Load it forward or reverse?

tmcalavy · Apr 27, 2014

Tomorrow...Good Lord willing and if the creek don't rise...we'll be loading a 26-foot Penske with all the fam stuff, and hitching a tow trailer behind to carry my 93 Ranger XLT Supercab from NE Mississippi to NE Texas, via I-20 mostly.
So, after looking at how they work online my question is load the Ranger on the trailer facing forward or back it on there? Don't know why this popped into my head, but it did. It has a light load of my hunting stuff, a couple of old antique outboard motors, tools, pancake air compressor, etc. in the bed under the topper but it's definitely not overloaded. So, does it matter which way I load it?

Mazda · Apr 27, 2014

Load it facing forward and pull the drive shaft.. Always better to pull the driveshaft rather than loading it backwards and having to tie up the steering wheel and having to check it every few hundred miles.
Also I haven't tow with a tow trailer in years but I don't think you would have enough turning radius room with it on backwards. IDK but I think the bed would be to close to the moving truck.

black_demon69 · Apr 27, 2014

Mazda said:
Load it facing forward and pull the drive shaft.. Always better to pull the driveshaft rather than loading it backwards and having to tie up the steering wheel and having to check it every few hundred miles.
Also I haven't tow with a tow trailer in years but I don't think you would have enough turning radius room with it on backwards. IDK but I think the bed would be to close to the moving truck.

you can tow it backwards as long as steering wheel is locked in the straight position i know Ive done it (it was 12am and -20 also was leaving at 3a so really didn't want to mess with pulling drive shaft) it made it about 2000 miles with no problem..

tmcalavy · Apr 27, 2014

Yeah...been there done that with a tow dolly...but this a trailer...I used a tow dolly to move to Miss. with the front on dolly, wound up frying the pinion bearing in the old diff because the angle it was at kept lube off the bearing. Water under the bridge, replaced that diff with another. Tomorrow I'll be putting on a full tow trailer...don't want to mess with another diff swap.

Chris_North · Apr 27, 2014

All four wheels will be off the ground and on the trailer? I would load front ways. That's going to be most aerodynamic since that's the way they designed rangers to move at high speed. But seeing as how it will be behind that massive box truck as its plowing through the air anyhow, I don't see it making that much of a difference either way.

BTW this seems like it will be an expensive venture haha. How many miles total are you covering?

tmcalavy · Apr 27, 2014

Yeah, aerodynamics is the least thought right now...but you gotta have that space to move one 3 bedroom house-full-o-stuff to another 3 bedroom house. It's just shy of 450 miles, but a new job with more $$$ awaits and it's back in Tejas...where the wife is from, so it's all good. I'm figuring about $200 just for diesel for the truck, and two tanks for the wife's car, plus throw in $800-plus for the truck and trailer, and paid labor to load and unload the truck. But it's all tax-deductible. We've been packing for almost 4 weeks, after work and on weekends...I'll be glad when we're there and done, and so will the big Choc Lab...he's been sticking to me like Velcro...he's my flagman in the big truck since he doesn't have his CDL yet.

JoshT · Apr 27, 2014

So it's an actually trailer and not a dolly. Load it on which ever way seems to balance better. Remember you want a little more weight towards the front of the trailer. I would guess that even with the load in the bed that the front (*of the Ranger) is still heavier. As mentioned it'll be behind a big box truck so aerodynamics won't matter a whole lot. Give it a try and if it doesn't tow good, you can always find a big parking lot and turn it around.

FWIW Penske has this in the vehicle loading instructions on their website. "Never back up a transported vehicle onto a car carrier."

Chris_North said:
BTW this seems like it will be an expensive venture haha. How many miles total are you covering?

You might be surprised. Lots of times those big trucks will get the same mileage regardless of what's towed behind them especially a car or small truck. Rental of one big truck and trailer may be cheaper than a few trips with a Ranger and trailer, or even driving the big truck and Ranger separate. I imagine that he's going the cheaper route. If he's got two vehicles to move and only two drivers it also also solves a logistics problem.

tmcalavy · Apr 27, 2014

Hmm..I'll load it front first and adjust if necessary. Yep, the three vehicles and two drivers thing is inescapable this time....we're at least 400 miles from any family or friends who can help us get there, and the cost to fly someone in just to drive the Ranger was too much.

97RangerXLT · Apr 27, 2014

Sounds like an adventure in moving.

Whatever way you decide on, take your time and be careful on the drive.

And congrats on the job! Hope everything works out well for you and the missus.

AJ

4.0B2 · Apr 27, 2014

Load it forward with about 15% tongue weight. Let the trailer hold most the weight.

The truck won't even notice the weight typically. Good luck. Be careful and take it slow.

tmcalavy · Apr 28, 2014

Got the big truck loaded today, but came up about 4 feet of truck short...so I'll make a little pile of stuff in the garage, make the haul, unload the Ranger, and drive back for the rest...maybe with a small Uhaul behind it. Man am I sore...but I get to drive the big truck tomorrow...it's been awhile so I'm excited.

Chris_North · Apr 28, 2014

JoshT said:
You might be surprised. Lots of times those big trucks will get the same mileage regardless of what's towed behind them especially a car or small truck. Rental of one big truck and trailer may be cheaper than a few trips with a Ranger and trailer, or even driving the big truck and Ranger separate. I imagine that he's going the cheaper route. If he's got two vehicles to move and only two drivers it also also solves a logistics problem.

No I agree for sure. I've realized with my Ranger and trailer with only a few hundred pounds of stuff I can only get maybe 200 miles for $50 worth of gas. No way using small vehicles would be cheaper, and even if it would be it would take much longer. But if all said and done you're looking at less than $2000 with help unloading I think that's pretty decent.

I take it this rig will be well outside class C license restrictions?

tmcalavy · Apr 29, 2014

Well it's Penske's biggest, 26 feet, and I have a CDL with some experience so driving the rig is no problem. Looks like I might be able to get the overflow in the Ranger alone after I take the topper off...course it may be piled high like Jed Clampett, but what the hell.

Load it forward or reverse?

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