Ranger pickup as tow rig

[FredDog01]

We have a 03 ranger 3.0 2wd with tow package (helper springs added also) . Up to what size boat can we safely tow ? Our choices lean towards a 12' - 16 ' tinny with motor.
As for launch & recovery any fore see able problems with it being 2wd ? Don't want to wind up in the water.
Thanks for any advice to us newbies.

 

[ahicks]

I think it will tow more than it can safely launch/retrieve. On a steep slippery ramp, there's often a point during the retrieval where the boat is pushing down on the back of the trailer, which is then trying to lift the back of the truck, making the already light weight truck's rear axle weight even lighter.....

 

[bigdee]

Too many variables to give the correct answer. I assume your talking about an aluminum fishing boat with OB in which case you should be fine. I have pulled heavier boats with an S-10.

 

[82rude]

Unless its a bad ramp your not going to have issues towing a tinny of your stated sizes.Let me phrase that better .You will not have any issues towing a tinny ,you could possibly have issues because of a slippery ramp but so could lots of people.Put a couple of sandbags over the rear axles to help with traction.I tow a fully loaded 16 foot tinny with 60hp Evinrude etec with a 2013 ford edge and it doesn't even notice its there.

 

[gm280]

I have a 95 Ford Ranger and I can tell you, I've towed that truck filled with firewood AND a utility trailer loaded with firewood as well, without any issues. And it is merely a 2.3l engine five manual speeds. And for the record, I just last week changed the timing belt idler pulley, upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, radiator and associated parts, The timing belt seriously looked like new and if I didn't know any better I could have easily put it back in compared to the new gates belt I installed. I changed those part because of age and not problems. Preventive maintenance only. So the towing will be ZERO problems.

Now the ramp is another question. You have the capability to pull the rig in and out of the water without question. The ramp condition is another situation. But that is the same for most any tow vehicles... A slimy slick ramp is a problem for every vehicle. Traction is the issue. Not the power. JMHO

 

[harringtondav]

We used a '95 Std. 3.2L Caravan to haul our 3000" rig for two years w/o much trouble. First trouble was I lost traction on a steep ramp. A beefy bystander pushed down on the fender over the spin wheel and I climbed back up. I added a weight distributing hitch. Fixed. I was a little fast in traffic once and had to make a hard stop, and the rig started to take over. I added electric brakes. Fixed.

The curb weight on the Caravan was 200-400# more than the rig. With prudent driving it worked just fine. I pedal up-shifted to save the tranny clutches when accelerating, and pushed the "O/D off" button on hills. 16 mpg towing. Then I bought the '99 5.2L Durango. More solid and confident, @ 11 mpg towing.

 

[Alumarine]

4wd will do nothing to prevent a vehicle from going in to the lake.
That's what brakes do.
4wd would only help going up some ramps.
That rig and boat should be fine.

 

[mike_i]

You should be fine. I used to tow an equivalent size boat with a chevy s-10. Regarding traction at the ramp. I carry two pieces of junk carpet in my truck. They're about 1' by 4'. I've never had to use them but a friend did. All you do is put them on the ground in front of your tires and away you go. Having someone stand on them may help keeping them from sliding away.

 

[FredDog01]

Thanks for all the info. We had experience hauling a popup & 18ft travel trailer with our former truck. So moving around a trailer is no problem. It,s just we never launched a boat before & after watching all those boating mishaps online.
Sorta makes you think twice seeing bigger rigs than yours end up in the drink. Any suggestions on what to avoid & not look the fool?

 

[harringtondav]

Most of the "funniest videos" I've seen with the tow vehicle in the drink resulted from trying to launch or retrieve on a shallow sand beach. Or forgetting to place the vehicle in park with the parking brake. I did see a Blazer skidding, brakes locked, backwards down a steep concrete ramp. But he had too much boat and came down too hot. Once the trailer splashed his brakes worked. I wasn't around for the retrieval. But I suspect someone helped with a tow strap. They always do. They want to use that slot.

Practical advice: Use a ramp with a boarding dock. Unload all passengers, coolers and other heavy stuff before pulling the boat. Don't back in any farther than necessary to load the boat. This may mean you have to winch it on the last bit.

 

[Alumarine]

Practice launching a few times during non peak hours.

I'm guessing that in most cases when the truck ends up in the water it has more to do with leaving it in neutral and/or not putting the parking brake on.

I'd think even if the weight of the boat/trailer dragged the truck down the ramp that as soon as the boat started floating then the truck would stop.

Many more people launch successfully than not.

 

[fishrdan]

Unload all passengers, coolers and other heavy stuff before pulling the boat.

Passengers shouldn't be on the boat while pulling the boat, for safety reasons. Winch fail or strap breaks and people can get hurt. I've pulled with people in the boat before, but not anymore.

Load coolers, heavy stuff into the back of the truck bed for added traction. I used to tow a 3000#+ boat with an S-10, which had traction problems at one ramp. I had a pile of rocks by the launch ramp, 200-300#, that I would throw into the truck bed, which gave the truck just enough added traction to pull the boat without issue. That pile of rocks sat there for 10 years, me the only person touching them. Kind of funny as I would drive by the rock pile with my new truck and think - sure glad I don't have to stop and load up those rocks again. Then the park service remodeled and removed my precious rock pile... LOL

 

[H20Rat]

4wd will do nothing to prevent a vehicle from going in to the lake.
That's what brakes do.
4wd would only help going up some ramps.

Umm, no...

Lets say you are boating by yourself, and you have a 20 ft bowrider behind this thing. When it comes time to load, you back in, put it in park (with parking brake), and hop out to drive the boat on. While you are winching the boat on, the tongue weight might actually go negative for a while if the boat is being winched at the back of the trailer. Now keep in mind it is a slippery, slime covered ramp, and you just lifted the back end. The truck will happily slide down the ramp, into the water, until the weight is off the trailer. Engaged 4wd would have stopped it, as the front wheels would have also locked when it was put into park.

(I've personally witnessed EXACTLY that, although it was an el-camino with a bayliner behind it. Became one wet el-camino)

 

[prlwng]

Do not forget to use at least one wheel chock. They can be had many places for a couple dollars. Put them behind front wheels when loading. For unloading may only need one wheel chocked.

I do that with a 2wd. Posi track pu. Stick no less. 17 ft 60 hp merc ulum.

The posi track is a definate advantage. Those traction controller things are useless.

 

[Alumarine]

Umm, no...

Lets say you are boating by yourself, and you have a 20 ft bowrider behind this thing. When it comes time to load, you back in, put it in park (with parking brake), and hop out to drive the boat on. While you are winching the boat on, the tongue weight might actually go negative for a while if the boat is being winched at the back of the trailer. Now keep in mind it is a slippery, slime covered ramp, and you just lifted the back end. The truck will happily slide down the ramp, into the water, until the weight is off the trailer. Engaged 4wd would have stopped it, as the front wheels would have also locked when it was put into park.

(I've personally witnessed EXACTLY that, although it was an el-camino with a bayliner behind it. Became one wet el-camino)

Umm, most of the time it won't help with the odd exception.

 

[SkaterRace]

You should be fine, I had a '08 Escape with the 3L (same engine I think) and it was FWD only and pulled up a ~1600 lb boat (15.5ft fiberglass from the 1970's so way heavier than your aluminum that you plan on using) up some steep rams and slimy ones too. One thing I did that helped was I turned traction control off and didn't worry too much if the tires spun a little bit. Not ideal but that Escape was pretty good for the boat I had.

 

[tramsdell]

I pull my 18ft alum. With a crown vic. When i load it i trim up, and give a shot of throttle to pop onto the trailer. The bow sits down onto the trailer, never goes neg. tongue weight. Helps to scream "coming in hot" so all the spectators will be more impressed. If by some anomoly the car starts sliding into the drink, i know the boat can push it back or at least can be reversed off the trailer.

 

[roffey]

Hmmm, not sure if your joking or not....

 

[tramsdell]

Hmmm, not sure if your joking or not....

A lil bit. Im more carefull than that. I do pull my multi species with my crown vic. Upgrading the shocks and diff this season. Its all about proper ramp positioning and i concur with the above advice to use a wheel chock up front. And since im a nervous nelly, i have the tongue height set up with slightly excessive tongue weight. It really can't go negative on me, unless i botch it bigtime. Air helper springs are super great, i carry a compressor so i can lower the car a bit, then inflate back up to transport height!

 

[waterinthefuel]

I have a 95 Ford Ranger and I can tell you, I've towed that truck filled with firewood AND a utility trailer loaded with firewood as well, without any issues. And it is merely a 2.3l engine five manual speeds. And for the record, I just last week changed the timing belt idler pulley, upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, radiator and associated parts, The timing belt seriously looked like new and if I didn't know any better I could have easily put it back in compared to the new gates belt I installed. I changed those part because of age and not problems. Preventive maintenance only. So the towing will be ZERO problems.

Now the ramp is another question. You have the capability to pull the rig in and out of the water without question. The ramp condition is another situation. But that is the same for most any tow vehicles... A slimy slick ramp is a problem for every vehicle. Traction is the issue. Not the power. JMHO

With all due respect I'm calling BS on this.

My dad owned the same truck, a 2.3L. The thing had 800 sparkplugs and 120hp. That truck barely had enough power to pull itself. He went and bought a 18' with a 150 fish n ski and after he got it home the first thing he said was "Well I'll be getting a new truck soon."

That was the most sluggish underpowered truck I've ever ridden in. It was actually scary to drive.