Anybody tow with a newer Nissan Frontier?

[dtaylor]

We are thinking about buying a 2010 Forest River Wildwood X-lite Travel Trailer model 26bh. The trailer weight on the sticker is 4050# dry weight and 407 tongue weight.

We already have a truck that I love. And would like to keep. It's a 08 Nissan Frontier. It has the 4.0L V6 with the manual 6 speed. It's rated at 265HP and 280 lb-ft. I have the factory tow package on it. It's rated to tow 6500# with 650# tongue weight. The truck with me in it weights about 4000#. The GVWR is 11,133.


Do you think this truck is able to pull it safety and drama free?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Duane

[bikendan]

personally, i wouldn't tow that big of a trailer with a v-6.
my 23' hybrid's dry weight is about the same as yours. it weighs 4471lbs. with the options from the factory.
we weigh around 5,000lbs. when camping.
i had a 4.0 v-6 Explorer and there's NO way i'd tow my trailer with it.
bought a '07 Avalanche with a v-8. no problems and it gets almost the same mileage as the v-6 Frontier.

[flyrotor]

Be cautious, my 1/2 Ton Suburban works pretty hard pulling my 23 BHLE. (4225# empty weight in the FR specs brochure)

I for one like having excess power when towing, and I am having a hard time feeling excess power when the truck is shifting alot, and running 4500 rpm to reach 70mph.

I have pulled many heavy utility trailers with the Dodge Cummins (exceeding 25k gross weight) and feel like my trailer is taxing my suburban more than I like.

I personally would not try to pull 4000 # with a V6.

[LadyWindrider]

Check your numbers again. The truck weighs 4000, and you said the "GVWR" is 11,000, that leaves 7000 for payload. I don't think so, not even a 1 ton has that much payload room. Did you mean the "GCVWR" is 11,000? If so, then you have room for a 7000 pound trailer, (truck at 4000 plus trailer at 7000 equals 11,000 combined weight, minus the wife and dog). That would be more like it.

Do you have a hitch? Didn't say where you live, you might get by in flat country, but you are going to do a LOT of gear changing to keep the motor near 5000 rpm's where the power is. If you have a hitch, ask to dealer for a test tow. We all have a comfort level when towing, and limits not to exceed. Yours will be different from anybody else's. Nothing like a test tow to figure that out. Make sure you go uphill, and get on the expressway. If you can find a big parking lot, unhook electrical and try stopping without trailer brakes. This one may make you change your mind. Good Luck.

[dtaylor]

I got the truck weight from going to the scrap yard a couple months back. It was a little over 4000 with me and a half a tank of gas. The manual says Gross combined weight rating is 11,133.. They list the towing capacity as 6500# and tongue weight of 650#.

I have towed my race car with a utility trailer across town with it. I would guess it was about 3700# total car+trailer. With no trailer brakes. And I had no clue it was back there.

This truck has alot more more power then my old 99 F150 with a 4.6L. It's 45 more HP and two more gears..

I've never towed a travel trailer. But i've towed my old race car all over the East Coast with a old Crown Vic and a 99 F150.

[LadyWindrider]

That makes sense, the GCVWR equals 11,133, that's truck and trailer combo. That leaves about 7000 for a trailer. As I said earlier, ask for a "test tow". Also one other number to check the manual for towing with a smaller truck, most give the max "Trailer Frontal Area" in square feet. An 8 by 8 trailer is roughly 64 square feet. That's a lot more resistance than a race car on a trailer. Horsepower isn't anything to towing, it's all torque, and while you may have more horsepower, it's the torque that pulls.

[dtaylor]

The only thing I have to compare this truck to is my old 99 F150. I looked up the HP and Tq of both.

99 F150

Hp 220@4750 RPM's
TQ 265@4000 RPM's

2008 Nissan Frontier

HP 261@5600 RPM's
TQ 281@4000 RPM's

I did find a Maximum trailer frontal area for it.. It's 60 Sq feet.

I have not found the frontal area of the trailer yet.. Still looking.

[MtnGuy]

Duane, you didn't mention the cab and bed setup that you have with your Frontier.

A King Cab or Crew Cab short bed is listed as a 126" wheelbase.....that is pretty short for a 28 foot trailer. A Crew Cab long bed lists a 140" wheelbase, which might be doable, but right on the edge of this chart....the 1st figure is wheelbase, the second is overall trailer length:

110" 20' *** 150" 30'
114" 21' *** 154" 31'
118" 22' *** 158" 32'
122" 23' *** 162" 33'
126" 24' *** 166" 34'
130" 25' *** 170" 35'
134" 26' *** 174" 36'
138" 27' *** 178" 37'
142" 28' *** 182" 38'
146" 29' *** 186" 39'

[LadyWindrider]

Without saying "no", I think we're trying to say "no". The frontal area of the trailer is going to be between 60 and 80. It is the width multiplied by the height. Should you let 5 feet stop you? No, that shouldn't, but look at the total package. You have more horsepower and torque, but you have a straight drive and must get to that rpm to find the power. I'm betting the old Ford had an automatic, with a torque converter , that would allow slippage while the engine built rpm. Study the wheelbase chart above, not absolute, but a good rule of thumb. Remember also trying to tow it home in a 25 mph crosswind because you have to be at work on Monday. Can you tow it flat, with no wind? Sure, you could probably tow 10,000 pounds if everything is working right. How it pulls hills and handles wind, may be another story, and it may be better to be a story than a statistic. Keep us posted on your decision, and hope all of this has helped. One more thing, be honest with yourself, if you had any confidence the truck would tow the camper, why did you ask the question? Just asking tells me there is doubt in your mind, and it's always safer towing when you can remove as much doubt as possible.

[flyrotor]

Originally Posted by windrider

One more thing, be honest with yourself, if you had any confidence the truck would tow the camper, why did you ask the question? Just asking tells me there is doubt in your mind, and it's always safer towing when you can remove as much doubt as possible.

Nicely stated.

[grhodes50]

So many of us seem to buy the biggest tt we can and get by with the smallest tv possible, myself included. My F-150 had plenty of power but lacked stability and control. I was within my numbers but about maxed out on payload. Even with my Eqal-i-zer hitch I experienced sway in rain and high winds, not excessive but more than I like.

I finally wised up and bought an F-250. Very stable and easy to control. I can relax while towing now, even in rain and high winds.

dtaylor, do yourself a favor and be sure to purchase a tt well within your tv's limitations. I'm not saying you need an F-250 to tow the tt you want, I'm just saying that towing close to your limits can be stressful under adverse conditions.

It's really not so much what we camp in that makes a trip enjoyable. It's that we are able to relax and enjoy time with our families.

[archham]

I understand all the math on this, but the most important comment on all of these posts to me is the "test tow".

I am pulling a Surveryor 210 with a V6 Honda Ridgeline. The weight is very close to what you are looking at. We have had no problems at all. The biggest thing to get used to is the RPMS - Hondas (and Nissans) like to rev and make their power up high vs. a big V8. On flat ground I can keep it around 2500RPM or so, but as soon as we get a grade it is up to 3000 to 3500. I have hit 5000 before, but I was just going up a steep hill at 55 mph and wanted to see what it took to maintain 55 on that hill (it actually was accelerating when I let off the gas before I topped the hill)

No one has any business pulling a travel trailer at 70MPH anyway - there are comments all over this forum about the tires are rated for 60-65 only. My Ridgeline does fine at 60 and we do hit 65 on occasion. It does shift alot but the owners manual says to NOT take it out of overdrive to tow, so I dont.

I think your biggest issue is the manual transmission - that will be a lot of work on your part (and your clutch).

[dtaylor]

The test Tow sounds like a good idea. And like someone said it should pull it but how comfortable will it be.

If we buy one of these trailers I think were going to order it and pick it up at the factory. If that's the case, I'll ask my friend if I can use his F250 Diesel truck to pick it up. That way I'm not driving 1000 miles on my first trip with it in the Nissan..

Were thinking most of the time were going to use it on shortier trips and mostly in state going to the beach or lakes.

I love my truck but if I need something bigger I would up grade..

[Palomino_G210]

I had a 2005 Grand Cherokee with which I towed our Palomino G210 to Virginia Beach last year. We went along the inland route south along Interstate 81 thru NY, Penn, WV and Va. There were good cross winds in the mountains and the rig was pushed about more than I liked. According to that table I was close to the limit with my 109 inch wheelbase GC. The manufacturers website said I could pull a 28 ft trailer. The GC had a tow capacity of 6500 lbs. I might have been able to improve the ride with low profile tire to get less side wall flex.

Before my present trailer, I had a Palomino 178, 3100 lbs, and found that on less than perfect roads, the norm in Quebec, my trailer kicked around the RAV4, 3500 lbs, I had at the time enough for me to sell the RAV4 and buy the GC. The GC could pull that small trailer but since the GC had such a surplus of towing capacity I bought a bigger trailer, the Palomino G210. But the wheelbase of the GC was only 5" longer than the RAV4 and crosswinds were now more of a problem with the bigger trailer.

I have just sold the GC and gotten a Dodge Ram with a 140" wheelbase to make the whole experience less stressful.. I am hoping that the almost 30 % increase in wheelbase will help. Yes you may be able to tow it but ask yourself "are you having fun." I am on vacation after all.

[TravelSoftballDad]

Duane....what did you end up doing? Did you go with that trailer and keep the truck? New truck? Different trailer?

[acadianbob]

Mtnguy keeps bringing up wheelbase in these threads; he is right to do so; it is almost always overlooked; and it is a big issue. Also, often overlooked, how far would you be towing? You can push closer to the limit if towing on flat and not going far. But, if a 3,000 mile trip is a possilbility, or curvy roads, or foothill/mountains; IMO 60 to 70% of max is a practical limit; safety and towing satisfaction issues. You don't want to be dragging your butt around or having the tail wag the dog.

[baldy]

2008 Colorado with the 3.7 and 3.73 axle 242 hp and torque. I tow a 2010 Roo 21SS. It works okay. I don't drive 70 mph either. 50-55 mph and take my time and it works just fine. I am rated for 5500 lbs and I am 5000 lbs ready to go. I weighed in at 9580 lbs GCVWR. I towed my parents Jayco 26' which was almost the same weight as my 21SS.

Not near the truck that a Frontier or Tacoma would be but it was more affordable and I like it.

[Greenshield]

YOu also gotta think of your payload. Your tongue weight takes away from your available payload. If you have a say 1000 lbs. payload:
Weight of how many people+
After market items+
Various items in truck+
Tongue weight= used up payload
This is important as much as wheelbase.