2025 Ranger 6G - 4-Wheel Flat Towing behind RVs - YES!

[unsavory]

Double dutying my front tow hook for a whip flag mount
Of course the whip didn't arrive today, but the mount seems pretty good. I had to use some rubber tires for shims
Pin itself is 3/4

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[bka0721]

Are there any "How to Install" videos links for installing a flat towing hardware? (like etrailer has for the Gen % Ranger).

 

[DJRR5325]

I flat tow my 2025 RR behind my Jayco Class C motorhome. Admittedly, the instructions to engage recreational tow are lengthy. (I have to sit with the instructions and read them each time I set the truck up for flat tow.) I don't tow more than 200 miles in one day, because I don't want to be behind the wheel longer than that anyway. But the truck tows well behind my Demco tow bar.
I posted last week about a guy from Canada I met whose 2025 model RR was built in October 2024 and does not have the electronic set-up for flat tow. I can't explain that. He tows his 2025 RR on a tow dolly with the drive shaft disconnected.

 

[kmartin760]

Great the Curt harness I talked about earlier.
Seems yours worked as did mine. Several other people have had issues. Looking back at this thread you probably see we found factory issues with some of the Curt harnesses made wrong.
People have been really frustrated with it not knowing why.
Others that might find this tread and use that harness, be sure it is made correctly and plug in before you install it to be sure it works!
You might have also noticed it seems it does not have back feed diodes going back to the tow vehicle. Have not seen any reports of causing issue but easy to correct by adding a couple simple $2 diodes. You can find the listing at Amazon above in the posts.
Best place I found to install them is inside the boot, back side of the Pollack connector.

I know it's been a while; I've found most of this quite helpful. I'm setting up a '26 XLT and purchased a Curt 52130 as they still don't have a Ranger specific harness. It seems to be wired the same as yours, @songkajai , with the brown on pin 10 and green or yellow on pin 2. When I plugged it in and tried testing with a 12V battery the Brake/Turn upper C's worked fine but the taillight lower C's did not. Did you guys discover anything more than that difference, which is mentioned here?

Thanks

 

[songkajai]

This has progressed as sure you have gone through all the posts.
As it progressed some ideas or things of what we did and or did not know came to light.
What we still don't fully understand is why the drawings for the Raptor and non-Raptors seem the same, most non-raptors have the same as you with taillights not working.
Nobody that has written has seem to have figured that out yet.
Suspect it has something to do with the way the sonar/radar is setup in the light itself.
Maybe for the pro trailer or other options the Raptor has.
You can't open them so none have been cut open yet to try and figure it out.
If I had the issue, would "not" be returning the harness as it still has the rest that you need and a good place to cut it up if the solution is found without any damage to the truck wiring.
Would check to be sure it effects any other systems in the truck as some reports noted, but think that was from the ones built wrong.
Would leave it and just add some cheep strip lights that go between the tailgate and bumper for the tail lights.
Or the other option would be just leave the taillights on in the truck depending how much towing you are doing. Since they are all LED would guess you can run many hours before worrying about the battery going down. That can be resolved with a charge wire as well, but would use a controller or isolator for charging at a minimum.
Also be sure they don't time out, as you never know these days!

 

[songkajai]

Just thinking of something!
Wonder from the trucks/trailer 4 pin if you back feed voltage to the taillight pin the lights would work?
If they do, it should be easy to find that wire and re-route the curt harness wire to that wire!

 

[songkajai]

I flat tow my 2025 RR behind my Jayco Class C motorhome. Admittedly, the instructions to engage recreational tow are lengthy. (I have to sit with the instructions and read them each time I set the truck up for flat tow.) I don't tow more than 200 miles in one day, because I don't want to be behind the wheel longer than that anyway. But the truck tows well behind my Demco tow bar.
I posted last week about a guy from Canada I met whose 2025 model RR was built in October 2024 and does not have the electronic set-up for flat tow. I can't explain that. He tows his 2025 RR on a tow dolly with the drive shaft disconnected.

A note about the manual maybe you already do it this way ( it does get easier after a few times) .
Anyway, the directions/manual is on the center screen, once you find the directions you can click on bookmark. Next time you bring up the manual the bookmark will be on the first page!

 

[kmartin760]

Thanks. I didn't know about the bookmark. I've pulled a tail light and have been unable to find the low intensity input for tail light on the upper C. I see it when using truck lights. Your idea of using it as is and turning on the lights in the rare case that I need them is good. I may try that for a while.

My pinouts so far using the numbering convention you've published earlier are:
1. Yellow turn signal
2. Bright upper C brake
4. White backup
7. Ground
10. Side marker parking light

 

[stemplar]

...whose 2025 model RR was built in October 2024 and does not have the electronic set-up for flat tow.

It's well-known that 2024's are not flat-towable (and indeed are the only model year in all of Ranger's history to not be flat-towable), so even though his is technically a 2025, having been built in 2024 seems to be enough for it to still have the brake controller from the model year 2024's (if not brake controller, then whatever component prevented the 2024's from being flat-towable). That's such a bummer for them, having bought the model year that is supposed to be flat-towable and having to do it the hard way after all...

 

[songkajai]

Thanks. I didn't know about the bookmark. I've pulled a tail light and have been unable to find the low intensity input for tail light on the upper C. I see it when using truck lights. Your idea of using it as is and turning on the lights in the rare case that I need them is good. I may try that for a while.

My pinouts so far using the numbering convention you've published earlier are:
1. Yellow turn signal
2. Bright upper C brake
4. White backup
7. Ground
10. Side marker parking light

Maybe I should have mention and expect the models are the same.
The taillight removal is pretty much a dead end as they are all sealed together with the bundle/pigtail of all tiny black wires going to under the bed.
What I was referring about the idea of seeing if the brown wire (running lights) can be powered from the 4 pin trailer connector on the back of the truck. If the lights work in that case just find that wire before the connector under the truck connect the brown wire from the curt harness to that wire.
This is real easy to try, I can check it but not the next few days.

The other odd thing is the turn signal as shown in the pictures is the top C and the bottom is the driving/running lights on the Raptor with the Curt harness.

 

[DJRR5325]

I can prove otherwise. I've flat-towed my 2025 Ranger Raptor several hundred miles behind my motorhome. It's *not easy* to set up the flat tow. There are multiple steps to take, and it doesn't always "click" the first time around. (I've some times needed to back out and start the process again as much as 5 times.)
But the '25 RR is flat-towable and that's one of the big reasons I bought this truck.

 

[kmartin760]

I understand what you mean about back feeding the brown, I may try that tomorrow.

I was a little surprised to see that my XLT only uses the top half of the C.

 

[songkajai]

" I was a little surprised to see that my XLT only uses the top half of the C. "
Oh, that is interesting as nobody has mentioned that!
You are saying even the normal truck lights do not light the bottom C?
That would explain a lot!

 

[CACTUSGREYFX4]

" I was a little surprised to see that my XLT only uses the top half of the C. "
Oh, that is interesting as nobody has mentioned that!
You are saying even the normal truck lights do not light the bottom C?
That would explain a lot!

Only ones that light both are the Raptor's.

 

[songkajai]

Only ones that light both are the Raptor's.

Thanks for confirming that!
Never even considered that as to why Non-Raptors have had issues with lights!
Have seen plenty of them around and never noticed, as well!
Leave it to Ford to make extra parts for the same thing and not just delete the sonar!

Just saw a study of why China cars are so cheap.
They found no matter what car tore down they were 85% the same parts!

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