towing a boat

[keane728]

hey guys. i wanted to ask your opinions on towing a boat. i have a 97 ranger ext. cab w/ 4.0 and towing rear end. i am thinking of getting an 18' boat that weighs around 1900 lbs and i'm not sure about the trailer weight. I wanted to see what you thought the limit on a ranger would be and whether it would be a problem.

 

[01_ranger_4x4]

your truck will pull it no problem. even better if you have the auto trans.

 

[88_Eddie]

i have an explorer with a 4.0 and i hauled a trailer with about 2000 lbs. of crushed up sidewalk (plus the trailer weight) with just the stock bumper, no problems, i think you'll be fine

 

[Nhaz]

Its not the pulling that the light truck has a problem with.

Its the Stopping. Give yourself Lots of stopping space. If you have trailer brakes that helps alot.

Try to get any excess water in the bilges out. water has lots of mass =>

 

[01_ranger_4x4]

that amount of wieght is well within what your truck is rated to pull, just do not pull off the bumper. get a class III receiver hitch.

 

[Hopman]

Keane, you'll be okay pulling that dinghy.

When you buy a new class III hitch, just go with a well-known company like Valley or Draw-Tite. This is one area you DO NOT want to skimp out on. When it's installed, make sure the tech used NEW GRADE 8 bolts.

 

[adsm08]

I have a Ranger with a 2.9 and I know it has hauled about 2000 lbs of crushed gravel, so your 4.0 should do just fine...

To quote our glorious AllanD, "A 4.0 can do easily what should never be attempted with a 2.9".

 

[feellnfroggy]

I wouldnt even have a tech install it. I would do it yourself with advice from the fellows here and like he said "grade 8 bolts". Take pics and we'll grade your work, but hitches arent to hard to install.

 

[ronclark]

I tow a 18ft boat all the time with camping gear, etc. in my 4x4 5 speed 2.9, no problem at all.
Just go to watch the stopping distance.
+1 on the trailer breaks, and make sure your breaks are working 100%. if you have 9" drums get upgrade to 10" big difference in stopping.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

1+ on "Valley" hitches and trailer brakes make a huge difference in a situation. My friend towed my 18ft. inboard jet-boat a couple hundred miles back to Anchorage for me over 60% mountain passes and twisties in his 94 2wd 2.3 ranger and had no problems at all, however he said at 70 yrs old he most likely would have had heart failure or NEVER would have been able to stop the whole affair had a moose or tourist been around a blind corner even being carefull. You may want to find a loney road and test that aspect, you may be surprised how much the boat pushes you or not... but better to have tested knowledge. Be safe and have fun.

 

[01_ranger_4x4]

unless the boat trailer is equipped with surge brakes there wont be brakes on it. boat trailer + electric brakes + water = fail.

 

[Jason]

unless the boat trailer is equipped with surge brakes there wont be brakes on it. boat trailer + electric brakes + water = fail.

Not at all. They just are sealed well. My old ChrisCraft boat was on a trailer with electric brakes. Surge brakles don't do shit on A 38 FT boat. I had to haul that with my work truck even though the trailer wasn't air brakes.

 

[JGod]

I pull a 16' mako with my 97 2.3 2wd all the time and don't even notice that I'm pulling something. Towing it is the easy part; it's the launching that you have to watch out for (with the 2.3 anyways). I have to drive an extra 10 miles to launch at a nice paved ramp and I still have trouble pulling it up sometimes but with your 4.0 I don't think you should have a problem; just use common sense.

 

[01_ranger_4x4]

Not at all. They just are sealed well. My old ChrisCraft boat was on a trailer with electric brakes. Surge brakles don't do shit on A 38 FT boat. I had to haul that with my work truck even though the trailer wasn't air brakes.

well in that case youre correct but were not talking about a 38 foot boat here. its doubtfull you will find electric brakes on an 18 foot boat trailer hauling a boat that weights 1900 pounds, at least ive never seen any.