2019 Ranger with Yakima Tent Takes the Rough Out of ‘Roughing It’
Forget driving stakes into the ground. After a few steps, you can fold out the Yakima tent available on the 2019 Ford Ranger and start camping.
Auto shows are always sweet torture. You get to see a variety of amazing concept vehicles and beautiful production models, but some of them are purely displays that you can’t even sit in. Earlier this year, I went to a couple of events where Ford showcased a variety of Rangers. One of them had a Yakima fold-out tent open above its bed. I thought to myself, That would be cool to test out, but I doubt I’ll ever be able to. Luckily, I ended up getting the chance to do just that. I made sure to film the experience for my YouTube channel, There Will Be Cars.
The camping-ready Ranger Ford sent me was an XL SuperCrew 4X4 model. They upgraded it with Equipment Group 101A, which added such conveniences as power mirrors and cruise control, and the STX Appearance Package. That contained Carbon Black bumpers, 17-inch wheels, fog lamps, and other functional and cosmetic additions. Thanks to the Ford Co-Pilot360 system, I had the peace of mind that comes from automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, and a multi-function Lane-Keeping System.
The things I reserved that particular Ranger for were in the back of the truck, though. Ford went through its accessories catalog and picked a retractable metal bed cover to go over the lined five-foot cargo box, a pair of Yakima uprights, and a Yakima fold-out tent that could comfortably fit two people.
I was determined to make the most out of my time with the Ranger. It wasn’t enough to just park it in my driveway and spend the night in the tent. I wanted to go off-roading and camping in it. I picked up my pal Dan Wolff and we headed to a grocery store to get everything we’d need for an old-fashioned camping trip: hot dogs and buns, the ingredients for S’mores, assorted snacks and condiments, skewers, and a six-pack of beer. Then we made our way to the Hidden Falls Adventure Park in Marble Falls, Texas. Ford equipped my four-wheel-drive test truck with an optional locking rear differential, but aside from that, it was relatively basic – no Terrain Management System, no Trail Control.
Even though I kept the wheeling pretty basic, I was still able to get a little mud on the truck (a free visual upgrade courtesy of Mother Nature).
Dan and I made sure to get back to our campsite while it was still sunny enough for us to unwrap and deploy the tent. All we had to do was unzip a few zippers, pop some clips, remove the cover, and pull the ladder down and back until it folded the tent out and into its fully open position. The rest was just a matter of shortening the ladder and pulling the rain fly away from the tent and securing it. Putting the hooked poles for that protective barrier where they needed to go was the hardest part of the entire process, but Dan helped make it easier and faster.
We ended the night the way campers have ended their outdoor excursions for decades: under the stars and next to a roaring fire. But the truck and tent behind us had made the entire experience a lot easier and less stressful than it used to be.
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