SP220 with 2011 Ford Ranger v6

[rycej]

Hello all. We are thinking of getting a small travel trailer for short trips (mainly weekends and such). My wife has her heart set on the SP 220 which I like as well. My concern is if our 2011 Ford Ranger (2x4) will have the guts to pull it.

The truck is rated at around 5,700 lbs towing and I know the SP 220 comes in at just over 4,000 and change (from what I've seen). I was thinking to be save, we may need to look at a lighter TT.

Anyone out here pull the SP 220 with a smaller truck? Dealer says no problem, but I've been reading and others warn the Ranger may not be enough. It does have the tow package from the factory.

Thanks for any info, James.

[bikendan]

your first mistake, a common newbie one, is using the bogus brochure "dry" weights.
second mistake, believing the dealer saying "No problem"!

that trailer's fictional "dry" weight is 4415lbs. i wouldn't call that "just over" 4000lbs..
adding the weight of the normal "options" that are not included in the "dry" number(oven, microwave, a/c, spare tire, awning and so on), it'll weigh nearly 5000lbs. before you add the weights of battery, water and cargo.
it will easily be over 5700lbs. when loaded for camping.

i suggest you look at the trailer's yellow sticker weight for a more accurate number. it includes the weights of options when it left the factory.
then you can add in the weights of the battery, water and cargo.

second, your Ranger's tow capacity is based on only a 150lb. driver in it. anything else in the truck, will reduce that capacity by its weight.

bottom line, you'll be at or over the Ranger's capacity even by loading conservatively. i owned a v-6 Ranger and would never consider towing such a trailer as this one.

[schrederman]

My son-in-law has a Shadow Cruiser 185 FBS that weighs 3,300 empty. He pulled it twice with his Tacoma V-6 and is already looking at F-150s. It is smaller and lighter than what you're looking at... My F-150 is, in my opinion, only marginally OK with my rig that weighs just under 6,000 ready to roll. I'm considering going to a 3/4 ton diesel, so I can feel safer...

[tanddc]

We are pulling an SP-220 with a 2013 V6 explorer and it doesn't have any issues. We do travel light (no water etc.) And it is just the wife and I. Explorer has 255 lbs torque and 290 HP (if I remember correctly). We also have a blue ox sway pro.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by rycej

Hello all. We are thinking of getting a small travel trailer for short trips (mainly weekends and such). My wife has her heart set on the SP 220 which I like as well. My concern is if our 2011 Ford Ranger (2x4) will have the guts to pull it.

The truck is rated at around 5,700 lbs towing and I know the SP 220 comes in at just over 4,000 and change (from what I've seen). I was thinking to be save, we may need to look at a lighter TT.

Anyone out here pull the SP 220 with a smaller truck? Dealer says no problem, but I've been reading and others warn the Ranger may not be enough. It does have the tow package from the factory.

Thanks for any info, James.

Best advice is to listen to the guy(s) that actually has what you do as far as the truck and trailer and has experienced what you can expect. The rest are just opinions. DO NOT TAKE THE ADVISE OF THE DEALER, he just wants to sell you a trailer and get your money.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by tanddc

We are pulling an SP-220 with a 2013 V6 explorer and it doesn't have any issues. We do travel light (no water etc.) And it is just the wife and I. Explorer has 255 lbs torque and 290 HP (if I remember correctly). We also have a blue ox sway pro.

let me ask you something.
have you looked at the trailer's yellow sticker weight? if so, please post what that amount is. i know the OP would like to know and so would i.
and if i'm not wrong, the newer Explorers only have a max tow capacity of 5000lbs.

so, even if the 220 weighed its bogus dry weight of 4415lbs., when you add 30lbs. for the battery, 40lbs. for the propane, 100lbs. for the WDH and no water or cargo, it now weighs 4585lbs.
leaving you only 415lbs. for cargo/water.

but wait, the 5000lbs. is rated with only a 150lb. driver in it. so if the wife weighs 150 and you weigh 200lbs. and you have 100lbs. of cargo in the Explorer, now its towing capacity has been reduced to 4700lbs.

now you only have 115lbs. of towing capacity left over for cargo/water in the trailer. and that means you're towing at or over the max, which virtually NO ONE recommends.

[tanddc]

Actually the tow rating for the explorer is NOT restricted to 150 lbs drive (not sure why it is in trucks) . Yellow sticker is 4415. Battery and propane is 168. Leaves me 435 minus the hitch. Actually running under on cargo rating so I have available capacity on the TV.

[Twisty]

I had a 2006 Ranger rated to tow 5800 lbs. However, in the manual it was stated to not tow a trailer with more than 48 square feet of frontal area. That is only 6 x 8 feet.
The popup we had was about 35 square feet.
Please read the manual about that restriction.

[rycej]

Thank you all so very much who have posted a response. I've been doing a fair amount of reading and was getting a feeling that even with a WD setup (which I would need anyway to increase what my hitch can take from what the sticker reads), the SP 220 would be over what we could do. I have also just recently read about the square front footage thing though didn't understand how to calculate that all out.

I've towed U-haul moving trailers before, but not such as big as what a TT would be. Don't want to over do the truck or make it so I dread driving the setup.

I think I will have to convince my wife that smaller will suit us fine. There is just 3 of us (our son is 8) and I don't see us straying to far from home or for weeks at a time. Just off for 3 day weekends for the most part.

Thanks again for all your thoughts.

James.

[Cmmjmoore]

Sounds like you have thought it through very well. We pull an SP 240 with a 2012 big engine Tundra. We had a 6 cylinder 2004 tundra that we pulled An R-pod (3600 lbs) with and it was great for flat highways with no wind. The Ranger will work you just run the risk of blowing the transmission but then you may never have a problem. Hey, life is a risk. Go have fun. Good luck.

[lmcleister]

James,
Sorry about contrdicting some of this advice above, but I would recomend you get the SP220 if you like it. I pulled a 2012 SP220 with a 4-Runner with a 5k # tow rating, slightly less than your Ranger's rating. As you are now understanding, you are close to the limit, a few suggestions just to make sure all goes well...

First item is stopping power - make sure you have the brake controller set right. Plus, replace the SP220 brakes with brakes that are better suited to stopping that trailer - the stock SP220 brakes were very graby when they got hot. Stopping was a miserable jerky experience until replacing them with a smooth braking system. Also make sure your truck brakes are rated for the full 5700 towing pounds.

Second is watch your weight. I never filled the propane bottles > 1/3 full and told wife she could only load 150 pounds of kitchen/bath stuff and never pulled it with any water. Before towing the trailer, empty all water - even dump the water heater. It isn't that hard to do and was just part of my pre-trip check list. Just remember all that weight when judging stopping distance.

Third is gearing down the Ranger for flat towing. Obviously downshift even more for hills. Pulling power isn't an issue with trucks/trailers - it's stopping power that is most critical (see 1st point). You aren't in a hurry to get anywhere - it truly is the journey that is fun. With a towing package you probably have a heavy duty transmission cooler - so that's good. If not, you'll need one.

Fourth is the weight distribution hitch (also needs to be considered when calculating total weight and hitch weight). Gettiong a good one with sway control is very important. You will definitely feel some sway with these intermediate trucks. Also adding a truck anti-sway bar helps the ride.

Niceties:
That trailer is very bouncy. I reduced tire air pressure so get the bounce out. But after 5000 miles I decided to replace the tires with better quality tires and put a Mor/Ryde suspesion on. I was about to do this but ended up going with a bigger trailer so never got around to it. (oh and I did get a bigger tow vehicle with the bigger trailer).

Those are the must haves - everything else is "nice". I put 5000 miles/ 12 trips on my trailer in one year. No problems and always made it home!

Rule #1 - Keep wife happy
Rule #2 - see rule #1

[jeeplj8]

I am not sure the OP is getting real world advice here that he can use. The two people that are towing SP220's and have responded are both towing with SUV's that are larger than his Ranger. This is the one exception to the rule that SUV's do not tow as well as pick-ups. Here the added weight of the SUV makes it a better tow vehicle than a very light Ford Ranger 4x2.

And both examples have more hp and torque than what the OP is using.

Perhaps the question you need to ask yourself, is just how much fun you all will have when you are constantly worried that you are at or more likely over that safety standards for your truck, you cannot load what you want into the trailer (only filling propane bottles 1/3 full?) and cannot bring what you with you. That just does not sound like fun.

[KMP44]

Started out towing with a Ranger. However, it was a 5 speed manual, which cut the tow rating in half. We pulled a popup, which was 1950 empty, about 2600 loaded. Even with the 4.0 liter V6 it was slow going on the hills and the enginer temp would really climb on hot days. Went to an Explorer, also with a 4.0 V-6, but auto and factory tow package. It was night and day - really never new the popup was there and the engine never heated up while towing. That, I think, is the difference between towing with a maxed tv and towing comfortably below the max spec.

I would absolutely consider the restriction on surface area that is in the owners manual. That lage area of the TT makes a difference in the drag on the tv.

You might be able to squeeze this setup in under the max ratings on the Ranger, or try towing slightly over the max rating. And if you are only taking short trips, it might work out. But, as the other post mentions, is it really enjoyable to constantly make sure you have no water, minmal gear, etc and then have a nerve racking ride everytime out? Plus the wear and tear on on a maxed out tv can lead to some expensive repairs - towing is tough on a lot vehicle components, especially if they aren't sized for the load.

There is always the desire to get the biggest rig you can, and the dealers almost always tell you its fine, but to me the enjoyment of that bigger tt is far outweighed by the problems caused by trying to pull it with an undersized tv.

[mjones12]

I tow the 220 with a V8 Silverado, towing package and Equalizer hitch, and I don't think I'd feel comfortable towing it with anything less. I've had a couple of Rangers in the past, and they are very nice trucks. I agree with others who say it might not be a happy towing experience with this trailer. I'd be a little concerned about the Ranger's wheelbase, as well.

Also, the 220 has a LOAD of storage space on board, which may be why the wife loves it so much. We sure do. It would be a shame not to be able to use that space.

[ChooChooMan74]

One post was penny pinching weight. Unless you are cutting hundreds of pounds, a few pounds here and there won't make a difference. Biggest thing is the air resistance when towing. With my setup, I have to pull it down significant grades on the interstate.

I think it is possible to tow. Is he at or over his recommended limits? More than likely. Do we hope that he stays safe? Absolutely.

One word of advice from one small tower to another. Think long and hard. I wanted to go bigger, but didn't. Sure, my little diesel has the power, but it is a handfull in windy situations...especially a crosswind. Best of luck!

[rycej]

Thank you all so very much for the advice both for the ranger and not. It all helps to make things a bit easier to decide. I do like the SP220, but I think we may start looking just a bit smaller just to be save.