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Old 11-06-2012, 10:39 PM   #1
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Nissan Xterra pulling a SP-189

I was wondering what you guys thought of my situation. The vehicle is a 2006 Nissan Xterra 4.0 V6 with a tow capacity of 5000lbs and the wheel base is 106.3 inches with a tow package. I will be towing a 21 foot 2013 Surveyor SP-189 and weighs 3780 lbs. It is only my wife, dog and I and we will be averaging 4150 lbs a trip. I was wondering what you guys think. Am I crazy? Or I'm in my limits and I am doing fine?
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Old 11-06-2012, 10:41 PM   #2
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...Sorry... also i will be using a weight distribution hitch with a stabilizer... any thoughts?
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Old 11-08-2012, 02:31 PM   #3
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The first thing you need to do is look up the specific information for your truck to find out what your payload capacity, max tongue weight and GCVWR are. Without those, you don't really know for sure.

At first glance I would guess you could tow a 4150 trailer without difficulty, but you really need to find those numbers to make sure you have no surprises.
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Old 11-08-2012, 05:42 PM   #4
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IMO that is to much for a xterra. Just like if I hooked up 9300 pounds on my Titan. No way would I think of doing that without a diesel. But it could work for you. Good luck.
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Old 11-08-2012, 06:56 PM   #5
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My son had an Xterra. It was a good vehicle. But it had very little oomph at highway speed. I think you will be short on power. And it is a very short wheelbase which isn't great for towing either. If you are towing short distances and are patient, you may be OK.
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Old 11-08-2012, 07:18 PM   #6
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Before buying, try renting a similar size. I rented a 24 footer with my diesel liberty and it towed fine. That way you know for sure. I don't know what the power is like one your gasser, so it could be too much or just fine.
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Old 11-08-2012, 08:08 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bakka323 View Post
I was wondering what you guys thought of my situation. The vehicle is a 2006 Nissan Xterra 4.0 V6 with a tow capacity of 5000lbs and the wheel base is 106.3 inches with a tow package. I will be towing a 21 foot 2013 Surveyor SP-189 and weighs 3780 lbs. It is only my wife, dog and I and we will be averaging 4150 lbs a trip. I was wondering what you guys think. Am I crazy? Or I'm in my limits and I am doing fine?
See this thread:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...-tv-26968.html

I settled for something bigger than the Xterra (F150) and I have the slightly smaller Surveytor SP-185. Glad I did when I'm towing. Not so happy the rest of the time. One of life's compromises I guess.
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Old 11-13-2012, 03:07 PM   #8
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I just recently brought the SP-189 home on Friday and was planning on going for a camping trip on the long weekend. The trip was cut short due to crazy Clovis, NM winds, it was blowing around 50mph. I did swing the Xterra by the RV dealer to ask him a question about the equailizer hitch. The maintenance manager insisted on taking it for a drive with the 50mph winds. We got going down the road and you could tell that the trailer was a little light in the front. Both of us got out adjusted the equalizing hitch and hung another chain link. It really made a difference and towed much better! The maintenance manager explained that the xterra towed well for its size even in the heavy winds. We took the xterra up to 60 and on up to 65mph and handled it much better than I expected. I'll keep you guys updated on how it does on a much longer trip.
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Old 11-13-2012, 07:18 PM   #9
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Hey there. I am in a similar situation as you. We are looking at the SP 220 but we have a 2012 Nissan Frontier 4x2. The manual says it can tow 6300 lbs and the 220 dry weight is 4300 lbs. since you own a Nissan, what do you think?
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Old 11-13-2012, 07:27 PM   #10
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Looks Good!
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Old 11-13-2012, 07:38 PM   #11
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Same here. Tow a SP189 with a 2007 Nissan Pathfinder. It has towed very well this camping season, get on average 11 mpg. Good luck with your set up and Happy Camping
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Old 11-13-2012, 08:19 PM   #12
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Hello Burley, yeah I agree that we are in a similar situation however, you may have a little more weight to play with than me! The dry weight of the 189 is 3288 lbs and the actual weight that is labeled on the yellow door sticker is 3778 lbs and that is not including the extra junk. All said and done I think we will be about 4200 lbs and the tow capacity of the xterra is 5000 lbs which doesn't leave much. But I think one of the most important investments is a good weight distribution hitch and an anti-sway bar. Our setup cost about $300. This really helped handle the weight much better than I expected. The 189 does push the V6 engine to work pretty good, but it took the weight much better than I thought especially in the high Clovis NM winds! The xterra made it to 60 mph well and could maintained nicely however, Clovis does not offer me hills to test it out. If circumstances were different I would buy a nice truck but I think the xterra does well. We just have to keep in mind we are getting to our limits and that we need to take it slow. Let me know what you decide!
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