Ford Ranger mileage

[Bonnie Witt]

Hi!
Does anyone out there pull a Scamp fifth wheel with a Ford Ranger. My husband wants to know what kind of mileage you get with and without the fifther.

Thanks,
Bonnie

[Brian B-P]

At least three members here tow Scamp 19's with Rangers (or the Mazda equivalent):

• davidlebrun (see three week trip scamp)
• peterh (see post in Seeking advice re: 19 ft. Scamp 5th Wheel)
• Jim Sherwood (see post in Seeking advice re: 19 ft. Scamp 5th Wheel)

[Roger H]

Bonnie,

Your question isn't answerable other than to say you'll see from a 20% to 50% reduction in mileage. Towing our 19' with a 4.3L Chevy S10 auto 4DR 4WD from Idaho to Iowa we saw from 11 mpg to 15 mpg depending on the wind, speed we were driving, and whether we were on the flat or going downhill. The S10 is capable of about 22 mpg unladen highway.

Rangers are all over the map for engine/transmission/rear end combos and their towing abilities vary widely, from 1,000 lbs to 6,000 lbs depending on the year and how it's equipped.

My 3.4L Tundra 4WD 4DR auto gets from 11 mpg to 15 mpg towing my Bigfoot 17'. I got 14mpg towing the Bigfoot 17' with the 6.8L Excursion 4WD to and from the Black Hills.

While none of those are Rangers, I hope it'll help give you an idea of what you'll get.

Roger

[Bonnie Witt]

At least three members here tow Scamp 19's with Rangers (or the Mazda equivalent):

• davidlebrun (see three week trip scamp)
• peterh (see post in Seeking advice re: 19 ft. Scamp 5th Wheel)
• Jim Sherwood (see post in Seeking advice re: 19 ft. Scamp 5th Wheel)

OOPS!!!
And they were replies to my own listing - duh!!!!!!!
Thanks,
Bonnie

[Bonnie Witt]

Bonnie,

Your question isn't answerable other than to say you'll see from a 20% to 50% reduction in mileage. Towing our 19' with a 4.3L Chevy S10 auto 4DR 4WD from Idaho to Iowa we saw from 11 mpg to 15 mpg depending on the wind, speed we were driving, and whether we were on the flat or going downhill. The S10 is capable of about 22 mpg unladen highway.

Rangers are all over the map for engine/transmission/rear end combos and their towing abilities vary widely, from 1,000 lbs to 6,000 lbs depending on the year and how it's equipped.

My 3.4L Tundra 4WD 4DR auto gets from 11 mpg to 15 mpg towing my Bigfoot 17'. I got 14mpg towing the Bigfoot 17' with the 6.8L Excursion 4WD to and from the Black Hills.

While none of those are Rangers, I hope it'll help give you an idea of what you'll get.

Roger

Roger,
Thanks much. Lots of info to think about.
Bonnie

[Bill F.]

Hi!
Does anyone out there pull a Scamp fifth wheel with a Ford Ranger. My husband wants to know what kind of mileage you get with and without the fifther.

Thanks,
Bonnie

I have a 98 Mazda 2.5L 4 cylinder (119 HP) which is power challenged without a trailer in tow but pulled my 13.5 Bigfoot through Vermont hills(2900' passes) in September/06 and averaged 19MPG (calculated with canadian gallon). I purchased this trailer in Quebec and averaged 24 MPG bringing it home(not so many hills) to Ontario(550 km). The truck on its own does 26-28, and I averaged 13MPG pulling a 13' stick-built in headwinds before discovering rounded FGRV's. In summary when you're tug is power challenged wind resistance seems to me the most serious problem. Even if you are running a 4L V6 I would think the increased wind resistance of a 5th would likely be a problem in headwinds.
Bill

[Donald Stahl]

Bonnie,
Well, try to give you some idea on what to expect. Here is what we experienced towing a 17 ft Casita with a 2002 Ford Ranger, 4.0 liter engine, 4X4. Without the trailer highway mileage was about 20. With trailer in tow driving no more than 65 mph, we got about 13 to 14 mpg.

The engine size makes a big difference in towing with these little Rangers. The 4.0 engine pulls very well and frankly, I would discourage anyone from an engine of lesser size in the Ranger. If I remember correctly, three different engine sizes are available.

As a rule of thumb, when selecting a car or a truck, I check for acceleration specs. I find that a vehicle which can go 0 to 60 mph in ten seconds or less, to be adequate for pulling a trailer, given the trailer weight does not exceed the manufacturers weight limit specs.