn't going to block very much of the wind--that thing is going to be a large speed-brake. And semi's passing you--or going under an overpass, it will be tough to keep in your lane at times. I pulled my dad's toy hauler with my Ranger one time from Detroit to home--I don't know--300+ miles. It was empty, maybe 3,000#. When I was in town, it was no problem. When I started down the on-ramp--no problem. When I started getting up to about 50mph I started running out of power. I was also getting buffeted pretty good by trucks as I descrided. In fact, when a Semi would start to pass i was getting sucked into the side of it. I made it home fine but it was not something I would want to do as a habit. It was something I was glad to be done with.

I would pull a 3,500# pop-up or a molded fiberglass trailer like a Scamp, Burro, Bolero or Casita all over the place. Not one of those old barns.

[brendank]

I'm familiar with getting pulled around by the wind on the highway. It's not fun. The F-350 that I towed with another F-350 had a huge enclosed box instead of a bed. The floor was at the normal height of the bed, but the roof of the damn thing was high enough that you couldn't touch it when you were standing inside. It was easily 4 feet over the top of the cab, and was slightly wider than the truck.

I've been considering a tent trailer or something else that's a little smaller than I had originally planned. That is, if I even decide to go through with a purchase. I rolled the old man's '07 Arctic Cat 650 H1 LE down the valley hill last weekend, so that's gonna take a decent chunk out of the trailer budget to replace.

[Will]

It's worse with a Ranger. A Ranger is much narrower and less stable because of that, plus of course an F350 is sprung like a loading dock.

I just typed "Casita" into ebaymotors.com and got several interesting hits.

[Wicked_Sludge]

http://www.watsonmountain.com/pics/scamp/denver2.jpg

here you go man...the solution to all your problems :drool: the scamp 5th wheel is 19 feet long (available with full bathroom AND kitchen amenities), and is only 2,000lbs empty weight!

im not really into the whole RV scene...but even i wouldnt mind getting my hands on one of those...it just looks so right behind that ranger.

SCAMP 5TH WHEEL (http://www.scamptrailers.com/MN/trailers/19ftintro.html)

[85_Ranger4x4]

That thing is going to put a wild aerodynamic load on a Ranger. It's not the weight--the weight doesn't mean anything once it's going. That box is going to rock and roll you. You will need a pair of sway controls and an equalizing hitch. Your Ranger isn't going to block very much of the wind--that thing is going to be a large speed-brake. And semi's passing you--or going under an overpass, it will be tough to keep in your lane at times. I pulled my dad's toy hauler with my Ranger one time from Detroit to home--I don't know--300+ miles. It was empty, maybe 3,000#. When I was in town, it was no problem. When I started down the on-ramp--no problem. When I started getting up to about 50mph I started running out of power. I was also getting buffeted pretty good by trucks as I descrided. In fact, when a Semi would start to pass i was getting sucked into the side of it. I made it home fine but it was not something I would want to do as a habit. It was something I was glad to be done with.

I would pull a 3,500# pop-up or a molded fiberglass trailer like a Scamp, Burro, Bolero or Casita all over the place. Not one of those old barns.

Would a trailer with some weight in it be more likely to stay behind the truck rather than get pushed around though? Just a thought, I have only pulled flatbeds so I don't really have any experiance with a enclosed trailer.

[Wicked_Sludge]

3,000lbs is pretty substantial in and of itself...i wouldnt think it'd have much problem holding itself down.

[07rangersport]

Would a trailer with some weight in it be more likely to stay behind the truck rather than get pushed around though? Just a thought, I have only pulled flatbeds so I don't really have any experiance with a enclosed trailer.

I don't think so. A trailer that has a big square frontal surface area is gunna pull a little truck like a ranger all over the road. Adding more weight would compound the problem. A ranger is very capable of pulling a lot of weight(I've pulled 7500# up a hill with mine) but it is too light of a vehicle to SAFELY pull something that size, if that trailer started to go there would nothing that would stop it. Well except maybe the guardrail.

[07rangersport]

3,000lbs is pretty substantial in and of itself...i wouldnt think it'd have much problem holding itself down.


True but once its starts to go thats it no stopping it. With a f250 and a trailer that size i have felt crosswinds, or when a semi passes you it can be felt, sometimes it even pulls the whole unit(truck and trailer) one way or the other. Thats a 3/4 tonne pickup. Imagine a little ranger

[Wicked_Sludge]

im not denying that the ranger is light...i just meant that adding weight to a trailer that is already that heavy wouldnt help anything.

if it was a big, enclosed trailer that only weighed 1,200lbs then adding weight might help keep everything in track. i know my little enclosed trailer tows like crap empty. partially due to it stiff springs (it bounces all over, i usually air the tires down to 10PSI if i have to tow it empty for any distance), but also because it looses track if you breath on it wrong.

[07rangersport]

im not denying that the ranger is light...i just meant that adding weight to a trailer that is already that heavy wouldnt help anything.

if it was a big, enclosed trailer that only weighed 1,200lbs then adding weight might help keep everything in track. i know my little enclosed trailer tows like crap empty. partially due to it stiff springs (it bounces all over, i usually air the tires down to 10PSI if i have to tow it empty for any distance), but also because it looses track if you breath on it wrong.


Guess I misunderstood your post lol whoops my bad:icon_cheers:

[Wicked_Sludge]

ya communicating over the 'net does that sometimes.

no prob.

[Jspafford]

The only way weight would help is if it kept you from reaching highway speeds.

With a trailer like that and a Ranger you need something like this (http://www.equalizerhitch.com/).

[wahlstrom1]

Well, his ranger is gonna be on 1 tons and 38's, so he's gonna knock down the same amount of wind as a fullsize. I would stick to a newer trailer (95+) just for the fact they are built a lot lighter and stick to a 20' or smaller. With the lift, a fifth wheel is also outta the question.

-andrew

[07rangersport]

The only way weight would help is if it kept you from reaching highway speeds.

With a trailer like that and a Ranger you need something like this (http://www.equalizerhitch.com/).


yep. an equalizer hitch is a must..

[07rangersport]

Well, his ranger is gonna be on 1 tons and 38's, so he's gonna knock down the same amount of wind as a fullsize. I would stick to a newer trailer (95+) just for the fact they are built a lot lighter and stick to a 20' or smaller. With the lift, a fifth wheel is also outta the question.

-andrew


A lift?? and 38's?? that make it more dangerous. Higher COG means the trailer starts to go... the truck rolls... and it has been said and I agree the weight is not the issue. best bet for towing with a ranger is a pop-up
of some sort. something that the truck can act as a wind deflector for

[wahlstrom1]

Note, I said 1 tons and 38's. Being on full width's will help his stability problem. Ever watched a semi tow 3 30's (trucker will no actual length...I'm just guessing) instead of 2 53's? When you tow something small and block all wind goin to it, it bounces around all over the place and tow's rougher than a larger trailer. I still suggest a fullsize trailer, just a smaller one like an 17 or 18', maybe even one with popout beds to lower the weight more.

-andrew

[Wicked_Sludge]

im less concerned about the CG issue with those 38's than i am the braking issue. a 38" shoe gives the road an awful lot of leverage to use against your brakes and stopping distances will be long.

for some reason, my brain only read the first line in his sig and i didnt notice the 38" tires until 07ranger said something...i might change my vote to dont tow with this truck...

[Jspafford]

I have to agree. The truck is going to be dogging to move as it is, put a trailer that is over half the rated weight on it, it will be dangerous.

Imagine how much taller the truck will be than the trailer.

How many 1 tons do you see with 38's towing 40' trailers? That is about the same as what is wanting to be done.

To each their own.

[brendank]

Sorry for the confusion, but I wasn't planning on pulling it with my rig. I was talking about towing it with a friends '95 which is almost entirely stock.

[Wicked_Sludge]

ahh, then your back in the game :icon_thumby:

[wahlstrom1]

Well, in that case...I still say 20' or smaller and the newer the better, because they build them lighter now.

-andrew

[novascotiabinder]

My 2008 ranger ext cab 4 litre manual 4x4 with 3.73 tows a 2007 ,3200lb dry weight tandem axle jayco featherlite 21 ft travel trailer.I can tell you I have the electric brakes the weight dist hitch and the friction sway bar damper and I have experience hauling a single axle 4000lb dry weight trailer behind an old 84 dodge 1/2 ton and by no means does that new ranger come close to hauling as easy as the old dodge did because of the length of the trailer compared to the ranger's wheelbase length and the shear size of the front of the travel trailer breaking the airflow.Like one of the guys previously mentioned,its fine power wise it will probably haul double the weight but the air drag causes the thing to be all over the road when a semi passes you or you get above 80km/hr (in canada hence the km/hr).I actually hesitated buying this trailer at the sales place and actually called my dealership to confirm the ability of the truck and his words were,"The truck is rated for less but I assure you that the truck can handle 5000lb no problems at all and therefore you dont have to worry about your warranty coverage".I followed up with the fact I wanted him to record that he oked my towing this trailer under warranty period on my file and he did.The trailer company should let you take the darn things out for a test pull since I left the trailer sales place to find out once on the highway that the rig was being pulled all over the place by the semis passing me ,as well the truck wouldnt acheive 100km/hr on anything but a straight away unless you were in 3rd gear revving the shit out of the motor.So if you are wanting to know whether to pull something this big I would say no .Unfortunately I cant just go buy another new truck or trailer without loosing my shirt in debt now so I am stuck with this setup till I can actually find an old International long wheel base or an old dodge truck to pull it with.Unless of course some one here has a suggestion on how to mod the truck to handle the towing better.I was thinking of mayeb putting an air dam on the truck itself to deflect the airflow away from the trailer or at least take some drag away.I hope this message was somewhat helpful to anyone thinking of buying a trailer this size for your ranger.

[Will]

Well, his ranger is gonna be on 1 tons and 38's, so he's gonna knock down the same amount of wind as a fullsize. I would stick to a newer trailer (95+) just for the fact they are built a lot lighter and stick to a 20' or smaller. With the lift, a fifth wheel is also outta the question.

-andrew

No he isn't. It's still a little Ranger body. A Ranger body is about 64" wide and 50" tall. A full-size body is about 80" wide and 60" tall. A Ranger is punching 50% less of a hole in the air.

'Binder's experience is the same as mine. It's not enough truck. Its like putting a 300hp outboard engine on a commercial fishing trawler It's enough power, but there isn't anywhere near enough propeller to use it in that application. The Ranger drivetrain is suitable for that weight, but there isn't a suitable frame and body to control it.

I also would not agree that newer trailers are lighter. Old trailers are framed in 2x2s (or smaller) with aluminum skin on them and usually an undersized frame and axle and nothing like the amount of amenities available in a new trailer. AC was rare, generators rare, slideouts nonexistant, ice boxes instead of refers. They were also narrower--usually 7'6" width was standard--and had less headroom.

Definately trying to smooth out the airflow between the truck and trailer would help. An airdam to try and throw the air up and maybe an 8" wide deflector on either side too. I don't know how that would be done. But there's a lot of trailer on either side of a narrow Ranger cab. With an 8' wide trailer even a mirror extension won't let you see backwards. The equalizer is good since a Ranger can't accept that much tonque weight. I had a sway control--I would use a pair of them with a Ranger and a fullsize. That will take the semi factor away.

Build a little fiver (http://glen-l.com/campers/rainier.html) for a Ranger, I would say. I'm going to build one when I get these boats in my yard built, just because it would be fun and inexpensive.

[lil red]

look into teardrop trailors, a honda civic could tow them, and there just really cool

[metalmacguyver]

Guys, this thread is a year old.

[Will]

Yeah?

The Jesus boat (http://www.jesusboat.com/boat.php)is 2,000 years old and to some people it's about the most interesting thing they ever heard of.

[Wicked_Sludge]

http://members.airsoftcanada.com/digital_assasin/Forum%20Stuff/Misc/oh_snap.gif

[Will]

I was trying to be humorous, not rude.

If someone wants to talk about it, it's worth talking about whenever. That's my point.

[rboyer]

A topic brought back to live is in my opinion something that was never finished in the first place. Sometimes by finishing it you make it easier for people who actually know how to use the "search feature" to find what they are looking for and prevent any further posts on the exact same subject. Not that it may apply in this exact same case but still you never know.

[Will]

There you go, I never thought about that. Someone uses the search function and of course the topic is going to be old. We certainly don't want to discourage use of the search function.

[metalmacguyver]

Good points. I didnt mean to discourage discussion. I will definitely agree that threads that have no resolution are very annoying. Often its, "this is my problem" followed by "check this this and this" and then the thread dies with no actual resolution which is by far the most useful part of any technical thread.

[doorgunner]

yep, & when one has brain damage & one gives a 300 word reply & one hits the submit button before one realizes the thread is from 8Mar2005--one really gets embarrased:icon_rofl:: other than that, it's all good:headbang:

[Will]

Not helpful.