Truckspotters

[Jim Oaks]

@Jim Oaks We need one for TRS events!

View attachment 90134

WTF!?

 

[ericbphoto]

WTF!?

I'd say the engine is a bit overheated. Must be a 2.9l.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I was thinking more of a V8 swap with the stock radiator. A grill and vegetable steamer.

 

[RangerNumber3]

Blackstone Griddle for the tailgate?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

It would be interesting to find what the tow rating on that old Grand Marquis was.

Up untill they switched to watts linkage on the rear (2003) they were rated at 5000lbs.

Theres guys on vic forums that have actually towed vics with other vics.

I mean...they are basically an F150 with coil springs and a stupid high geared rear end.

A year ago i was thinking of buying one for a DD, asked if i could tow my quads and literally the whole forum started posting pics of what they pulled...they would in reality outtow a ranger.

Back in the day station wagons/large sedans usually could outtow most pickups

EDIT- Sorry i misspoke. Up untill 94 they could tow 5000lbs. The rating went down to 2000 after that with no structural differences or suspension differences till 03 when watts linkage was used.

Guessing ford dropped the rating to sell more explorers.

Ill leave this here

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Up untill they switched to watts linkage on the rear (2003) they were rated at 5000lbs.

Theres guys on vic forums that have actually towed vics with other vics.

I mean...they are basically an F150 with coil springs and a stupid high geared rear end.

A year ago i was thinking of buying one for a DD, asked if i could tow my quads and literally the whole forum started posting pics of what they pulled...they would in reality outtow a ranger.

Back in the day station wagons/large sedans usually could outtow most pickups

EDIT- Sorry i misspoke. Up untill 94 they could tow 5000lbs. The rating went down to 2000 after that with no structural differences or suspension differences till 03 when watts linkage was used.

Guessing ford dropped the rating to sell more explorers.

View attachment 90149

Ill leave this here

Funny coincidence. A couple of months ago a story online talked about a new Ram 3500 dually pickup that broke its frame after the owner installed a huge, heavy slide-in camper. I suspect the slide-in camper weighed less than that camper-trailer the Grand Marquis is towing. Here it is:

Advantage: Ford.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Funny coincidence. A couple of months ago a story online talked about a new Ram 3500 dually pickup that broke its frame after the owner installed a huge, heavy slide-in camper. I suspect the slide-in camper weighed less than that camper-trailer the Grand Marquis is towing. Here it is:

View attachment 90157

Advantage: Ford.

I seen that pic.

I think the issue that ram had was all the back overhang and the 2 frame mounts on front pulling UP on the frame.

 

[Josh B]

I had a guy telling me he used a dually to tow a backhoe

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I had a guy telling me he used a dually to tow a backhoe

I knew a guy hauled a smallish dozer around with an 85 chevy 1 ton dually

 

[Roert42]

Yeah, well I towed a wheel loader around with a ford ranger. Top that.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Yeah, well I towed a wheel loader around with a ford ranger. Top that.


View attachment 90168

I wish i had a pic but i hauled a skidsteer/trailer that weighed right around 10 k with my 96 F150 i had lol.

300/Auto/4wd with a 3.55. Actually towed it right down the road at 55-60. But it had zero, and i mean zero, reserve power left.

It lifted the ass end of the truck about 1-2ft in the air when i loaded it.

 

[scotts90ranger]

There's pictures of newer Ford's doing the same as that Dodge with the camper... frames are just cheaper now and they have stress points... that front tiedown is likely a bar that goes side to side to hold the front down, the tiedowns mostly keep them from sliding around while driving... my camper has spring loaded deals, the front ties into the bed but attached with bracketry to the frame, the rear is just some bolts on the outside of the bumper... Part of the problem with that truck above is that camper is likely around 5000 pounds then they have a motorcycle hanging 4' or so behind the truck's bumper... With truck bed campers the 9-10' range is much nicer on the truck, that there is a 12' (maybe 11' 6", whatever...), the COG might still be near the rear axle but maybe further backward...

I've towed a John Deere 35G mini excavator with my SRW F350, it wasn't much, I think they're only 6k pounds, the Ford 9000 I hauled once was a lot more, and the 18k pound combined load I haul halfway across the state a few times a year is up there too...

 

[Josh B]

I did hot-shot deliveries for a while around Nashville, got one late afternoon package going to Memphis. Some where maybe 50 miles out I topped a big hill, if it wasn't a mountain, and as I did a trucker with a giant excavator pulled out behind me, and here we both go down the mountain, me in a tiny station wagon in front, and him wondering how hard that thing was going to be to stop.
Somehow all the other traffic was in the right lane and you couldn't have squeezed a baby stroller into that jam.
I was no longer looking back, just floored the dam thing and took off. After a while the right lane got less crowded and I looked behind me in the mirror, I have no idea whatever happened to the truck with the excavator, I never saw it again

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Funny coincidence. A couple of months ago a story online talked about a new Ram 3500 dually pickup that broke its frame after the owner installed a huge, heavy slide-in camper. I suspect the slide-in camper weighed less than that camper-trailer the Grand Marquis is towing. Here it is:

View attachment 90157

Advantage: Ford.

He looked at a poster or something that had the max GVW for a 3500, and went out and bought a 3500.

Never read the fine print were to get max GVW you need a standard cab, 2wd and gas. So naturally he went crew cab, 4wd and diesel.

Then he bought a camper just under that weight rating and put all of his crap in it and on it. Even hunt a motorcycle like 6' off the back of the truck.

Then he went down a very rough road at high speed and the frame gave out.



IMO the problem was he had too much weight especially aft. The longer wheel base and extra heft of the diesel made it drive better than it should and masked his issues until the weak chain link revealed itself.

He tried to get the frame warrantied and Stellantis basically told him to get lost, the truck was way overloaded.

The frame tie down has nothing to do with it, it is pulling the camper into the bed not really up on the the frame. It is the preferred way to tie down camper.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, this is the mess my F350 deals with, sure it's not recommended but whatever, the older ones were overbuilt more... I don't have dumb power to just power through stuff so everything is slow and steady... Didn't realize that picture was corrupt, dang... it has the important part . Many times in the bed of the Ranger is a 3 wheeler or 4 wheeler and some random firewood around them instead of the tool box... I have a different camper now but it's only 6" longer and not much heavier... COG is still over the rear axle.