Ford ranger towing
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Ford ranger towing
Howdy. I've been an owner of a 99 Ford ranger for a few weeks now. It's a great truck with just under 100k miles and so far I'm loving it.
Soon however, I might be using it at or close to max vehicle weight, full time. Due to some unfortunate circumstances I will be living out of a tow behind camper for a month or two. I would like to avoid causing any damage to the truck and need and want the most reliability out of it.
I'm predicting with my truck bed loaded and the small teardrop trailer, it should be 1500-2000 lbs give or take. In addition to the weight, I won't be running the trailer off of a generator but rather the truck engine and an inverter. Both of which I can operate by a remote start system.
What can I do to ensure safe and reliable use out of this truck for time to come beyond this.
Thanks
Soon however, I might be using it at or close to max vehicle weight, full time. Due to some unfortunate circumstances I will be living out of a tow behind camper for a month or two. I would like to avoid causing any damage to the truck and need and want the most reliability out of it.
I'm predicting with my truck bed loaded and the small teardrop trailer, it should be 1500-2000 lbs give or take. In addition to the weight, I won't be running the trailer off of a generator but rather the truck engine and an inverter. Both of which I can operate by a remote start system.
What can I do to ensure safe and reliable use out of this truck for time to come beyond this.
Thanks
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: SW Va
Look in your owner manual for the carry & tow rating for the engine, tranny & payload options your Ranger left the factory with. If you don't have the manual, one can be down loaded at no charge, by following the link posted down in the Misc section of the "Tech Info" thread located atop this forums thread index page.
Get All past & present due scheduled maintenance fluids, filters, parts like plugs, wires, belts, hoses, radiator cap, thermostat ect, up to date, with the specified call outs in the owner manual.
If your not using Ford or Motorcraft parts or fluids, make sure the ones you choose say in writing that they meet or exceed Ford specifications.
Idling the engine to run the power inverter will be severe service, so opt for good quality engine oil, filter, coolant, belt, hoses, radiator cap & thermostat & Motorcraft parts & fluids are recommended as they're of good quality.
Some thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.
Get All past & present due scheduled maintenance fluids, filters, parts like plugs, wires, belts, hoses, radiator cap, thermostat ect, up to date, with the specified call outs in the owner manual.
If your not using Ford or Motorcraft parts or fluids, make sure the ones you choose say in writing that they meet or exceed Ford specifications.
Idling the engine to run the power inverter will be severe service, so opt for good quality engine oil, filter, coolant, belt, hoses, radiator cap & thermostat & Motorcraft parts & fluids are recommended as they're of good quality.
Some thoughts for consideration, let us know how it goes.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Tucson USA
Go to harbor freight and get one of the $100 generators they will be around 1K output and much better to use. Only thing is it is a manual start but small and light. For either make sure that the output can be the right one for whatever you are going to be running. SOme gensets put out a ragged current flow which is not good for computers etc.
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Most automotive type inverters use a modified sine wave of about 56-62 hertz. These are relatively cheap. A true 60hz inverter is quite expensive. I'd go with a small generator. As mentioned the square wave inverter can hurt your electronics ; )
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Thanks guys. Money is gonna be really tight this month so I will be able to handle maintanence, but not much else. So I'm just gonna stick with the engine for power. It's a 2.5L. I used to use my old 5.4L expedition the same way for power and It did very well. I'm not going idle it for any longer than 2 hours or so most the time.
I wouldn't ever skimp on maintanence though, and I trust this truck because she is a Ford and I've never been let down by a Ford. Plus, the thing can be operated by remote and even on my old V8 I was calculating a max of .150 gal/h fuel consumption at idle.
Thanks guys! I gotta go find a manual now.
I wouldn't ever skimp on maintanence though, and I trust this truck because she is a Ford and I've never been let down by a Ford. Plus, the thing can be operated by remote and even on my old V8 I was calculating a max of .150 gal/h fuel consumption at idle.
Thanks guys! I gotta go find a manual now.
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Automatic, 2wd. Under 100k miles. I will be honest. Suspension is shot and brakes I'm unsure of. However my commute to work will be under one mile. I will be driving less than 10 a week.
The engine will only be in this truck another 6 months or so and then I will be upgrading to a supercharged 4.6 aviator setup.
Until then, need the best out of this truck.
The engine will only be in this truck another 6 months or so and then I will be upgrading to a supercharged 4.6 aviator setup.
Until then, need the best out of this truck.
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I'm sorry if I'm dragging this out but I have two more things on my mind.
#1- should I go about changing the oil pump, and how much of a task is that if so. Also, where can I get info on that.
#2- pawpaw mentioned doing the thermostat. I ran a 170 on my old expedition. It saw a lot of idling and use in the constant 100+ degree Texas heat. I never saw any problems from it and I actually noticed it helped because it raised the rpms 250 or so. That helped when I was drawing a lot of power or running it hard and then cooling it down.
Would you recommend that temp for this engine? And what about a light weight fan?
Thanks again
#1- should I go about changing the oil pump, and how much of a task is that if so. Also, where can I get info on that.
#2- pawpaw mentioned doing the thermostat. I ran a 170 on my old expedition. It saw a lot of idling and use in the constant 100+ degree Texas heat. I never saw any problems from it and I actually noticed it helped because it raised the rpms 250 or so. That helped when I was drawing a lot of power or running it hard and then cooling it down.
Would you recommend that temp for this engine? And what about a light weight fan?
Thanks again
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Joined: Nov 2013
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Are you having oil pressure problems? Why do you want to change the oil pump? If it's working fine, leave it alone.
Use whatever temp thermostat Ford put in there. Do not change to a lower temp thermostat. Putting a lower temp thermostat will confuse the computer and will make the truck not run properly.
Use whatever temp thermostat Ford put in there. Do not change to a lower temp thermostat. Putting a lower temp thermostat will confuse the computer and will make the truck not run properly.
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I typically park in high places where there's a nice breeze ( and view). And like it said, I have remote starter and it'll run for 10-30 mins. I have it set for 30 and I can just extend it or restart the truck if I need more power. Won't over use it or run it all night unless I need to. My uncle had a smart way of running his when he camped. He had a diesel truck so he would use a dryer vent hose to pipe the exhaust away.
I guess a carbon monoxide alarm in the trailer wouldn't be a bad idea. And if I have to, the truck and trailer 110v are going to be hooked up through a heavy duty 12 (or higher) gauge extension cord so I can park the truck away from the trailer.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Tucson USA
Just make sure you run it at 1000-1500rpms to allow the alternator to generate current to run the engine and whatever else you plan. At idle most barely put out anything and you are planning to put a load on it for lights etc. At 100K make sure the timing belt has been changed and the water pump, I believe you do both when doing 1 or other. This is what I would worry about in lieu of the oil pump unless you have low oil pressure when driving or in operation.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2014
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I typically park in high places where there's a nice breeze ( and view). And like it said, I have remote starter and it'll run for 10-30 mins. I have it set for 30 and I can just extend it or restart the truck if I need more power. Won't over use it or run it all night unless I need to. My uncle had a smart way of running his when he camped. He had a diesel truck so he would use a dryer vent hose to pipe the exhaust away.
I guess a carbon monoxide alarm in the trailer wouldn't be a bad idea. And if I have to, the truck and trailer 110v are going to be hooked up through a heavy duty 12 (or higher) gauge extension cord so I can park the truck away from the trailer.
I guess a carbon monoxide alarm in the trailer wouldn't be a bad idea. And if I have to, the truck and trailer 110v are going to be hooked up through a heavy duty 12 (or higher) gauge extension cord so I can park the truck away from the trailer.