2020 Ford Ranger RTR Fun-Runner

• February 14, 2020
• Story By
  Mike Garrett - Contributing Editor

Vaughn Gittin Jr. is easily one of the most recognizable figures in American car culture today. After getting his start in the early 2000s as one of the pioneering personalities of the U.S.’s growing professional drift scene, Vaughn has since extended his reach into many different areas with his successful RTR brand and in recent years has been adding off-road racing to his resume as well.

During this year’s recent King of the Hammers (KOH) event, Vaughn could be found not just competing alongside Loren Healy as part of the RTR Ultra4 Team, he also used the event to debut his latest RTR production vehicle project, a heavily modified 2020 Ford Ranger Pickup known as the Fun-Runner.

More than just a demo vehicle, Fun-Runner was designed as an all-around performer that could be used as a support truck when off-road racing. That of course meant that it would need to be capable of pre-running and scouting courses at a grueling event like KOH without breaking a sweat.

Starting with a factory-fresh 2020 Ranger 4x4 XLT, the RTR team quickly got to work making the “small” Ford pickup perform in a big way. It started underneath where the truck was fitted with custom suspension from Kibbetech, with an off-road-spec independent setup in the front and a five-link in the rear. With King shocks all around, the Fun-Runner now has 15- and 18-inches of travel in the front and rear respectively.

Other substantial upgrades to the truck include Spidertrax axle housings in both the front and rear with Gearworks differentials, 5.43 ratio gear sets and ARB 40 splines. Steering capability was also given a significant upgrade with a Kibbetech “Swing Set” kit and a PSC steering box.

From the outside, the Fun-Runner has a rough and ready look thanks to new front and rear bumpers from Kibbetech and a set of 5” fender flares from AVD. The stance is wide and aggressive, while the row of KC lights mounted above the cab provide major brightness and give the truck a classic 4x4 look.

Crucial to both off-road capability and the look of the Fun-Runner are a set of 17” RTR Tech 6 forged off-road wheels with 37” Nitto Ridge Grappler tires. Nitto tires are a common sight on all the RTR vehicles and can be found on everything from Vaughn’s Ultra4 machine to his Formula Drift Mustang. And with the Ridge Grapplers mounted, the Fun-Runner is more than capable of handling various terrains.

Finish that off with an interior sporting four RECARO Cross Sportster ORV bucket seats with Schroth harnesses that keep driver and passengers secure while also retaining all of the practicality you get with a modern pickup truck.

All-together, the result is easily one of the most impressive and capable new Ranger builds we’ve seen anywhere, and it proves that Ford’s smaller pickup offering has plenty of potential to be a serious all-terrain scorcher when put in the right hands.

Along with its established lineup of parts and complete vehicle packages for the Mustang and the Ford F-150, RTR vehicles now offers a full line of upgrade parts that can be added to any 2020 Ranger. So, if you are one of the people disappointed that Ford didn’t bring the Ranger Raptor to the U.S. market, the RTR Ranger represents an even more capable and aggressive take on that same formula. 

Whether it’s a sideways, tire-smoking Mustang or a radical 4x4 attacking the desert, on-road or off, we’ve come to expect nothing less from Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the RTR brand.

Did you see the RTR Ford F-150 pickup truck.