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long trip tow


cdawall

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i am getting married this december and i need to know what you all think i should stop weight wise on my truck. it's specs are listed below it has a class III hitch package on it from Ford. i know that the hitch is rated for 6000lbs i have a 1300mile trip ahead of me in snow/sleet (houston-rapid city, SD)

i have an add a leaf and bigger blocks in the rear so the rear suspension should be able to hold a little bit more weight than the factory 4x4 edge. the truck comes with a factory transmission cooler and i am looking at getting a better radiator radiator. is there anything i can do for the tranny/tcase to help them with hauling? and will the bigger radiator really help with the trip?

oh and i forgot to list what i'm hauling. so far i am looking at a double axle uhaul (~2000lbs) a chevy cavalier in the trailer (~2600lbs) a king sized bed with headboard/frame/matress/box frame (~400lbs) misc stuff (~900lbs) just off that i am sitting at 5900lbs which is right at the rating for the truck...that has me kind of nervous i am going to be going thru quite a few hills/mountain passes on the way up so its not going to be simple flat lands...

and does anyone know were to find one of the 2 row alum radiators all i have seen are the dual row for the 2.3L engines and that can't be the correct one.
 
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07rangerfx4lv2

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the hitch may be rated for 6000lbs but the truck is only rated to pull 5000lbs, and save your money on that radiator thing and think brakes, trailer brakes, brake controller, replacing the truck brakes, sure it will pull it, it will bitch and moan about it untill it gets up to speed but you'd have a hell of a time stopping it
 

Will

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You are getting an enclosed trailer? The car is maybe 15' long and 6' wide. It ain't going through the rear door so your worries are over. Also, the Cavalier scored the worst of any car in crash ratings so now is a good excused to have it crushed and just enjoy the 1,300 mile drive.

I did a similar drive after I got married. Except it was 3,000 miles--Iowa to Glacier National Park to Seattle and then down the west coast along Highway 101 to Oceanside, California. Had a few inconviniences along the way with my 31 year old '64 Ford and a U-Haul trailer. But my marriage survived at least 15 years afterwards.

Sell the godam shitheap and buy a new one at the other end. No Cavalier is worth the risk to a Ranger. Or trade them both on an F150 with an 8' bed and use that instead. F150s with the base motor get the same fuel economy as a 4.0 Ranger.
 

Redjosh

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If its a u haul trailer they do run a true brake controler cant think of the name but basiscaly when you brake with the truck the trailer has an enersha (really far off on spelling) brake so brake controler for the truck is pointless just for this trip. This is of course if they havent changed them since I worked there.

I would do what will said sell the car and buy another one on the other end
 

cdawall

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thing about the car is its paid off and well taken care of so getting another car in SD i have no idea of the condition on it. this has a 2.2L with all of 5000 miles on it same with the transmission.

as for the inertial brakes forgot about those on uhuals thanks for bringing that one up
 

TomB1269

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First, I would say check your specs again, a class 3 hitch is up to 3500 lbs and 350 tongue / with weight distrubution 5000lbs. Now if you have a class 4 or 5you are up in the 5 & 6 k wieght range. Next, you need to be sure of your load capacity, the weight you will be carring and the weight you will tow. Your model Edge with 4.11s etc maybe rated for 5900lbs of cargo, and may have a 5000lb tow capacity, but I''l be darn sure it does not have a GCW (gross combination weight) of near 11000lbs. For every POUND (including people) you place in the truck you subtract from your payload capacity and your trailer capacity, IE if you Ranger is rated to carry in the bed 1500lbs, and you and your buddy (maybe he's an NFL line men or just a really big guy) hoppin and your wight and his otgether equals 500lbs, then your payload just dropped to 1000lbs. Now you put 1000lbs in your pick up bed and your tow capacity (load and trailer dry weight) just dropped from 5000lbs to 3500lbs. Believe it or not there is only one passenger vehicle type that does not follow this formula.......Your MOM's minivan.....I know I know, for all the skepticts but get the specs on one.....or confirm these (I owe one) 2006 Freestar 4.2L V6, GVW (gross vehicle weight) 5800lbs, "With Tow Package" gross trailer weight 3500 lbs, GCW (gross combination weight) 8300lbs which means I only lose 1000lbs from GVW at max trailer. My dry weight is just over 4000lbs........And that meets and exceeds a lot of Rangers GCW........(most except XLT models w/ 4.0L and 4.11 on 15inch rims and AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
2010 Ford Ranger Specs
4.0L V6 - Only Available in Super Cab
GCWR 9500
W/ Auto, 4x2 and 3.55 max trailer 5760 (truck must only weight 3740 with people and load)
W/ Auto, 4x4, and 3.73 or 4.10 max trailer is 5580 (or truck loaded at 3920 max)
Standard drop to 7000 GCWR
The Ranger's dry weight or Curb weight is around 3800lbs depending on factory option, and cap or bed cover, dog or tools and you are over 4000lbs and your max trailer weight is heading under 5000lbs.
Last, as for a after market performance radiator for the trip or what not, look at installing an engine oil cooler. You water temp will be regulated to no less than 195 due to the t-stat, so it can only get hotter. Why wait to transfer cylinder heat to water and the pump it out. Oil Cooler will make the engine last longer, maintain better oil life, viscocity, etc under high load.
Sorry for the length........... but my 2cents and then some........:dunno:
 
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cdawall

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dont worry about the length that was the kind of response i was looking for part of the reson i want a better radiator is the current one is one its last legs anyway so i may as well upgrade if i am going to swap the parts out. as for the oil cooler do you have any links for that?
 

Jason

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Try to remember. The suspension is NEVER the limiting factor in towing. It's brakes and axles. I could thrown springs in a Ranger where it wouldn't squat at 50k pounds but the truck sure as hell couldn't pull it.
 

cdawall

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i bottomed out when i loaded my bed up last time thats the only reason i brought it up. i honestly don't know of a higher equipped ranger i have the biggest motor/tranny/rear end so i am putting faith in this thing...after all the other stories i have heard of people putting 7-8K worth of weight behind it i don't see why mine couldnt
 

Jason

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I maybe can. But it isn't safe and if you have an accident it will be your fault regardless of what happened.
 

cdawall

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i understand that i'm not putting 7-8K behind it just under 6K and it will honestly probably less than that 6K is a worst case scenario.
 

02RangerXLT

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Rent a fullsize pickup with a receiver hitch and just drive the ranger up there. Pulling with a fullsize will be a much more enjoyable trip.
 

Redjosh

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if you do it just be careful I have seen way dumber things towed but you just have to be the smarter guy on the road and take it slow

I personally wouldn't do it which is why I own a 1ton so I never have to worry about what I tow. I have had the mud truck on a trailer with no brakes and I about lost it all
 

Tractorman

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O jeez, let's sort through this mess.

Ok, a 4.0 SOHC with 4.10 gears and auto trans is rated for Gross Combined of 9500 pounds. That's truck, trailer, and everything included.

My Ranger weights in at 4360 roughly with me in it and not much else, 3/4 gas or so. So pretty much standard weight, and what your truck will weigh.

Last year I towed a 99 Mustang Cobra plus all my person stuff home from Texas to Wisconsin. Use a car hauler with electric brakes, installed a brake controller and had an Equilizer hitch. I weighed in at 10,500 without me in it, so 1200 or so over gross for 1200 miles. The truck did it, but had to really work, and wasn't exactly a Sunday drive.

You have 33 inch tires, which really kills you power wise, and stopping wise.

I don't know why you're so concerned about the radiator, just let that go. I'm sure my trans was hotter than hell the entire time, but not much I could have done. People have said the stock one works well after it's moved into the grill for direct airflow. I would try that.

Cliffs: Equilizer, trailer brakes, stock tires. That's what I would do.
 

cdawall

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Trrans cooler is already in the grill my radiator is an issue since its full of clay from mudding in tx either need to drop it and clean it or replace it the later will probably happen a dual row just sounds nicer.

Which brake controller did you go with and does uhual have car hualers that are setup like what you used to hual your car?
 

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