Not to change the ranger subject, but I'd go with a V-8 '88-98 Chevy 2wd pickup. They're dirt cheap to buy, dirt cheap to fix, mostly bulletproof, will get comparable mileage to the Ranger, some came with a 5 speed, and will be much happier towing that sailboat
JohnRW1621 wrote: Your combo should have a much lower center of gravity. Sample:Do you have dual axle? Does your trailer have a similar Y shaped keel guide? Without it, ramp launching is a bitch. Ask me how I know...in the pic above we ramp launched that WL24 on a crazy steep ramp. Off was easy. On, not so easy (damage was done.)
that is a seasprite 23.. just like my boat. So yes, my combo looks exactly like that, right down to the dual axle trailer. I am also not going to launching it off of the trailer.. at least not around here. I can't think of a single launch ramp around me that does not sink into 3 feet of mud
mad_machine wrote: For people saying I need a fullsize. you forget that 90% or more of the time, there will not be a trailer behind the truck. I simply do not need or -want- a full size pickup any more than I want an SUV.
The percentage of time that you're towing the trailer is irrelevant, dangerously overloaded 10% of the time is still dangerously overloaded. Size the vehicle appropriate to the maximum load you intend to carry with it (sounds like 5000 pounds). That's not a 4-cylinder Ranger. It might be within the V6 Ranger spec, but personally I wouldn't buy one because I don't like running close to the limits.
I tow my Miata on an open trailer with a 3/4 ton diesel (yes, it's overkill). That's a similar weight to your boat, but with less sail area, and I don't even want to think about trying to tow it with something that weighs half what my Silverado does. A boat trailer means you've probably got surge brakes rather than electric brakes as well, so you don't have that anti-sway mechanism available.
Because of all the crap you have to haul around when you have a boat, I would consider a 'Burban or something covered, not a pickup.
Dan
mad_machine wrote: yes. the manual rangers with manuals are rated from the factory to tow less. From what I have read, there is no reason for it.
This post right here means either A) You won't listen to us or B) You do not have much (if any) experience towing.
You don't get to decide what a vehicle is rated to tow, but if you tow overloaded, expect to get your ass nailed to the wall if something happens. I'll have no pity (and the GRM board won't either).
Unlike a LOT of other forums, GRM isn't grandstanding about these issues or giving you poor advice. We are trying to help. 
The beauty of it all is that we're not even suggesting you spend MORE money, we're just suggesting you get the right vehicle for the job. The only reason I'd get a midsize pickup would be if 4x4 was available for the same price I could get a 2wd fullsize pickup. Boat launches/ramps can be a bitch and 4x4 may come in handy. It's also not always a guarantee that where you launch from will be paved.
It's not the engine. You could tow that kind of weight with a 4 cylinder engine, as long as you're willing to accept crawling up hills and accelerating slowly.
It's the mass of the tow vehicle vs the mass of the towed load. That's a good bit of mass, as well sail surface (side winds). Towing that with a light tow vehicle makes it very exciting. Rather pointlessly so. Can it be done? Yes. Is it wise to do it? No.
A full size pickup with a V8 (or even a good V6) can handle the job quite adequately. As a bonus, you get the utility of a full sized pickup. Which as just about anyone who has had one can tell you, becomes very usefull. You no longer wonder how you're going to get big things home. From 16' lumber to sheets of plywood to couches and washing machines.
Gas mileage between little trucks and the full sized trucks isn't that different. Especially if the little truck is working hard. They all circle the 20 mpg range.
I don't think it's so much the power up and down hills, but stability of the base.
I bought a Crew Cab Dodge about a mile from my house. I towed it home with a tow bar behind a SAAB 900. Twice I tried to turn and this bigass vehicle kept pushing me in a straight line.
With that in mind, think about some of the on-off ramps going to the lake. Think about the unexpected panic stop, you can imagine a Ranger squished between a boat and a semi.
Looking at that boat... I'd have concerns about the tail wagging the dog with a smaller truck. Definitely get a Ranger with a long wheelbase (extra cab). I'm assuming the trailer has brakes? I would consider those mandatory. It's not the truck's ability to pull the trailer I'd be worried about, but it's ability to stop it in an emergency - like when a deer runs out in front of you or when a farm tractor pulls out onto the road with nary a look, and you instinctively swerve to avoid and the trailer goes straight = jack-knife.
I know where you live and I'm familiar with the roads you'll be driving on - mostly 2-lane back roads with 55 mph speed limits (and heavily patrolled by LOE). He can pretty much get to anywhere without using limited access roads with 70 mph limits. So I can understand your reluctance to buy anymore truck than you need, and as long as you're weary of cross-winds (and deer... and farm vehicles...) I think you'll be ok.
914Driver wrote: I don't think it's so much the power up and down hills, but stability of the base.
Absolutely this. People get obsessed about horsepower when they talk about towing, but it's pretty meaningless, unless you're going to be drag racing while you're towing. You need to be most concerned about the stability of the vehicle while you're rolling down the highway at 60 mph.
I had a similar boat. I towed it from my house to the water in the spring, and the reverse in the fall - maybe 25 miles each way on back roads, top speed of 35-40 mph. I did it for about 10 years, using a variety of tow vehicles (my own, borrowed, rented)
Behind a F150 I barely noticed that it was there.
Behind a Nissan Hardbody 4x4 I needed to sit on a garbage bag to keep from staining the seat.
I've come to believe in a big safety margin when considering towing capacity. I wouldn't tow your proposed rig with anything less than a 6000# rating, and I'd be happier with more.
Then again, you may not care about poop stains on your seat.
Manual vs. Automatic, in a truck I typically want an automatic. I know you aren't ramp-launching this thing (at least I hope not
) but there are few things that make my butt pucker more than slipping backwards on a slick boat ramp. And that has been an automatic.
I tow with an expedition. Being an SUV and not a pick up and full time AWD gas millage is well not that great. I see 15-18 if I am lucky. BUT I did not purchase it as a economy box. It is a work vehicle that doubles as a kid haler and "get out of dodge" no mater what the weather vehicle. Where it falls a little short is that its wheelbase is about 8-10 inches shorter than a F150 but this is nit picking. I have found that when towing power is nice but wheelbase is king and bigger is better.
The millage difference between a small truck with a v6 and a standard pickup (or SUV) is negligible. I mean really. Add up the cost difference over the course of a year of 16 MPG versus 20 MPG. The real difference is that towing with a larger vehicle is effortless. With my s10's and explorer's towing was often a white knuckle adventure that sucked especially after a long weekend of racing or in your case after a day on the water. Trust me you don't want this.
For pure towing I would look at a 2wd F150 or larger, By far the best tow vehicle I ever drove was my friends 1994 Dodge 2500 long bed 2wd with a 360. That was a great truck. That would be my choice for an around town beater, dump run parts getter big box store runs vehicle. Get an older one from the south where 2wd is the norm.
dean1484 wrote: For pure towing I would look at a 2wd F150 or larger, By far the best tow vehicle I ever drove was my friends 1994 Dodge 2500 long bed 2wd with a 360. That was a great truck. That would be my choice for an around town beater, dump run parts getter big box store runs vehicle. Get an older one from the south where 2wd is the norm.
There is much truth in your post, but where is this "south" you speak of? 
Granted, Virginia isn't exactly "South" but 4 x 4's are everywhere here, and 2WD trucks are about as rare as honest politicians.
HiTempguy wrote:mad_machine wrote: yes. the manual rangers with manuals are rated from the factory to tow less. From what I have read, there is no reason for it.This post right here means either A) You won't listen to us or B) You do not have much (if any) experience towing.
I have decided not to get a truck at all. If I need to move the boat a couple of times a year, I will just rent one and not worry about wear and tear on my own vehicles.
As for towing, I -do- have a CDL with everything but the hazardous endorsement. The trucks I drove were manuals, not automatics. Yes, they were extrememly low geared and the transmissions typically had many gears plus a two speed rear end. I do know about towing and have done a lot of it with minimal impact to my safety or the safety of others.
I think it is my experience behind the wheel of the big trucks that makes me reluctant to buy a full size pickup. Not only have I always prefered smaller vehicles, but far too often it is the people in fullsized trucks that give BMW owners a run for their money in being pricks.
I don't want to be -that- guy.
mad_machine wrote: I have decided not to get a truck at all. If I need to move the boat a couple of times a year, I will just rent one and not worry about wear and tear on my own vehicles.
I wish I could convince my g/f of this... she wants me to get another truck since I sold the Cummins... I think I'd get much more practical use out of a van and could rent a pick-up for a few times a year an open bed would be needed...
mad_machine wrote: I have decided not to get a truck at all. If I need to move the boat a couple of times a year, I will just rent one and not worry about wear and tear on my own vehicles.
That is a really good solution IMO.
You can rent a serious 4x4 truck for when you need to pull the boat up a steep loading ramp and roll in high wind 2-3 times a year for a couple hundred bucks and piddle about in whatever else the rest of the year.
Streetwiseguy wrote: If GM had put the 4.8 LS motor into an S10 truck, that would have been the worlds most perfect truck.
GM didn't, but I am, with a 5-speed! If you can't buy it, build it?
Granted, Virginia isn't exactly "South" but 4 x 4's are everywhere here, and 2WD trucks are about as rare as honest politicians.
I am far enough south that i if i list the nearest states i have to go to #5 before one of them is a USA state. I am closer to Guatemala than Virginia. Virginia is closer to Canada than i am to some of the borders of the state i live in.
mad_machine wrote: I have decided not to get a truck at all. If I need to move the boat a couple of times a year, I will just rent one and not worry about wear and tear on my own vehicles.
That there is crazy talk! Any self-respecting homeowner (and boat-owner) needs a truck.
I know you decided not to buy a truck, but ya know, just for the sake of discussion, this looks exactly like the truck you don't want. 2006 F150, 36k, $7,600, five speed, six cyl. Not mine, no affiliation, just cruising Craigslist and thought of this thread, yada yada.
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/ctd/3776411850.html
mad_machine wrote:HiTempguy wrote:I have decided not to get a truck at all. If I need to move the boat a couple of times a year, I will just rent one and not worry about wear and tear on my own vehicles. As for towing, I -do- have a CDL with everything but the hazardous endorsement. The trucks I drove were manuals, not automatics. Yes, they were extrememly low geared and the transmissions typically had many gears plus a two speed rear end. I do know about towing and have done a lot of it with minimal impact to my safety or the safety of others. I think it is my experience behind the wheel of the big trucks that makes me reluctant to buy a full size pickup. Not only have I always prefered smaller vehicles, but far too often it is the people in fullsized trucks that give BMW owners a run for their money in being pricks. I don't want to be -that- guy.mad_machine wrote: yes. the manual rangers with manuals are rated from the factory to tow less. From what I have read, there is no reason for it.This post right here means either A) You won't listen to us or B) You do not have much (if any) experience towing.
I was just about to recommend renting. Most U-Haul places rent an F150 with a tow hitch.
There are also a handful of websites where vehicle owners put their cars/trucks up for rent at a daily rate and the site handles insurance and all the legal stuff. I have zero experience with it, but it seems like an interesting/useful option.
Either way, much cheaper than buying and maintaining a completely separate vehicle.
oldopelguy wrote:Streetwiseguy wrote: If GM had put the 4.8 LS motor into an S10 truck, that would have been the worlds most perfect truck.GM didn't, but I am, with a 5-speed! If you can't buy it, build it?
Actually GM put a 5.3L in the Colorado.
Do you guys have access to Zip Cars?
Pretty cool set up. Caal in, they tell you where the car is, scan the windshield and drive off. Tell them where you left it at the end of the day. I zipped an F-250 once for a trip to IKEA.
Wicked cheaper than Hertz, Penske or U-Haul.
speedblind wrote:mad_machine wrote:I was just about to recommend renting. Most U-Haul places rent an F150 with a tow hitch. There are also a handful of websites where vehicle owners put their cars/trucks up for rent at a daily rate and the site handles insurance and all the legal stuff. I have zero experience with it, but it seems like an interesting/useful option. Either way, much cheaper than buying and maintaining a completely separate vehicle.HiTempguy wrote:I have decided not to get a truck at all. If I need to move the boat a couple of times a year, I will just rent one and not worry about wear and tear on my own vehicles. As for towing, I -do- have a CDL with everything but the hazardous endorsement. The trucks I drove were manuals, not automatics. Yes, they were extrememly low geared and the transmissions typically had many gears plus a two speed rear end. I do know about towing and have done a lot of it with minimal impact to my safety or the safety of others. I think it is my experience behind the wheel of the big trucks that makes me reluctant to buy a full size pickup. Not only have I always prefered smaller vehicles, but far too often it is the people in fullsized trucks that give BMW owners a run for their money in being pricks. I don't want to be -that- guy.mad_machine wrote: yes. the manual rangers with manuals are rated from the factory to tow less. From what I have read, there is no reason for it.This post right here means either A) You won't listen to us or B) You do not have much (if any) experience towing.
I would not trust a Uhaul to pull my boat from the water (if I ever used a ramp) I remember a time I was in a uhaul van in baltimore. I got lost and pulled into a commercial centre to call the place I was going. It was pouring rain and the road out of the parking lot was up this steep hill to the street.
I got to the top, waited for traffic, and went to pull out... and slid down backwards as the wheels broke loose under very little throttle. I can only imagine that uhaul uses the cheapest and hardest tyres they can find
mad_machine wrote:HiTempguy wrote:I have decided not to get a truck at all. If I need to move the boat a couple of times a year, I will just rent one and not worry about wear and tear on my own vehicles. As for towing, I -do- have a CDL with everything but the hazardous endorsement. The trucks I drove were manuals, not automatics. Yes, they were extrememly low geared and the transmissions typically had many gears plus a two speed rear end. I do know about towing and have done a lot of it with minimal impact to my safety or the safety of others. I think it is my experience behind the wheel of the big trucks that makes me reluctant to buy a full size pickup. Not only have I always prefered smaller vehicles, but far too often it is the people in fullsized trucks that give BMW owners a run for their money in being pricks. I don't want to be -that- guy.mad_machine wrote: yes. the manual rangers with manuals are rated from the factory to tow less. From what I have read, there is no reason for it.This post right here means either A) You won't listen to us or B) You do not have much (if any) experience towing.
I have a diesel dually for all my towing needs..... I don't have to be "that guy" because I got the right tool for the job.
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