According to Ford, the next-generation Ranger is the most versatile ever, and it’s about to make carrying longer items much easier.
Ford’s unique Sliding Load Rack (SLR) and Folding Roof Rack (FRR) – together known as the Flexible Rack System (FRS) – allows owners to load items spanning the length of the Ranger roof and load box.
The Ford-exclusive FRS will make its market debut on select Ranger models in 2023.
Developed by a team of Ford Australia Special Vehicle Engineers in collaboration with JAC products, the SLR can be operated by just one person.
It slides within a C-shaped channel mounted to the top of the load box sidewalls and can be locked in five different positions, allowing for the secure support of different length items.
The Ranger’s FRR features crossbars that an be adjusted into two different positions and then stowed away within the roof rails when not being used.
Ford Senior Engineer, Special Vehicle Engineering, Nik Tibhuvan, said the system refines how customers can use their next-generation Ranger and is another example of Ford’s ingenious design features.
Early in the Ranger’s development, Ford met with pickup owners and learned how they used their trucks, which determined a need for the FRS feature.
“We learned from our customers that they would load things like canoes into the load box and then lean them up against the sports hoop before tying them down,” said Ford Ranger Application Specialist, Danny Trentin.
“This was awkward and meant the load box couldn’t really be used for storing anything else a customer might want to take with them.
“We also learned of their frustrations when it came to carrying items of longer lengths. With an 80-kilogram dynamic load limit, the FRS eliminates those frustrations.”
Ford Ranger Chief Designer, Max Tran, said the SLR had to look like it belonged no matter where it was positioned.
So, Ford created a design that allowed it to sit within the profile of the vehicle.
“We wanted the SLR to belong on Ranger, no matter where it was positioned,” he said.
“It needed to be functional, of course, but it also needed to match and complement the shape of Next-Gen Ranger while being user friendly and as quiet as possible when deployed.”
Unlocking the SLR on one side automatically releases it on the other side, allowing the hoop to slide easily in the rails.
A system of four roller bearings angled at a precise 37 degrees, retractable stabilisers and locks ensure easy movement when unlocked but prevent the SLR from moving when locked in position.
Because the cabin and load box of a pickup move independently of one another, the team engineered the SLR with a degree of compliance which means the 80-kilogram dynamic load limit applies on and off-road, while the static capacity is rated at up to 250-kilograms.
The SLR was also covered in filth and cycled more than 3500 times to replicate approximately ten years of use.
