Heritage Boat Towing

[Quick44 6]

Im new at this boat and fishing adventure.  I ordered the Heritage boat and now waiting to see when it arrives.  Question for all you experienced fishermen....I have a Ford Ranger 4cyl and 5 speed manual trans....Will this be adequate to pull the Heritage and negotiate the loading and unloading the boat at the ramps.

[ratman 90]

probably not the best plan,especially if it's 2wd.May be able to tow it but up and down ramp could be tricky.I have a 98 mazda 5speed 2wd and a heritage and would not even try it.

[moguy1973 440]

I want to say the 4cyl 5 spd Rangers/Mazda2300's weren't recommended to tow anything.  I know my 95 Mazda with a 4 banger couldn't hardly get out of it's own way.  Will it tow it?  Probably, but not very well and you are really going to stress that 4cyl and T5 transmission and brakes.

[fishnkamp 1,907]

If you look for a Ford Ranger with a V6 it will pull that boat and stop that boat much safer. I agree with the others you will probably be overloading the trans and brakes with your current truck.  You could swap out to another Ranger or a Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado or even an older Dodge Dakota. Any of these with a V6 and a trailer package will handle that new boat more safely. A 4x4 is not reqired but does help on the wet ramps.

I personally pulled a heavily loaded 17 1/2 foot Lowe Aluminum boat with a 75 Merc, 3 batteries, a ton of tackle and equipment for about 7 years with a Chevy S-10 ZR2 truck, it had the entire towing package which included special remote oil filter adapter feeding an external oil cooler as well as a heavy duty radiator with a larger than standard trans cooler as well as an auxiliary trans cooler.  It had larger than standard breaks as well.  I recently replaced that truck with a 2013 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4X4 which has an even more elaborate towing package, basically all that my last truck had but also a power steering cooler and even better breaking.  This truck is rated for 5 or 6000 pounds of towing weight ( I forget exactly), but it is more than I would need even if I was pulling a 18 foot fiberglass rig. 

[Quick44 6]

Thanks for the reply on the  towing....will do some homework and look to upgrade my  ranger to a more appropriate tow vehicle.

[Bolar 125]

What does your truck spec out at?  I would start there. 

[conceptmachine 40]

You'd probably be able to do it, but probably not within the capacity of the truck. 

I usually have a mid size truck around.  had a ranger in 1998 traded it in on a  Zr2 Chevy then after  that,  in 2008 I have gotten 3 Tacomas one in 2008, 2012,2015,  and traded the '15 on a '17 F150 raptor which I didn't really get to like the size of, so i traded that in on a explorer sport which should handle the heritage fine... still i miss my midsize trucks.

was hoping the Ranger Raptor would be available for 2019 but so far... no...just as an export. 

May have to get another Tacoma.

[J Francho 14,110]

Negative.

[Bisk1tSnGraV 78]

I am going to be towing my Heritage with my Chrysler Town & Country.  Would rather have a better vehicle but this is what I have ...  3.6 l V6 / 283 HP / 3600 Towing Capacity.

[Bolar 125]

3 minutes ago, Bisk1tSnGraV said:

I am going to be towing my Heritage with my Chrysler Town & Country.  Would rather have a better vehicle but this is what I have ...  3.6 l V6 / 283 HP / 3600 Towing Capacity.

The boat is not that heavy.   Unless your climbing up to some mountain lake you should be ok, even with the Ranger. 

[PolarKraft195Pro 125]

A 4 cylinder Ranger will pull that Heritage, especially if it has the 2.3L / 2 plugs per cylinder engine.

i would keep your truck and try it first, before going out and maybe spending unnecessary money.

[Goldstar225 72]

It may be able to tow your boat just fine.  The 4 cylinder Ranger is rated to tow between 1600-2400 pounds depending on it's configuration (auto vs. manual, gear ratio etc...).  You need to find our what YOUR truck's rating is and compare it to the total package weight of your boat/motor/trailer and gear.  I've owned two Rangers previously.  One of them was an '88 four banger manual that pulled a fiberglass boat fine, in 4th gear but not 5th. 

 

Too many people assume you need a full size V-8 to pull anything bigger than a canoe.  Manufacturers establish tow ratings for a reason.  All we have to do is look.

[Quick44 6]

Thanks to all for your Ranger towing comments....all well taken.....will get boat and give it a try before making any rash decisions at this time.  Once again I appreciate your comments

[RPreeb 412]

Makes something of a difference how far you plan to tow.  10 miles to a local lake shouldn't be a problem unless there are issues in trying to pull it back up the ramp.  For longer trips, I wouldn't want to load that vehicle that small unless it is truly rated for it.  For one thing, it just isn't much fun to drive when the truck is straining all of the time.

[J Francho 14,110]

The towing capacity of that truck under 1500 lbs.  The boat and trailer weigh over 1700 lbs.  Towing this boat with that truck is illegal.  The answer is not subjective.  It's flat out no, you cannot tow with vehicle.  End of story.