I have a 2002 4x4 (off road) SuperCab Ranger XLT, 4.10 Ratio Axle, 5 sp. auto tranny, V6. It has a Quality S hitch receiver that says WD is 6,000 & WC is 4,500. What is a reasonable towing capacity for this truck?

 

I am assuming you have the 4.0L V6. Look in the back of your owner's manual and it will have a table showing all this info. I looked in mine yesterday, and it shows that my truck (nearly identical to yours) has a GCWR of 9,600 lbs. or something like that. Assuming the truck weighs 3,300 lbs. of that, I can tow around 6,000 lbs. (that is the trailer AND the load that's on it combined.) I realize that you have the SOHC engine, but the torque rating on it is identical to mine, so your truck should handle the same load. Again, just look in your owner's manual...there is all kinds of important info. in the rear of it.

 

Per your owners manual page 188, if your engine size is 3.0L, you can pull a combined vehicle and trailer weight of 7,500 pounds. If your engine size is 4.0L, you can pull a combined vehicle and trailer weight of 9,500 pounds. Vehicle weight would include cargo, passengers and fuel, etc. Your vehicle would weigh about 3800 pounds with 2 passengers. Remember, that most states require brakes on trailers over about 2,000 pound to be legal. Check your local rule book.

 

but was looking for people's more personal/practical experience with towing since the manual/manufaturer tends to state the upper limit of towing capacity; that might not be a "realistic" capacity.

 

Well, I am not responsible for any accidents you may have from doing this..... but from experience I can tell you that a truck will tow more than it's rated at.

For instance, my father and I recently towed a combined 29,000 lbs. up a steep grade coming out of the Kentucky River valley with his '02 Dodge Cummins. That truck is not rated anywhere near that kind of weight, but the truck will do it and the trailer had brakes on it, so we did it.

The Ranger will probably handle much more than a 6,000 lb. trailer / load if the trailer has brakes. The question is, do you want to risk being in an accident and having to explain to the officer that you thought it would be OK?

It's a matter of choice. Stay in the owner's manual guidelines to be safe. If you don't care about the risk, yeh, the truck will do more.

 

IMHO, a driver's experience goes a long way toward determining how much more weight and drag his truck can handle. Even staying within the manufacturer's limits (which I recommend) doesn't guarantee that you'll be OK. And you surely don't want to be pushin' weight limits if you are someone who is not all that familiar with the way a small truck handles towing around a trailer with a bunch of extra weight. Just my 02.

 

I know for a fact the ranger will pull ALOT more than its rated at, especially my 5spd.

Do I set any land speed records? no.

What's the most I've pulled?

Prolly right in the neighbor hood of 8-9k with out brakes (keep in mind I pull hay bales on a trailer with a top speed of 20mph cause other wise the trailer sways so bad) on our country roads.

Would I do it on the open hi-way?

Most definately not.

It's not how much your truck can pull, it's how much you can safely stop.

 

I'm not interested in really towing more than the manufacturers recommendation, but was concerned about getting close to the recommended weight.

So, essentially, from what you all have told me is that even if I'm close to the recommended limit, my Ranger should tow with no problems. What I'm looking to tow is a small two-horse bumper pull trailer that would be (loaded)between 4500 - 5000 lbs. I should, then be fine, right? I only question since I've had people say that I should actually limit myself to 1,000 lbs. under the recommendation. Thought that might be BS, but never having towed anything before was wondering.

Thanks for the responses!

 

Yeah, your truck will pull that load just fine. Test to make sure you can stop OK before you pull out on the highway though. And you are using a receiver hitch instead of a ball on the bumper, right?? I hope so.

Good luck.

 

but being a "beginner" tow-er, I want all advantages I can get!

I do have a receiver hitch and will get a weight distribution hitch (I've heard good things about the Equal-i-zer) to help steady the trailer and probably a Prodigy brake controller. The trailer will have electric brakes. Anything else you'd recommend???

Thanks for your response; information is power!