Six months towing with the new Ranger — here's what nobody told me.

We tow a 2.8t caravan most school holidays. On paper the Ranger handles it easily. In practice there are a few things I wish someone had told me before I signed. Payload is the number that matters, not towing capacity. Once you load the family, the gear and the towball download, you are closer to the limit than the brochure suggests. Get the actual build weighed. Real-world towing economy has been about 17-18L/100km on the highway. The tow mirrors are worth every cent. And the integrated brake controller is genuinely good — smoother than the aftermarket unit I had in the old ute. Would I buy it again? Yes, but I'd spec it differently.