Towing Capacity of a 2006 Ford Ranger. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Towing Capacity of a 2006 Ford Ranger.

Hi Everyone. This site appears to have a lot of experience moving through it.
I own a 2006 Ranger Sport PU 4X4 with an extended cab, 4.0 L V6 , 4.10 rear end & an automatic transmission c/w a factory cooler.
My plan is to pull an ultra light trailer or 5th wheel in the 3800 lb range loaded. Is there any advice or suggestions I should be aware of?
Thank-you in advance
 



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Welcome to Explorer Forum! We have a section just for towing. I'm sure you could thumb through it and find out what you need to know. Happy posting!
 












welcome
 






tbars4 and Dopler174...thanks for the info.
 












Get a better transmission cooler. My sport trac came with the same motor, transmission, gear ratios and transmission cooler. Running around town the transmission was normally in the 180's. Replaced it with a bigger stacked plate style transmission cooler and the transmission temps are down about 20 degrees across the board.
Along with that, get a scan gauge 2 that will read out transmission temperature. Heat will kill that tranny in a hurry. I also got a programmer (xcal2) with different tunes (91 torque is my fav), and firmer shifts.
I now have 33" tires are 4.88 gears, pulls great. I moved from Oregon to Kentucky (through wyoming over the mountains) pulling a 6x14 trailer loaded to the roof with zero problems. But if you look in your manual, front area is a big consideration for the ranger. I wouldn't pull a regular travel trailer that is 8ft wide. Biggest I would even think about would be a very very small lightweight, narrow trailer. Get a good brake controller too (prodigy), the ranger brakes are a joke with any load behind it.
With my setup, I was passing trucks up all the mountains with no problems.
But, when we were on flat ground and had a 30 mph or more headwind, the trucks started passing me again. A large front surface area will make you hate your life.
You'd be better suited to a pop up trailer if you will be towing any considerable distances.

Also, if you've never bought any type of RV, know that the weight they tell you is way underestimated. Plan for much more weight, even empty. Then think about weight for water, propane, batteries, food, cooking supplies, passengers, and then some more. It that's up quick.
 






I own a 2006 Ranger Sport PU 4X4 with an extended cab, 4.0 L V6 , 4.10 rear end & an automatic transmission c/w a factory cooler.


Good general reference, but slightly lacking in detail... According to page 128 of your owner's manual (a much better and often overlooked resource), the 5580 lbs quoted in the link is only for the NON-FX4 package. If you have the FX4 package, the limit is 5300 lbs. As explained in the owner's manual, neither capacity includes the weight of the passengers and cargo, so that needs to be subtracted from the available tow rating.

Also, if you've never bought any type of RV, know that the weight they tell you is way underestimated. Plan for much more weight, even empty. Then think about weight for water, propane, batteries, food, cooking supplies, passengers, and then some more. It that's up quick.

Ditto... those weights add up VERY quickly... Even a small popup will easily hold 700 lbs of gear, plus another 200 lbs of water. Also, the 'dry weight' of the camper quoted in the literature often does not include optional accessories, such as refrigerators, stoves, propane tanks, microwaves, TVs, etc. Your 3800 lb camper could easily gross 5000 lbs before you know it.

Don't listen to a word your camper dealer tells you when it comes to weights or your truck's capabilities. Your towing experience is not their primary concern.

-Joe
 






Im looking at buying a 5th wheel trailer that is 24' and weighs in at 4000lbs.

I don't plan on towing with my ranger long but want to be able to use it for a few trips.

My ranger is an 02 fx4. It is a 4.0 with a manual. I was just looking for some thoughts on towing. I have a brake controller and plan on putting f150 leaves under it.

Any thoughts?? thanks
 






24 foot and 4,000 pounds? there is no way and a 5th wheel on a ranger? never seen that done.. a 5th wheel is rough on a full size let alone a compact
 






...Here is one with a Scamp fifth wheel trailer outside of Denver...;)
denver2.jpg
 












24 foot and 4,000 pounds? there is no way and a 5th wheel on a ranger? never seen that done.. a 5th wheel is rough on a full size let alone a compact

...You are correct...It is a 19 foot and has an approx weight of 2000lbs empty which might be better suited for the Ranger...It is however, a fifth wheel on a Ranger and it has been towed a bunch...:D

...The specs on the Scamp 19' fifth wheel can be found here...
http://www.scamptrailers.com/Showroom/19FifthWheelTrailers/19Specifications.aspx
 






I've seen several 5ers on Rangers over the years, and one was around 24'. However, with an automatic, it would work. With a manual? Not a chance... Your truck is only rated to tow 2720lbs (according to page 178 of your owner's manual). Leaf springs would be the least of your worries... I have a friend with the same truck that pulled his 2000lb popup with it. He just sold it a couple months ago, and in the 7 years he had it, the trans had to be rebuilt three times due to the wear and tear on it from towing. On that particular truck, the trans is not capable of handling the extra load. Take that same truck with an automatic, ad the tow rating jumps to 5180lbs.

Also, there's the issue of the rear axle weight... The GAWR is fairly high, and the back of the truck is relatively light, but you're usually looking around 20% pin weight on a 5th wheel... That could very possibly exceed the GAWR for the truck regardless of what type of springs you have under it. The GAWR doesn't change just because you install heavier springs, air bags, air shocks, or any other load-assisting device. The axle shafts, bearings, wheels, and tires haven't changed, and neither have their capacities.

Unfortunately, it's just plain the wrong tool for the job.... Sorry.
 












Is 4k the dry weight or the actual loaded-on-the-scale weight? If it's a dry weight, the scale weight will likely be at or more than 5000 lbs, loaded, wet, with all the amenities.... Water (7lbs a gallon), propane tank(s), battery, fridge, stove, furnace, air conditioner, awning, luggage, pots and pans, bedding, toiletries, etc, etc, etc all add up way faster than you can imagine.

Oh, and 1000 lbs on the rear axle is likely going to put it well over the GAWR for the truck... I'm pretty confident of that one. Take the truck to a CAT scale at almost any truck stop, and for $8.50, you'll know exactly what it weighs and how much extra axle capacity is available.... Subtract 100 lbs off that capacity for the weight of the hitch, and I'd bet dollars to doughnuts 1000 lbs is going to put you well over.

And then there's the trans... Good luck getting 8000-9000 lbs of rig moving on a hill without torching the clutch... And it's not going to be long for this world once you do.

Forgot to mention... the frontal area limitation of the Ranger's towing capacity is 50 square feet... That limits you to a camper that's 7' wide and roughly 7-8 feet tall. I suspect that camper is well above that... All in all, between the pin weight, gross weight, frontal area of the camper, and the transmission in your truck, it's going to be WAY out-classed by that camper, bordering on dangerous. Also keep in mind, you're putting more than just yourselves at risk... There are other people sharing the roads with you. From a strictly mechanical standpoint, your rig really isn't up to the task. But from a safety perspective, it's just plain not the right tool for the jobs. Heck, many 1/2-ton full size trucks wouldn't be up for it either, but it would be a heck of a lot safer.
 






a f150 wouldnt be a bad choice..
 






We are currently looking towards a f 350 to serve duty hauling the 5th wheel.

Also this 5th wheel is designed to be hauled by a 1/2 ton but I certainly can't afford another trans for the ranger. (I just had to replace my m5r1hd trans as the syncros are toasted in 2nd and had a mean whine in the input shaft.)
 






...I third the vote for a fullsize PU for the towing...:biggthump

...Just curious Damonkr, but what gears are you running???...It didn't say in your other thread...

...What started me thinking was it says 7" &35's under your name...:scratch:
 



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