Ford Ranger Towing a 25 Foot Travel Trailer

[MagnoliaRetiredGuy]

I’m considering purchasing a small travel trailer in the ~25 ft range. My tow vehicle is a 2019 Ford Ranger with the factory tow package. I’ve never owned or towed a trailer before (other than a pop-up many years ago), and I’m starting to feel a bit nervous about actually towing one across the U.S. I’ve watched lots of videos, used calculators, and even asked AI and trailer salespeople, and many say my truck is adequate. I’d really love to hear from members with real towing experience — what it’s actually like day to day, and whether I might be biting off more than I can chew. Any honest advice or expectations would be really appreciated.

I'm looking at the NoBo 20.2 and the Rockwood Mini Lite 2524 FBT.

 

[bigbAZ]

Start by posting pictures of you door stickers that show all your weight and loading info.

 

[MagnoliaRetiredGuy]

With 53R, the Ranger gets:

• 7,500 lb max tow rating
• 750 lb max tongue‑weight rating
• 4‑pin/7‑pin wiring
• Class IV hitch receiver
• Aux transmission cooling
• Trailer sway control

 

[TonyL]

Rule one,
NEVER trust a sales person
Rule two,
ALWAYS use rule one.
Seriously, as you have done, ask here, pictures of the truck door stickers are paramount.

 

[TonyL]

Next question, how many passengers, dogs, generators, logs etc are going to be in the truck, that 750Kg payload soon drops, and the hitch weight also needs to be calculated

 

[MagnoliaRetiredGuy]

Next question, how many passengers, dogs, generators, logs etc are going to be in the truck, that 750Kg payload soon drops, and the hitch weight also needs to be calculated

2 passengers (350 lbs.'s), 1 dog (40 lbs.), no generators, small tool kit (40 lbs.), ice chest (40 lbs.), anticipated travel gear and food (600 lbs.)

 

[TonyL]

2 passengers (350 lbs.'s), 1 dog (40 lbs.), no generators, small tool kit (40 lbs.), ice chest (40 lbs.), anticipated travel gear and food (600 lbs.)

Leaves you around 600 lbs for hitch weight, i'll leave that to the trailer tow people on here to make informed comment.

 

[Kirk]

These are the specs of the two trailers from Forest River. It has about 88 sq-ft front,

Rockwood Mini Lite 2524 FBT
The Rockwood doesn't list the GVWR. A full water tank will add 442#. 80+ sq-ft front

 

[SargeW]

The Rockwood has a dry weight of just over 5100 pounds. With your intended cargo, plus water, propane, and batteries, that will push you to around 6200 pounds, if you are careful. Your Ranger has a 2.3 liter Eco Boost, so your towing ability is a bit marginal. The curb weight on the Ranger is between 4100-4300 pounds. So your intended trailer will definitely be felt back there, especially on mountain grades. A weight distributing hitch is essential, and a good brake controller for the trailer. Windy days will be an experience.

It's doable, but don't be in a hurry and keep the speeds down. I personally never tow over 65 mph regardless of what the max speed allowable is.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

There is a "first" for everything,, consider this your "first" as you have for most anything else in your life..>>>Dan

 

[bigbAZ]

FWIW Ford also states that with the towing package you should not exceed 55 square feet of frontal area on the trailer. Of course this probably won't matter much at low speed but it might for a lot of highway travel.

FWIW #2 there are quite a few folks towing with Rangers on the Ranger forums, some getting by with a bigger trailer than I would want to tow with my 2025 2.7. If I get a trailer in the future I'm considering something like a Casita. Your payload is actually not bad for a Ranger though, more than 200 lbs greater than mine.

 

[Compadre1]

Head over to the Ranger forum, they have a towing section and a lot of smart people willing to help. I have a 2021 Ranger with the 2.3, towing a 19' Airstream with gross weight of 5,000lbs. My trailer is somewhat aero and bigbAZ makes a good point as to frontal area. I use a wdh (weight distribution hitch). As per the advice from the Ranger forum, I also beefed up the rear suspension adding Blue Sumo springs and Billstein shocks. They helped a lot when towing and also just riding around. I have no problem towing my trailer, even in the mountains I feel I have more than enough power. Rangers with tow packages rarely have brake controllers installed and most trailers will require them. It can be a PITA to get one installed and will add another expense. Springs, shocks, brake controller and wdh and your approaching $2k for your truck. Ranger is also narrow so tow mirrors might be wise, but strap on could work. Many people pull bigger trailers with their Rangers, but I wouldn't go much bigger than what I have, tongue weight is high 500's. I also agree with bigbAZ that a Casita would work great with a Ranger, they cost a bit more when buying but are the rare trailer that hold their value.
Best part of towing with a ranger is that when you unhook at the campsite and go into a town you can park anywhere, go down narrow streets etc. Its a great everyday vehicle at home, I'm getting 25 mpg at home now.
Best of luck.

 

[Martian]

Look this over and see what works.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

With the NB20.2 trailer, I'd call that combo OK. but short of optimal. I think the Rockwood would be pushing the limits. The Ranger will tow either of them, but neither performance nor drivability will be enjoyable. "Adequate" doesn't mean pleasant to drive, especially if weather, grades, etc are less than favorable. You would be much happier with a bigger truck (fill-size half ton like an F150) or smaller trailer (maybe a 5500 lb GVWR). SargeW summed it up nicely in post #9.

 

[Kirk]

At one point I was towing a 4000#, 20' travel trailer with an SUV which had a 5000# tow rating and 114" wheelbase. It got the job done but traveling with it was never really enjoyable and in windy conditions it was a chore. The only time that I was caught towing in heavy rain, I took an exit and waited out the storm because I didn't feel safe. I later replaced the SUV with a crew-cab truck and the change was dramatic. Even towing in a high wind was not difficult and the same for less-than-ideal road conditions. My advice is that you either get a smaller trailer or change tow vehicles if you really wish to enjoy traveling with them.

 

[woof-n]

. My advice is that you either get a smaller trailer or change tow vehicles if you really wish to enjoy traveling with them.

Magnolia
The fact that you placed anxiety in the title of your post. The advice Kirk gives is spot on. I have towed trailers all of my life. Some good, some bad. When the trailer takes charge of the truck, bad things can happen. It is never a fun experience. It is always fine until you're in distressed driving situations such as wind snow ice then multiply that by mountains, heavy traffic, quick braking, etc. The fact that you are asking the question tells me you are having an internal argument between your common sense and wallet. I started in the same place you are. I was trying every way possible to justify a 1/2-ton truck when the camper needs a 3/4 ton. My common sense won. As I traveled about and fully experienced mountains and cross winds, I have never regrated spending the money to buy a bigger truck. Good luck

 

[zapatasghost]

I’m considering purchasing a small travel trailer in the ~25 ft range. My tow vehicle is a 2019 Ford Ranger with the factory tow package. I’ve never owned or towed a trailer before (other than a pop-up many years ago), and I’m starting to feel a bit nervous about actually towing one across the U.S. I’ve watched lots of videos, used calculators, and even asked AI and trailer salespeople, and many say my truck is adequate. I’d really love to hear from members with real towing experience — what it’s actually like day to day, and whether I might be biting off more than I can chew. Any honest advice or expectations would be really appreciated.

I'm looking at the NoBo 20.2 and the Rockwood Mini Lite 2524 FBT.

I’m no truck expert but I get all kind of crap about towing my 23’ rv trailer w/ my F150 (v6 Turboboost, tow package). It pulls her quite well and safely up & down mountain passes & even a bit off road since 2014. I’d say be sure to get an equalizer hitch or something similar - makes a difference. Also, do pay attention to how much you load - as you might see on another thread I started, I'm having suspension issues that might be my own overloading fault!

 

[SargeW]

I am pulling a 33' fiver with my 2023 Ram 2500 4X4. CAT scales say the fiver is 10K, and the combo is 20K, give or take. I put axle blocks on the fiver to raise it high enough to ride level because the 4X4 is so high. Even though I am well within my payload I added air springs to the rear to level out the truck and move a couple hundred pounds to the front axle.

It rides and steers better, and the fiver rides level. Adding some air springs to the Ranger may also be a good idea. It does NOT increase your payload capacity, but it will help with tongue bounce, and keep the front end from feeling squirrely with the added weight to the rear bumper. The air springs are fairly easy to put on, and can be deflated when running without the trailer.

 

[Firstime RVer]

All good advice. After struggling with the hills/mountains in Maine, I ended up trading in my 6 cylinder silverado 1500 with 6 speed tranny for a 5.3 liter 8 cylinder silverado 1500 with 8 speed tranny and tow package and the improvement in towing experience was amazing. FWIW my TT weighs in at 6,600 lbs fully loaded.
Good luck
Safe travels and all the best.

 

[Excalibur1]

The fact that you are uneasy about the capability of your truck in this situation is all you should need to decide. Your Ranger would be technically able, but the razor thin margin is more than I would feel comfortable with. I have been pulling trailers for 50 years, and have never believed in cutting it too close. Your Ranger might be enough to pull it, but what is more critical is , is the Ranger enough to STOP it?