Tow scamp 5th wheel trailer?

[The Real Maverick]

If a VW Beetle can do it, so can you!

1974 and way under 100 HP btw.

Even weight distribution to all 4 tires.

Nice feature with the Beetle is you can push the trailer into parking spaces.
No backing!

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[FischAutoTechGarten]

Both my Rangers had 4.0's
I never owned a Nissan Frontier I've driven them but never owned one.
I wish Ford would have imported the four-door Ranger from Mexico.

The picture's are random off the internet.

See those all of time. Guaymas Sonora Mexico police department used those as Cruisers, with baja seats in the bed to carry a few extra officers with their semi-automatic rifles (mexico loves a show of force and the back seat area was kind of tight). They are a good looking truck, the extra cab length offsets the fact that those rangers were sooo tall. Lot of them were 2.5L w/ 5spd manual.

Mexico also got a really cool set of 4-door Nissan trucks that never came stateside... 620B Crew Cab, 720B Crew Cab, 4-door Hardbodies (couldn't kill them, still see well cared for examples), 4-Door Gen1 Frontier (NP300).

The Real Maverick would love to see the big loads towed by these small underpowered trucks in Mexico... right up his alley. Just don't get behind them.

 

[The Real Maverick]

I'm just waiting for someone to post that a VW Beetle can't tow as much as a 2.0L Ecoboost.... so I can do this:

 

[LSchicago]

My Mind tells me it's possible, by using the rear 2" receiver and Inner bed tie downs. You all will think I'm crazy, but hear me out.

Remove the tailgate. Fabricate a receiver Heavy steel (At least 3/8" wall) hitch bar that u Turns from the hitch up to the bed floor, and goes on the bed floor to the front of the bed. Add A welded nut on top of the hitch so the hitch can be fully tightened solid in the receiver. A bar across to the floor mounted D Ring locations. Mount 5th wheel hitch on a plate, with 2 removable diagonal side riggers to mount into the tie down rail locations (at the 5th wheel plate) so the unit can be removed. Add 2 more Diagonal removable bars from the frond Floor D ring spots to the Upper Tie down locations on each side after removing the bed tie downs.

You now have a 4,000# rated hitch to tow a 2,000-3,000 Empty (3500# GWR trailer), with 16 additional bed bolts at factory tie down locations sharing and supporting the front half of the 400# 5th wheel weight. Lower the trailer to cut wind resistance. Sounds completely doable.

 

[LSchicago]

You got a 5th wheel under 4000lbs? Just take one of them drop hitch adapters for the 14" lifted superdutys on 40s take the ball off and turn it upside down. Then you got a hitch as tall as your bed and boom, tow what ever ya want.

They are 2,000-2,900 Empty. 3,500 Fully loaded.

 

[jonshep]

I have a 2002 Superduty F250, 7.3 diesel that had a fifth wheel. I didn't need that hitch so removed it and installed a Drawtite goose hitch. Both of those were centered just ahead of the rear axle, a couple of inches. If I had a goose hitch on my Maxerick and connected a trailer, I am almost certain the first corner would wipe out the rear window and part of the cab. A fifth wheel hitch is almost heavier than the load limit on the truck. I owner a 1990 Ranger that would handle my utility trailer. If you want to pull a 5th wheel or a goose I highly recommend you get a larger pickup.

 

[LSchicago]

I have a 2002 Superduty F250, 7.3 diesel that had a fifth wheel. I didn't need that hitch so removed it and installed a Drawtite goose hitch. Both of those were centered just ahead of the rear axle, a couple of inches. If I had a goose hitch on my Maxerick and connected a trailer, I am almost certain the first corner would wipe out the rear window and part of the cab. A fifth wheel hitch is almost heavier than the load limit on the truck. I owner a 1990 Ranger that would handle my utility trailer. If you want to pull a 5th wheel or a goose I highly recommend you get a larger pickup.

Back to this topic. On a Maverick, you wouldn't mount the ball as far forward as on a Super Duty. Remember, we are talking about a 2,600# fifth wheel with a 400# pin weight. Not a 10,000 pounder with an 1,800# pin weight. Even with the trailer loaded, you would be well under half of the bed weight. The stock hitch is designed for a 400# ball weight. Moving the ball just 18" forward of the tailgate (using the design I mentioned a couple posts up) would easily take 600# pin weight, because #200 would be distributed to the front tie down locations on the bed, which should also be well under design pull limits.

IMHO this can work well on any 4k Maverick, including the 25 AWD Hybrids. I think this would be well within limits, and tow safely. If I had that trailer I'd be the first one to try.

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