I hate the end of the boating season :(

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l...allpaper-1.jpg

 

Nice Boat.......

 

Sweet boat! How'd the truck do pulling it

 

Pulling it up the ramp is the only place I'd say the truck is actually working very hard.

Still manages the task alright tho (Dad's V8 4 runner much better at hauling up the ramp as one would expect).

Aside from a noticeable drop off in acceleration and a bit of working to get up hills the truck manages the load without much difficulty. The boat trailer carries most of it's weight on the two axels so not much weight is dragging on the Ranger's hitch.

The Ranger squats just over an inch with the full weight of the trailer resting on the hitch, which is not excessive in my mind.

Visibility is the main issue. Rear view is totally blocked, and side mirrors are pretty full of boat so I wouldn't want to drive it around heavy traffic without extended mirrors installed.

Total load weight including the trailer is around 4,700 lbs so still under the Rangers 5,600 lb rating. I don't use any type of weight distribution namely because of how small a percentage of total trailer weight is on the tongue.

Jerry D

 

thats a massive boat!
i would never try and pull it with mine haha


props though!

 

yeh a buddy of mine when he used to work at a boat shop had a ford ranger. He went through 3 motors and 2 trannys towing Mastercraft X series boats around. Those things are MASSIVE. It was all under warrenty. He finally upgraded to a Chevy tahoe with a 350. Thats a pretty good size boat, but your right, the tandom axle trailers do a great job of supporting the weight of the boat. Do you use low ranger when pulling it up the ramp? I tow my parents ski boat every once and a while (its only a 19ft closed bow mastercraft) but going up our ramp, I use low range to make light work of it. Our ramp is the steepest I have ever seen. I have had a similar sized ski boat slide a full size bronco down the ramp with a good set of AT tires... That was scary!

 

the Ramps down in texas are ****ing steep!

well some of them

 

I've pulled it up the ramp in all modes (2wd, 4hi & 4low) I find the truck feels less stressed in 2wd.

The little Ford does a good job. Who needs a V8 anyhow :)

 

Yeh I use 2wd low range a lot especially when backing trailers up. This way I dont cause any binding with my front end on the pavement but still get the advantages of having the low range.

 

So when are we going wakeboarding?

 

Haha,

Next season I'm game. Too bloody cold now.

Jerry D

 

Nice Boat