Ford Ranger towing fault

[james.rant]

Hi
Can anyone help me please,I have a ford ranger pick up double cab (07 reg) and i pull a elddis aurora (plated at 1645kg) Single axle caravan,When i get to a speed of 50-55mph the vehicle feels so unstable,ive checked nose weight and also checked loading of the caravan,i put a lot of items ie awning/poles etc in back of pick up,but no matter what i do it doesnt make it tow any better,any ideas?
Thanks
James

 

[mistralse]

Hi James,
I remember there was something about Rangers tipping over but I cant remember where,sorry please be very careful until you get the facts. I would think a Ford forum might be a good start.

 

[Andrew_374383565]

Hi..........I tow with a ranger and have experienced similar problems, loading is critical, although I have found keeping the weight in the truck helps. As with all FWD, you need to replace your tyres as a set, otherwise this also can cause difficulties. The aero dynamics of the truck could also be affecting handling with a caravan, recently I towed a car trailer across europe with a landrover on the back and had no problems........regards Andrew

 

[james.rant]

HI....Thank you for your advise,i have replaced all four tyres with all terrain tyres,i also put a lot of items ie awning/poles etc in the bed of the pickup,which still doesnt help towing,but someone suggested a dixion bates shock link
thanks
james

 

[forestgump]

i would say the weight is lifting as you speed you may need to up your nose wieght theres alot of people who will say nose weigth is a bit of a ?

 

[ProfJohnL]

There is nothing that says all cars can tow well. There are some potential combinations of car and caravan that despite the combination appearing to be good on paper but simply does not work in practice. There is no single factor but usually a combination of factors that are not necessarily easy to identify.
The Ford Ranger has had a chequered history as a solo vehicle, so perhaps it is not surprising that some towing issues may arise.

 

[forestgump]

my o my john that was short and sweet for you and agree that if every one done as the book said it would be a prob/ some times you need to tryand experiment but be sensible.

 

[Steve L]

I agree with forest here.

First of all check that the tow hitch height leaves the van level and not nose up when connected.
Varying the nose weight is another good point and adjust that by about 10Kgs at a time.
You might even try a windjammer aerofoil wind deflector as it sounds to me like the wind turbulance between your truck and the caravan could be desturbing the stability. I had a Renault 25 which was very under poweded when towing until I fitted a windjammer aerofoil.
Check your tyre pressures too. Too much air in the front tyres can affect the handling just as detromentally as low pressure. Again experimentation in small doses to see what happens.
Get the tracking of all 4 wheels checked on the ranger, to eliminate worn suspension joints. Any good technician will check the suspension joints for slackness and wear before checking or adjusting the tracking.
You don't say if you have a canopy over the pickup bed. If the bed is not covered this can make a drstic difference to how the truck behaves.
Good luck with your adjustments, eventually you'll find the achilles heel.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi James
You're running at approx 95% wt ratio with a tug that has it's inherant faults well documented over the years.
Maybe not a good start. I suspect yours is a Thailand made version and as said by others I'd get all the suspension joints and shockers tested.
I assume the caravan is in good order and the hitch stabiliser correctly adjusted and grease free?

When you say unstable do you mean snaking?
Have you tried towing the caravan with another 4x4 to see if the unit is stable?
What's the Ranger like solo?

 

[parker1158]

Before anyone jumps down my throat this is just a personal opinion but I have towed many car trailers (with rally cars on) with various double cabs and they always seem to tow dreadfully. The only time they perform better is if we have had loads in the back of the vehicles(spare wheels, tyres, cans of fuel, tools etc) so I am assuming this has a factor in the way these type of vehicles perform.

 

[forestgump]

yes a empty truck would be like a car thats got no load or people in or fuel the total wieght must take into account a load on the back ?.