Ranger 2015 2.2 for towing

[doobin]

What do the collective reckon? I need a newer pickup as a workshop van/towing vehicle.

Considering a 2.15 2.2 Ranger with 94k on the clock. Recent clutch and gearbox rebuild- I hear the gearboxes on the earlier ones were weak when towing, not sure if this rebuild is good news or not! Local and not silly money at £6.5k plus VAT

Otherwise maybe a D max? Both brands come up with a utility body on fairly regularly. I would prefer a removable box though, which tends to be the Rangers.

@JD450A - hows yours been performing?

 

[Stroppymonkey]

What do the collective reckon? I need a newer pickup as a workshop van/towing vehicle.

Considering a 2.15 2.2 Ranger with 94k on the clock. Recent clutch and gearbox rebuild- I hear the gearboxes on the earlier ones were weak when towing, not sure if this rebuild is good news or not! Local and not silly money at £6.5k plus VAT

Otherwise maybe a D max? Both brands come up with a utility body on fairly regularly. I would prefer a removable box though, which tends to be the Rangers.

@JD450A - hows yours been performing?

If its the same engine as transit (2.2 chain) then its brilliant engine IMHO having owned about 10 of them. Milage doesnt seem to hurt them with several getting near 200k.


Dmax of that age will be the better 2.5 twin turbo. The later version is 1.9l and less well regarded. The upgrade from 2021 is still a 1.9l but apparently really good and better also than the 2.5 twin turbo. I know a few folks with them and they all say they are better than either of the previous engines. They need keeping on eye on the engine oil as they like to regen and can blow derv into the oil which doesn't have a drain so fucks s**t up if left unresolved. Dads 2026 Dmax is pushing the oil level up regularly now at 120K ish. Mine is okay so far. Other than that I cant fault the poverty spec utility as a tool. If I was spending more time in one I would want Autobox and airbags on the back. Factory radios are s**t. Rear tailgates only seem to cope with about 400kg max when using ramps. Full dumpy bags of frozen 803 will break them.

My old ranger (older than yours I think) 57 plate Thunder was a much nicer 'car' to drive than the Dmax.

 

[Brendan]

2.2 should be fine for towing, sticking points are Egr cooler and the vane oil pump.
There is a lot of people who swap them out for geared pump there's a few online guides floating about.
If it still has the original pump you need to drain and refill in something like 10 mins or you can have potential issues with the pump not priming.
Fuel wise not much in it between the 2.2 and 3.2 and autobox tends to be better for towing

 

[doobin]

2.2 should be fine for towing, sticking points are Egr cooler and the vane oil pump.
There is a lot of people who swap them out for geared pump there's a few online guides floating about.
If it still has the original pump you need to drain and refill in something like 10 mins or you can have potential issues with the pump not priming.
Fuel wise not much in it between the 2.2 and 3.2 and autobox tends to be better for towing

I can change the oil and filter in five minutes in my old 2007 Ranger so should be fine!

 

[Smiffy]

Any reason for discounting Hilux ?

 

[Storrsy]

Apart from the soft springs which are fixable I've been very happy with my Navara so far. The 2.3 is a sweet motor and surprisingly gutsy. Mine is 2019 got it at 100k immaculate condition, automatic and service history for £9.5k which I didn't think was bad at the time. Prices are probably dropping now on pickups?

 

[JD450A]

hows yours been performing?

It's a bag of s**t.

I would not recommend either the Isuzu nor the Ford..... Both have there pitfalls and both have cost comparatively the same.... I. Fairness the Dmax had done 80k or so miles with me but at a cost of multiple front calipers, a rear diff, 2-3 prop shafts and two, sorry 4 (they come in pairs) turbos.

The Ford has had new injectors, fuel pump, intercooler and I'm sure there is more to come.

The 2.2 is painfully gutless which the Isuzu was not.


But all modern stuff is s**t.

 

[Storrsy]

It's a bag of s**t.

I would not recommend either the Isuzu nor the Ford..... Both have there pitfalls and both have cost comparatively the same.... I. Fairness the Dmax had done 80k or so miles with me but at a cost of multiple front calipers, a rear diff, 2-3 prop shafts and two, sorry 4 (they come in pairs) turbos.

The Ford has had new injectors, fuel pump, intercooler and I'm sure there is more to come.

The 2.2 is painfully gutless which the Isuzu was not.


But all modern stuff is s**t.

We'll all be driving around in 1998 landrover hicaps before long

 

[Stroppymonkey]

We'll all be driving around in 1998 landrover hicaps before long

I miss my 300 TDI disco

 

[doobin]

It's a bag of s**t.

I would not recommend either the Isuzu nor the Ford..... Both have there pitfalls and both have cost comparatively the same.... I. Fairness the Dmax had done 80k or so miles with me but at a cost of multiple front calipers, a rear diff, 2-3 prop shafts and two, sorry 4 (they come in pairs) turbos.

The Ford has had new injectors, fuel pump, intercooler and I'm sure there is more to come.

The 2.2 is painfully gutless which the Isuzu was not.


But all modern stuff is s**t.

Is the lack of power your only issue with the Ranger?

I was banking on having to remap it to be fair, both my old Rangers were s**t before a remap. Iveco too.

 

[JD450A]

Is the lack of power your only issue with the Ranger?

I think if you remapped it it'd blow up.

 

[Stroppymonkey]

I think if you remapped it it'd blow up.

I’ve had a few (on Transits) remapped upto 185 with no issues . Think the Ranger is a 150 as standard and will go upto 190 happily.

Dmax is 160 odd and is enough, although you know when you have got a 6000-7000kg train weight. Never felt the urge to get it mapped .