I have a 2002 Ford Ranger XLT SuperCab 4x2, 4.0L, 5-speed auto, 8.8" 3.55 open (non-LS) differential, OEM tranny cooler, 44K orig. miles, and a 2" Class III hitch. I'm looking to tow a 18" bass boat which will weigh about 2,400 lbs loaded and does not have trailer brakes. The payload and trailer weights are all well within the ratings of the truck (under 50%), but wanted to know who else out there has had success, or failure, pulling similar loads with the same truck setup. Frequency will be about once a week. Not looking to travel the country with it or take on big elevation changes, just want to be able to tow within a couple hundred miles (max) without issues.

Thanks!

 

Main problem you're going to run into is very poor acceleration. With the O/D off, you will probably be okay as long as you aren't trying to race somebody. Your braking is also going to suck, but will be survivable.

 

X2

Would be better with some 4.10s in there.

 

Just give yourself plenty of time to slow down for turns and stops.

 

You should have plenty of power with the 4.0L engine. The automatic transmission will make up a lot for the 3.55 gears. If you don't have tall tires you should be fine. Not having trailer brakes is the biggest concern but at 2400 lbs towing, it will not be too bad. Just give yourself plenty of room to stop. Make sure the trailer tongue provides enough weight to the rear to make sure the rear tires have decent traction during braking. You don't want to jack knife in a quick stop.
I have towed all over the country including over the Rocky Mountains on I-70 with a combined trailer load of 3500 lbs plus 800 lbs on the bed. I don't feel under powered with my Ranger with 4.10 gears and 31" tires. That is running with a manual transmission. I do have trailer brakes and helper air springs to keep the rear from sagging.

 

Thanks for all the feedback! Luckily, I still have the stock 15" 70R size tires on it so I won't be thinning out that 3.55 gear. And the boat/trailer is pre-matched so I expect about 10-15% tongue weight or around 225 lbs. Might have another 100-150 lbs of gear in the bed. At this point, I think braking will be the wildcard but I can't imagine it being dangerous as long as I remember what I'm hooked to. For reference, I currently pull a 500 lb boat/trailer package without aux brakes and can't really tell it's even there.