i am getting married this december and i need to know what you all think i should stop weight wise on my truck. it's specs are listed below it has a class III hitch package on it from Ford. i know that the hitch is rated for 6000lbs i have a 1300mile trip ahead of me in snow/sleet (houston-rapid city, SD)

i have an add a leaf and bigger blocks in the rear so the rear suspension should be able to hold a little bit more weight than the factory 4x4 edge. the truck comes with a factory transmission cooler and i am looking at getting the 5.oL mountanier/explorer radiator as i believe it is bigger and should mount straight up to my truck. is there anything i can do for the tranny/tcase to help them with hauling? and will the bigger radiator really help with the trip?

oh and i forgot to list what i'm hauling. so far i am looking at a double axle uhaul (~2000lbs) a chevy cavalier in the trailer (~2600lbs) a king sized bed with headboard/frame/matress/box frame (~400lbs) misc stuff (~900lbs) just off that i am sitting at 5900lbs which is right at the rating for the truck...that has me kind of nervous i am going to be going thru quite a few hills/mountain passes on the way up so its not going to be simple flat lands...

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'05 Ranger Edge SAS'd, 5.38's, D60/D60U, 38.5" TSL SX's, October 2012 TOTM, build thead

You should be able to do it. You just have got to go slow, especially in the mountains going downhill. Also GET A BRAKE CONTROLLER! You will absolutely want it if you are going to to 6,000 pounds. If you don't, you will have absolutely no brake life left when you get to your destination. You will also have a bigger chance of brake fade and losing you brakes if you are going downhill a lot in the the mountains. If you need to, just put your truck in first gear going downhill and let the engine do some of the braking.

Cliff notes: Get a brake controller and go slow.

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1996 Ford Ranger STX 4x4 4.0L
1983 Honda Shadow VT750C

how bad is it going to be in the snow? i know for a fact that some of those passes wont be plowed they werent plowed when i drove up to sd in march i had no issues with 1000lbs in my bed except in the white out in north tx i was slipping and sliding.


also understand i am only 19 and will be taking my 19yr old fiance with me so this will be my first extended trip with a trailer.

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'05 Ranger Edge SAS'd, 5.38's, D60/D60U, 38.5" TSL SX's, October 2012 TOTM, build thead

19 year old fiance? holy shit, good luck

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4x4 Ranger Sport Supercab 4.0l v6 /Canopy/Alpine HU,Speakers,Amp,10'' Sub /Tailgate Light Bar / Dual Flowmaster Exhaust /FRF Sticker / 3" BodyLift

we have been together for 3 years now so i hope i know her well enough. i also really don't want her driving when we get out of the flatlands of the south. this will be a 3 day trip according to my last drive up to SD and what the AF will allow me to drive.

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'05 Ranger Edge SAS'd, 5.38's, D60/D60U, 38.5" TSL SX's, October 2012 TOTM, build thead

does anyone know were to get one of the dual row alum radiators i have looked around on ebay and stuff and all i have seen are 2 row ones for the 2.3L

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'05 Ranger Edge SAS'd, 5.38's, D60/D60U, 38.5" TSL SX's, October 2012 TOTM, build thead

If I were you, I would say to better be safe than sorry. I would just park the truck and find someplace to crash to wait out a storm. What is another day traveling if it means you are not putting yourself in a great harm's way and potentially avoid a serious accident. I know that I would not want to haul 3 tons on a mountain pass during a snow storm-and that says a lot because I am the type of person that will purposely go out in the middle of a blizzard to just drive around with no where in particular to go.

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1996 Ford Ranger STX 4x4 4.0L
1983 Honda Shadow VT750C

agree with you there know what a good inexpensive brake controller would be?

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'05 Ranger Edge SAS'd, 5.38's, D60/D60U, 38.5" TSL SX's, October 2012 TOTM, build thead

As far as towing, the U-Haul trailers have surge brakes on them, so you should be fine there. At 6000lbs, you should have little issue, except when conditions get slick. As stated before, better to wait it out.

But if it makes you feel any better, I pulled 7000lbs of trailer and Jeep with my 2.3 ranger, and did just fine with the surge brakes on the trailer. Just keep it out of overdrive, and don't speed.

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Just keep it out of overdrive, and don't speed.
There you go!!!

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'02 XLT ext. cab 4.0 4x4 Off Road
Usual mods
Unusual color
Only a real man can pimp DWB

You should be fine, drive slower, brake sooner, and think ahead. When going down hill, let the engine do some of the braking and save your brakes for when you need them.

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Sgtsandman's Work in Progress
2011 Ranger XLT, 4X4, 4 door Super Cab. 4.0L, 5 Speed M50D-R1HD, 3.73:1, 8.8" open differential, Jason Pace cap
2019 Ford Ranger STX FX4, Super Crew, 2.3L Ecoboost, 10 speed automatic, 3.73:1 with rear locker, Leer 100XR cap

so overall consensus is downshift and get the uhual with surge/inertial brakes. this makes me a feel a smidge bit better

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'05 Ranger Edge SAS'd, 5.38's, D60/D60U, 38.5" TSL SX's, October 2012 TOTM, build thead

I dont know if a weight distributing hitch will work with surge brakes but it makes towing a trailer so much easier and safer. Guess you would have to ask the trailer rental place.

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04 Ford Ranger Edge
3.0 V6 Auto SuperChips Programer
air box and blinker mods

i dont even think thats a option with weight distributing hitches

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Jay's
09 XL reg cab
L4 2.3 , 40 series flowmaster , tinted windows 5% back 35% sides ,muffler removed from air box mod ,and ac on off switch mod , blinker mod, avs window vent shades
coming soon! k&n drop in/fiberglass bed cover/bed sprayed liner

BlueOval: Ive only pulled one trailer with surge brakes, hated it. All my trailers have electric brakes. I borrowed a weight dist system from a friend once, WOW what a difference! I use a sway control & weight dist works great. Keeps tow vehicle level so headlights ain't pointing into space, and helps stop in a straight line under hard braking. Also makes the ride so much better than the constant bouncing & jerking of the trailer.
Just my $0.02 for what its worth.

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04 Ford Ranger Edge
3.0 V6 Auto SuperChips Programer
air box and blinker mods