New Ford Ranger FWC Fleet Installation

[gkendrick]

We just picked up our new Ford Ranger (!) and will be having our FWC Fleet shell installed on it next week. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who is putting a FWC on a new Ranger, since ours apparently may be one of the first in the USA. Stay tuned as we move ahead with our shell build-out.

Our platform is a 2019 Ranger XL 4x4 Supercab, 6' bed, with FX4 package (including lots of skid plates) and towing package. We'll be adding NERF bars/steps, and air bags and cradles once the aftermarket catches up. The factory-provided LT tires (Hankook Dynapro ATM LT 265/65 17s) turned out to be only 6-ply and C-rated (grrrr), so we're replacing them with Falken Wildpeak E-rated tires.

Initial driving impressions are very positive. Smooth ride, solid, and the simple interior (XL) seems robust. Terrain management system is impressive - essentially a cruise control for gnarly terrain.

I'll post some more photos once I figure out how to do that on this forum!

 

[ski3pin]

Thank you for posting and welcome to WTW. I`'ll be curious how the parabolic leaf springs in the rear handle the weight. What is the payload capacity? Also, what is the maximum weight rating on the supplied Hankook LT tires?

Best of luck with your project.

 

[longhorn1]

Welcome to the group

 

[gkendrick]

Yes, I'll be curious to see the leaf spring performance as well - I'm holding onto the option of adding some Hellwig helper springs once they become available, if we need them. But the info we have thus far indicate the Ranger suspension should be able to handle the FWC shell OK. Time will tell. Our Ranger's GVWR is 6,050 lbs and the door plate shows the payload capacity at 1,530 lbs. A comparably-equipped Tacoma 4x4 has a payload of about 1,150 lbs, so we supposedly have about 400 lbs more capacity with the Ranger.

Our Fleet shell is coming in around 800 lbs, and I figure it should be in the 1,000-1,050 lb range by the time I'm done with my limited build-out. So with passengers and gear we should be within the rated payload capacity. Stay tuned on performance.

The factory Hankook LT tires are rated at 109T, with a maximum individual load of 2,270 lbs. So I guess that, in theory, the Hankooks can handle a GVRW up to 9,000 lbs. But they have a 6-ply rating including just a 2-ply sidewall, which I feel doesn't really cut it for hauling a FWC in off-road conditions, especially in aired-down situations.

 

[rubberlegs]

The "cruise control" feature for rough terrain is also in our Tacoma (called "crawl mode"). It's pretty amazing, especially in the lowest gear. It makes some strange noises which I believe is basically the anti-lock brakes going on and off, sometimes many times a second. I'm new to four wheel driving, but I'm amazed at what it can do by preventing wheel slippage. It seems like it's just a software thing with the anti-lock system, which is clever and I'm sure the manufacturers are enjoying selling the feature at little cost.

I'm almost wondering if a locking diff isn't really necessary, although we've used that too a couple times when we did NOT want to slip. There was one steep ridge where I was a skosh nervous about slipping, or stopping, and really wanted to make it up to the top where it wasn't white-knuckle driving any more. That's when the rear locking differential gave me some confidence. However, the truck seemed to go up like it was no big deal. If we'd slipped part way up and trended to one side or the other, or had to back down... well... hmmm... Anyway perhaps using the crawl mode is essentially the same effect on mitigating wheel slippage.

Sounds like you have a worthy vehicle.

By the way, we watched weight like a Hawk, er, Fleet, but somehow we put on several hundred pounds more than I estimated pre-delivery. We've been up to 700 lb overweight. The truck doesn't seem to care. I'm still not sure where the weight is coming from -- maybe more water than I thought, too much food, extras like compressor and too many clothes. We even took out some stuff we don't use, like the bed extender and pads, one of the propane canisters, etc. I like to weigh any time we pass a weigh station. 'Tis fun to track.

We had P tires that supposedly were plenty macho according to the numbers, but after puncturing a sidewall past Cerro Gordo on another tricky section, decided to get E tires. So far the E tires (BFG KO2) have performed well in terms of gas mileage and noise, which I thought would be worse. No problems wandering Mojave Preserve and Death Valley but our experience is limited with the new tires.

 

[rubberlegs]

By the way, we have been very happy with the simple "Sumosprings". Even overloaded, the truck is stable, level, handles well on and off pavement. So easy to install -- took me 30 minutes and I'm a dufus.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

We just picked up our new Ford Ranger (!) and will be having our FWC Fleet shell installed on it next week. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who is putting a FWC on a new Ranger, since ours apparently may be one of the first in the USA. Stay tuned as we move ahead with our shell build-out.

Our platform is a 2019 Ranger XL 4x4 Supercab, 6' bed, with FX4 package (including lots of skid plates) and towing package. We'll be adding NERF bars/steps, and air bags and cradles once the aftermarket catches up. The factory-provided LT tires (Hankook Dynapro ATM LT 265/65 17s) turned out to be only 6-ply and C-rated (grrrr), so we're replacing them with Falken Wildpeak E-rated tires.

Initial driving impressions are very positive. Smooth ride, solid, and the simple interior (XL) seems robust. Terrain management system is impressive - essentially a cruise control for gnarly terrain.

I'll post some more photos once I figure out how to do that on this forum!

IMG_20190425_083353a.jpg

Welcome to the cult.
Thanks for posting the truck photo.
I am happy to see Ford come back with the Ranger.
Post more photos as you can.
Have fun with your new toy.
Frank

 

[Rich&Kim]

The "cruise control" feature for rough terrain is also in our Tacoma (called "crawl mode"). It's pretty amazing, especially in the lowest gear. It makes some strange noises which I believe is basically the anti-lock brakes going on and off, sometimes many times a second. I'm new to four wheel driving, but I'm amazed at what it can do by preventing wheel slippage. It seems like it's just a software thing with the anti-lock system, which is clever and I'm sure the manufacturers are enjoying selling the feature at little cost.

I'm almost wondering if a locking diff isn't really necessary, although we've used that too a couple times when we did NOT want to slip. There was one steep ridge where I was a skosh nervous about slipping, or stopping, and really wanted to make it up to the top where it wasn't white-knuckle driving any more. That's when the rear locking differential gave me some confidence. However, the truck seemed to go up like it was no big deal. If we'd slipped part way up and trended to one side or the other, or had to back down... well... hmmm... Anyway perhaps using the crawl mode is essentially the same effect on mitigating wheel slippage.

Sounds like you have a worthy vehicle.

By the way, we watched weight like a Hawk, er, Fleet, but somehow we put on several hundred pounds more than I estimated pre-delivery. We've been up to 700 lb overweight. The truck doesn't seem to care. I'm still not sure where the weight is coming from -- maybe more water than I thought, too much food, extras like compressor and too many clothes. We even took out some stuff we don't use, like the bed extender and pads, one of the propane canisters, etc. I like to weigh any time we pass a weigh station. 'Tis fun to track.

We had P tires that supposedly were plenty macho according to the numbers, but after puncturing a sidewall past Cerro Gordo on another tricky section, decided to get E tires. So far the E tires (BFG KO2) have performed well in terms of gas mileage and noise, which I thought would be worse. No problems wandering Mojave Preserve and Death Valley but our experience is limited with the new tires.

The locking diff is a must. You really double your traction.

 

[Jack]

We are ordering a 2019 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 for our Fleet. It's currently on a 2005 Tacoma with 1750000 mi - time to send it out to pasture.

The Fleet needs to be lifted a couple of inches above the bed. Do you know what they will install? If not, can you please post when you find out?

On the Tacoma, we found that keeping the tailgate was very useful. It made for a nice small step at the top, above a plastic two-step Rubbermaid step. The tailgate also serves as a sturdy support for a 20 liter gas can. If you keep the tailgate on the Ranger, please let me know how that works out.

(The downside on the Tacoma with a tailgate is the spare tire. You need to crawl under with a 14mm wrench to get it.)

 

[CougarCouple]

One million seven hundred fifty thousand miles has to be a record.

 

[gkendrick]

Here are a couple of pix of our 2019 Ranger with our new FWC Fleet shell installed (not sure how this photo stuff is going to work - please have patience with a newbie.)

Our Ranger is a 2019 XL 4x4 with the FX4 offroad package, and we just upgraded to Falken Wildpeak 265/70-17 E-rated tires to handle the load.

The Fleet shell was delivered at just over 1100 pounds (not counting jacks), including about 220 lbs of options (thermal pack, dual 6v batteries, batwing awning, propane furnace and tanks, dual roof fans, flush-top stove, 160 watt solar panel, Yakima tracks.) We'll be adding a 12v fridge and some storage build-out over time.

Including people and minor gear, we will likely be hovering right around our Ranger's stickered payload capacity of 1550 lbs. We'll be adding air bags (probably Firestone) as soon as they become available for the Ranger.

Initial impressions from a quick 200-mile trip are that the Ranger has power to spare, but the suspension definitely needs airbags with this camper for leveling and load management. Wind buffeting seems quite high since the bottom of the cabover section clears 6.5" above the truck cab, and the Ranger has a low-angle and sleek windshield and cab roof. FWC custom-added 1.5"-2.0" to our shell's under-floor support structure to make sure it cleared the Ranger's higher fender rails, but FWC did not custom-adjust the shell's walls or pop-up panels, so that has resulted in more clearance over the Ranger's cab than, say, a Tacoma might have. So we'll likely be adding a cab roof rack with a wind fairing to help address the wind issue. I guess the good news is there will be room for a roof rack!

Like Tacomas, the Fleet shell overhangs past the rear of the Ranger, with the rear wall extending about 8.5" beyond the taillights and past the bumper. We're still considering what the best camper-access step option will be, since hitch-mounted steps may not work well with such an overhang. More research is needed.

The camper load and wind effects on gas mileage are still being evaluated. Without the camper, we were getting 22-24 mpg on 65 mph paved highway driving. On our recent 200-mile trip with the camper on, we ranged from 15.5-17.0 depending on headwinds. We're still in the break-in period, so hopefully that will improve. Your mileage may vary, indeed.

Stay tuned for more reports as we figure out how this all works out.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks,looking good.
Frank

 

[jimjxsn]

Very nice. It looks like a wind fairing would help and you may be able to add some storage under the bed overhang.

Enjoy the new camper.

 

[rubberlegs]

Let us know about your fairing.

 

[ETAV8R]

Looks good.
I would suggest you look into sliders vs nerf bars. Nerf bars are not made to protect the vehicle from anything other than another car door in a parking lot.

 

[Jack]

gkendrick, what did FWC use to raise the Fleet up 1.5" or so? 2x6's? rubber mat? Whatever does the lift, I think, should keep the camper from moving laterally. If they used 2x6's, did they anchor them to the bed?

 

[gkendrick]

gkendrick, what did FWC use to raise the Fleet up 1.5" or so? 2x6's? rubber mat? Whatever does the lift, I think, should keep the camper from moving laterally. If they used 2x6's, did they anchor them to the bed?

To raise the camper, FWC simply made the camper’s regular bed supports (the black laminated wood framing under the camper floor) about 1.5” thicker than normal. I suspect that added some weight to the shell as well.

 

[Andy Douglass]

gkendrick, nice rig. I am not a FORD fan, and I never really liked the old Rangers, but as far as looks, that thing is way prettier than the new GM midsize trucks. And it sounds like the offroad goodies are pretty nice. I bought a Ram 2500 last year. I really wanted the Power Wagon because it comes with similar goodies, but I went with a diesel because the Wagon's payload is pretty low.

Never had a truck with a locker, but there's a reason why serious offroaders have been upgrading to them for decades. You might not need it more than a handful of times, but when you do, it is priceless. Kind of like 4wd in general.

I am about 1200 miles into a set of Falken Wildpeaks on my truck. The stock tires were street tires with an E rating, but we were going over Siskiyou Pass early winter and I needed a mountain snowflake AT tire. It was last minute and I could not find the Coopers that I wanted that quickly, so I settled for the Falkens. They are still really new, but I have no complaints. They seem to be a little louder than the BFG KO2s I am used to, but not by much. They were really quiet at first, but they started humming pretty quick, kind of like when KO2 are getting slightly cupped and need to be rotated in the near future. I don't think it is premature wear though, it seems like the tread pattern just makes a little more noise naturally. But I kind of like that noise anyway.

When calculating payload, don't forget to account for water/propane. 26 gal/20 pounds is 215 pounds of weight. Before I got the 2500, we had our 1500 pound dryweight Hawk on my wife's 1500. Never hit the scales loaded but I know we were over the GVRW by a few hundred pounds. I had installed air bags and a sway bar, and the truck handled fine, but braking performance was not great, and even scary once. It was completely doable, but required a little worrying. I installed the ride rites with the remote control compressor. It was really nice to be able to do most of our leveling in camp with just the remote.

For steps, we love the Easy Hitch Step. I think it is about 30 pounds though. If I was concerned about the weight, I would gladly trade 30 pounds of water (3.5 gallons) for the steps. It has several sets of holes for the hitch pin, so there is a decent amount of flexibility in how far out the steps are. The drawbacks are the weight and cost, but it is unbelievable how much convenience and safety it adds to the camper. We regularly walk out of the camper facing forward with both hands occupied. The steps are always in the same place relative to the camper, so exiting is made much more safe. By the time you are dealing with the slight variability between the steps and the ground, you are almost at ground level so any accidents are less serious than if you step out onto a flimsy step ladder and go flying. The steps fold up when driving and you can mount your license plate to them so it is visible when on the road. This means you don't have to put the hitch mounted steps on your nice new camper floor when driving. My wife ordered it and she said that when she called, she found out that it is basically one guy fabricating them and shipping them. You could easily call him and find out details on which step would work for your setup. I added some sticky backed EVA foam to the steps in a few spots to quiet them down when traveling. They have a nice powder coat that is pretty much good as new after around 10k miles.

 

[Argonaut20]

Jack - The 2002 Eagle was raised from the bed by 2 X 4's placed in 4 rows running front to back. I don't see why you couldn't do the same thing to raise your Fleet 1.5". The floor in my Eagle is firm and the tie downs keep the camper from moving side to side.

 

[Missing Link]

X2 on the Easy Hitch Step. Another feature that Andy did not mention is that the steel gridwork that makes up the surface of the steps provides excellent traction in all weather conditions, and you can use the steps to clean mud from your shoes before entering the camper. We have the two step version and it does not make any noise at all. We did add a Quit Hitch from Camping World which is a large square "U" bolt that cinches the step to the receiver and eliminates any rattling in that area. Pricey, but we could not be happier.