I have a 92 4door Suzuki Sidekick on 31x10.5 tires. I need want to start towing it to trails. I was wondering how big of a truck i need to tow it on the freeway safely. I have a Ford Ranger V6, 4.0L. Will this be enough? Or do I need to look at getting a fullsize for this job. My plan was to put it on a car trailer

Thanks,

When Mrs. Bobzooki saw the price of the tires I put on the Gnewt, she said "You're not DRIVING that thing to Moab, we're getting a trailer!"  I towed the 16' flat-bed behind my old Dakota for several years.  Now, I have an F-250 with a camper, so I can still pull the trailer.  A lot of people flat-tow their zukes (I believe I've even seen a Sami towed behind a Sidekick.)

Your Ranger should work just fine.

Hubby towed his Samurai and occasionally my Sidekick (not at the same time!) on a 16ft trailer with his 91 Ford Explorer V6 4.0L for years.  Took its time getting up to speed and I don't recall ever attempting to cross any mountains with it but never had any problems.  We also had trailer brakes.  You wouldn't want to do without brakes.

I flat-towed a Samurai behind an automatic 4.0 Ranger to the '02 'Melt with no problems...

...but I was flat-towing.  The added weight of a trailer AND a 4-door Sidekick might not be such a good idea.

I'd check the towing capcity of your Ranger against the weight of a trailer and the Sidekick first to see if you had plenty of tow-rating to spare (30-40 %?) before trying it.  No point in destroying a perfectly good pickup truck...

I rented a large U-Haul car trailer to tow my Tracker with our Montero Sport.  With the Tracker loaded the tongue weight was too much and the rear of the Montero was severly pushed down.  If I had put the Tracker on the trailer with the engine to the rear it might have shifted the weight enough to work okay.  I didn't take the trip I had planned because of the loading of the Montero.

I know a guy who towed a 20ft trailer with 4 quads and 2 dirtbikes to places like the badlands with a 91 mazda b2200 on  just a bumper hitch, Youd be surprised what a little truck can tow.

I tow my samurai on a 14" trailer (a real trailer, with C-channel frame), with a 4 door 4x4 Explorer with the 4.0 OHV (160HP) and auto tranny.  IIRC, max towing/cargo capacity on the Explorer is 5740lbs (that includes all cargo, passengers, trailer, whatever is loaded on the trailer, etc.).  It tows it just fine.  I do have trailer brakes....trailer brakes are really recommended no matter whether you are pulling with an Explorer or a 1 ton pickup.....it just makes towing that much safer, for you and the other people on the road.
Oh, and it does have a receiver hitch that is bolted to the frame......I would not recommend towing by just hooking to a ball on the bumper.

I wouldnt either, but he didnt really care, and Im surprised it worked for years, with no damage.  Though that little truck is impressive anyway, its low and 2wd but it went places you wouldnt believe off road.

My buddy with a V6 '02 Ranger says his tow rating is 2000lbs with no tow package.  I found an online reference that said 2360#, for the small V6 plus some good info at: http://www.gonecamping.net/stories/tow_ratings.html, especially the part about the 75% rule.
You might want to verify these numbers. Look up the tow rating (GCWR-GVWR) for your proposed towing vehicle. It's set by the vehicle manufacturer and cannot be changed therafter.
To reduce total weight and NOT have to deal with a trailer, I chose to tow 4-down. But I needed to find/install a tow brake on my Suzuki -- many/most trailers already come with trailer brakes. Although it may be legal to tow your Suzuki without tow brakes, I don't consider it safe on the freeway, and won't. Several forced braking emergencies on the freeway have made me a confirmed believer. I've towed over 50K miles that way in the last 6 years, so my tow brake has probably paid for itself by now.

One of the things many don't think about is the fuel mileage of the small engines
working so hard, I know my Chevy full size got terrible mileage the first year I flat
towed the Zuke to Moab, like 4-5 MPG and 60 max MPH, the hills were like 25-30 max
and slow , I'm so impressed with my new (to me) F-350 Diesel, nice ride at 60-65 MPH
and got 12-13 MPG doing the same trip to and from Moab. Small trucks can do the job,
but comfort and power of a full size can make things much more enjoyable.

Wild

Rangers are capable to tow a rig or trailer as long as their setup right and setup safely. There's three things you need to be aware of. 1. The fuel mileage is going to suck. 2. Long uphill grades and mountain passes will make you lose power quick. 3. With the additional weight added, the brakes may/may not be adequate to stop you in an emergency. For the reasons mentioned, the Ranger may be good for short distances occasionally, but not for a dedicated tow rig.

Thanks alot guys, the info is great i am really thinking medium to short trips only a few times a year.
I will start looking at getting some trailer brakes.

thanks

I really like my ranger and don't want to ruin it

Thanks

With the Explorer I generally get around 12MPG when towing (running 65-70MPH).  Not bad, considering my brothers Ford pickup with the 6.0 diesel doesn't even get that, when he tows his jeep.  Plus his fuel costs more.
Now if I was towing in the mountains, or somewhere else with long and/or really steep hills, then the Explorer would suck as a tow rig......but here in the midwest, it works fine.