cars news 10: Watch a Euro-Spec Ford Ranger Tow 15 Campers

We’ve seen a Toyota Tundra tow a space shuttle, but smaller pickups have quite a bit of towing power, too. In a new video, Ford’s European division shows the new Ranger towing 15 camper trailers at the same time.

The Ranger towed a convoy weighing a total of 20 metric tons, which is more than 44,000 pounds. That’s more than five times the official tow rating for the pickup. The Euro-spec Ranger has a 2.0-liter diesel engine and a towing capacity of up to 3,500 kg (7,716 pounds). For the experiment, Ford reinforced the campers (or caravans, as they’re called in the U.K.) with steel frames and put tow bars in the front and rear.

But even without knowing the weight, the sheer length of the convoy is pretty extraordinary. The video shows an Audi trying to pass the near-328-foot convoy on a two-lane road. For obvious safety reasons, the film was shot on a closed circuit at the Millbrook Proving Ground in the U.K.

U.S. customers get a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder gas engine instead of the diesel shown in this video. Our Ranger has a maximum towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, putting it ahead of competitors except the upcoming Jeep Gladiator. Acceleration is very respectable, too. We recently tested the 270-hp Ford Ranger hitting 60 mph from a standstill in 6.8 seconds.

See the Euro-spec Ford Ranger pull off an impressive towing stunt in the video below.

Source: Ford