4cyl S10

[ferrellb]

I am considering consolidating vehicles and owning a combined daily use and tow vehicle (wife would be happier). I have tried to follow all towing advice here. Took the jetboat to a Cat scale. It weighed in full fuel and fully loaded at 1965 lbs. The 2001 4 cyl S10 is rated at 3000 lbs tow rating and gets very good MPG otherwise. I currently have a 4wd but do not use it, live 1.2 miles from my boat ramp, but would consider towing 100 miles once in a blue moon. Anybody have any experiences, complaints, etc? FYI - I currently do not have trailer brakes. Thanks in advance.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 4cyl S10

The S10 is not available with a 4WD and most will need help in the axle ratio department. You will note that trailer towing capacity is always followed by the term "properly equipped". If you meet those requirements it will do fine. I suggest you consider trailer brakes. I owned an S10 long box, 4 cylinder 5 speed and it was an OK vehicle. I currently tow an 18 foot pontoon and a 17 foot walleye boat with my S10 Crew Cab 4WD (obviously not at the same time).

 

[109jb]

Re: 4cyl S10

I used to tow my 16 ft Starcraft which I'm sure tops 2,000 lbs, with a 4 cyl Ford Ranger PU. It did fine except that it was a stick and a real pain in that regard at the ramp. I took it on quite a few trips over 200 miles and never had a problem except for the whole stick shift thing. An automatic is best for towing, but you may want to look into a transmission oil cooler, and watch the engine temperature gauge when towing. Power wise, the 4-cyl will pull it, but you ain't gonna win any races. The previous suggestion about brakes is a good one.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 4cyl S10

it will pull it. but highly recommend trailer brakes. the back end of the pickup is light, a quick hard stop, that boat will turn that truck around, and you will be looking at the gunnel out the side window. also it is no fun, getting pushed thru a quick red light. voice of experience.

 

[cmchesse]

Re: 4cyl S10

I have a 2001 S10 with the 2.2 4cyl. It is the flex fuel version with the automatic. I own a 15' Eagle bowrider with a 70hp johnson. Not sure of the exact weight, but it tows fine. They are correct, you will not win any races, but slow and steady is fine. Leave a little stopping distance. With the Automatic, I engage the Tourqe converter just before pulling the boat up the ramp. Not sure it is nessary but it seems to make it easier on the engine. Fuel economy is good even when towing.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 4cyl S10

Not sure what you mean by "engage the torque converter" since the torque converter has only one engagement and that's the clutch which performs a 1:1 lockup and occurs automatically only in third gear and overdrive and even then only after highway speed has been achieved. There is no way to manually engage it.

 

[109jb]

Re: 4cyl S10

He means he holds the brake with one foot and gives a little gas until he feels the torque converter start to engage to prevent rolling down the ramp when pulling out.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: 4cyl S10

The only reason I questioned the statement, and its a fine point, is that the torque converter is always engaged anytime the engine is running, Doesn't matter whether the tranny is in neutral, reverse, park or any forward gear. The only thing holding the brake and adding throttle does is prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards even though it is in forward gear. By holding the brake and adding some throttle you are merely overcoming the weight of the trailer pulling against the slippage in the converter. In fact, holding the brake too long while doing that can raise fluid temperature quickly. In severe cases, such as large engines, you can actually balloon the torque converter. When automatics first came out in the late 1940's that was a major cause of tranny failure. People would stop on a hill holding the car in place with the gas pedal rather than putting the car in neutral and holding it with brake. Fluid temps rose quickly, internal pressures increased and seals would blow dumping fluid on the ground. How do i know this? I'm old enough to have been there, seen that, and had to fix the result.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: 4cyl S10

it will pull it. but highly recommend trailer brakes. the back end of the pickup is light, a quick hard stop, that boat will turn that truck around, and you will be looking at the gunnel out the side window. also it is no fun, getting pushed thru a quick red light. voice of experience.

Ill second that. I pull my small 14' alumacraft with a Ford ranger. the trailer doesnt have brakes (the whole combo weighs maybe 5-600lbs) and the back end does get "light" if I have to stop quick.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: 4cyl S10

I have a Ford Ranger with the 4 cylinder stick and it does fine up to about 2000 lbs as far as launching, it will tow far more on flat road. My biggest complaint is that it's geared too high. Even empty, I can't get into 5th gear until about 65 mph. A lot will depend on the condition of the ramp you use too. The ones here tend to be short and slippery with the pavement dropping off early.

Before I launched my first boat with this truck, I took it with no trailer and backed down the ramp, it was no worse with the trailer than without it as far as traction. The wheels slipped about the same on the slime covered ramps here. The tall gears make it easy to stall and hard to get rolling on a steep ramp. First gear feels like second or third did in my old Ranger.