Taubenreuther has upgraded a Ford Ranger with numerous accessories. And thanks to the special chassis and large wheels, it also looks pretty good.
If you are looking for an off-road and robust car for hobby and work, you can hardly avoid a pick-up these days. Ford is happy about that, because with the Ranger, the Cologne-based company has a real sales success in its range, which has been number 1 in pick-up registration statistics in Germany for years.
However, a pick-up only becomes really practical with the appropriate accessories, and it is not without reason that almost every such vehicle is subsequently individualized. This is the time for accessory specialists like Taubenreuther in Kulmbach, who, in addition to self-developed hardware, also offer good stuff from Australia and the USA, where pick-ups like this are traditionally used properly.
Complete conversion with exclusive chassis
In order to show the possibilities of the offer, Taubenreuther has dressed up a Ford Ranger from the company fleet with utility accessories, where the function is the focus. The fact that the result also looks pretty sharp is not forbidden.
It starts with a complete chassis from the Australian supplier Old Man Emu, with Taubenreuther choosing the high-performance variant from the extensive OME range on the demonstration ranger. The name of the OME BP-51 already reveals what's inside: A 51-millimeter bypass in the damper housing, which achieves very comfortable damper behavior in normal operation and automatically hardens the damping in the event of strong impacts, such as potholes or difficult cornering.
Additional benefit of the OME BP-51, which is not only more comfortable than the standard suspension but also considerably more durable, is that the vehicle is raised by around 50 millimeters. Keyword longevity: Due to the external reservoir and the aluminum construction, the OME dampers can dissipate heat much better. Overheating is one of the main reasons for a premature damper exit on long track and off-road rides. Another treat: the separately adjustable compression and rebound stages mean that the dampers can also be adjusted individually in order to be able to work optimally in normal everyday use as well as with heavy loads on long-distance journeys.
Large tyres, more ground clearance
The lift kit also allows larger tires to be fitted, which creates additional ground clearance. Taubenreuther uses 18-inch Borbet alloy wheels on the demo vehicle, with 255/70-18 BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires are fitted, there is a good 15 millimeters more free air under the Ranger compared to the standard tires.
Another treat is the new Smartbar plastic bumper with winch mount from the Australian manufacturer ARB.Compared to the retrofit bumpers made of solid steel that are widely used for such purposes, it not only weighs around half, the Smartbar is also considerably more practical. The plastic deforms when it comes into contact with enemies in the terrain and then springs back into its original shape. This is not only practical, but also gentler on the recordings on the vehicle. In addition, a carrier for additional headlights is integrated on the top of the ARB Smartbar.
A VR 10 Evo from the US manufacturer Warn is installed in the Taubenreuth-based Ford Ranger as a cable winch for self-rescue and for third-party rescue -Smartbar noticeable weight on the front axle.
The subject of luggage and loading was dealt with in great detail in the Kulmbacher demonstration pick-up. Taubenreuther has developed its own pick-up carrier system for the loading area under the name Muli Rack, which is placed on the side walls. The Muli-Rack can be adjusted in height, offers various mounts, for example for sand boards or additional canisters, and can be equipped with various roof rack systems. In this case, a Rhino Rack platform carrier is used, which with its numerous longitudinal rails is very individually prepared for various transport tasks can be used, from bicycle racks to roof tents.
In the video: The Taubenreuther Ford Ranger in detail
Finally, the storage system from the US manufacturer Decked has proven to be extremely useful. The loading area above the wheel arches is covered by a plastic panel that can take loads of up to 900 kilograms and offers small storage compartments and lashing options. Underneath there are very robust drawers that extend over the entire length of the loading area and thus allow convenient stowage of all kinds of equipment. The drawers are watertight and easy to clean, and access to the contents is also very convenient thanks to the extension beyond the tailgate.
Bernd Taubenreuther, junior boss of the Upper Franconian off-road specialist, presents the modifications to the Ford Ranger in detail in the video above.
Conclusion
Function instead of show, that is the main feature of the Ford Ranger customized by Taubenreuther. The most expensive and most exclusive detail is the chassis, which is actually already suitable for rallies, but the numerous other components are also convincing. This turns a pickup that is already very useful into a real multifunctional tool that is also fun to use.
