Flat Tow 6G Ranger? Update 6/23 ***NOT FLAT TOWABLE***

[NC Spuds]

Have RV, will travel.

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[Lab00Rat]

Extreme Disappointment!

Stopped by my Ford dealer and he pulled up the 2024 technical information for the Ranger platform.

NO RANGER MODEL WILL BE FLAT TOWABLE.

Not the Raptor, and no 4x4 variation of any Ranger 6G trim.

He let me look at the technical specifications for the 2024 model year and to my dismay, no flat "recreationally" towing is allowed.

4-wheen down towing is limited to emergency situations only, not to exceed 35mph.

@Ford Motor Company Please update the 2024 technical information, or correct this oversite. I cannot understand how the same mechanical platform is treated differently between models. I cannot understand how this is true and hope it's just a typo.

Current information as of June 2023. Hope it's wrong and will change.

 

[TimmyB]

*** UPDATE 16 JUNE 2023 ***

Well, I've got some really bad news and a small ray of sunshine. This is from a recently-retired Ford engineer who was in the towing systems area! At the time of his retirement, they were testing the flat-towing of the 6G Ranger so this news caught him off guard, as well.

He checked with his team and this was his reply to me, just now:

" Tim, I got a hold of the system engineer, and the 24 unfortunately won’t be flat towable. I was told it has nothing to do with the transmission but supplier interaction with ABS that is preventing recreational tow. The problem is going to get fixed but unfortunately requires new software and Development Verification. It will be fixed for 25. "

He is as upset about this as most of us probably are. He is an RV-er and currently tows his 5G Ranger.

Hopefully, none of the people who placed orders are left over a barrel on this one! I know my mind is made up as we are full-timers and FT is an ABSOLUTE MUST.

 

[TimmyB]

I am starting a separate thread for this as many may have already seen the previous thread but have now stopped watching that one.

A person that I know from other RV forums, who is a recently-retired Ford engineer in the towing systems area, was as surprised as we were when I told him that we had heard the 24 was not flat-towable. He told me that they were working on the final stages of that when he retired a few months ago and he thought it was done and dusted. Upon checking with his former colleagues, he found out that this was not the case.

Apparently, there was an issue that was discovered very late in the testing of the 24 Ranger and how it interacts with the ABS system. It was severe enough that it will require a complete rewrite of the software that controls the flat-towing and that will not happen in the 24 model year; it should be done in the 25 MY.

He is a fellow RV'er and tows his 5G Ranger, and he is none too pleased with this news. He will let me know if he hears any further info on this matter.

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

*** UPDATE 16 JUNE 2023 ***

Well, I've got some really bad news and a small ray of sunshine. This is from a recently-retired Ford engineer who was in the towing systems area! At the time of his retirement, they were testing the flat-towing of the 6G Ranger so this news caught him off guard, as well.

He checked with his team and this was his reply to me, just now:

" Tim, I got a hold of the system engineer, and the 24 unfortunately won’t be flat towable. I was told it has nothing to do with the transmission but supplier interaction with ABS that is preventing recreational tow. The problem is going to get fixed but unfortunately requires new software and Development Verification. It will be fixed for 25. "

He is as upset about this as most of us probably are. He is an RV-er and currently tows his 5G Ranger.

Hopefully, none of the people who placed orders are left over a barrel on this one! I know my mind is made up as we are full-timers and FT is an ABSOLUTE MUST.

Is this the same retired Engineer that you posted about on May 23th that said the 6G WOULD be flat towable? Did he not bother to check with current contacts before, and just winged it?

HRG

 

[NC Spuds]

I am starting a separate thread for this as many may have already seen the previous thread but have now stopped watching that one.

A person that I know from other RV forums, who is a recently-retired Ford engineer in the towing systems area, was as surprised as we were when I told him that we had heard the 24 was not flat-towable. He told me that they were working on the final stages of that when he retired a few months ago and he thought it was done and dusted. Upon checking with his former colleagues, he found out that this was not the case.

Apparently, there was an issue that was discovered very late in the testing of the 24 Ranger and how it interacts with the ABS system. It was severe enough that it will require a complete rewrite of the software that controls the flat-towing and that will not happen in the 24 model year; it should be done in the 25 MY.

He is a fellow RV'er and tows his 5G Ranger, and he is none too pleased with this news. He will let me know if he hears any further info on this matter.

I hope this turns out to be false information as I ordered a Lariat specifically to tow. Time will tell, I guess.

 

[TimmyB]

I hope this turns out to be false information as I ordered a Lariat specifically to tow. Time will tell, I guess.

This is an exact copy of the messenger chat we had:

Tim, I got a hold of the system engineer, and the 24 unfortunately won’t be flat towable. I was told it has nothing to do with the transmission but supplier interaction with ABS that is preventing recreational tow. The problem is going to get fixed but unfortunately requires new software and DV. It will be fixed for 25. I will let you know if there’s any more updates.

 

[TimmyB]

Is this the same retired Engineer that you posted about on May 23th that said the 6G WOULD be flat towable? Did he not bother to check with current contacts before, and just winged it?

HRG

Sounds a bit snarky, don't ya' think?

They were in the final stages of testing when he retired. He had not heard that they ran into these complications after he left, so he had no reason to believe otherwise, especially given that it's basically the same vehicle as a Bronco, just with a bed instead of an enclosed area.

 

[All Terrain Nation]

Bronco is flat towable so im not sure why Ranger wouldnt be.. based around the same system

 

[TimmyB]

Bronco is flat towable so im not sure why Ranger wouldnt be.. based around the same system

And, that was the expectation. Not sure what the disconnect was regarding the ABS system but it must've been considerable for them to simply scrap it for the model year. Quite disappointing for me, personally. My lease ends next May and the plan was to simply step into a 24. Looks like I'll be an owner for at least a little while.

 

[NC Spuds]

My salesman just called me back after checking with Ford on the flat-tow issue. He hasn’t found anything that says the 24’s won’t be capable of flat-towing. I really hope we don’t learn otherwise in the weeks ahead, but for now I’m sticking with my order and pressing forward.

 

[TimmyB]

My salesman just called me back after checking with Ford on the flat-tow issue. He hasn’t found anything that says the 24’s won’t be capable of flat-towing. I really hope we don’t learn otherwise in the weeks ahead, but for now I’m sticking with my order and pressing forward.

I hope you are correct. Not optimistic, but hopeful.

 

[NC Spuds]

I hope you are correct. Not optimistic, but hopeful.

I’m with you on this one! Hopeful….

Over the weekend I looked for other mid sized trucks that I could flat tow. Unfortunately, not many around.

I do like the GMC Canyon Denali though. It’s a little more pricey, but has features the 6g doesn’t - e.g. rear air and 2.7L High Output turbo engine w/ 310hp & 430 lb-ft TQ. They refreshed the line in ‘23 and have also been struggling with supply issues. Order banks aren’t open for their 24 MY yet and not many sitting around on dealer lots.

 

[Lab00Rat]

Not sure why you made a new thread on the same subject.

Link to the original thread discussing flat-towing.

As of now, it's speculation that MY25 will be flat towable.
The only information I have seen (confirmed) from the Ford technical specifications is that MY24 is not flat towable.

 

[NC Spuds]

Not sure why you made a new thread on the same subject.

Link to the original thread discussing flat-towing.

As of now, it's speculation that MY25 will be flat towable.
The only information I have seen (confirmed) from the Ford technical specifications is that MY24 is not flat towable.

Can you please link the tech specs that say it’s NOT flat towable? I’ve got two versions of them but neither mentioned anything about flat towing.

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