Hauling an F150 with a Ranger

[fishuhalik]

My buddy needs me to haul his 92 4x4 f150 back to MN with my Ranger. Hes gonna get a car dolly for it, but I just wanted to check & ask you guys if the tranny could handle a 700 mile trip hauling that truck. My truck is a 2000 4x4, 4.0, auto tranny & 110,000 miles. Runs great. Thanks for any input!

[Gordie]

If you try to stop to quick that truck your towing will push thru your brakes . Personally I wouldn't do it ,it's not a safe thing to do. Now if you were going to do the opposite I would say no problem.

I tried to tow a full size truck with a older small size bronco (1975) and that is what happened to me . It pushed me right into the ditch. I only had to tow it 5 miles and thought it would be ok. I was wrong and ended up with both trucks in the ditch.

Not only is what your talking not safe you will probably end up with a broke down rig as well . It will be really hard on that little ranger.

[MJ1657]

That would be an extremely foolish move on his part. Like Gordie said that vehicle doesn't have near enough brakes for that.

[dan z]

Your NUTZ!

[highlife4me]

Look at your manual and find out what your towing capacity is the way your truck is set up. The tow capacity for a Ranger varies quite a bit depending on your drivetrain. If you are within your towing capacity and decide to do it please be careful. Drive slow, and leave plenty of room for braking. Personally I wouldn't do it.

[nitro640]

I wouldn't do it, not enough brakes as already stated.

just when you think you've seen everything you see something new. On my way to the lake friday I saw an older reg. cab s-10 pulling a car trailer with a 1 ton dually on the trailer.

[highlife4me]

After looking at some charts I was surprised to see your Ranger has a tow capacity of at least 5620 lbs. and the F150 has a curb weight of about 4300 lbs. The only problem is the brakes as others have stated. If the dolly has brakes (most do not) or if you can find one that does and you have a brake controller installed, your truck is able to do it.

[fishuhalik]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. So if my pickup has a rating of almost 1000lbs more than the f150, my brakes should be good, right? I didn't think it was quite that much, good to know

[Macgyver55]

Check your owners manual closely. Most auto manufacturers recommend trailer brakes when hauling over a certain amount of load depending on the tow vehicle. Its also very hard on your transmission assuming it is an auto.

Getting in a situation where the tail is wagging the dog is NOT fun. After having been through it and narrowly avoiding disaster I'd surely try to find a bigger tow vehicle if it were me.

[PurpleFloyd]

It seems to me that weight listi g for the f150 is a little light. I owned a 92 f150 4x4 for several years and it seems it was closer to 5200 pounds on the scale.

You also need to know what your hitch is rated for and whether it is a class 1,2 or 3 hitch and if I am not mistaken if you are over 10,100 combined weight the DOT becomes a factor.

Personally I would not do it. It may be possible and it might be legal but it also might cost more in repairs etc than it is worth.

[dougger222]

If you drive really really easy you should be fine. Leave lots of room between you and the vehicle in front...

[Tom7227]

When my son was moving to NY we checked and got some strong advice against using a dolly to move a car. He ended up renting a trailer from Avis and I am pretty sure that it had brakes on it. Check on that option and I think you would be a lot safer. The dolly advice was that it is about impossible to back one up, need to be concerned about making sure that the thing says in neutral.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I have been entertained by many a U-Haul/car dolly trying to turn around in our parking lot.

The last one the car broke loose from its straps, fell off the dolly, took out the fender of the dolly, which took out the tire on the dolly. So they had a car half off the dolly that was stuck on the dolly with the dolly having a flat tire and the car having a busted front end part.

[countyline]

I would highly recommend installing a CB radio in your ranger for that 700 mile trip. That way you can enjoy the entertainment that you will be giving the truckers. Heck you might as well attend your own roast.

Then when you go to receive your Darwin award. Try your best to not share the award. They are more prestigious when they are awarded individually.

[mn50racer]

Pulled a 1/2 ton silverado once about 10 miles with a tow strap when I had a Ranger 4.0L. I would not recommend it! It was very hairy just pulling it with the strap let alone being hitched together.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

The other issue is you may run into some problems with the State Patrol in Minnesota. I have a friend that was pulled over towing his boat. The trooper called another trooper to bring a scale. They weighed the boat and trailer and it was 3,300 lbs. My friend received a citation because the boat and trailer were in excess of 3,000 lbs. and he did not have brakes.

Minn. Stat. § 169.67, subd. 3(a).

Trailer, semitrailer. (a) No trailer or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight of 3,000 or more pounds, or a gross weight that exceeds the empty weight of the towing vehicle, may be drawn on a highway unless it is equipped with brakes that are adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold the trailer or semitrailer. A surge brake on a trailer or semitrailer meets the requirement of this paragraph for brakes adequate to stop and hold the trailer or semitrailer.

Now, the dolly does not exceed 3,000 lbs., however the trailer and load are in excess. I think a trooper will get suspicious if he sees a Ranger towing an F150.

[chasineyes]

Quote:

My buddy needs me to haul his 92 4x4 f150 back to MN with my Ranger. Hes gonna get a car dolly for it, but I just wanted to check & ask you guys if the tranny could handle a 700 mile trip hauling that truck. My truck is a 2000 4x4, 4.0, auto tranny & 110,000 miles. Runs great. Thanks for any input!

92 and 2000...I thought you boys working in the oil fields made such good money you just threw them things away.

[SkunkedAgain]

If you do haul the F-150, don't forget to think about the transmission on that vehicle as well. You can't just drive it up on the dolly and go!

[klecker]

The other issue is you may run into some problems with the State Patrol in Minnesota. I have a friend that was pulled over towing his boat. The trooper called another trooper to bring a scale. They weighed the boat and trailer and it was 3,300 lbs. My friend received a citation because the boat and trailer were in excess of 3,000 lbs. and he did not have brakes.

Minn. Stat. § 169.67, subd. 3(a).

Trailer, semitrailer. (a) No trailer or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight of 3,000 or more pounds, or a gross weight that exceeds the empty weight of the towing vehicle, may be drawn on a highway unless it is equipped with brakes that are adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold the trailer or semitrailer. A surge brake on a trailer or semitrailer meets the requirement of this paragraph for brakes adequate to stop and hold the trailer or semitrailer.

Now, the dolly does not exceed 3,000 lbs., however the trailer and load are in excess. I think a trooper will get suspicious if he sees a Ranger towing an F150.

this is also part of that statue.

© Except as provided in paragraph (d), paragraph (a) does not apply to:

(3) a disabled vehicle while being towed to a place of repair.

Other question would be what are ND laws.

That would be one heck of a bumpy long arse ride.

[chasineyes]

Ultimately it's a risk/reward game. Reward is obviously towing it to it's destiniation WITHOUT paying someone to do it. THe risk...Potential blowen engine, blowen transmission, tickets, "what if's" that might come up., imagine if it broke loose and went into oncoming traffic.

If this was a 50 mile country drive from your house to grandpas I'd probably say do it. That many miles PLUS if your going to try on the interstate...NO WAY!!!!! Heck a semi going by at 75 may push you off the road as is. Could you rent a "home depot" truck and tow it back?

[Scott K]

I will add in my .002. While there forsure are better options to tow with, the truck is rated to pull it, is the hitch? I have pulled my ice house, my boat, and a car trailer pulling a full sized Olds from up north Wisconsin to southern MN with my 01 Ranger. Now I know, my 01 had a different engine, and was a bigger truck. It did pull it fairly decent.

But the truck didnt like it. I got about 6mpg towing, I had early tranny issues, like at 12k. So, something to keep in mind, if you damage your truck, will you have actually saved anything? It will take a toll on it, whether it be today, or in a couple thousand miles. I would recommend a bigger truck.

[JeffB]

700 miles with that setup is crazy. Its time to step up and tell your buddy sorry no can do. Plus you need to add the weight of the dolly to the weight of the truck.

[deadeye]

F.O.R.D.x2

XD Sorry, but I had to...

I love my friends and all but if I was asked to do something like that I would say no way. Just because it is technically rated to haul that much weight doesn't mean it should. Not worth hauling a old heap and ruining your nice truck.. Dragging a 500$ truck is not worth your $3000 transmission. You would be better off renting a uhaul truck, burning couple hundred bucks doing that vs what your going to spend later fixing yours.

Also, as mentioned, I don't think your hitch is going to be rated to do that. I might be wrong and you have a heavy duty class 3 but I think that hitch is probably going to be rated at 3k.

[lispeej]

Personally I wouldn't do it. To save a few bucks now, could cost you more in the future for repairs and such. My basic rule of thumb is that I never pull/haul anything that weighs more than my truck. The risk isn't always worth the hassle. But since you are doing it for a friend....it's totally up to you. Good luck.

[Nate McVey]

Hate to be the guy to go against the grain, but I have an 01 Ranger, 4.0 SOHC that I pulled a 6x12 trailer from MT to Duluth, then from Duluth to Bloomington and finally from Bloomington to Rochester. If you drive smart, you're rated for it.

I have 230,000 miles and have treated this truck like it's twice the size and 10 years younger ever since I've owned it. Only thing I've ever replace are tires, breaks and a couple bearings here and there.