Who tows with small vehicles

Yep, until you've been "p***ed" by your trailer and then jerked into the median or side ditch by it everything is just hunky-dory and you are the king of trailer towers!

 

I had my trailer jack knife once and swing around and hit the side of my vehicle when a guy ran a stop sign while going down a downward slope..**** happens, and it would have happened no matter what rig I had. There seems to be this air of arrogance that if you have an f350 Power stroke dually, that none of those things can ever happen to you.

You can wreck while towing no matter what size your rig is, and no matter how you are towing, or what you are towing. What matters isn't how much of a hot shot driver you are, but that you respect the situation you are in, know your limits, know your equipment, stay alert and try to drive 3 moves ahead at all times. Getting cozy, flipping on the ac, cranking up the tunes, and zoning out in your big rig will find you in a ditch just as quickly as over estimating your small rig if you aren't being sufficiently cautious while towing. At least you have an over-sense of caution when towing something that you actually feel behind. It keeps you staying on edge at all times and are aware of the situation you are in so it's not easy to relax forget what you have behind you.




looks like he had all the correct gear to me...

 

Thanks guys. You have given me a lot of stuff to think about. I do have a Chevy 1/2 ton 350 V8 that I use now to tow. I'll do a lot of prep before I make the leap to the Ranger.
Oh and the drive it guys. I do and have driven it a lot the 20+ years since I built it. And I have towed it a lot. And since I replaced the Mustang engine with the Cad. with 4-97s I don't think I will drive it on many long trips.

 

not to knock a small truck or vehicle but depending on what it is, how long and how heavy...it can get really tricky.

i tow with an '03 dodge 2500 with a ***mins. wouldnt have it any other way!

 

I pull my 2900 lb enclosed trailer with either my 1968 Camaro (big block) or my 1935 custom Auburn boattail speedster behind my 1996 Buick Estate wagon. I can run 70 on the interstate comfortably. I have an equalizer hitch and an anti sway bar. The only problem I have ever encountered is stopping. Made the mistake of putting hydraulic brakes on the trailer. The sway bar keeps them from working. Someday I will install eletric brakes to remidy the problem. Until then, I leave lots of room between me and the car ahead.

 

Better check your insurance policy, if youre towing more than vehicle is rated they dont have to honor the policy.

 

That is of course true, but using the wrong equipment sure increases the probability of an accident and too small a tow vehicle is one of the most common mistakes I see on the road.

Having enough stopping power is far more important than pulling power. Stopping power is a function of both the size of the brakes and tires, and the weight of the vehicle. If your tow vehicle is too light your load will be able to overcome your stopping and your ability to choose direction.

Scary happens next.

 

possibly true, or should i say more than likely..(and they might drop you like a bad habit)
and the Police officer might just add insult to injury with a nice big ticket

 

I miss my ram 01 3500 DRW 6spd diesel. Best towing rig I ever had. Now I have a 01 Ram 1500 4x4. Had a few times I thought "well Im F**ked" Only one did I let out an "Oh sh*t!" Had a slow car change lanes into mine on a down hill. Thought for sure I was going to hit him. Locked up the trailer brakes and pitched the truck sideways... Still don't know how I didn't hit the car or flip. Had to stop and walk it off for a few min.

 

I miss my Dodge 1 dually 4x4 ***mins, but only as a tow vehicle. The ***mins was the only good thing about it. ****py front end design, poor trans(nv4500), lousy frame, blah, blah. It was the cats PJ's for towing though.

 

Had a friend who towed an Ice race car with a 4 cyl ranger for a good may years. Car was a Rabbit and trailer weighed about 700 lbs No problems. I towed a honda civic on a single axle made from a popup camper for 5 years with a Cherokee, no problems. the Cherokee was rated at 3500. Honda weighed 1800 trailer about 650.

Would a bigger truck be more comforatable and better suited, cna the ranger do occasional duty? don;t see why not unless you live in the mountains.

 

Well wrong is wrong. We are talking about (or at least I am). The difference between running right at or close to the rating, or having to need a dedicated tow rig. There is big difference between running a 5000lb rated @ 4500lb-5500lbs, and running a 5000lb rated @ 7,000 - 10,000lbs and needing to run a 15,000lb rated @ 5000lbs.

I don't think anybody here is advocating running over the rating. Just if you can get away with running right at it..and I say yes you can. You just need to be cautions, just like you need to be when towing no matter what.

Although with that said, I'm sure one day I'll switch back to a full size pickup when the jeep dies..but at 0$ a month, and my current insurance rates on a 1000$ vehicle costing less per year then my insurance on my Z71 per month did.. It's really hard for me to justify going back to making monthly loan payments, having a yearly 500$ reg fees, and ludicrous insurance coverage fees on a new rig. I certainly wouldn't be able to afford to work on the cars if I had to make payments on the truck.

But to put things in persepcitive.
My jeep rating is 5000lbs, uhaul trailer weight is 2,210, now I don't know what my buick sedan weights, but I'd be surprised if just a frame and body weighed over 2800lbs. Which is what my camaro weighs, and would put me right at the limit. (Which is why I'm hoping this 12' trailer i'm looking at weighs a bit less then the uhaul one)

 

you'll be fine with that ranger. my dad drove that body with the 6 for years and pulled tons of stuff--then moved up to a sport track and does the same. for a roadster you're fine--up to 40's vintage if you drive sanely you're ok--I woudn't go for any of the big 50's/60's cars though. make sure it's a cl*** iii hitch and trailer brake kit is always a worthwhile investment

 

Thanks guys. Not sure what I'll do yet but I'm sure I'll take it slower and safer because of what I've learned from you.

 

I have had lots of success with Electrc over hydraulic brakes, you can use a regular old electric controller in the tow vehicle, and a hydraulic unit (as pictured) on the trailer to work your existing brakes.

 

I saw on T V one day, Those stupid crook shows-I think over sea`s. A guy was towing a little boat with a motor scooter.The cop was wondering why he was going so slow.

 

These things get so far off track all the time. He was asking about towing something light with a Ranger - not an enclosed trailer with a 60's land yacht towed by a Honda Civic.
I have towed with a couple of different Rangers over the years. All have had the 4.0 V6. I towed Two Harley's to the east coast and back for a vacation where we needed a car and wanted the bikes. All up the trailer was about 2000 lbs and no problems at all, very comfortable to drive.
My current 2008 Ranger extended cab has towed my lightweight 2 axle trailer with my 32 coupe on it. The key is a good trailer that tows well to begin with, trailer brakes, and proper loading for optimum tongue weight.
I think for what you want to do, the Ranger will be fine.

 

I just checked and my Ranger has a 3.0 V6 in it. Another strike against it. I think I'll just keep my Chevy 1/2 ton 12mpg for a tow vehicle. It got my 48 out of the walnut orchard pretty well with a rented U Haul trailer.

 

I've towed a small trailer behind various motorcycles for many miles. Trick is to have a very sturdy hitch, frame-mounted; proper tongue weight (critical); and the sense to not overdo.

A large contributor to trailering problems is sway. Make double damn sure that the hitch cannot move sideways at all. Even stepbumpers should be diagonally braced, especially in this instance.

That said, what you are contemplating m*i*g*h*t be OK, provided you are using a frame-mount hitch with weight equalisation (the torsion bars); electric brakes on ALL trailer axles, and watch the tongue weight (mark the trailer). You are close on the rating, best to weigh the combination to make sure of the weight.

And get another trans cooler, the biggest that you can fit. An electric fan dedicated to towing might be a good idea as well. Trans temp is also critical for long life. You CAN kill a trans in one tow.

Cosmo

P.S. A heavier vehicle with a longer wheelbase does make it easier. I have towed with a Fleetwood 75 (6000# and 149" WB. 472 CI), and could p*** reasonably quickly with an Eldorado convertible on the trailer.

 

if this is any help. i towed a freightliner big rig with my 98 ford ranger 2.3 4 cylinder with a manual 5 speed trans for 3 blocks including off road terrain. as much as i thought these trucks couldnt tow it sure as hell did exaclty what i needed it to.

also i was moving and making trips with the bed fully loaded with engines, s**** metal, and so on which was anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 lbs.

this used to be my fathers truck until he p***ed away this p***ed dec. (RIP POPS) and he occasionally towe vehicles on a dolly with this truck. i never believed him until he p***ed away and i had to move all of his stuff. all these tows were done with the hitch on the bumper so i am sure a good frame mounted hitch woul dmake it even strudier and capable of doing so.

wasnt a big ford ranger fan until i saw all of this with my own two eyes.

 

I haven't completely given up on towing my roadster with the Ranger yet. All the info I am getting is going to make it as safe as possible when and if I do decide to do it. Keep it coming if you think you have anything to add. I am getting a real education.
Thanks again Gary

 

I towed my race car in a two axle enclosed trailer with a 1982 Mazda B2000 pickup.
But, the trailer had brakes and I used an equalizer hitch. Had no problems, just took it easy and careful every time.

 

Sorry dude, but what has this got to do with trailer towing? So you abused a Ranger towing a Freightliner, then you overloaded it it with s****.

 

Hey get off his ***. I want everybody's input. I learn something from every post.
Listen to me I'm usually the one on the other end of this argument.

 

Lets put this into perspective. Rangers are the same size as a 49-54 Chevy pickup or Ford from the same era. Farmer brown towed his hayrack and cow trailer to town with those. You CAN do it, but we have gotten SPOILED from the big brute we can buy thesse days. I don't tow with my Ranger much any more, I beat it up building the shop/house.

 

My Son has a '95 S-10 extended cab that looks just like yours! Love that teal color and matching stock bed cover!

It has an after market low slung H-D hitch on the back, but he's never used it.

4.3 V-6, 700 ****** and I don't know what reg's are under it?

It's a great older DD for a small Pickup, imho. 128,000 or so miles on it and it was ordered by an old man and then the guy that then bought it, was a mechanic that took GOOD care of it!

My gut feeling gave him his low-ball asking price for it just before Christmas last year and I honestly think that if my Son treat's it right, he will be able to DD it for at least 7, maybe 10 years, it's that good a PU by me!!

pdq67

 

...the Japanese:

 

i have a 00 ranger 4cyl 5 spd and i towed 2200 lbs of s**** in on a snowmobile trailer, bent the bumper down a little but hell i still tow my car trailer with it. i just brought my car trailer home with 1500 lbs of deck boards on it. just don't tow long long journeys and take it easy on the binders.

 

Don't. I was towing a rented 4000 lb trailer once, the rental company hooked it up to my vehicle and called it good. A few miles down the road some ***** crosses the line and smokes me. After he was carted away in an ambulance the cops called the motor vehicle inspector to check the trailer hookup b/c it detached in the accident. The safety chain held. The inspector said I was overloaded. My jeep was rated for 5000 lb but the hitch was only for 3500. I got a ticket and the idiots lawyer heard that and tried to make out it was my fault as I shouldn't have been on the road to get hit by his client! My insurance company backed me up, blamed it on the rental company and eventually it worked out but I still got the ticket. Its not worth it