What Campers Can a Ford Ranger Tow?

Ford Rangers are popular short bed trucks that many users have enjoyed for years! They’re strong, hardy, and built for all kinds of driving terrain. Because of their tough builds and high towing capacities, these trucks are capable of pulling a variety of trailers, fifth wheels, airstreams, and other campers.

Ford Rangers can tow most types of campers, including pop-up trailers, travel trailers, teardrop trailers, airstreams, and small/medium fifth wheels.

Below is a table that describes the three different models of Ford Rangers. The XL, XLT, and LARIAT all have different amenities and product specifications, but for the purposes of this article, I’ve only pulled out the details that are relevant to the towing capacities of these vehicles. If you own one of these Ranger models, check out their website here for a more detailed list of the differences between each one.

Model Name	Ranger XL	Ranger XLT	Ranger LARIAT
Towing Capacity:	7,500 lbs.	7,500 lbs.	7,500 lbs.
Unladen Vehicle Weight:	4,145 lbs.	4,145 lbs.	4,145 lbs.
Payload:	1,860 lbs.	1,860 lbs.	1,860 lbs.

As you can see, Ford Rangers are pretty strong vehicles! They can handle a lot of weight, and, as a result, they can tow a lot of different campers. Below is a little table that illustrates the average weight range of different types of campers.

Camper Type	Dry Weight
Pop-up Trailer	600-4,000 lbs.
Fifth Wheel	2,400-20,000 lbs.
Classic Travel Trailer	2,200-7,800 lbs.
Teardrop Trailer	520-2,000 lbs.
Airstream	2,500-4,000 lbs.

While the Ford Ranger might not be able to handle the absolute heaviest models on the market, they can still tow almost any type of camper. Read on for more information about different camper types, and some examples that Ford Rangers can tow.

Pop-up Trailers

Pop-up trailers are basically smaller versions of travel trailers that you can pull with any vehicle with a high enough towing capacity. They use simple ball hitches on the bumpers of their tow vehicle or a weight-distribution hitch for heavier models.

Pop-up trailers are generally lighter and more compact than full luxury models, and they’re kind of a mix between trailers and tents. When driving, they can fold into a smooth and streamlined exterior, and when parked, flaps from the side can fold out. These additions contain beds and help create additional living space for a campsite.

These fold-outs are generally covered with layers of fabric or canvas. This helps them to stay flexible, and also creates great airflow inside once all the windows are opened. Pop-up trailers are great for people who like the comforts of a trailer, combined with some of the openness and flexibility of tent camping.

The most important measurement if you want to tow a pop-up trailer is the towing capacity of your car. Ford Rangers can handle most models of pop-ups, but it’s a good measurement to look at regardless.

Look at the dry weight of any models you’re interested in, and try to calculate how much you’ll be packing into these trailers. Dry weights are recorded when the trailer is completely empty of luggage, water, fuel, etc. Once you’ve got them loaded up, they can be much heavier than you might have intended.

A good rule of thumb for all of the campers on this list is to try to stay at least 20-35% below your maximum tow capacity to create a safety margin for yourself!

That being said, there are a lot of pop-up trailers that should fit very nicely into this range. I’ve picked out a few of my favorites, and there’s a little information on each one below.

Flagstaff T21TBHW

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 2,670 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 372 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 702 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Rockwood Extreme Sports Package 232ESP

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 2,933 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 294 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 861 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Jay Sport 10SD

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 1,740 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 160 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 660 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Fifth Wheels

Fifth wheels are some of the heaviest and most complicated campers to fit with any given vehicle. As you can see in the table above, they have weights that range from 2,400 lbs. to a whopping 20,000 lbs! They can also only be pulled by trucks due to their unique designs.

These factors mean that it’s not impossible to find a fifth wheel that you can tow, but that it is going to be a bit harder to find a good match (even for the versatile Ford Ranger). There’s such a wide market of models, and many of them are created to be huge luxury models that are quite heavy.

Obviously, the issue of towing capacity is present here, but the biggest thing to watch for with fifth wheels is their payload weight. A lot of smaller trucks have a high tow capacity, but a low payload. This means that they can pull heavy loads behind them, but the truck bed isn’t built to handle the hitch weight that comes with a fifth wheel.

When you’re checking to see whether or not your chosen camper will work, look at the hitch weight. This is the portion that will be putting weight in the truck bed, so it’s the most important thing to know when you’re dealing with payload restrictions.

Ford Rangers have a payload limit of 1,860 lbs. While this is still a good amount of weight, it can limit your options somewhat. You’ll have to look for campers that fit both your tow capacity and payload restrictions. Fifth wheels are specifically designed to be towed by trucks though, so if you can find a good model, it will be a natural fit for you!

I’ve found a couple of fifth wheels that meet some of the general criteria for Ford Rangers. These are spacious and comfortable campers that will provide great living space.

Sabre 261RK 

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 7,305 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 1,325 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 2,690 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Flagstaff Super Lite 524LWS

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 7,149 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 1,165 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 2,016 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Heritage Glen 269RL

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 6,179 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 730 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 3,351 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Classic Travel Trailers

The words “travel trailer” can mean a lot of things! Within this classification of camper, there is a huge range of sizes, weights, floor plans, etc. There are ways to distinguish one type from another though, and this section deals with classic (or standard) travel trailers.

Unlike pop-up trailers (which have soft sides that can flip out to extend interior space) or teardrop trailers (which are miniature trailers that usually include just a single room), classic travel trailers are much larger, offering a complex and comfortable living space on the road.

They range in length from 10 feet to 35 feet and often include bathrooms, interior kitchens, dining space, bedrooms, etc. Travel trailers are very popular among the camper community because they can be towed by any vehicle with a high enough tow capacity. You don’t necessarily need a truck to bring your travel trailer out on the road!

This comfortable and versatile nature might appeal to you if you’re the owner of a Ford Ranger.

Because they’re so popular, travel trailers have been made for vehicles of every shape and size. The general weights and lengths have been listed previously, but there are specialty manufacturers that can create trailers for specific circumstances. There are even travel trailers that are almost the size of teardrop trailers!

But if you’re the owner of a Ford Ranger, chances are good that you won’t need to look into the specialty market of tiny trailers. With a truck as hardy and strong as yours, you’ll be able to tow a lot of the standard-issue travel trailers without an issue.

Hemisphere Hyper-Lyte 22RBHL

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 5,413 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 570 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 2,157 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Sonoma Mountain Edition 2400BH

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 5,923 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 645 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 2,522 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Impression 26BH

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 5,530 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 555 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 2,025 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Teardrop Trailers

Teardrop trailers are a great camper option for anyone with a lower towing capacity and a sense of adventure! These miniature travel trailers are super easy to tow behind just about any type of vehicle. They’re light, aerodynamic, and are sometimes small enough that they won’t even block your rearview mirror!

This small size doesn’t mean that they can’t do anything though! Teardrop trailers come in a lot of different forms. Some of them have lots of fold-outs and extensions that make them great for outdoor cooking. Some maximize their storage space to double as storage and equipment haulers. Others even offer a good amount of sleeping space!

Teardrop trailers are easy to fit with just about any type of tow vehicle because they’re so light and adaptable. Towing capacity is rarely a problem with this type of camper and the payload doesn’t factor in with these types because their weight doesn’t rest in the truck bed.

If you’re worried about picking the right teardrop trailer, just keep an eye on their dry weight measurements and compare it with your vehicle’s towing capacity. With a truck like the Ford Ranger, you won’t have a hard time finding teardrop trailers that you can tow!

If you’re just looking for a cozy, easy living space to bring along on trips, then teardrop trailers are probably the most stress-free option on this list. You may sacrifice a bit of space and functionality, but these campers still manage to do a lot despite their small size.

Most manufacturers have a totally unique approach to this design, so each one is different. To help you in your search, here are some teardrop trailers that I think would be great matches for Ford Rangers.

Vistabule

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 1,200 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 130 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 320 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Timberleaf Pika

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 970 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 120 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: N/A

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Classic Bean Trailer

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 1,490 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 185 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: N/A

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Airstreams

Airstream trailers are a variation on classic travel trailers. These are generally rounded on the ends and plated in a shiny metallic covering. They come in a variety of sizes, though their exterior appearance usually remains pretty consistent looking. It’s always easy to spot an airstream!

These are more classic trailers and aren’t made as commonly now. If you’re interested in this style of camper, the first thing you’ll need to do is find a good source! There aren’t many places that sell new airstreams, but a fair amount of them are available second-hand. But there is still a niche market for new models, so check out airstream.com to check out all the offerings.

Airstreams generally don’t have slide-outs or extensions that fold out. Their living space is confined to the interior, which can sometimes restrict space. But they still surprise me with how much form and function they manage to fit inside.

Airstreams can be as long as 33 feet and as short as 16 feet. This is quite a range and some of the models are perfect for people who have Ford Rangers. With your high towing capacity, it shouldn’t be hard to find a model that suits your needs.

Although it might be tempting to just pick the biggest option on the list, don’t overlook the smaller models either! Some of the options might surprise you with how light they can be and how many comforts they offer.

If you’re just interested in a quick overview of some models that are compatible with Ford Rangers, I’ve picked out a few to discuss below.

Globetrotter 23FB

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 5,297 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 591 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 1,003 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

International Serenity 23CB

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 4,761 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 664 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 1,239 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.

Caravel 16RB

• Unladen Vehicle Weight: 3,500 lbs.
• Hitch Weight: 490 lbs.
• Total Carrying Capacity: 880 lbs.

For more information on this camper, including additional floor plans, optional features, and picture galleries, visit their website here.