w squared
Observer
After a whole lot of window shopping, research, and otherwise fun procrastination involving compact trucks, I finally jumped at an opportunity for a great deal on a 2019 Ranger at the end of February. It will be doing duty as my daily driver, sometimes towing a light camping trailer, hauling kayaks, and handling all of the various hunting/fishing/exploring related chores that come up. One of the key deliverables is that it will keep two people and a dog warm and dry in ugly weather, but still be very quick to set up/break camp. Since I already own a lightweight expedition camping trailer and a very capable off-road rig, my goal is to tweak the already solid foundation that the Ranger represents to make it easy and convenient to live out of short-term while taking three and four day trips that straddle the continental divide.
I chose the Ranger by process of elimination. The Taco was never a contender for me simply due to ergonomics. The Frontier appealed, but it feels very dated. I very much liked the Colorado (especially the ZR2) but the truth is that I think the gas engine in the Ford is better than the Chevy option, and I paid $15K less for my Ranger than I would I have for a ZR2 with fewer creature comforts. This is the first vehicle I've ever owned with an automatic transmission, but the simple truth is that I wasn't willing to put up with the drawbacks of the Taco or Frontier in order to avoid a slushbox.
The overall intention is to have it remain mechanically very close to stock since I already own a 12 year old Jeep JKU with a hockey sock full of modifications that has taken me to amazing places throughout the western half of North America - but the hard truth is that a heavily modified vehicle with 220,000 km on it is not the best choice as a daily driver.,,especially if it's a Jeep. I love that the rig I drove over Black Bear Pass and Golden Spike is the same vehicle that I've driven across the continent twice...but the combo of poor fuel economy, high maintenance costs, and M/T's that weigh in over 80 pounds apiece does have a negative effect in some areas.
What I ended up with is an extended cab (I wanted the 6' bed) XLT with (almost) all of the available options. 4X4, 3.73 gears, locking rear diff, Hankook AT's, many blinking things inside the cab, and the luxurious combo of remote start and heated seats for Alberta mornings.
I'll be adding the following to start with:
1. Decked storage system (purchased but not yet installed) that will double as a sleeping platform, and provide additional kitchen real estate when extended with a "blank" in the drawer.
2. Leer Legend canopy with carpeted headliner and roof rack tracks. (I already have Thule racks for kayaks)
3. A vehicle awning of some sort. I like the way that the 270 degree awnings cover the rear and side of the vehicle, but I do flinch a little bit when I see the pricing. I know that I can build one with conduit and a tarp that will cover the rear of the truck and topper (the most critical bit in my mind) - but that gets away from the idea of super-fast setup/teardown that I'm aiming for.
Other potential additions may be:
1. A leveling kit to allow 32's or 33's (partially because I have a set of studded 33's from my Jeep with only 10,000 km on them!). I'll end up with dedicated winter tires for sure, and stick with AT's for summer use.
2. A front 2" receiver to allow use of the Warn 9.5ti in a hitch cradle that I already own.
3. Additional lights up front for dodging elk and mule deer
4. A tweak to the front air dam/chin area. There is more plastic down low than I am truly comfortable with.
5. Roof rack mounted "road shower" (or more likely a homebuilt version) for summer use
6. Diesel fired heater (mounted into a steel ammo can sitting outside the truck when in use) for comfortable winter camping
7. VHF/UHF comms - I have a Yaesu FT-8800R in my Jeep, and I definitely want that same utility available in the Ranger.
Here's a pic from the day that I picked it up - even with a two hour drive back from the dealer in pretty ugly snow/sleet conditions on icy roads, I was quite happy with how the Hankooks did - I'd say that they were as good as a set of Duratracs in those conditions.
I chose the Ranger by process of elimination. The Taco was never a contender for me simply due to ergonomics. The Frontier appealed, but it feels very dated. I very much liked the Colorado (especially the ZR2) but the truth is that I think the gas engine in the Ford is better than the Chevy option, and I paid $15K less for my Ranger than I would I have for a ZR2 with fewer creature comforts. This is the first vehicle I've ever owned with an automatic transmission, but the simple truth is that I wasn't willing to put up with the drawbacks of the Taco or Frontier in order to avoid a slushbox.
The overall intention is to have it remain mechanically very close to stock since I already own a 12 year old Jeep JKU with a hockey sock full of modifications that has taken me to amazing places throughout the western half of North America - but the hard truth is that a heavily modified vehicle with 220,000 km on it is not the best choice as a daily driver.,,especially if it's a Jeep. I love that the rig I drove over Black Bear Pass and Golden Spike is the same vehicle that I've driven across the continent twice...but the combo of poor fuel economy, high maintenance costs, and M/T's that weigh in over 80 pounds apiece does have a negative effect in some areas.
What I ended up with is an extended cab (I wanted the 6' bed) XLT with (almost) all of the available options. 4X4, 3.73 gears, locking rear diff, Hankook AT's, many blinking things inside the cab, and the luxurious combo of remote start and heated seats for Alberta mornings.
I'll be adding the following to start with:
1. Decked storage system (purchased but not yet installed) that will double as a sleeping platform, and provide additional kitchen real estate when extended with a "blank" in the drawer.
2. Leer Legend canopy with carpeted headliner and roof rack tracks. (I already have Thule racks for kayaks)
3. A vehicle awning of some sort. I like the way that the 270 degree awnings cover the rear and side of the vehicle, but I do flinch a little bit when I see the pricing. I know that I can build one with conduit and a tarp that will cover the rear of the truck and topper (the most critical bit in my mind) - but that gets away from the idea of super-fast setup/teardown that I'm aiming for.
Other potential additions may be:
1. A leveling kit to allow 32's or 33's (partially because I have a set of studded 33's from my Jeep with only 10,000 km on them!). I'll end up with dedicated winter tires for sure, and stick with AT's for summer use.
2. A front 2" receiver to allow use of the Warn 9.5ti in a hitch cradle that I already own.
3. Additional lights up front for dodging elk and mule deer
4. A tweak to the front air dam/chin area. There is more plastic down low than I am truly comfortable with.
5. Roof rack mounted "road shower" (or more likely a homebuilt version) for summer use
6. Diesel fired heater (mounted into a steel ammo can sitting outside the truck when in use) for comfortable winter camping
7. VHF/UHF comms - I have a Yaesu FT-8800R in my Jeep, and I definitely want that same utility available in the Ranger.
Here's a pic from the day that I picked it up - even with a two hour drive back from the dealer in pretty ugly snow/sleet conditions on icy roads, I was quite happy with how the Hankooks did - I'd say that they were as good as a set of Duratracs in those conditions.
