85_Ranger4x4
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- Joined
- Aug 7, 2007
- Messages
- 32,209
- Reaction score
- 17,523
- Points
- 113
- Location
- SW Iowa
- Vehicle Year
- 1985
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Type
- V8
- Engine Size
- 5.0
- Transmission
- Manual
That is one thing I noticed hauling my Ranger to the exhaust shop about 10 miles away.I suspect the U-haul trailer was more at fault than the truck. I did a similar trip a few years ago from Saskatchewan to B.C. and crossed the Rockies near Jasper.
I had a 12' (or was it 14'?) tandem axle U-haul trailer with surge brakes being towed by my 4.0L Ranger. The trailer wasn't very full, I just wanted to keep dirt and snow off my belongings and that was the smallest they had. Even with an empty trailer it felt like I was hauling the whole house. I burned nearly double the gas I would empty and the wake behind passing trucks was not my friend.
Last weekend I towed a 3000 lb 18' fifth wheel (just 200 km to get it home) and it handled way better than the crappy little u-haul. If I could start at the bottom of a hill doing 100km/h I could often keep that speed all the way to the top. Mileage was way better too, maybe a 10% drop rather than 50%. I was still forced to slow down on steeper hills but so does anyone who isn't towing an empty tent trailer with a 1-ton.
That little 3k(?) bugger pulled just hard as if not harder than my 5-6k tractor. With the Ranger I am dragging a brick, the tractor is just a small radiator and two rear tires through the air and a lot more iron.