Towing advice

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Ford Tech - 21 Mar 2007 03:30 GMT

From: "The Cross-eyed Barber" <crosseyedbarber@scab.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Towing advice
Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 5:32 PM

On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 19:25:28 -0400, The Cross-eyed Barber
<crosseyedbarber@scab.gmail.com> wrote:

>I have a '95 Ranger supercab 2.3L standard.
>
>I plan to make a trip next month pulling a U-Haul trailer, about 1000
>miles. The items I'm taking are light but bulky. I want to get the
>5'X8' trailer which is also 5' high and weighs in at 900 lbs empty. I
>will only be adding maybe another 500 pounds.
>
>U-Haul recommends the 4'X8' which is only 4' high and weighs in at 750
>lbs empty. My items won't fit in this.
>
>I have a step bumper rated at 2000 lb capacity. If needed, I can
>install a better hitch. My biggest question is regardless of my
>hitch capacity, how much will the additional wind resistance affect my
>speed and wear and tear on my little 2.3L? Will I end up driving 1000
>miles screaming along in 4th most of the way?

Thanks everyone who responded. I also stopped and talked to the GM at
one of the bigger U-Haul centers in my area. He said people pull that
trailer with similar configurations all the time and he's never heard
a complaint. He also didn't recommend I get a better hitch even
though I indicated he could have a sale if he did recommend it. So
with his advise and that of some of you, I'm going to try it. I'll
just take my time if it comes to that. No big deal.

--
The Cross-eyed Barber

Ok I don't know what the GM at the U-haul dealer was talking bout, but you
should NOT hook up a u-haul trailer to a bumper, it should have a RECEIVER
HITCH and a 2" ball. It should also be a CLASS III hitch.

Bumper hitches tend to be flimsy, and you dont want to load it to the max.
If you install a receiver hitch with a capacity greater than your vehicle,
then you are pretty much garaunteed to not overload the hitch.

Just my $.02

Ford Tech

Reply to this Message

Jim Rusling - 21 Mar 2007 04:13 GMT

>On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 19:25:28 -0400, The Cross-eyed Barber
><crosseyedbarber@scab.gmail.com> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>with his advise and that of some of you, I'm going to try it. I'll
>just take my time if it comes to that. No big deal.

>The Cross-eyed Barber
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
>Ford Tech

That will depend on the bumper hitch. The step bumper that I had on
my F-250 was rated for 10,000 lbs. There are different classes of
bumper hitches and it will depend on what his is rated for. I do
prefer frame mounted hitches since you can adjust the ball height.

Signature

Jim Rusling
More or Less Retired
Mustang, OK
http://www.rusling.org

Reply to this Message