Re: ford ranger and trailor
Re: ford ranger and trailor
I've only ever had trailer brakes on one trailer, which was with a bigger, heavier boat. Naturally, in any towing situation, you need to be driving a lot more carefully than normal, and not going as fast, and starting to slow down sooner, etc...
Again, the rule of having the tow vehicle be heavier than what it is towing comes into play here.
If your truck is just a 3 liter, you're going to struggle every time getting that boat out of the water on the ramp.
Just pulling it on level ground is no indication -- you could almost do that with a VW Beetle. But pulling it up the ramp is different altogether. Also, even though you may think your truck pulls it just fine, it's putting a big strain on that smaller engine, and your transmission. I wouldn't do it for very long.
Honestly, if I were you, I'd trade the ranger for a slightly more powerful truck. Not saying you need to move up to a big old V-8 like I have (Bronco), but a bigger V6 with a 4.0 liter engine, minimum. You could do OK with an Explorer, or a Jeep Cherokee. And, as I said, having 4WD is an extra plus. Not absolutely necessary, but it's very nice to have, especially on a wet, algae-covered ramp.
