Here are a couple pictures of my ranger fully loaded with my new 19 foot camping trailer. These are the return pictures with spare tire and all. Trailer weights in at 4000lbs dry, so I’m guessing with water (40 gallons ~350lbs), generator (~200lbs), food, clothes, ice chest, I’m guess total weight of truck and trailer is near or over 9500lbs. And let me tell you it feels like it. I have SCT set a 91 octane torque setting and there are many hills where 3 gear pedal to the metal at 40-45 mph is now be coming normal. One long hill going north out of Santa Fe I jumped down to 2nd gear for just a little bit. But its okay, I can keep 65-70mph no problem on the straights, and the truck is paid for. I would highly NOT recommend towing this much with a ranger. I have a brake controller and weight distribution hitch and without those 2 it is just plain scary to tow. Stopping is not a problem I have an inertia (edit I have a proportional not inertia) brake controller and it works great (timed controllers are out dated), only way to pull heavy loads. I have pulled the trailer w/o the weight distribution bars and the rear axle bottoms out on most if not all bumps. The longest I’ve pulled it was about 120 miles one way, and did 10mpg, a/c on middle of day for a 4th of july camping trip.
This is 4 star camping, a/c, heater, shower, toilet, stove, microwave, refrig, radio, tv, it’s really not camping anymore, it’s more like a small house on wheels.

You can see I got a flat tire, got to love having a full size spare. I only towed the trailer 15-20 miles on the spare but could tell no difference.

 

hope you have trailer brakes on that truck.....if you don't, that is too much.......the max tow rating for your truck since it is a manual is only around 3,000 pounds.......be prepared to install a new clutch if you tow it much.....that is the weak point of your tranny....the clutch WILL glaze over...

 

Sexy.... I love it when someone uses a truck for what its intended for...

 

I have heard that if you know how to properly drive a stick then a stick can tow as much as the auto. I plan to change my Centerforce out for a Spec stage 2+ or maybe a stage 3 and towing a car on a dual axle trailer. Of course I will have a brake controller for the trailer.

 

true in transmissions designed to be hauling heavy loads, BUT in a Ranger, the clutch is a real weakness in the manual transmissions.........under any more load, the clutch will glaze over and fail, leaving you and your cargo stranded on the road....

 

It doesnt look like you have your weight distribution hitch set up right since the front of the trailer is sitting high might want to drop it down a notch.

Also did you run sway control towing that?

 

That's why I'm changing out my clutch because mine is already worn from having a faulty slave cylinder. I didn't know the slave was a problem at the time when I had my clutch changed.

 

do you have any experience with a RANGER manual trans have you towed a heavy load and glazed the clutch disc? or are you going off what you have read?

i have towed a old boat anchor cadillac with my ranger when i first got it on a dual axle trailer and no poblems. the only reason i replaced the clutch in mine is because the slave went out and i was stranded downtown sd

 

yes i have experience towing with a manual Ranger....no i have no glazed a clutch........there is a reason that the manufacture's max GVWR is set lower on a manual than an automatic......

if you don't believe what i have said, DO SOME RESEARCH!.....o but i forgot that would be too hard for your lazy ***....

you just like to stir up crap......and quite frankly you can kiss my white/hairy ***......

 

lol this is funny.

you guys should read his post before you go arguing with each other and what you should and shouldnt be doing....

Looks good Adrian, did you use that additional fuse box like we discussed?

 

Zach, thanks man. I went to the junk yard and got the wires to tie into the fuse box, just a matter of time. I think I'll email you the write up with pictures if you don't mind, give it a once over make sure it makes sense?

Mark, you're right it does look like the front is going up a bit, a notch now might be just right. When I sent it up it looked nice and level but looking at that picture need to re-measure.

Yes the maunal on a ranger is rated to tow less for one reason according to ford, if at a complete stop on a 5% grade, truck should be able to pull load. And due to weak clutch and low torque at low rpm's it is not easy. I'm sure ford uses some formula to get the CGVWR and the weakess link makes the number and on a maunal that is the clutch.
I'm not worried about the clutch, I think the transmission will go 1st. But thats way I got amsoil in the transmission and transfercase and the axle will have it too soon.
Centerforce clutch and flywheel will go in if/when clutch does fail.

 

id be careful with that tranny, ranger manuals suck, the clutch in my 05 crapped the bed just daily driving it at 19k.

 

my god, adrian is still around?!

 

I love seeing a truck used for what it's made for

I love towing with mine....so funny the looks I get with 2 full size ATV's on there loaded down all muddied up

 

I've only towed with mine once, a 5X8 foot Uhaul and a bed full of crap from my buddy Scotty's apartment. The truck did amazing, but I will never pull more than that, a pop up camper, atv, or jet ski with mine. If I need to pull more, I'll use the Bronco.

 

sounds good you have my email address still? right?

 

me and my wife are talking about getting a camper like this. the trailer it self weighs in at 4000 lbs? my cousin has a 28 foot that is 5000 lbs, i would have thought that a 19ft would be lighter than that.

 

sweet dude.. i love towing. lateley ive been hauling about 4k lbs of concrete to the dump last few weeks, in a rental uhaul trailer. lol crazy to pull onto the scale at 8-9000lbs.

have fun with the trailer. i want to get a trailer sometime. id like to get back into camping.

i also like seeing the ranger being worked like it should be.

 

Chris, i'm still alive!! And so is my truck only now it only comes out to tow or climb, I drive my 95 ford escort every day, 30 mpg only way to do it.

Zach-yes sir the one at gmail.com.

Bumpncar-yea 4000lbs is what the sticks says. Yea i talked to someone who had a 26/28 foot trailer and it was only like 5k too. I'm guess that the main stuff is what adds up in weight, axles, frame, refrig, a/c, bath, etc, than when you go 10 more feet you just adding space not more axles or refrig etc. But they do make lighter trailers too. You just have to pay for them. Palomino also makes a lighter trailer 21ft 3076lbs, they start at 17k and go up. I paid 11.7k out the door for my. It's all about how much you want to pay and what you need. This was heavier, more than I needed, planned to keep for 10-15 years, and had all the extras I was looking for. Shop around you can get what you need.

 

if a person wants to tow more than the recomended weight for his ranger, i say go for it. i don't care if his clutch is burned up or a transmission is wrecked. it's not my truck. in fact, i laugh at people who are stranded because of stupidity.

 

nice camper... the boat i want weighs almost that and i know i cant pull it with my little 3.0

 

yea, i found alot of different trailers that were under 3K lbs, i just have to show them to the wife so we can pick out ones we want to look into.

 

Look at jaycos they make a bunch of lightweights that are decently sized and weight wise. My parents have a 28ft jay flight they tow with the f150 that weighs in at about 6k loaded. Also they just bought a new 35 ft fifth wheel that they have permanetly parked at a campground. My dad sells trailers on the side and basically jayco is the best brand out there because of how they are built and such.

 

Wow. I thought I was pulling alot by towing a 76 starcraft fully loaded and a full bed of other gear. I give you props just be careful towing that much.

 

cool, thanks, i will look into them as well.