travel trailer with a 3.0L 4x4 manual

[Driverr]

Please excuse the novice question. I have '98 3.0L v6 4x4 manual Ranger. I have never towed anything in my life. My wife wants us to get a travel trailer so we can camp more often. We'll be driving on mountain roads. I am having a class III hitch installed, but that is as far as I have gotten.

Question #1: Should I get a 7 pin hook up installed or just a 4? I believe the Ranger comes pre-wired for 4 pin.

Question #2: In my search for a trailer, how much can my truck comfortably handle? I believe the manual says 2300lb, but if a get a trailer with brakes can I tow more? One trailer I have looked at is small, but it weights 2400lb (has brakes.)

I appreciate any advice you can give me.

[Will]

Search Burro, Casita, Scamp. We had a 16' Casita and pulled it with a 4-cylinder Mazda pickup without any trouble.

You need more than 4 pins because of the brakes and the trailer battery. A 7-pole RV plug is the best bet. You get one that plugs into your 4-pin and then add the charging wire and the brake wire.

[02RangerXLT]

Every vehicle oughta have a 7 pin, because you can ALWAYS find adapters to go down from there... check this one out: http://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Controller/etrailer/ETBC7.html

With this, all you need to do is get a brake controller, and then connect everything.

[Driverr]

That help's a lot. I'll wire it for a 7.

[strvger]

these are the campers i recommend. i have one myself. very hard to beat for weight, longevity, and resale... imho.

http://www.livinlite.com/

[TomB1269]

Please excuse the novice question. I have '98 3.0L v6 4x4 manual Ranger. I have never towed anything in my life. My wife wants us to get a travel trailer so we can camp more often. We'll be driving on mountain roads. I am having a class III hitch installed, but that is as far as I have gotten.

Question #1: Should I get a 7 pin hook up installed or just a 4? I believe the Ranger comes pre-wired for 4 pin.

Question #2: In my search for a trailer, how much can my truck comfortably handle? I believe the manual says 2300lb, but if a get a trailer with brakes can I tow more? One trailer I have looked at is small, but it weights 2400lb (has brakes.)

I appreciate any advice you can give me.

As an owner of a 3.0 w/ auto in a Ranger Edge supercab, I can tell you from experence, any travel trailer (ie hard side enclosed trailer that does not expand and contract) you tow can an will be a bear. I have towed a popup and a quad trailer enclosed with a seven foot interior. The quad trailer was at least 500 lbs lighter (approx 1300lbs) vs the popup at 1700-1800lbs. it does not like either one but a highway speed the popup is towable the quad trailer is not, especaily in the hills.:dunno:
2nd, you state your a novice, I assume at towing. Be aware that the standard shift does not have the tow rating of the auto mostly due to the clutch. If you are an experinced stick shift driver (10 years or more) you probably be okay, otherwise re-think the tow vehicle. Remember to fully engage clutch be for laying into the throttle, also match gears when shifting up and down (feather throttle so that the engine and trans are spinning at a match near match speed, I.E. "power shift" like big diesels do). Last keep the RPMs up around 3000 plus or minus 200 and forget the truck has a 5th gear, DO NOT USE 5th, to much load, to tall a gear, best way to burn out the clutch plate. :icon_thumby:
Good Luck and enjoy.....Happy Camping:yahoo:
PS: Prodigy Brake controller - one of the best available - Do NOT GO CHEAP on the Controller, and with you having a stick shift I would not touch a time base unit.

[pillen140]

If you are an experinced stick shift driver (10 years or more) .

um, 10 years? lol, you better be able to shift after 10 years! lol.