FORD America Choice

[85_Ranger4x4]

My '02 5.4 4x4 on stock rubber put down a pretty reliable 18-19mpg.

Never tied into an enclosed trailer, just flatbeds with machinery on board... low teens but it was a lot heavier than two horses in a horse trailer.

[BDAB]

this is what I have discovered after 14 years of tractor trailer...... Drag is a bigger factor on mileage than weight over 50 mph. Under 50 mph then drag is no longer a factor.

I can take a Flatbed loaded 48000# of rebar where the load is only 16" tall the full length of the trailer and pull better fuel mileage than a 53' Van loaded with 9000# of foam. Conversely....... The van will get better mileage if I have to add a tarp...... dragging a load with a tarp is like pulling a parachute behind you.

[85_Ranger4x4]

Weight does matter to a certain degree, and it would be significant between my tractor/plow on a flatbed vs a couple horses in a trailer.

It is a lot easier to pull the empty trailer than it is with my 5000lb tractor on it.

[BDAB]

Originally Posted by 85_Ranger4x4

It is a lot easier to pull the empty trailer than it is with my 5000lb tractor on it.

that only matters to get it going, getting up/down the grade, and getting it stopped ....... once you are moving.... weight means less than drag.

[Kingoverace]

ohh..i wasn't conserned with mpg. That 150 pulled that horse and didn't even feel the trailer. But when I was wondering if my Ranger could pull 2 horses, I didn't have the 150 at the time.
Regardless, I still wanna set it up with some temp guages, I do offroad alot, and I still want to set it up with a Class IV Reese hitch reciever.

35 ATs on 4.10s, I wouldn't choose to tow with the Ranger over the 150. haha

[wildbill23c]

I pulled a 2 horse trailer with one horse around for a while behind my 84 ford ranger 4x2 with the 2.8L V6, did just fine with the 3 speed automatic. The newer model rangers with the 4.0L should have no problem with a 2 horse trailer with 2 horses, the weak link are the electronic automatic transmissions. Grandfather had a 93 ranger with automatic transmission and had it rebuilt when we drug it home from my uncles, 12,000 miles later it went out again, truck went bye bye, if it couldn't pull itself around without blowing a transmission it wasn't worth having. The 84 Ford Ranger also pulled around a 16' travel trailer for several years and never had a problem. I still miss that truck, but in about 8 days I'll have something close to it again, not the ranger but the bronco 2 version, which will become my daily driver.

Sorry from straying from the OP, but goes to show you don't need a fancy $60K+ truck to haul horses around with, and to those who do are just showing off, and apparently have more money than brains from the way I've seen them drive and act.

[Kingoverace]

Well...Thats the first thing I learned about people who often tow. I've always used my Ranger for everything; vehicle recovery, hauling oak, trailering. But they'res always that guy in a brand new diesel that thinks only his truclk is capable prob because thats what the salemen told em'. lol

[wildbill23c]

^^^No they just have too much green stuff in their wallet. I learned a long time ago, if you have xxx vehicle, don't buy something towable that xxx vehicle isn't able to handle. Seems like most people go out and buy a trailer whether it be an RV, flat bed, utility trailer, etc. then whine and cry because their Yugo won't pull whatever it was they bought LOL. I just picked up a 1964 Oasis 13 foot travel trailer, well sleep trailer, its not anywhere near self contained, has a stove non-working sink, and a bed. Good enough for me, beats sleeping on the ground. I have no problem towing it with my current truck, I even moved it around the yard a few times when I still had my Yamaha Rhino, so if my Yamaha Rhino could tow it I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have a problem towing this next camping trip after I get my bronco 2 home.

Basically, don't buy what you can't tow, plain and simple LOL. It doesn't matter which brand vehicle you buy, they all have maximum ratings for a reason, most 1/2 ton trucks now are rated to tow 10k+ but I don't think I'll be trying it, if I need to tow something that big I'll get a different vehicle, can't afford a different vehicle, so I stay within what the vehicle in my driveway can handle safely without pushing the safety envelope. Yeah I overloaded a 93 ford ranger once, stopping was scary, luckily it was on such a back road I didn't have to worry about traffic, would I do it on a highway, umm...he** no. The ranger handled it, yes, was it safe, not really, wouldn't have been a problem had I known the brakes on the trailer didn't exactly work, and wasn't towing a 2100lb trailer with a 1983 ford full size bronco on it behind a ranger.