Hello Rangers,

I do not yet own a Ranger. I'm hoping to get some help in choosing. Dumping the Wrangler for a Ranger. I did own an 86 STX, traded it for a Wrangler... the irony.

My plan... the big get away. Class C motor home pulling a Ranger around the country fly fishing, tying flies, blogging, back country excursions etc.

Want a comfortable capable Ranger not over the top 4X4 as a toad that will also be my daily driver when I'm not pulling it somewhere.

Regards,
Lane

 

Welcome. You may already be aware,
to FlatTow older 4x4 Rangers\Explorers\SPortTracs\Mountaineers...
with a 1354TransferCase, need a special DealerInstalled NeutralKit
to shift TC into the otherwise hidden+unused Neutral position.
Not sure the NeutralKit is available anymore.
There may be a way to rig this function yourself, but requires some study\consideration.

 

2012 and older 4x4 Ford Rangers don't make very good TOADS unless you can find one of the rare ones with the manual shift transfer cases.

The transfer cases with electric shift motors don't have a user selectable neutral position and require an obsolete "Neutral Tow Kit" to be installed to get the transfer case into neutral.

I keep hearing horror stories on the 2019 and newer Rangers used as a TOAD about the transmissions burning up when being flat towed.

And of course there were no Rangers from 2013 to 2018

 

I test drove a 2019 and a 2021. The manual for both of these has step by step to put it into neutral tow mode - the 10-speed auto. I've read about a couple ruined transamissions from 4 down towing. But there are hundreds of others with no issues. It does not sound like it is a common problem. One I looked at on line listed "neutral tow mode" as a feature.

 

Welcome from Lebanon county