1993 Ranger GCWR

[pkjorlie]

I don't have my owner's manual and wondered what my GCWR is. It's a 1993 XLT extended cab 4.0 4x4 with 5 spd Manual Transmission and 3.55 gear ratio.

I weighed the truck at my local Cenex Coop and it weighed 4160 lbs with me in it and 3960 without me. That includes the fiberglass topper. My GVWR is 4840 lbs. I wanted to put a 1000 lb camper on it and still be able to tow an ATV. The camper is really pushing the limits on the GVWR, but I wanted to know what the GCWR is so I know what I can tow besides having the camper.

Paul

[v8ranger]

Its not on the door? Are you putting one of them campers that slide in the box? I found this also. I know its not what truck you have but this shold be pretty close to what you can hall. http://www.therangerstation.com/resourc ... Ranger.htm

[Dave]

Hey Paul,
Found this info also close to what you have. Might want to update your E-mail and site info.
Mac


In the '94 owners manual, the listed towing capacity, or rather Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR), varies with the drive config, engine and axle ratio. For Archive sake, I'll just list them all:

4X2 Manual Transmission Regular Cab/Cab Plus
2.3L, 3.73 ratio = 4800 lbs(2177Kg) GCWR
3.0L, 3.45 ratio = 5000 lbs(2267Kg) GCWR
3.0L, 3.73 ratio = 6000 lbs(2721Kg) GCWR
4.0L ,3.08 ratio = 5000 lbs(2267Kg) GCWR
4.0L, 3.55 ratio = 7000 lbs(3175Kg) GCWR

4X2 Automatic Transmission Regular Cab/Cab Plus
2.3L, 3.73 ratio = 5500 lbs(2494Kg) GCWR
3.0L, 3.45 ratio = 7000 lbs(3175Kg) GCWR
3.0L, 3.73 ratio = 7500 lbs(3401Kg) GCWR
4.0L ,3.08 ratio = 6000 lbs(2721Kg) GCWR
4.0L, 3.55 ratio = 9500 lbs(4309Kg) GCWR

4X4 Manual Transmission Regular Cab/Cab Plus
2.3L, 4.10 ratio = 4800 lbs(2177Kg) GCWR ???
3.0L, 3.73 ratio = 6000 lbs(2721Kg) GCWR
4.0L ,3.27 ratio = 6000 lbs(2721Kg) GCWR
4.0L, 3.73 ratio = 7000 lbs(3175Kg) GCWR

4X4 Automatic Transmission Regular Cab/Cab Plus
3.0L, 3.73 ratio = 7500 lbs(3401Kg) GCWR
3.0L, 4.10 ratio = 8000 lbs(3628Kg) GCWR
4.0L ,3.27 ratio = 7500 lbs(3401Kg) GCWR
4.0L, 3.73 ratio = 9500 lbs(4309Kg) GCWR

[MalcolmV8]

I'm always amazed at the tow differences between automatic and stick shift. A 3.0 auto Ranger will out pull a 4.0 Ranger stick shift... on paper ratings anyways.

[gorgo]

i have a 1993 std cab longbox 4x4. i have a squire 7.5' camper that i haul and i didnt have any problem with it and hauling my 15' fiber glass boat. i have a 3" body lift. the problem i had was i had 33X12.5X15 tires and the sidewall flex made it real interesting. i now have 33X11.5X17's 10 ply and they dont flex abit. i put air bags hoping to fix the flex but it was a waste of money. the supension is so stiff on the truck the bags were not needed. even with the 3.0 i could move along ok. mine weights 4900 with the 5.0 and 20gals of gas.

[94stranger]

so could I tow a duel sled trailer with to sleds?
what about a sea-doo jet boat?
or a car trailer with a stang on it?

[v8ranger]

I think you would be pushing it trying to pull a car trailer. And it would depend on how big the boat is. I use to pull my 17 foot fiberglass with a I/O. I didnt have any problems.

[94stranger]

so pretty much I can tow everything but the car trailer, and a boat that isn't to long

[v8ranger]

By the time you add the weight of the car trailer and the car, I'm sure you would be getting up into the 6000 pound range. Way to much for a little truck. Most of the stock step bumpers where rated for 200 pounds tongue and 2000 pounds pulling. You can get class 5 hitches, they are rated 500/5000. You get into pulling more weight than the truck weighs, then you asking for trouble, you cant control the weight behind you. I woulld say as long as you dont go any higher than pulling 350/3500 you should be fine. But again, you get into 3500 pounds, you may want to make sure the trailer has some brakes. But a snowmobile trailer with 2 snowmobiles, you will be fine. I dont know how much your jetboat weighs, but "most" trailers that are made to haul more than 2000 pounds will have some sort of brakes. If memory serves me right, when I got my boat trailer and utility trailer, and went to DMV to register them, the 2000 pounds was the cut off as to if the trailer had to have brakes on it or not. Stay in the 2500 to 3000 and you will be fine, IMO.

[MalcolmV8]

I pulled a heavy dual axle car trailer with my blue truck a few times with the race car on it. I had a class III tow hitch and electric brakes on the trailer but still didn't feel very comfortable with it. The truck was on the very edges of control. I had to drive slow and carefully. I don't recommend it.

[cgrey8]

Even with AWD and an engine to handle that kind of job, it still wasn't stable huh? I would've thought an AWD Ranger would handle better than that particularly with a trailer that has brakes.

[Dave]

Getting up to speed would be no problem with Malcolms combo, it's maintiaining speed when the truck is out weighed. Sure the brakes help when stopping but get that sucker of a trailer swinging, it can whip that truck right around.
Dave

[cgrey8]

So what causes a trailer to want to oscillate back and forth at high speed? I've pulled trailers with my Ranger (before it got the V8) at Interstate speeds and never had that experience. But I've seen trailers do that before. I just always assumed there was some "problem" with the trailer or the weight distribution on the trailer that causes this.

[plowboy34]

Weight distribution is a major cause of it. Tires and suspension on the towing vehicle are also important items. If you have tires with really soft sidewalls they will cause oscillating (what we call tuna boating) very badly. It's like anything else with a vehicle, set it up for what you intend to use it for. That is also where trailer brakes are awesome, when it starts to tuna you just touch the trailer brakes without using the tow vehicles brakes and it straightens that puppy right out. I will not own a trailer without brakes. Even the 6'X12' tilt trailer must have brakes, the only way to fly in my opinion.

[MalcolmV8]

Chris the AWD and V8 where perfect. I had a ton of power and could out accelerate traffic no problem with the trailer and car behind me. It was also very stable at speeds. I never experienced any wobbling, swaying or anything of the sort. The issue is you just have so much weight behind you compare to the Ranger. When you go into corners you can really feel it and at times it almost felt like it was going to just pull you over. When I first picked up the trailer and pulled it home it had no electric brakes and I got overly confident with it and then had to make a stop for a vehicle who stopped suddenly in the lane to make a left turn and got a rude awakening when I couldn't hardly stop and that trailer just pushed me like my brakes had given out. First thing I did when I got home was order the electric brake setup. That helps tremendously but its still a less than optimal situation. I was always very careful but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have taken much to loose control driving with that combo. I certainly wouldn't put the money into that setup ever again to tow another vehicle unless it was small (focus or mini) and had a much lighter less industrial strength trailer.