Recommendation for New Ranger

McMullap · 07-27-2021, 07:58 PM

Hey everyone. I’m one of those stalker guys that doesn’t have a tow vehicle or a trailer but reads all of these posts. I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee which can tow a decent 7,200. However, the payload is miserable at 1,050. My wife and I are eager to start camping so we are starting to aggressively research campers. While I would prefer a 1/2 Ton Ford 3.5 Ecoboost, the prices for these trucks in my area are starting at $55K for a basic, stripped model. Dealers are not moving at all on prices and some are charging $3-5K above sticker. That being said, the Ranger is more affordable and dealers are actually offering incentives on these trucks in an attempt to gain market share in the midsize market. The Ranger has some nice numbers, 1,600 payload and 7,500 towing. I am a fan of Jayco trailers and I would like to order a new model. My wife and I have looked at both the X213 and 224BH which seem to fit within the Ranger’s specs. I have heard some folks say that the X213 can be tongue heavy while others say if you travel light you should be ok. I’m not a seasoned expert but I have towed a boat on occasion. We are not planning on any long trips and would not need to fully load the trailer. 2-3 day trips in the area (Midwest) is all we expect to do. What do people think? I know the X19H hybrid is also within specs but some folks say that unit is also tongue heavy. Thanks! Andy

McMullap · 07-28-2021, 05:41 PM

Another camper that I’ve considered is the 171BH with a max weight of less than 5,000#. Even if tongue weight hits 15%, that’s 750# and would be an option for the Ranger. Obviously, maxing out your tongue weight is not ideal but some smart packing should drop that down further. Thanks!

MontanaRick · 07-29-2021, 08:57 AM

Can you tell us more about what you want in a trailer? If I bought a Ranger (I have looked seriously at them, but still prefer my 4Runner when I'm not hitched up) I would still have my 195RB because it fits what I want in a trailer (except I wish I had bigger tanks). Plus, I really like having much more towing capacity than I need (which I don't have with the 4Runner). It's really nice to tow and feel like there's almost nothing back there.

curver900 · 07-29-2021, 09:16 AM

is the 1600 payload on the sticker or on a chart? That is pretty good payload.. but make sure you look at the door sticker for the one you buy.. options take away payload... quickly..

TWP723 · 07-29-2021, 09:18 AM

I think you're fine with any of those units.

DocBrown · 07-29-2021, 09:23 AM

"Traveling light" gets old fast. You start to find you can't take certain things that you would like, can't buy too much on your trips, etc. Don't do that to yourself. Been there, done that.

Prices are inflated due to low inventory and high demand. It's because of the chip shortages. Used trucks on trade in are fetching more than what people paid for them 2 & 3 years ago. Anything you buy right now will drop in value once this bubble bursts and you'll likely be upside down on your loan.

If you can you are best off waiting until after winter to see where things are at, hopefully more realistic at that point. Then look for a CPO full size truck that's low miles. I was going to wait until March or April to buy a truck but found what I wanted in January. I didn't think I had enough to do it at that point but I'm glad I did. If I had waited I would have paid $6k-$8k more for the same truck.

McMullap · 07-29-2021, 11:31 AM

The Ranger model I was looking at had a sticker that read 1,560, so a little less than 1,600#’s. I would ideally like something with nice size tanks and separate sleeping areas for each kid. Hence, we are mainly looking at trailers with bunks. While I would have preferred a tear drop trailer, my wife insists on a model that includes a dry bath and full kitchen. I’m not interested in anything that requires a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. That will happen when we retire. I just can’t justify paying $15-$20K more for an F-150 that on paper does not provide drastic increases in capability. If the Ranger can meet my need, might as well save the money. Andy

DocBrown · 07-29-2021, 11:39 AM

The trouble is there is a difference between on-paper and real world. I did the mid-size thing once with the same thought in mind as yours. It worked OK, but I will never go back to mid-size.

All that said, it sounds like you are opposed to a CPO truck?

McMullap · 07-29-2021, 11:43 AM

Doc, not opposed. But the ones I looked at 2018-2019 were just as expensive as a new truck. So I guess I’m opposed to buying a 3-4 year old truck with 30-60K miles for the cost of a new 1/2 Ton. I need to keep looking though. Andy

DocBrown · 07-29-2021, 11:48 AM

Thanks for the clarification. That's why I suggested to wait if you can.

McMullap · 07-29-2021, 11:58 AM

Yes Doc, it’s a delicate game. My Jeep is worth a ton of money now, more than I paid 6 months ago. If I wait, will my car’s value go down? It’s tough to determine when my cars max value aligns with the lowest price of a new car. I just need to keep watching the marketplace. Thanks again. Andy

Scott · 07-29-2021, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McMullap

It’s tough to determine when my cars max value aligns with the lowest price of a new car.

Andy,

I work in the industry and I have to tell you that this will probably never happen. New car prices are high now because they are scarce due to a variety of reasons. Consequently many are buying used that would have bought new, over-inflating the used car price. As soon as now cars become available, their price will drop as will your trade in value. I'm guessing this will happen sometime in the next 6-8 months.

curver900 · 07-29-2021, 01:50 PM

it's all relative...
if you can sell your used vehicle now and not buy a new one for 12 months you come out way ahead... if you have to sell and buy well it really is just a wash and you end up with a larger note if you have to carry one...

just like houses... man i got 200k more than i paid for it... then you have to buy a new one, if you are going to retire to the sticks it works out, if not you have to buy a new one that has gone up in value just like the one you sold...

I was lucky, i bought mine 2 years ago on closeout.. i could sell it for 6k more today than I paid for it but then an equivalent truck is 15k more than that so i'll keep the one I have.. because it still will cost me 15k less...

McMullap · 07-29-2021, 01:53 PM

While the F-150’s are going for $3-$5K more than sticker in the Southwest Ohio region, they are still offering decent discounts on the Ranger. I received a few quotes and various dealers were offering between $2-$4K off MSRP. That’s why I’ve been leaning towards a Ranger. And I was offered a thousand more for my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee than what I paid. I would end up saving thousands on this swap would could be put towards the down payment on a camper. If I wait a while longer, I’ll delay our family’s ability to start camping. I want to hurry and get out there!! Andy

curver900 · 07-29-2021, 02:01 PM

recommendation is to pick a camper first and foremost then make sure the truck you are going to buy will be able to accommodate it... you don't want to be like allot of folks buying the truck to save a buck and then have to unload it at a loss and still buy what you need at a premium... DON'T be in a hurry... expand your search, sometimes it pays to drive. $4-5k is worth a trip.

Besides summer is coming to an end.. you will start seeing more people put stuff up for sale... if you wait till after labor day you will have better pricing..

if you want to get out.. rent one for the weekend or two you are going to go...

SkyBound · 07-30-2021, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocBrown

The trouble is there is a difference between on-paper and real world. I did the mid-size thing once with the same thought in mind as yours. It worked OK, but I will never go back to mid-size.

All that said, it sounds like you are opposed to a CPO truck?

This is very true. I love my truck and it does a fine job doing what I ask of it, but in the same fashion, going forward I will never own another half ton again.

McMullap · 07-30-2021, 07:01 AM

Skybound, what kind of truck do you own and what do you tow with it? Thanks!

SkyBound · 07-30-2021, 07:06 AM

It's all in my signature (below each post) my friend.

Kim Gass · 07-30-2021, 07:15 AM

I think you will be fine. We have a GMC Canyon and a 212 QB and specs are very similar.
We have put about 1000 miles on towing on all sorts of roads including logging ( unpaved ) roads and up steep grades( we have to pull up a 12 percenter to get out of our area)

67L48 · 07-30-2021, 07:32 AM

1,560 lbs is a crazy amount of payload for a mid-size truck. That definitely presents some challenges to my old conventional wisdom of "you'll run out of payload long before you approach any of the other ratings."

I think those trailers will match up nicely to a Ranger with the specs/ratings you list. Just work backwards with your load and your truck. Available Payload - Occupants & Cargo = amount of payload left for a trailer.

You're looking at bunkhouses, so I assume a family of 4. Mom, dad, kids, pets, bags, games, food, and everything else you cram into the truck counts. Any aftermarket items do, too: bed liners, toolboxes, grille guards, offroad lights, stereo equip, entertaiment devices, WDH, etc. Then, anything you put in the bed counts: wood, bikes, tools, generator, leveling gear, kayak, etc.

Generally, a family of 4 will land somewhere in the 600 - 800 lb range. 1560 - 700 = 860 lbs. Your trailer can drop 860 lbs on your truck (unless your hitch limits this further). Assume 12-14% of your trailer's weight on the tongue. 860/.13 = 6615

So, ignoring other elements of physics (length, geometry), you should be shopping for trailers with GVWR of ~6,600 lbs or less. That's a lot of trailer for a mid-size truck ... much larger than I would have expected.

The truck market is completely upside down right now, due to factory shut downs and parts supplies that have limited new vehicle supply ... which trickles into limited used vehicle supply. So, everything is jacked. I'm not sure if the car market is similarly affected, but I know that it's the worst time in my lifetime to be buying a truck.

With that said, Ford does offer the X-Plan. Join the Mustang club for ~$30 and you have access to X-Plan. I have heard/read that some dealerships aren't even accepting X-Plan on certain trucks, but many are. This is a nice price that gets you around 6% less than MSRP (very close to invoice) and also limits dealer fees (doc fees, admin fees, whatever fees) to $100. I would expect that any dealership that is affixing a so-called market adjustment to a production vehicle would probably balk at accepting X-Plan for it (and it's a voluntary program; dealerships are not compelled to participate). GM and Ram may have similar plans; I'm not sure what those brands do.

X-Plan should narrow the gap between Ranger and F-150 to something more manageable -- single digit thousands. That still may be too much of a premium to pay, but it shouldn't be a $15K delta between the trucks at X-Plan.

Ordering is another path. It puts you a few months away from a truck, but dealerships are much more likely to accept X-Plan and offers on orders than they are on precious stock on hand.

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