My '97 3.0 V6 Ranger has the following suspension mods (with pics):

* 4" Rough Country lift (new shocks, springs, components).
* 5 leaf heavy duty rear springs (upgraded from the old and worn 3 leaf setup).

It just has the bumper mount ball hitch, but I'll move to a frame mount receiver hitch if you all feel it's wiser (tongue weight, etc.,).
The bed payload is much better, but I want to know if a 7X14 tandem axle enclosed cargo trailer is within reasonable expectation for me.

Thanks!

 

Just FYI, you can't change the "legal" maximum tow weight or GCWR by any changes

gross combined weight rating = GCWR = maximum weight rating which includes vehicles weight, its cargo weight plus trailers weight and its cargo weight
This has to do more with braking than anything else but still can't be changed by larger or better brakes

Your LEGAL towing limit would be set by 1997 Ford Ranger w/ 3.0l V6 , 2WD or 4x4 also matters
Manual transmissions have a lower towing weight because manuals are simply weaker than automatics, nothing to do with clutch or driver ability, lol
Automatics have a higher rating

A frame mounted hitch allows you to tow up to the max legal rating

This is the 2004 Ford towing guide, oldest I found: https://www.fleet.ford.com/content/d...VTTowGuide.pdf

Page 17 has Ranger towing and GCWR limits, 1997 should be the same as its basically the same frame and body

These are LEGAL limits, not actual "how much CAN I tow", which would be higher
Legal limits apply if you are weighed or if there is an accident, insurance companies can walk away if you are "not operating vehicle in a legal lawful manner"

 

Thank you for the kind reply!
It's an auto trans, 2wd, and the longer wheelbase 7ft bed.
Does a 7X16 enclosed cargo trailer seem reasonable?
Before the mods I believe a 6X12 tandem was at the upper limits.

 

Its a weight rating not size, ???

 

I suppose (forgive my ignorance please). the jump in weight from the 6x12 to 7x14 is about an extra 500lbs. Tongue weight, I'm not certain.

 

Whats the overall weight of the trailer when loaded with gear?

Tongue weight should be approx. 10% of that, so 3,000lbs trailer should have approx. 300lbs tongue weight

Also, any trailer needs to be tongue heavy, meaning when unhooked the tongue doesn't try to raise up because there is TOO MUCH weight behind the trailers axle(s)

Is the trailer dual axle(4 wheels) or single axle (2 wheels)

 

Dual axle trailer (I was advised it's much safer). Trailer weight is approx 2900lbs unladen, filled it'll be about another 900lbs.

 

You "legal" limit for 3.0l regular cab long bed is 2,500lbs

GCWR is 6,000lbs
Truck weighs 3,200
Trailer 2,900

So that's 6,100lbs without driver or ANY gear

"Can" you tow it, yes, should be fine, but drive responsibly, the trailer will OUT WEIGH the truck, which means it can throw the truck sideways if you need to turn quickly or ???

 

Then I will likely err on the side of caution, and go with the 6X12. RonD, thank you for sharing wisdom on this topic! You're an asset to these great forums.

 

I agree with most of what RonD posted. Having towed a few fifth wheels with my old one ton, the question of “what I can tow” always comes up. While most any vehicle can pull loads above the weights shown on the manufactures door tag, the real thing I’ve always been most interested in is what I can STOP, especially in a panic stop. While I might have a load that exceeded the Gross Rear Axle Rating, I don’t have a load that exceeds the max for the wheels, tires and Gross Vehicle Weifht Rating as well as the GCWR.

 

Thank you for that, Rolland. Brakes (and the heat/wear from added weight), are reinforcing that I go with a less ambitiously sized cargo trailer.

 

Yeah, no doubt that insurance companies can act like this.

 

I don't blame insurance companies, I don't want to pay sky high rates, to pay for dummies that haul too big a load and crash, same as a don't want to pay for drunk driver crashes, these are Voluntary choices, and bad ones, I don't think I should have to pay for a NON-accident, because its not an accident its an "on purpose"

 

A vehicles tow rating isnt so much "how much can i pull?", more like "how much can i stop".....sure, you can put some 4x4" pieces of hardwood between the frame and the leaf spring to keep the bed from riding on the tires when you overload your truck.....but good luck trying to get your truck to stop.

 

Thank you all for the common sense advice. It's curbed my towing ambitions for the time being.
If anyone is in the northeast GA area, I may be putting the truck up for sale if you'd like to check it out.
Thank you all again for the helpful advice.

 

I've tried a lot of them, and even didn't think there are some companies that can help in certain situations. And recently found this article ( https://www.americaninsurance.com/do...fect-insurance ), about how parking tickets can affect on your insurance and quotes. What do you think about it? Is it possible that parking tickets can be a negative sign for your future signing up insurance papers?

 

Having spent 30 years and retiring as an insurance agent I believe it’s highly unlikely a parking ticket would effect rates or quotes. But, with so many companies and their rules anything is possible.

What I saw on citations or tickets is a moving violation that would contribute to the likelihood of an accident occurring, ie, speeding, running a stop sign, etc. A ticket for an expired auto license let’s say, doesn’t contribute to a accident possible happening.

hope this helps.

 

I am not involved with insurance, lol, but been a customer for many years
I would agree that tickets for disobeying road rules, i.e. speed limits, stop signs, and general driving rules would be a sign that this person is more likely to cause an accident than be a victim of an accident, so if insurable would/should pay higher rates, after all obeying or disobeying Rules of the Road is a Voluntary action

I wouldn't think Parking tickets on their own would be a sign of that, but multiple UNPAID parking tickets would be a sign of financial issues, so insurance company may not want the hassle or would charge alot more UPFRONT for a policy

Insurance is a business, and a gamble, you are betting you WILL have an accident, Insurance Company is betting you won't
Insurance, in a form, has been around 3,000 years at least
Communities would often require members to donate a portion of their crops(like a tax) to public storage, and if a member's crop should fail in a year or all crops failed there would still be some food for the community, so insurance for the future, because "**** happens, always has, always will", since the beginning of recorded history, lol

That's what insurance is, a community benefit, so no one person is left "holding the bag" in the event of an accident or event
Trade was what started "Modern" insurance, the kind we see today
Trade with other communities was an economic benefit for the whole community, so ships and caravans, would get insurance against theft or loss of cargo, so the risk of trading was lessened for the benefit of all in the community
I imagine certain trade routes had to pay more for insurance than other routes, lol

So it comes down to risk and reward, a gamble, but like a bookie taking bets on a horse race, if you get enough bets on different horses you spread out the risk because only 1 horse can win