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Want to buy a boat. Have a question about safe towing weight.


wallywonks

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Hi everyone,

I have a 1994 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab 2WD with M4OD 5spd. transmission. The hitch seems to be attached to the bumper in front of the license plate. Hitch says 3500lbs. I have a 3.09 differential based on the axle code "92" on sticker on driver door.
I have saw comments stating 3.09 suck for towing. The rims and tires are not stock.
The tires are P245 R60 15. The chrome rims are wider than stock rims.

GVWR is around 4750lbs. GAWR for rear axle is 2550 lbs.

Someone at work told me to be safe and get a trailer/boat with max weight of 2000lbs to be safe since it is an older truck.

Which leads to another question. Should I just wait until I get my big check next month and buy a used truck in great shape for 2000-3000 bucks with a higher tow rating or will the Ranger I have be good enough. I would like to buy a decent bass boat and maybe a medium sized sailboat with a cabin next year.

Thanks in advance for your advice! :icon_thumby:
Chris
 


don4331

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What does your owner's manual say is max towing with your combination?

I know from my owners manual for '98s with 4.0, manual and 3.27:1s, towing was not recommended. And 3.08s would be less...

Minimal bass boat will be 2,500lbs with hull, engine, trailer and gear?

I would suggest either lower gears (3.55 or 3.73s) if you really like the truck & a smaller bass boat; or else a bigger truck. If you stick with the Ranger, I would recommend ensuring trailer has brakes (not a bad idea for bigger truck either).
 
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wallywonks

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I am looking at the owners manual and based on Super Cab 4X2 a 4.0L with 3.08 Rear Axle Ratio has Max GCWR of 5000lbs. The Trailer weight range is 0-1400lbs. Whereas a 4.0L with a 3.55 Rear Axle Ratio has a GCWR of 7000 lbs. and a Trailer weight range of 0-3400.

So the question would be does that mean my Ranger can only tow a total of 1400lbs including the weight of the trailer. If so a 600lb trailer would only leave 800lbs for a boat. So I am assuming I can't tow a boat with the truck.

If so, then I will buy a used truck this fall with a higher tow capacity with 4WD and then sell the Ranger to make up some of the money spent on the upgrade truck. Then I can buy the boat without limitations next Feb with my income tax refund.

Thanks
Chris
 

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Go by your manual, it is written for that truck with 3.08 gears. That towing guide does not really apply to your truck. That guide assumes ideal towing setup for that truck. Among other things that assumes 4.10 gears, 4.0L SOHC, 5R55E trans, and 4 wheel disks. Your truck has none of that. Instead it has less than ideal towing gears, wearker ( and much older) 4.0L OHV, weaker trans, and rear drum breaks.

Yes, that 0-1400 is total trailer weight. That's weight of trailer plus what ever load is on trailer.
 

JoshT

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FYI, sticker on hitch is for hitch. Hitches are usually rated by class, and 3500 lbs is a class 2 hitch. Just because your hitch is rated at 3500 lbs doesn't mean your vehicle is. If your hitch is rated for 3500 but your car is rated at 2000, your max would be 2000. On the flip side, if your truck is rated at 5000, but your hitch is only rated at 3500 lbs, you rae limited by the lower rated hitch.

I.E.: my 2010 kia forte has a class 2 hitch, but car is not tow rated. Fine for me since I only wanted hitch for bike rack, and cargo platform to keep occasional small cooler and gas can out of trunk.
 

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Max GCWR of 5000lbs.
As I understand;
GCWR= Gross Combined Weight Rating = Total weight of truck AND trailer AND contents.
Take your truck over the weigh scales and see what it weighs. Take that from the 5000 GCWR and that leaves you with how much the boat AND trailer can weigh.
I'm going to guess your truck weighs ~ 4000lbs with you and a full tank in it.

Richard
 

don4331

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To put it in perspective: Single fueled PWC on trailer is getting close to the 1,400lb limit. As Richard notes, everything needs to included in GCWR weight: you, gas, 3-4 flats of BEvERageS, tonneau cover, etc, etc.

Question: Given 10-15% of your trailer weight should be on truck:

Can Chris haul a 1,610lb trailer (210 on rear bumper; 1,400 on trailer axle) or just 1,400 trailer (130 on rear bumper; 1,270 on trailer axle)?* When I hit the scales, all they will weigh is the trailer axle....

*Assumption: Chris hasn't gone over rear GAWR, truck GVWR/GCWR ratings.
 

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The 3.08(axle code 92) ratio means you will really heat up your clutch disc to get the truck and trailer moving down the road, that ratio is for best MPG at highway speeds, it is a specific use ratio, and not recommended for towing any thing regardless of weight.

It's opposite would be a 4.56 ratio which is best for low speed pulling or hauling, but sucks for commuting at highway speeds, another specific use ratio.

Middle of the road ratio is the 3.73 ratio, OK for towing and OK for MPG at highway speeds, but not the best at either, that's the point of "middle of the road", it is non-specific.

The 92 AXLE code means you have an Open 8.8" differential with 3.08 ratio, the "open" part means if you get stuck only the easiest to turn rear wheel will get the power, so "one wheel spins the other just sits there"(My Cousin Vinny).

Cost wise, changing the rear differential gears is not expensive and it is a DIY project if you want.
If you hit the wrecking yards and found a Ranger with AXLE code R6(very common on 4wd) that means L/S 8.8" w/ 3.73 ratio, you could get OK towing with 2,500lbs trailer/boat and get L/S, Limited Slip(GM calls it Posi-Traction) so both rear wheels get power all the time, this can really help when pulling out the boat on a wet boat ramp :)

R7 AXLE code is an L/S 8.8" w/4.10 ratio, which is even better for towing but highway speed MPG does go down.

If you like your current Ranger then I would look at the local pricing of swapping out the rear differential gears to 3.73 L/S

And just personal experience, because of the Rangers lighter weight(the purpose of a small truck) what ever boat and trailer you decide on make sure the trailer has brakes, tongue brakes are fine.
Even a 1,000lbs load pushing on the rear bumper can push you around a bit when slowing down, especially if bed is empty, trailer brakes stop that pushing.
 
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4x4junkie

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^^

That's what I would do (if you like the truck and want to keep it).

245/60R15 tires are only a slight hair bigger diameter than the stock size (probably was 225/70R14 for a '94 2WD XLT), so I would say swap to either a 3.55 axle or 3.73 axle. This should make it a decent tower up to around 3500lbs or so (factory tow rating with the 3.55 axle is ~3400 on a 2WD Supercab w/stickshift, but is 5800lbs with an automatic trans... Which says to me Ford simply didn't trust people to use a clutch properly while towing, as the M5OD trans itself is more robust than the A4LD auto is, and the rest of the truck (brakes, axles, suspension, etc.) is the same).

MPG shouldn't go down much, if at all (3.08:1 is well below ideal, even for highway MPG (it lugs the engine @ too low RPM), where 3.73 would be somewhat above ideal for MPG... 3.55 would probably give you the best compromise of both).
 

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You will definately need the posi rear axle pulling the boat up a slippery/gravel boat ramp. If you have the money for two nice boats you may as well get a good rig setup to haul them around!
 

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My first question would be, what do you consider a decent bass boat? For some that's a 16' Lowe with 9.9 and others it may be a tandem axle trailer with a stratos and 250 hp motor. If you're looking along the lines of a bass tracker, such as a 175 or something, i don't think you'll have issues with that. If you're looking at a 'performance fishing boat' that would be a different story. I definately think pulling a sail boat with a cabin would be a bit too much for a ranger though.
I used to have a 16' bass boat, almost identical to a bass tracker, with a 25 hp on the back. total weight of the boat, gear, gas, batteries, motor etc was about 1500 pounds. I pulled it behind my 98 super cab with a 4.0 OVH, auto, 3.73's and 32x11.50's. i couldn't feel the boat back there until it started bouncing. I even managed to get 19/20 mpg at 55 on several trips. Recently I got a new boat which weighs about 2800 pounds empty and i can certainly feel it back there. I wouldn't recommend pulling something of this weight with 3.08 gears, it would suck. i wish had stock size tires or 4.10's. If you're dead set on getting a heavier bass boat and a sail boat i think you would be happier with a larger truck. not just for the towing capacity, but braking ability. some states require brakes if the weight is over a certain amount too. in VA if the trailer weight is over 3000 pounds you're *supposed* to have brakes. and if you have brakes it is required to have an annual inspection. if you're unfamiliar with your state laws regarding trailer brakes i would recommend looking them over, it may sway your decision and if nothing else i think it's good to know in general if you're going to be towing.
 

19bonestock88

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I've done some towing with my truck(95 4.0/M5OD, code 92 axle), and it wasn't very pleasant... I towed a Saturn L series on a tow dolly for about 5 miles... I had enough power to move it, granted there was a little clutch slipping to get going(not bad though), but the scariest part of the experience was slowing/turning...now, your supercab truck might be different, but that 3000 pounds or so pushed me all over the road... I would not care to experience that again... Maybe your heavier, longer truck would pull better, but mine isn't worth a crap for towing...
 

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Alright, I'm jumping in on this one.

The critical thing is brakes. I'm routinely appalled at how everything is about engine size. Getting moving is nice, but stopping is WAYYYY more important. Not only that, but Rangers largely came with the same brakes across all versions for a given year. The only difference being 9" rear drum brakes or 10" rear drum brakes. Since he has a Supercab 4.0L, I'd be surprised if he didn't have the larger 10" drums. AND since it's a 2wd, with smaller tires, the brakes have even MORE leverage to stop than a larger tired vehicle.

Now legally, you are technically "at fault" if you are running over the legal limits of your truck. But they have to know this, then take you to court, go through the proceedings of suing you, etc. Honestly, few people will bat an eye at a pickup trailering a boat that at least looks sized to the truck. I wouldn't go much over 3,000 lbs. And make sure the trailer has brakes! Also spend the coin on a GOOD brake controller, and make sure the wiring is tip-top!

An example I like to use. If you had a tow dolly, and you had 2 cars: A 1971 Cadillac Land Yacht, or a new model Ford Taurus. Believe it or not, both have a similar curb weight. I know, because said Cadillac is out behind my shed, and I remember the curb weight that was listed when Ford released the new Taurus, in astonishment that it was so similar.

Now, I go to tow them, which one do you think people will look at more suspiciously? Probably the Cadillac, which since it's longer and wider, it' would probably be the more behaved one to tow LOL.

These are what I've done with my 4 CYLINDER. I don't recommend it, but it pulled fine, and managed 60 mph highway speeds (limited by me, not the Ranger). I pulled that J truck across the State of Michigan, about 160 mile trip all in all (in the middle of the night mind you). Bed of the J truck was packed solid/flat, the bed of my Ranger was packed solid/flat, number of parts tossed into the cab of the J truck, and my friend sitting in the passenger seat of the Ranger. I even had a cop following behind me for a good 10min at one point.

2.3L M5OD 2wd 3.73 gears (hadn't done the axle swap yet)

Original 225/70R14 tires.

With 235/75R15 tires.


So can your Ranger tow a bass boat? Yes. Definitely. Maybe not the really big ones, but absolutely a medium sized one(as I said, ~3000lbs or less). Single axle trailer size and not look out of place.

The sail boat with a Cabin? ehhh... Not knowing what "medium" size is for sail boats, I'd have to suggest a little larger vehicle.
 

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