Now this don't seem right??

[Will]

Can you send me a photcopy of the Owner's Manual so I can familiarize myself with the safe operation of the vehicle before I arrive?

 

[fastpakr]

I'll get right on it. Want manuals for the Ranger and the bike too? In a couple of hours we can get you certified on a few new types.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Ill save you the hassle....

Turn the key, drop it in drive, and go. Turn the wheel left, it goes left, same if you turn it right, the further you mash the acclerator the harder it acclerates and the harder you mash the brake the faster you stop.



Ill let ya drive my 78 F350...

later,
Dustin

 

[fastpakr]

Ill save you the hassle....

Turn the key, drop it in drive, and go. Turn the wheel left, it goes left, same if you turn it right,

That could get a little fugly on the bike.

 

[Frank The Tank]

6k with a 4cylinder.... No way!

Maybe slow towing, but no way on the highway.

I don't see why it wouldn't do 6 at a max number at all.
my total weight was closer to 5,000.
50mph, not interstate speed......
but highway speed, not that bad.
3rd gear hills though.

Frank

 

[07rangersport]

I don't see why it wouldn't do 6 at a max number at all.
my total weight was closer to 5,000.
50mph, not interstate speed......
but highway speed, not that bad.
3rd gear hills though.

Frank

I've had close to 6k behind my truck. It wasn't too happy about that. It was pretty flat too. Just a few small hills. That 150 miles you went. That was all downhill with a tail wind right? I'm having alot of trouble believing that a 5spd 4cyl pulled 6000#. How in the hell did you get that moving without leaving your clutch on the road behind you?

 

[Frank The Tank]

1st gear......
mine didn't weigh 6, it weighed closer to 5.
well 3,500lb car, spare tires, and the trailor.
16 foot dual axle trailor.
I'm not saying I was racing F-250's at the lights..... but it pulled it fine.
And yes I used up every bit of rpm's I had prior to shift.
And yes there was some obvious slippage of the clutch taking off.... but the car was well balanced, and it did not hurt the truck, at all.
I would not be afraid to do it again.
and Muehlenburg, and all of Western Ky, is not flat.
I specifically remember stopping on a hill, with it on the back because some women were in the road I knew... and wanted to look the car over. Took off fine.... drove on home.

Frank

 

[07rangersport]

Hmm. I'm still not a believer. At least say you had trailer brakes.

 

[p38fln]

A 4 cylinder engine can pull more weight than you might think. I used to have 1999 Rav4 2WD (FWD) with a 5 speed stick shift. The vehicle empty weighed 2800 pounds, and I used it to pull a fully loaded U-Haul trailer from Wisconsin to Ohio and back to Wisconsin. I weighed the "rig" on the Wisconsin end of the journey before I began - 8,500 pounds. So the trailer wasn't quite at 6,000 pounds but it was dang close.

This is a vehicle that normally would get about 25-26 MPG on the open road, and at one point it was getting 9 MPG pulling that trailer. It also had to run in 3rd gear a lot with the engine screaming at 4,000 RPM (Red line on that engine was 6500 RPM) and it would not exceed 70 MPH no matter what - we're talking accelerator on the floor the whole way.

I did have to take off up-hill with it a lot on that trip for various reasons. The key is to give it just enough throttle to keep the engine from stalling (Usually zero throttle on a level surface) until you can get the clutch all the way out, then stand on it as soon as your left foot is off the clutch. Sure the launches are a little slow, but I kept the original clutch in that Rav4 until I traded it for a Ranger at 160,000 miles.

The only issue I had was the Rav4 being pushed by the trailer going downhill - it had a pronounced swaying motion that only a very firm grip on the steering wheel would stop. I think this was caused more from the unibody construction than anything else - just allowed for way too much flexing.

So....anyone want to buy a used and very abused Rav4? Its sitting at the local Ford dealer with a spark plug blown out the head and a "Wholesaler" sticker on it. Burns lots of oil.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

Turn the wheel left, it goes left, same if you turn it right

wait, so if i turn the wheel right the truck turns left too? im not sure id feel safe in a vehicle that only makes left turns unless i was on an oval track

the key thing to remember about towing is: its not how much weight your vehicle can tow, its how much weight your vehicle can stop. overloading your engine just makes for a slow trip. overloading your brakes makes for....death.

 

[Will]

I hope you realize that your truck brakes aren't meant to stop the trailer. Your trailer brakes should be able to skid the trailer tires. That's how you adjust the controller--skid them and then back off. If your brakes won't skid the trailer tires, time to investigate. Undersized wiring; poor connection at the plug; crap controller; whipped magnets and drums.

Any combined weight that exceeds the trucks GVWR is going to need properly functioning trailer brakes. I had to stand on my brakes once at 80mph pulling my hoe and Bobcat and in too much of a hurry to get home. A car yanked right out in front of me as I was burning up the left lane passing a row of vehicles. I stood on the brakes and the trailer pulled me down straight and even. If I had a time-delay $70 controller I would have run over that car because those things do not recognize a panic stop. My inertial controller does and most of the time does its job without me noticing. But that time I felt the trailer pulling me back. Even with the huge brakes my truck has--the rear drums weigh 45# each, I would have hit that car. I learned alot right then. First, I wasn't in that much of a hurry after all and second, I was damn glad I didn't mess around when I set up my truck and trailer.

My wife woke up and said "what?"
I said "Nothing, just a car pulled out."

No red white and blue lights slashing up the night.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

thats if your pulling a trailer equipped with brakes

 

[Roadkill]

My God! I am so glad that I get to share the roads with some of you that critically overload a 4 banger and think that since you can get going all is OK. Some people here REALLY need to read up on proper towing.

My '05 Volvo 670 with a 13 speed can safely tow 65K Kg's. My F-350 with electronic brake controller can safely tow up to 35K lbs. The biggest thing is that both vehicles are properly built with the drivetrain, frame, and braking system to handle the loads.

I have towed a 3300# car on a dolly with my old 3.0 5 speed. It ended up being just over the maximum weight and I would never do it again. That's why I have a truck that can tow what I need, and then some.

I'll bet I can safely stop my rig loaded to 80,000# faster than anyone's 4 banger with 6000# behind it.

This is one area that I like that the DOT can stop small vehicles that are not safely towing and fine them. They don't do it nearly as often as I'd like to see though. But then you have truck drivers that will call in that type of idiocy.

/rant off

 

[Will]

You tow 35,000# trailers with an F350 and you are going to call in a Ranger pulling 6,000#?

 

[Roadkill]

Will, that is the rating on my truck using a fifth or gooseneck (can't remember which right off the top of my head).