new truck opinion

[Campylobacter]

I'm looking to upgrade my tow vehicle. Right now I use the wife's SUV.

I have a truck now (Ford Ranger) that cannot tow the boat (~3500 lbs). My idea idea is to sell my truck and buy a full size PU that can tow the boat, then my wife can by a more fuel efficient vehicle. Seems like a win/win.

I have been looking for a few weeks, and am starting to get serious. I found a very good deal on 4 year old F150 recently (I thought I would need to go older to fit my budget). The catch is the truck does not have a tow package. What do you guys think about aftermarket tow hitch and transmission cooler, etc? are these as good as the factory? What else might I have to upgrade on such a truck.

Second question, how important is it to get 4WD? I think I would only use it on the ramps, and I see that many folks don't think its needed. It seems the cost is quite a bit more, is it worth it? I don't want to get stuck. The SUV I use now is 4WD and I have never had a problem.

Thanks in advance

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: new truck opinion

What year Ranger and Options? I'm over 5K with my Ranger and it has yet to break a sweat. With only 3500 lbs it would be a piece of cake and you would be getting good gas mileage. As for 4x4, I have never used it at the ramp, but its nice to know its there if I need it. For the truck your looking at, usually aftermarket hitches and tranny coolers are sometimes better then factory. I myself like the B&M stackplate design.

 

[dave11]

Re: new truck opinion

For 3500# an F150 will be fine. Instead of adding the aftermarket products to the truck, I would spend little more time and see if I could find one with the tow package. If you are not towing it very far, I wouldn't even worry about it. Just buy a truck you like. If you are towing a long way or plan on getting a bigger boat, think about a 3/4 ton. The mileage isn't much worse, safety will be better, towing weight will cease to be an issue.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: new truck opinion

F150 will be fine, in all my years of boating i have never had a 4 wd tow vehicle. i presently tow 4800 lbs with a 1999 Surburban 1500. automatics trans perform much better at the ramp than manual shift, tend to not spin the wheels as much. posi rear end helps also. as far as aftermarket, that's your choice, price the trans cooler, & hitches. they are easy to install your self. also having a front mount hitch, makes parking the boat much easier.

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: new truck opinion

What year Ranger and Options? I'm over 5K with my Ranger and it has yet to break a sweat. With only 3500 lbs it would be a piece of cake and you would be getting good gas mileage.

My Ranger is 4 cyl and 5 speed. Bought it years before I was even thinking of the boat. I still want to have a truck though, thus the upgrade.

 

[Mkos1980]

Re: new truck opinion

Ahh ok then. New truck is needed. Yea , if your going for a new truck a 150 or more is the way to go.

 

[fishmen111]

Re: new truck opinion

I would put a tranny cooler on it though. Cheap insurance.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: new truck opinion

......

 

[derekpfeiffer]

Re: new truck opinion

Yeah like others have said...I'd price out the reciever hitch and tranny cooler...one other thing to maybe lookat would be whether it has a plug for trailer lights??? might need to wire that in too?? But I definitly wouldn't be affraid of aftermarket quality as long as you're buying name brand stuff. as far as the 4x4 I wouldn't probably buy it just because you're worried about pulling your boat out of the water. Thats all i'll own but i live in the midwest where it snows a lot. Much of it depends on how steep your ramp is if it's not terribly steep and drains reasonably well you should have NO problem...like you said alot of extra cost (and upkeep) just for the peice of mind!!

Good luck,
Doogie

 

[reelfishin]

Re: new truck opinion

For towing only 3500lbs, you don't have to be too concerned about having a super duty towing package unless your running long distance or across mountains. 4x4 is nice sometimes but I've owned both and have never found the need for it here. Most first of second tier towing packages are no more than towing wiring and maybe a trans cooler. The better towing packages should include a larger radiator, independent trans cooler, (maybe even an oil cooler), a receiver type hitch, trailer brake wiring, (some now even come with a brake controller), and heavier rear suspension. For 3500lbs, you shouldn't need much more than a good hitch, proper wiring and a good trans cooler. Like mentioned above, the B&M stacked plate style is what works best. Ford uses that same style on their heavier pickups for both the engine oil and trans coolers.

I own a 94 Ranger 4x2 with a 2.3L/5 spd. stick, it does fine up to about 3500 for most ramps. The problem is that most ramps here are sand, silt, or algae covered, smooth concrete, so traction is the biggest problem. I avoid launching on rough or windy days with that truck. I have a one ton Dodge that's also 2 wheel drive, but it's far worse than the Ranger on a wet, slick ramp. Its better if I add lots of weight over the rear axle, but it has to be secured to stay in place so as not to slide back while on the ramp.

I've used a buddies 4x4 to launch with before, it slides and spins the same as my Ranger, and that's a full size GM 4x4, 3/4 ton, with a 2200 lb. boat, it slides backwards with all four wheels locked on some ramps, it's not a matter of power or ability to tow here its strictly a matter of getting traction on the ramp. My concern is that if the Ranger ever stalled on the Ramp while hooked to the boat, it's most likely going for a swim. The Dodge has enough weight to combat the weight of the boat but it has little to no traction.

Keep in mind that they weight distribution changes when the trailer is at a steep angle. Part of the problem on a lot of ramps here is that they are too steep and the boat's weight is actually helping to unload the rear axle on that angle. (There are two ramps that are steep enough that they are hard to even walk on without sliding down when they get slimy with algae and silt. They scarified a few of them to help with traction but it does little to help.
Also, lately the water hasn't been as high as it used to be years ago, so the ramps are now too short. It's easy to run off the end of the ramp and drop the trailer wheels off a steep ledge. The one ramp, (closest one to me), is so shallow and so steep that you can actually back in far enough to get the tow vehicles wheels hung off the edge of the ramp trying to float the boat. I've seen that happen. One ramp which is farther down stream enters the water in a heavy current area, go in too far and the current can grab the trailer and slam it into the bulk head pilings. Launching and holding on to your boat there is also fun. The current is often ripping so hard that it will wash over the transom while loading or unloading.

Your best bet is to go down to where you plan to launch your boat and watch various vehicles launch a load, take note to what works and what don't.
Bigger and heavier is nice but can be costly in fuel. You also don't need big aggressive tires, good all terrain tires are all you need unless your launching off a beach or in mud.