Hi all, I'm new to the forum!

I own a 99 Mazda B3000 (Ranger) which has a 3.0L V-6 and an auto transmission. The tow rating for this vehicle is 4000lbs.

I'd like to know if it is a good idea to use this truck to tow an RX-7 race car and lightweight aluminum trailer with a combined weight of about 3200 lbs. I know that this is within the tow limit for this truck but I'm wondering if this will cause undue hardship on the truck, especially on the occasional 400 mile round trip. The truck will get fitted with a class three hitch but it does not currently have the factory tow package (e.g., transmission oil cooler, etc.).

Thanks for any advice.

Mike

 

Welcome to FTE, Mike! Thanks for joining us in the Towing forum.

 

Can you tell us what your rear end ratio is, if its something like 3.27 or 3.08 then you will have a hard time. if its like a 3.73 then it wouldn't be as bad, if 4.10 then you are lucky. If you are pulling this load that far you should invest in a tranny cooler and maybe even a trans temp gauge. Lock the o/d out espically if it is downshifting a lot.

 

As a former Ranger owner I say the following:

Will the truck pull it...yes it will. Will it be overloaded, probably by the time you factor in gear and people.

Long distances? IMO, the brakes and the short wheel base make the Ranger a undesirable long distance puller. That poor 3.0L would really be out of breath.

I wouldn't want to do it.

My reccomendation would be to get a F150. Any late model F150 with a 4.6L or 5.4L would do the trick (I prefer the 5.4L), and it would be alot safer too. The mpg's won't be that much worse than a Ranger, and you won't have a bent steering wheel either.

 

Thanks for the replys, guys. Yes, I think I really do need a bigger truck (e.g., F-150).

 

I know that it's not always easy to upgrade to a larger truck, and a lot of times it does cost more money to do so.

If I were in your shoes I'd be looking for a 2000-2003 F150 depending on how much you are able to spend. If you don't live in the snowbelt, a 4.6L 2wd truck would do the trick, but the 5.4L would be a better choice if you wanted to upgrade trailers in the future (like a smaller enclosed trailer). Also remember to get a decent brake controller as well.

 

Thanks, Super Ranger Man!

Yes, the F150 sounds like the ticket.

 

Yup, larger truck. I pull a 2200lb Miata on a 1350lb (mfg spec) steel trailer for a total of 3550lbs. I weighed the whole rig and had an extra 1400 lbs of extra tires, gear, fuel, myself, etc. Moral -- don't forget all the extra stuff you will be carrying.

 

Spec Miata?

 

"Semi-Spec" Its a SoloI Time Trial car.