Projects: Truck

Truck: 1995 Ford Ranger XL Extended Cab

3.0L V6 with Towing Package, Automatic Transmission, 3.73 Rear End: This truck has a 4,000 lb max towing capacity, with 7,500 lbs. GCWR. On a recent trip fully loaded with me, my wife all of our gear and a full tank of gas, My rig weighed in at 7,080 Lbs with the axle weight of the trailer at 2,660 lbs. I didn't weigh the hitch weight, but I estimate it at 250 lbs.

	Transmission Cooler I took the advice of most of the knowledgeable people on Popup Times and alt.rv.pop-up-trailers news groups and installed a medium range auxiliary transmission cooler on my 95 Ford Ranger. I don't know at what temperature that it keeps the transmission coolant, but my truck's normal operating temperature of the regular coolant is noticeable lower. I did the installation myself in about 3 hours and a few skinned knuckles. A lot of the time was removing and reinstalling the grill work to mount the cooler.


	Tachometer and Transmission Temperature Gauge: While on vacation, I had to have my transmission completely rebuilt. While the transmission place told me that the problem was not directly related to towing and it would have failed anyway, I'm sure the extra stress and strain of towing hurried the failure along. I had no indications of impending failure. I carefully reread the towing section of my truck's owner's manual, which recommends towing in overdrive unless there is excessive shifting involved. I installed the tachometer to be able to monitor the shifting of the transmission. I hope the temperate gauge will warn me of any future problems before they can cause major damage. I had my local transmission shop install the sender and they used the pressure port on the side of the transmission. A perfect fit without the need for an adapter and their suggestion as the best place to monitor overall transmission operation. The normal highway temperature reading is about 190º F. This sounds high, but the thermostat on my truck's radiator operates at this temperature and is the normal operating range to expect for my vehicle. I watch more for an unexplained variation to the upside than the absolute value.
	Added 1/2 Leaf Spring I beefed up the suspension by adding an aftermarket leaf spring to my truck's rear suspension. The literature claimed that it added 1500lb carrying capacity. I was close to the 7,500 GCWR. (see calc sheet) It made for a slightly rougher ride from my truck, but I feel that it gives me better control when breaking and turning. They definitely keep the trailer level when fully loaded. Installation was pretty simple and straight forward.
	Reese Friction Control Sway Bar After experiencing one moderately severe case of trailer sway (a large truck passed me going down hill in the mountains with the trailer pushing the truck), I added a Reese Friction Control Sway Bar. You can connect/remove this unit in about 30 seconds. It really has improved the stability of my rig. I have yet to find any speed at which there is any instability at all. Cost of the sway bar was $79 with an additional $25 for a 6 inch piece of steel rebar welded to the hitch. I did the installation myself in about an hour.
	Custom Rack for Jon Boat After pricing ready made racks for my Ford Ranger, cost about $300 to $600, I decided to attempt to build one myself. I visited my local Home Depot and browsed the isles for ideas. I decided to use channel steel, the type hung from ceilings to support cable and duct work. It was rustproof and strength in the lateral direction was acceptable. Since the boat I was going to carry, a 12 ft light aluminum boat weighing about 60 lbs, was really more bulky than heavy. I carefully measured and built the rack to be an exact fit, so that a closed tailgate adds to the rack strength. 45º pieces of flat steel were added fro additional strength. A couple of coats of high gloss black enamel, and I had a custom rack for less than $100. I can load and remove the boat easily without help.