Thanks

Thanks, we like it We’re thinking of doing a second review in next couple weeks, as we had the car 12 months and done 25,000 km in a number of situations, city/town, towing and 4wdriving

Yeh- maybe I will try locking out 10th gear for a while and see how it goes

@@jeffmorcombe9700 Higher revs (due to selection of a lower gear) will also mean the fuel to air ratio is leaner, and in a diesel this results in less soot produced. Which means the DPFs take longer to fill up, and subsequently fewer burnoffs overall, so less fuel wasted for regen. In conclusion, higher revs when towing does not necessarily equate to higher fuel consumption overall.

Good news is he’s not

I found the rear suspension too soft when towing our van (3.3t & 300kg ball weight) and very uncomfortable on some of the more bumpy roads, especially at speed. We decided to go with the ARB GVM upgrade to 3.5t and it changed the way the car towed. Much Better... We also decided to put a dual core trans cooler as the trans did tend to get very hot very quickly when towing thru the hills. To the point, on multiple occasions, we have had to slow down and let everything cool down.

I agree - we also did some tests and most of the time we sit between 95 & 100 kms and dropping speed from 100 to 95 helps economy in a head wind but if no wind it makes no difference to economy If you set cruise control to 99 km it seldomly goes into 10 gear (using tow/haul mode)

will check them out in a couple weeks Thanks

Both are on my list to be added

After installing tailgate seal kit the problem is mostly between canopy and tailgate - 10mm gap in places - poor design of Aeroklas canopy.

@@jeffmorcombe9700 Sorry to hear that it is not fit for purpose. I suppose you have contacted the manufacturer of the canopy.

Multiple emails and phone calls - no response from Aeroklas

NO vent on this canopy. Next time to try opening window at the front of the canopy at bit

Good Idea - Will try that next next on a dirt track, Thanks

I to tow in the normal mode I have the V6 Sport & a 3.0T caravan

Still exploring and have been experimenting with changing gears manually as we started having a few problems with high engine and trans temps Specifically towing in hilly and in low speed 4x4 situations Will definitely be fitting trans cooler in next couple weeks

ARB suspension upgrade increased rear axial to 2025kg. This consisted of upgraded springs and air bags. The ride is not the same as from factory but it's still acceptable. I have a draw system, 200ah battery system, and 60 ltr fridge in the tub permanently, so that helps with the ride. To date I have not needed to load up the air bags more than the min 5-10 PSI.

Thanks for the great info on towing from someone who actually does it and not just selling a product 👍👏

We didn't go with the BP-51 shocks for a couple reasons. Cost and ARB said at the time the cheaper shocks were probably better when carrying heavy loads. They were probably just saying it to get me to buy. We have done a couple 1,000 kms of long corrugated roads whilst towing the shocks fine fine. (mind you I have nothing to compare it to)

Unfortunately no roof hatch in canopy. Wind makes a big difference with economy. If there were no wind on the flat I would get high 16s-low 17s

Use tow/haul mode all the time as it holds gears a bit longer and keeps the revs up.

Hi Steve, Michelle here, in response to your question, I love the new Ranger, we previously had a Wildtrak and I loved driving that, but the new v6 is even nicer to drive, so quiet and very comfortable, except I want my heated seats back 😜 I’ve only towed the van a couple of times with this car but no problems at all, you really don’t feel the van too much, hope this helps 😊

@@jeffmorcombe9700 Hi Michelle. What's with the heated seats, my partner loves them as well, one reason why we have gone for the wildtrak. We are thinks of doing a tow drive training coarse for her and me.

Only nitro charger shocks as they were a bit cheaper. Seem to be fine and were told a better choice for towing

​@@jeffmorcombe9700 Hi. Steve S . Iam waiting for my Wildtrak due later this year. You mentioned Bp 51 and Nitro charger. Can you explain.

Steve s. Answered my own question. Thanks anyway.

Maybe I should have read the Ford Manual, Haha

No issues with scan gauge 3. Just plug it in and select what you want to display and any alerts you want🙂

@@jeffmorcombe9700 Have you had to clear any codes on the scan gauge? Also, how have you found the touch screen? Work okay? Easy to use?

Hi Jeff, Most honest and realistic review I’ve read to date. I’ve done 21000kms in my V6 Wildtrak (11500km towing) and have stuffed around with suspension but now booked in for 3500 GVM like you. What was the circumstances that made you decide you needed a trans cooler as your scan gauge numbers looked ok I thought. Thanks again…

@@graemegrieve1953 we found that towing thru hills very quickly pushed the trans temps up to around 110 degrees. Had to back off and give it a chance to cool down. We have fitted a new dual trans cooler but it has not been warm enough to see a big difference.

Hi Jeff, We haven’t seen above 96 deg yet in 11600km towing but I think the highest ambient so far has been low 20’s… I’ll monitor towing in hills in hotter weather and in those conditions I may lock our 9 & 10 as I have spoken to a person who did that. The only time we got hot was towing 3.2T up a 20% grade into a bush camp but next time I’ll use 4L and if we do see higher trans temps I’ll do as you have done. Thanks for you reply.

I find this an interesting discussion whether to use 9/10th gears when towing. Whilst I am not a mechanic, I do take your point of not towing in overdrive gears but feel that this is more of a blanket comment and I don't see a problem with towing in overdrive gears, as long as you show a degree of mechanical sympathy. For example; whilst I may drive using 9th & 10th gears, I also regularly disable 9th and/or 10th or even drive in sports (manual) mode if I feel the car is working too hard or getting too hot (i.e. head winds or hills). I have fitted a scan gauge 3 to monitor engine & trans with multiple alarms enabled to warn of anything excessive. This is a risk I am prepared to take as long as I keep a close eye on temperatures etc, and make sure the RPM's high enough to keep oil pressures up under load. This technique has successfully worked for me previously and I have travelled an 100,000+ km towing a 3.3t van around Australia. I guess I'll see how this new car goes over the next couple years. I think, Tow Haul mode really helps by keeping revs up and altering when the trans changes gears. If you have any knowledge to shoot this technique down, please let me know as I am not an expert.