Towing Ranger 27

[eric]

Those that tow Ranger 27s........what are you towing with? Thoughts on 2012 Silverado 4WD factory towing package?
Eric Hughes Central Pa

 

[Dale777]

Those that tow Ranger 27s........what are you towing with? Thoughts on 2012 Silverado 4WD factory towing package?
Eric Hughes Central Pa

Eric,

This topic has been discussed before at these links (and perhaps others):
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1417&hilit=tow+r27
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2016&p=14531&hilit=tow+r27#p14531
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1962&p=14080&hilit=tow+r27#p14080

I tow an R27 on a 12K Float-On aluminum trailer with the 2011 Silverado 2500HD 4x4 diesel with the factory towing package (Class V hitch rated at 13,000 lbs). It does everything I want it to do for towing. I have towed about 6,000 miles.

See this link about truck hitch questions:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2897

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

We tow our R27 with a GMC 2500 HD 4X4 Duramax Deisel and are extremely happy. We have the HD Trailering towing package with deisel exhaust brakes, dual alternators, auxiliary battery, class V hitch and factory wire harness for the trailer. We've towed our boat from Washington to Florida, up to Michigan and down to Kentucky all without any problems or concern as to capibilty.

Jim

 

[knotflying]

I am always a bit overkill, Chevy, 3500, diesel with allison transmission. If you are doing any long distance towing you need a truck that will do the job. Anything less than the 2500 and diesel and you will be pushing the envelope. Brand is a matter of choice.

 

[eric]

Thanks everyone. Looks like anything less than 2500 is not good idea. I like actual user thoughts. Thats where the meat of the information is.
As far as the 27 itself, I get the feeling everyone likes them heh heh.
Eric Hughes Central Pa.

 

[sleepyboat]

Eric,

For me it is all about balance. I had a 2005 F 150 and towed my R 27. It did a fair job but lacked the power I wanted, even with the 5.4 300 HP engine. The balance part is that I work in Boston and sometimes need to park in garages. To the Chevy and Dodge owners, they are respectable trucks but I happen to like Fords (and the dealer is nearby unlike the other two brands). I wanted to upgrade to an F 250 but found with the chassis differences it would be too tall to get into the local parking garages and the larger engine would not make it economical for me. Ford produces an F 150 with the eco boost engine. It is a six cylinder with twin turbos and makes 365 HP with 420 ft. lbs. of torque and gets an average 18-19 mpg. It also can be ordered with a max tow package allowing you to tow up to 11.300 lbs. This give you a combined gross weight of something over 16,000 lbs.

That all being said, that is what I purchased two months ago and I again towed my R 27 home from its dock for the winter. It had plenty of power to do the job and towed nicely between 50 and 60 MPH. What I discovered was a problem that I thought was with the 2005 was actually something we all have been reading about on other threads, and that is boat position on the trailer (not enough tongue weight).I wasn’t getting the side to side sway but the lifting of the truck when I hit a bump of swale in the road. Also the day that I towed was very snotty. Not ideal towing conditions and my problems were with the boat and trailer and not the truck.

Now, to all you ¾ and 1 ton owners with diesel and gas big blocks out there, I won't be towing this rig to Florida anytime soon but once the trailer problem is corrected, I will have no trepidation about towing to Connecticut for the rendezvous on Long Island in 2013 or anywhere else in New England if I so choose and please don’t reply and tell me that I am all wrong, IT'S TOO LATE!

It's all about balance in life and someone asked the question.

Regards,
John DeCaro
R 27 Sallison

 

[sidecarist]

I have been reading these threads for a while now. Firstly I am not a Ranger owner yet, but am SERIOUSLY considering an R27. These are my thoughts on towing. For many years I towed trailers that were at or very near the rated towing capacity of my truck. I never had a problem. I accepted the fact that I would be increasing the wear and tear on the truck, and changed my maintenance accordingly with more frequent oil and transmission fluid changes, improved transmission coolers, airbag suspension, etc.

I also changed my driving style to reflect the reduced safety margin in braking and hill climbing/descent performance. The thoughts about balance not only apply to tongue weight (go to a truck scale and get this right its worth it), but also to your attitude about towing. Give yourself adequate time to get where you are going, make sure your rig is set up properly and all systems are working (trailer brakes in particular). Accept that you may have to always travel with a minimum of fluids and equipment on board to prevent over loading and/or take an alternate route to avoid steep grades, etc. In the end be thoughtful about the process of towing think ahead and slow down.

My only real concern about this type of towing is that 20 years ago the risks of litigation were much lower. If you have an at fault accident and your rig was outside the factory rated capacity, there could be liability problems.

I have since changed to a heavy 3/4 ton with a diesel, and am happy I did so. It fits my requirements and my lifestyle now, but there was a time it didn't.

We can't always have the ideal set up...compromise is a way of life.

Best of luck!
Bob

 

[Boatdreamer]

Hi Eric
We've had our R27 for about three months now and love it. It fits our lifestyle very well. We've done one overnight so far, but are planning more in the near future.
John, I tow with a 2012 F-150 4X4 ecoboost, with the MAX trailer tow package also. I love it, it does a great job towing on the flat roads of Florida. We are pushing the limits of the spec sheet for the F-150, but I think Ford has built in a good safety margin for these numbers. With the trailer brake controller gain on 8, this rig will stop very well, as I have to do often living in the land of distracted drivers! If i didn't use this truck for my daily driver, i would have bought the F-250, but like you said, it's all about the balance in life, and this works for me.
Tim
Gratitude R27