Trailoring Help

[yippeekayay]

I am hoping to buy this 23 Ft Ranger I found. I have a 2 door ford ranger pickup truck 1998 XLT, and I am wanting to tow it an hour away to its destination. The displacement of the boat is 3400. I don't know anything about the trailer. Just wanted to know if I can pull it using this truck?

Thank you,

Brandon

[sailaway21]

You might make it.

I'd hope it's a manual transmission and that the boat balances real well on the trailer as far as tongue weight goes. Braking could prove interesting. I wouldn't exactly call it safe or attempt it on a regular basis, but you might roll along the back roads without too much drama.

I'll assume you've not too much experience trailering and say that it might be worth your while to just borrow a heavier duty truck for the one trip. A full size half ton would do it, a three quarter ton would be better and more relaxed driving. Absent experience, it's not too hard to take out a clutch or a tranny on the Ranger and that's giving a pass to the more serious emergency manoeuvers you would have trouble negotiating in the Ranger.

[calden]

Brandon:

That sounds like too much weight for a Ranger, which has a capacity of about 2250. (Wiki reference)

U-Haul will rent Ford 150s or Chevy Silverados (at least around here they do) for towing. If you are only going to get the boat from point A to point B I'd find a friend with a beefier auto or rent something.

And when you do tow, as far as tongue weight, you need 5-10% of the combined boat and trailer weight on the tongue. THis will help prevent fishtailing. You do not want it balanced on the axle.

Carlos

[sailortjk1]

Where are you located?
Have truck will travel, (within 100 miles), than again, I'm booked till September.

[blt2ski]

Depending upon the motor, Rangers are rated from 1500 or so at a minimum, ie a 4 banger with an auto to 5000 with the 4.0 V6. Boats are pretty easy to tow for the most part, as they are aerodynamic in nature vs say a boxy RV trailer. I would not have an issue with a ranger going across the country frankly if I had the correct motor up front. Even the 4 banger would probably get me an hour (make that 1.5 hrs) home. Of course, we are assuming you have an actual hitch on the truck, and not a bumper too!

Also you will hopefully have some sort of braking on the trailer, typicaly for boats it is a surge system, it might be electric. If a surge brake, all you need is a 4 bar plug, if an electric brake system, you will need a 6 min typically a 7 wire bargman plug and an electric brake controller in the truck.

Now, if you have to go from one side of a 5000' up and over a mountain, and back down, that will not be a lot of fun, vs a level trip across Texas as I recall you being in or somewhere near there abouts.

Needless to say, what you want to do should be doable with proper planning etc.

Marty