OFF-ROAD RANGER

IT HAS been a few months since the last update on my Ford Ranger and in that time it’s only covered a paltry 5000km, but a fair chunk of that has been off-road. Yep, the Ranger is parked safely at home for much of the time, but when there’s work to do, or I want to get away for the weekend with my family, it gets plenty of dirt under its wheels.

Since the last update the Ranger has been subjected to several work trips with Offroad Images’ Michael Ellem to shoot a series of ‘How To’ features and videos for 4X4 Australia and, as a result, it has been buried up to its axles in sand, bogged in deep mud, teetered over the edge of a rocky drop-off, and subjected to several steep climbs and descents. Despite being buried and bogged, the bodywork looks as good as new The same can’t be said for the ARB side rails and ARB rear-step towbar, which have copped a fair beating off-road, but that is what they are designed to do and, other than scratches, there is no damage to report. Ditto for the ARB UVP (under-vehicle protection) plate, which also wears battle scars from many contacts with terra firma

The LT265/70R17 BFGoodrich All Terrain tyres are wearing well and show no signs of chipping across the tread face or damage to the sidewalls, despite all the off-road punishment The BFGs are about due for a rotation, and as I managed to pick up an extra matching alloy wheel to replace the OE steely that Ford supplies, I will throw the spare in the mix

I’m impressed with the Tough Dog suspension, both on the road and off it The Ranger is carrying a fair bit of weight thanks to its steel bar and Warn VR EVO 10-S winch fitted up front and its canopy and drawer system down the back Yet it sits nicely on the road at a smidge under 75mm higher than standard, of which around 50mm can be attributed to the suspension and around 25mm to the slightly larger-than-standard tyres The ride quality is impressive and body roll is well-controlled when cornering, despite the extra weight

A fair bit of that weight is now up high, thanks to a 68kg OZtrail Tarkine 1400 rooftop tent I recently fitted above the canopy on a pair of Yakima roof bars. While I could have fitted the RTT to the Ranger’s Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform, 68kg would have been right on the limit of dynamic roof load, which is reduced significantly when driving off-road with the Pioneer set-up. The Yakima bars are good for 100kg though, and I have been assured by the importer of the canopy that it is too I’ve already given the OZtrail RTT a run on a weekend getaway, and I’ll aim to do a full review on it in the next month or so

I have also been using the Ranger to tow a bike trailer, and to keep an eye on the bikes I recently installed a Gator rear-view camera/ mirror that I picked up at Supercheap Auto The Gator is also handy for keeping an eye on following traffic that I haven’t been able to monitor since fitting the canopy, and it also acts as a rear-view dashcam; so if someone runs up the back of the Ranger I’ll have video evidence. I’ll do a review on the Gator once I’ve used it a bit more

Another handy little bit of kit I picked up recently was a Quad Lock Wireless CarPlay Adaptor. This little device plugs into the Ranger’s USB port in the centre console and then connects to your phone via Bluetooth, allowing for wireless CarPlay It connects automatically when you get in your car so you can leave your phone in your pocket

Other gear fitted since the last update includes a 100Ah slimline lithium battery, a CTEK DS250SE battery charger, 12V and USB outlets in the drawer system, and a Razed Products MaxTrax Flush Mounting Kit

The Ranger recently scored a minor service and there are no faults to report However, about six months ago I kept getting a message on the FordPass app that there was a problem with an airbag sensor and I should take the Ranger to a dealer for inspection Apparently there was a loose sensor plug down by the driver’s seat which was quickly sorted. Speaking of the FordPass app, it’s bloody fantastic; I can check the odo, lock and unlock the doors, and reset the alarm if it goes off all from my phone I can even start the engine on hot days to get the air-con going to cool down the cabin before I hop in The app also shows me where the vehicle is parked and reminds me when a service is due. It’s the little things like this that improve the ownership experience.

As you’d expect, fuel consumption has been on the rise as I have added accessories and gear to the Ranger since I have owned it, and it’s now up to 12.6L/100km. The highest consumption to date has been 14 6L/100km when towing my bike trailer, and since I fitted the rooftop tent it’s been averaging 13.3L/100km. The RTT will be coming off when not in use

Easy Tow

With a couple of bikes behind, the Ranger makes towing a breeze

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