pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

[rickatom]

Is it safe to try to pull a boat and trailer with my 4cyl Ranger up a boat ramp? The truck is standard shift. Can it handle pulling the boat out of the water?

 

[bubbakat]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

How heavy is the boat and trailer.

 

[rickatom]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

standard trailer and a fiberglass with wood bottom tri hull boat...25hp OB motor.....I am wondering if I am going to be able to pull it out of the water

 

[05GlastronSX]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

yea thats a relitivly light boat. you shouldnt have a problem pulling it out. also, is it a 4x4?

 

[craze1cars]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

Assuming it's 2wd, you may have traction issues when the ramp is wet and steep, but nothing that can't be solved by recruiting a bunch of bystanders to climb into the bed to give it some bite. The motor should be strong enough...most importantly make sure you or any driver is very competent with uphill starts in a stickshift. If that sucker rolls back enough that the back tires get into the slickery green gack that's on every boat ramp, your entire rig is very likely gonna go deep! Even with Bubba sitting in the bed... I've witnessed this more than once over the years.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

If you have a traction problem... you might try to install a ball on the front of the truck. This will leave your rear wheels on dryer ground. You might also add weight over the rear end to help. <br /><br />The best way is to do a real test with someone standing by to help tow you if you get stuck on the slime.<br /><br />Bob

 

[craze1cars]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

No certainly mean no disrespect Bob, but I think I disagree with that. Putting the drive wheels on higher drier ground sounds like a good plan on the surface, but it'll destroy your traction completely as there will be just about zero weight on the rear wheels, especially with a compact pickup truck and a steep ramp. I've seen many front wheel drive cars & minivans unable to tow out of a boat ramp (facing forward) because of this problem, and that's with the weight of the entire engine over the drivewheels, plus a couple of "bubbas" laying their body weight over the hood. A pickup won't have any engine weight benefit...so he'd need about a ton of gravel in the bed to keep the tires from smokin, and that weight would likely overwhelm his clutch and 4 banger. Keeping it facing forward in my opinion is a better choice.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

I owned this exact vehicle some years ago and used it to pull a 14 foot aluminum fishing boat with 10HP Johnson -- hardly what I would call a heavy load. I couldn't get rid of the truck fast enough for all of the reasons specified in earlier posts. Helpless on the ramps, poor mileage towing, and simply not a suitable tow rig for even light loads. 4WD would have helped the ramp situation obviously.

 

[rickatom]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

So in other words, dont try pulling out this boat with a standard 2wd truck, is what this is coming to. I certainly dont want to get stuck nor end up in the lake.

 

[dhammann]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

It all depends on the ramp you use...I have a similiar truck (4-banger S-10) and pull a 3500# ski boat.<br />and a 21 foot pontoon without a problem. I would try it before spending money for a gas guzzler.

 

[rickatom]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

thanks for the input fellas...I will give it a go.. Lake level is alittle low and the rain appears to be letting up here in NC

 

[rickatom]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

Well, we went to the lake, and unloaded ok. Worrying about getting backup, I forgot to plug the boat. So I took on alittle water. I brought my son and he didnt know what to do. SO I had to pump out the livewell (lol) so we were underway.<br />Anyway had no problems pulling the boat up the ramp as I was worried about.<br />Thanks guys for your inputs!!!<br /><br />PS...I went to wash the lake out of the boat, and noticed my trailer fender was missing...the trailer is my dad's, he is gonna be mad!!! I lost it coming home from the lake somewhere

 

[BrettNC]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

Yeah I didn't think that you would have a problem with that boat. There are a lot of guys on here who feel that they have to justify their own big, bad, and expensive tow vehicles. <br /><br />Enjoy!!!!!!!

 

[sergioy]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

I used to tow with a little '93 ford aerostar. Never had any problems pulling out my 1975 18' fiberglass, 165 hp I/O boat. The biggest issue was running down the road with a boat that was not balanced correctly. Once I learned how to make sure I was balanced correctly everything was OK. Now I tow with a big 15 passanger E350 Ford van. Sometime I have took in the mirror to remember that I actually have something behind me.

 

[rickatom]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

There really are some great looking trucks out there. BrettNC, I assume you are from NC...I have been going out to the Shearin Harris Lake, and with the water table so low, the ramp is looking scarier as it gets steaper. Wasnt sure if I was going to make it back up it...I might have had to call for alittle help from one of you bigger truck fellows!!! Thanks

 

[sergioy]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

Shearin Harris Lake!!!! Woohoo, I used to fish there all the time. Man I used to love fishing that lake espacially before they closed off the area around the dam.<br />I have seen some big trucks spinning and burning their tires as they try and get some 18' - 20' rigs. Tehri main issue is usually that they dont't put it into low gear. I used to fish with a guy who would make his fishing buddy for the day jump up and down on his bumper while going up the ramp. Talk about funny. Used to make me feel like a monkey. So one day I suggested to him that he just put it into low gear and, well, I was never a monkey on the ramp again. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy someone doing the monkey thing but I am glad that it si not me.<br />from the boat mentioned above you should not have any issues, jsut take it slow.

 

[JasonB]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

Hmmmm... I have a '92 2wd ranger (no limited slip) with a 3.0v6 and 5spd. I tow a 16' tri-hull with 85hp 1600-2000lbs and the only traction problems I ever had was trying to stop on a slick road I was driving too fast on for the conditions. That little truck pulled the boat up a poorly made steep gravel ramp that surprized me.<br /><br />Just be careful stopping, and that Ranger will do the job ok. I would avoid the interstate/freeway though unless you have a newer than '93 truck. My old body style truck gets pushed around by wind badly with the boat in tow as the truck itself is only 2600lbs or so.

 

[Timbit]

Re: pulling with 4cyl Ford Ranger

I used to have a 1988 mazda B2200 and I pulled My Grampas boat which was a 15' tempest with a 85hp erude Never had a problem pulling out of the ramps. it was a tired 2.2 4cyl with 200,000 miles on it