Hello, I'm just beginning my journey into the world of RV camping. I have a 4 cylinder extended cab 2009 Ford Ranger with an automatic transmission. Does anybody have any experience pulling a T@B 320 with this vehicle, or a similar one. The dealer is telling me it would be okay, but it might be slow going on Hills. I don't want to put to much stress on my truck so that it is damaged. Thanks!
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http://www.new-cars.com/2009/ford/specs/ranger.html#towing
T@Bit@t 2015 S Max Outback, ‘18 V6 4Runner
Draco dormiens numquam titilandus.
Buy a used T@B and apply the money saved by not buying a brand new trailer to upgrading your tow vehicle. If you buy an older T@B with surge brakes (2013 and older) you won’t have the expense of a brake controller, saving you another ~$500.
2013 CS-S us@gi
2015 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab
TV: 2012 Honda Ridgeline
Alice
Crozet, VA
TV: 2012 Honda Ridgeline
Alice
Crozet, VA
From your dual posts/threads here and on FaceBook it is clear you are struggling to decide if the Ranger can tow a T@B or not. At least one person has posted they did tow for a couple of years using a similar year 4-cyl Ranger. They however also said the trips were local and of short duration and they have since upgraded to a larger / more capable TV.
So to some extent your Ranger can tow a T@B, but should it . . . you have commented on how much you enjoy the Ranger and how well you have taken care of it. For the types of long distance, extended duration trips being planned I fear they will both destroy your beloved Ranger and place yourself and others at risk.
The 2009 2.3L I-4 Automatic Ranger was not designed for the towing environment you seek with a T@B trailer.
You stated originally the Ranger is an extended cab model with a 2240# tow rating. In 2009 Ford called an extended cab a Super Cab. Ranger 2009 sales brochure states a tow rating of 2080#, a GCWR at 5500#, and the TV GVWR at 4760#.
Tow Rating assumes the Ranger only has yourself and a full tank of gas. No clothes. gear, tools, or whatever. Any items placed in the Ranger decrease the tow rating by an equal amount. So if you had 200# of stuff with you in the Ranger; actual tow capacity drops to 1,880#. A T@B 320 S with propane and a battery weights ~1,850# and that is with no dishware, toilet paper, or even the leveling (lego) blocks that ship with it from the factory.
A nearly empty Ranger and empty T@B meet your factory specified TV tow capacity.
Beyond having TV performance issues or worse damaging the beloved Ranger . . . real world you will add gear . . . As you add stuff to the T@B you will be exceeding the tow rating and the GCWR. In a really-bad-day situation with you being found liable for a road accident an investigation by your insurance company will most likely find you have been overloading the Ranger and/or combined weights and could/might decline to cover your claim or the claims of other involved vehicles.
If you cannot do a TV upgrade, I encourage you to investigate trailer models in the 1,000 to 1,300# dry weight range. These won't have indoor shower/bath options but a few do have OK porta-potty or cassette toilet options and outdoor showers.
Ford Ranger Brochure Section
TV: '17 Colorado V6 Z71 4x4, Tow Package, GM Brake Controller
Adventures: 54 Nights: 341 Towing Miles 43,780
Draco dormiens numquam titilandus.
And the last bit of information. A couple of years ago when another of these towing discussions came up, I called my insurance agent. Her answer to towing over your vehicle’s stated limits was that if the insurance company’s investigation showed you knew you were towing over your limits, the insurance company could decline to pay for damage to your “property “, and they “probably” would pay for the other party’s damages. Your information would be sent to the underwriting personnel, who would decide if they would still want to insure you.
And with insurance companies not liking to pay for some claims, they could easily Google the Internet and they would be able to trace a discussion, such as this one, to you, proving you had knowledge of towing capacity of your Ranger.
2021 T@B 320S Boondock “The T@B”
Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
All good points.
In in this case, the ranger weighs roughly 50% more than the T@b, so I don’t think the tail is going to wag the dog. Check out the tow ratings on full size pickups. They are way higher than the truck’s curb weight in many cases.
2017 T@G XL Max
2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4X4 with 6 Sp manual