towing a cargo trailer with a 3.0?

bluebombersfan · Feb 19, 2015

Does anyone have any experience towing a cargo trailer with a ranger? specifically a 3.0? Also wondering what inside cargo height was and weight range info would be nice.
I am looking for a lightweight 6 by 12 foot cargo trailer, weight roughly around 1200 lbs empty, I would prefer a 6 foot interior height clearance but am concerned this will be to much wind drag on the highway for my 3.0.
I have towed 2500 lb trailers on the highway with no problems but like I said never towed anything that has as much wind drag as a cargo trailer and don't know how my ranger will handle it.

JoshT · Feb 20, 2015

No, but my dad used to pull a 5th wheel camper with his 4.0L Ranger. The Ranger did fine pulling the camper on flat ground, little rough in the mountains. He eventually graduated to a full size, because he needed something better to pull his tractor and they like the mountains a lot.

Height of a cargo trailer can vary a lot. I think 6' ceiling is about average, but can go as low as 5 from what I've seen. Weights can vary a lot depending on materials used, which can vary a lot depending on who makes it, so it's something you'd really have to ask the dealer/manufacturer. Are you planning flat nose or V nose? Single axle or tandem axle?

Biggest thing I'd be concerned with is brakes. I'd want to go tandem with trailer brakes.

racsan · Mar 11, 2015

ive got a 6x10 V-nose single axle cargo trailer, has the 6' interior height, weighs just over 1,000 pounds empty. my truck is a 4.0 ohv, has 3.73 gearing and the manual transmission. its like towing a parachute, low speeds are fine, but at 55 my fuel milage is in the toilet, just the truck alone will get around 18 most of the time, towing i drop to about 12. even with the V-nose front, its just alot of wind resistance. i do have a cap, dont know if that makes a differance or not. im guessing a 3.0 would struggle even more. low gearing would help. brakes are a nice thing to have, my trailer doesnt have any, i get along ok but it would be better with trailer brakes. overall i dont mind the ranger as a tow vehicle, but a full-size would be a improvement at times. i dont tow enough to justify a full-size though, so i just live with it.

bluebombersfan · Mar 12, 2015

I actually purchased a 6 by 12 foot cargo trailer v nose with 6 foot interior height. I have at top speed of about 110km/hr with no wind. and thats floored in 4th. Against a strong wind I am stuck at a top speed of 90km/hr. Fifth gear is almost useless on the highway. Luckily for me I will be using it in the city so I am not to worried. (3.0 4.10 gearing). My fuel mileage also goes down the toilet when towing this thing on the highway.

4x4junkie · Mar 13, 2015

You're not running oversized tires at all on your truck, are you? (this can greatly impact your towing performance if you're not geared for them). If you are, you might think about a swap to 4.56 or even 4.88:1 gears, depending what size they are (or downsizing back to stock size).

racsan · Mar 13, 2015

im not sure of the metric conversions, but my ranger with the stock tires will do nearly 90 mph by itself, once while on a long empty road i floored it (4rth gear as o/d i dont use when towing) and it took a mile or so to reach top speed with the empty trailer, just over 70mph after about a mile topped out at 70 whlie towing the temp guage started rising, not to the point of overheating, but alot hotter then it normally runs. if i towed more than i do, id regear to about a 4:30 ratio, i dont think 4:10's would be quite enough, since id have 2 differentials to do, i just live with it.

Will · Mar 26, 2015

The Ranger doesn't punch a very big hole in the air for a box trailer to fit into. A long time ago I went to Detroit to pick up a motorcycle trailer my dad had bought with a 4.0, 5-speed '91 Ranger with stock tires and 3.55 gears. It was a 14' box with 7' of headroom--you can put 4 bikes in it--series and parallel, if you will. Anyway, it towed really well in town and i was confident. Once I pulled onto the highway, though, it didn't take long to realize it was going to be a long drive home. I did it at about 55mph in 4th and got 12mpg.

I towed that trailer back and forth across Iowa many times since as my mom changed parishes (she's a minister) hauling bikes, books and everything else. Probably with 10,000# in it. But with a full-size pick-up that punches a big hole in the air in front of it, it's no problem. It isn't about power--it's about aerodynamics. Getting up to speed is a very small part of a long trip. Who cares if it takes 2 minutes to reach highway speed compared to 30 seconds when you are on a 6 hours drive? A 3-liter engine can find the power, but it will still suck. A 3-liter in an F150 would be better than in a Ranger for that trailer because the F150 is a better nose cone for the the trailer than the narrow Ranger.

AllanD · Feb 9, 2016

Frankly I wouldn't tow a squirrel on a skateboard behind a 3.0 powered ranger...

My 3.0 supercab sits in my yard rusting because I'll either convert it to a 4,. or junk it before I drive it as a 3.0.

Frankly dead-heading small utility trailers and tow-dollies (empty) with a 3.0 would be fine...

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bluebombersfan · Mar 8, 2016

Well I don't think the 3.0 isn't that bad at all depending what you compare it too. I will admit it struggles towing my cargo trailer, but I have towed a 16 foot aluminum and a pop top camper in the back no problem. The camper weighed about 1000 lbs plus the boat. I could even use fifth gear on the highway if I wanted to.

racsan · Mar 12, 2016

well the 3.0 is probly better than my current truck, the '93 4.0 is now gone, i found a cherry '92 2wd 2.3 for $1500 that i just couldnt pass up, well i have tried my box trailer with it and 55 is all it will do.... 50 if the trailer is loaded with furnature. sure miss the 4.0, and this 2.3 really isnt much better on gas like i thought it would be.

towing a cargo trailer with a 3.0?

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