Can Ford Ranger tow trailer & GT350 ? Other options

[GoesTo11]

I’m towing with a diesel Touareg rated for 7700 lbs with no issues. I chose a Lightweight aluminum trailer (1300 lbs) for this reason. I figure I’m around 5500 lbs all in with the spare wheels/tires on the trailer. I haven’t climbed the Rockies, but have no problem with steep hills and a few thousand feet of elevation change here in the East. Touareg weighs 5000 lbs so it’s a bit heavier than the Ranger. As others have stated it’s really about braking capacity. With the trailer brakes dialed in using a brake controller I haven’t had any scary moments even with a panic stop.

I agree that having a bigger truck would definitely be better, but In my case I had no need for full size pick up and didn’t want to deal with the hassle of driving one around town, parking, etc.

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[Bugs]

I'm not sure I'd recommend a Durango for towing a trailer near the vehicle's tow rating. I sold my trusty but ancient Suburban and bought a 2015 Durango AWD R/T (Hemi V8) with the intention of towing my vintage Mustang or the new GT350 in a car hauler. I didn't have a trailer at that time but planned to buy an aluminum one to keep the combined weight (car + trailer) below the Durango's 7200-lb tow rating. I used it to tow my 5000 lb. boat a couple times in the Idaho mountains and was concerned with how much the Durango got tossed around. I discussed this with the owner of my trailer service center and he recommended against towing anything that weighs close to the Durango's rating. He said he gets called out for wreck recoveries involving trailers and sees an inordinate number of late-model Durangos. He said if we did decide to try it, we should install a stabilizer, but he still wouldn't recommend it.

Last year, I bought a 24' ATC trailer and had a need to haul it while empty (3400 lbs) about 50 miles to a local service center for some accessory installations. The weather that day was windy: ~30 MPH with gusts to 45. The Durango was very unstable pulling the trailer. I limited the speed to 60 MPH max and still got severly buffeted causing the truck to weave, especially when a Semi would pass us.

That was enough to convince us that the Durango would not be a pleasant towing experience. We still have the Durango as our travel rig, but we bought a Ram 2500 diesel for towing duty. Regardless of the terrain, I can hardly tell I have a trailer behind me (unless I watch the gas gauge!).

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[honeybadger]

Hooked up and fully loaded for the trip to MSR Cresson tomorrow.

bUt LoOk At HoW bAd ThE sQuAt Is

 

[firestarter2]

I'm not sure I'd recommend a Durango for towing a trailer near the vehicle's tow rating. I sold my trusty but ancient Suburban and bought a 2015 Durango AWD R/T (Hemi V8) with the intention of towing my vintage Mustang or the new GT350 in a car hauler. I didn't have a trailer at that time but planned to buy an aluminum one to keep the combined weight (car + trailer) below the Durango's 7200-lb tow rating. I used it to tow my 5000 lb. boat a couple times in the Idaho mountains and was concerned with how much the Durango got tossed around. I discussed this with the owner of my trailer service center and he recommended against towing anything that weighs close to the Durango's rating. He said he gets called out for wreck recoveries involving trailers and sees an inordinate number of late-model Durangos. He said if we did decide to try it, we should install a stabilizer, but he still wouldn't recommend it.

Last year, I bought a 24' ATC trailer and had a need to haul it while empty (3400 lbs) about 50 miles to a local service center for some accessory installations. The weather that day was windy: ~30 MPH with gusts to 45. The Durango was very unstable pulling the trailer. I limited the speed to 60 MPH max and still got severly buffeted causing the truck to weave, especially when a Semi would pass us.

That was enough to convince us that the Durango would not be a pleasant towing experience. We still have the Durango as our travel rig, but we bought a Ram 2500 diesel for towing duty. Regardless of the terrain, I can hardly tell I have a trailer behind me (unless I watch the gas gauge!).

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Good to know that was the main appeal of it. Does the Durango have self leveling rear air bags?

 

[motodad]

Hooked up and fully loaded for the trip to MSR Cresson tomorrow.

What is the width of the trailer? 8 feet? 8.5 feet?

 

[Bugs]

Does the Durango have self leveling rear air bags?

Mine doesn't. I don't know if that was an option.

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