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Campers For Rangers


Will

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Toyota
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7k rolling wt for my ranger was avg back in the d35 explorer 8.8 days. 8k plus was regularly done.

its why i have full floater rear 60 now.


wouldnt bat an eye at 2k in gear on a expo axle and 3600 overall.











but i have had some design plans for a slide in.
Semi-float and Truck don't belong in the same sentence. All these new Fords have semi 60s in them. This Mercedes 2500 van we have is a little semi-float.

If you have a full-float, it can't break. Period. It has 2 (TWO!) bearings hold the weight. And they are BIG bearings because they have to be large enough for the axle shaft that powers the wheel to pass through. TWO and BIG is a lot better that one little bearing. There is nothing you can't carry if you install a full-floating axle. With a semi-float (used a lot now in F150 and new vans and Tundra and Nissan things)--they all have a smaller single bearing. The drive (live) axle depends on that bearing to locate it. And that bearing also has to support the weight. It's like a steer tire--it's only good at one thing at a time turning or braking. A loaded semi-float axle is flexing under the weight of the load, plus it is twisting under the torque of the engine, plus there is only one of it. Not a real truck axle.
 


91stranger

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Whats round on the sides and hi in the middle-OHIO
Vehicle Year
2003
Make / Model
Gets Mo Chicks
Engine Size
4.2 straight six powered by gremlins, goblins and mudbloods.
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Working at an RV dealership I see some of the most non-capable drivers come in driving 40+ foot class a motorhomes and they don't need anything special at all. Pretty much as long as you have a regular drivers license then you can drive a 40+ foot rv with air brakes and push button transmissions legally. This is very scary considering some of the people I've seen. I'm not judging anyone but does a 80 yr old man have the reflexes to stop a 50,000 pound 40 foot behemoth? The amount of damage a class a rv could do should be enough to force people to have some sort of license other than a regular drivers license. I don't understand how this RV loophole is still legal. Guess no one has been killed by someone in a class a rv. Crazy......
 

JohnnyO

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Pittsburgh, PA
Vehicle Year
2020
Make / Model
Ranger
Engine Type
2.3 EcoBoost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5"
Tire Size
265/70-17
My credo
"220, 221, whatever it takes."
Back to Johnny's CJ-5 style camper:
Would adding the camper with an axle make his Sport Trac a 3 axle vehicle?​
Would weigh on "camper axle" still count against GVWR of Sport Trac (the camper/truck is one continuous vehicle)?​
Does the camper axle need to be braked? Does it need separate controller?? It gets really 'grey' on whether camper axle is "trailer weight" whether brakes are needed or not and if you are towing a trailer how the combination weighs should be added up.​
1. I wouldn't think so because it's not permanent.​
2. Yes, if only for liability reasons. It's like if you put air bags or helper springs on your truck, you can better carry the load you have but it doesn't officially increase the GCVW. What's on the door sticker from the manufacturer is what it is no matter what else you do.​
3. The 1969 Jeep camper had brakes on the tag axle. But remember that Jeeps of that era had like 10" manual drum brakes and needed all the help they could get. '03-up Sport Tracs have 4 wheel discs and would probably be okay without brakes on the tag axle as long as it's under the GCVW but would be better with a set of trailer-type brakes on it. My jetski with a full tank of fuel and trailer weighs about 1000 lb, when I had my two disc/drum Rangers I had to allow some extra stopping distance but with the two Sport Tracs I've had with 4 wheel discs I don't even know it's back there.​
 

JohnnyO

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Ranger
Engine Type
2.3 EcoBoost
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Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5"
Tire Size
265/70-17
My credo
"220, 221, whatever it takes."
I believe it. Id hate to be payin the fuel bill though. Lol.
My bud actually drives his RV a fair bit and figured the Banks system paid for itself in fuel savings in two years.

.....and yes the coach loophole needs to be closed. They need to have some sort of "recreational class A/B" endorsement test that requires atleast basic skills testing,

This ia exactly why i question these lofty tow ratings on modern diesels. Not so much questioning the truck or manufacturer, but is it really bright to let any idiot with the money loose with a truck capable of towing his 25,000lb god knows what?

But dont you dare drive an econoline delivering flowers without a chauffer. Makes no sense.
I mentioned my jetski, about the time I bought it PA began requiring a boating certificate to operate jetskis. However you do not need a boating certificate to operate a boat. So I needed to study boating laws and pass a test for my 90 hp jetski (which admittedly will go 0-50 mph in 8 seconds and hurt you if you're not careful) but I can buy a Cigarette boat with three blown big-block Chevys in the back and pilot it with no training or certifications of any kind.
 

JohnnyO

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Vehicle Year
2020
Make / Model
Ranger
Engine Type
2.3 EcoBoost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5"
Tire Size
265/70-17
My credo
"220, 221, whatever it takes."
p.s. Original Rangers are 40.5" between wheel wells; midsize Cowboy is 42" :(
I checked and found the new Rangers are 44.8" between the wheelwells.
 

JohnnyO

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Make / Model
Ranger
Engine Type
2.3 EcoBoost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5"
Tire Size
265/70-17
My credo
"220, 221, whatever it takes."
Came across this on YouTube.

 

sgtsandman

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Location
Aliquippa, PA
Vehicle Year
2011/2019
Make / Model
Ranger XLT/FX4
Engine Size
4.0 SOHC/2.3 Ecoboost
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
Pre-2008 lift/Stock
Tire Size
31X10.5R15/265/65R17

91stranger

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Whats round on the sides and hi in the middle-OHIO
Vehicle Year
2003
Make / Model
Gets Mo Chicks
Engine Size
4.2 straight six powered by gremlins, goblins and mudbloods.
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
I have towed 2 separate pop up campers with 2 different rangers. One was a 96 2wd 4cyl 5 speed and it did ok once you got it going but not the greatest and it was an OLD pop up with hardly anything left on it. The other was a 99 2wd 3.0 auto and it pulled just fine. I think the pop up weighed around 1300 lbs IIRC. Truck had no issues starting or stopping. By FWC do you mean fifth wheel camper?? If so then you will not find one small enough for a ranger.... unless you have a 2019+ ranger or an extremely small 5th wheel lol.
 

snoranger

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'79,'94,'02,'23
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All Fords
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Automatic
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4WD
My credo
I didn't ask for your life story, just answer the question!
I have towed 2 separate pop up campers with 2 different rangers. One was a 96 2wd 4cyl 5 speed and it did ok once you got it going but not the greatest and it was an OLD pop up with hardly anything left on it. The other was a 99 2wd 3.0 auto and it pulled just fine. I think the pop up weighed around 1300 lbs IIRC. Truck had no issues starting or stopping. By FWC do you mean fifth wheel camper?? If so then you will not find one small enough for a ranger.... unless you have a 2019+ ranger or an extremely small 5th wheel lol.
No FWC (four wheel camper) is a light weight, slope-in, pop up camper... perfect for a small truck like a Ranger.
 

Uncle Gump

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Location
Ottawa IL
Vehicle Year
2006/1986
Make / Model
Ranger/BroncoII
Engine Size
4.0L SOHC/2.9L
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
Lead follow or get out of my way
I have a Skamper… been a few years since I toted it around.
 

JohnnyO

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Vehicle Year
2020
Make / Model
Ranger
Engine Type
2.3 EcoBoost
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
1.5"
Tire Size
265/70-17
My credo
"220, 221, whatever it takes."
Homebuilt Ranger camper. South America where they have the regular cab longbox that's not available in the U.S.

 

Ranger_Rocks

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We looked at a new FWC Fleet (6' bed). Weighed 1243 lbs, not as light as they used to be. Ranger has tall bed sides which requires a platform under the camper - more weight.
 

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