Towing Auto trailer with Pathfinder

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SPSERG
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Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:36 am

Towing Auto trailer with Pathfinder

Postby SPSERG » Sat Oct 18, 2008 5:01 pm

Hello to all, I am new to the forum and its been a great resource to me so far-thanks! My question is...my wife has an 05/v-6 Pathfinder. She also has a 68 Camaro in storage in Michigan. While she is away, I would like to drive out to MI from MA to pick it up. Planning on renting a dual axle auto transport trailer from U-haul for the trip. Her Path has the towing package and a 6k/class 3 hitch. I am planning on doing the airbag upgrade for the added weight, and having the truck serviced prior to starting the trip. Does anyone see an issue with pulling that weight (3200 car/2000 trailer) for the distance home?? Its a great truck, but if I break it she will be furious to say the least! I would appreciate any input you all may have, and thanks :?: again!


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markspath
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Location: Rockaway, NJ

Postby markspath » Sat Oct 18, 2008 9:34 pm

I towed a 5,000 lb trailer from NJ through SD, WY, UT, CO and back with my V6 Pathfinder SE. I also had 600 lbs of people plus another 250 lbs of gear in or on the truck. I had no trouble except for the expected poor fuel economy and being a bit underpowered going up mountains.

You will have to deal with some mountains going through PA. My recommendation is to allow your speed to drop rather than attempting to drive at high RPM for extended distances. This not only saves wear-and-tear on your engine and transmission, but will help your fuel economy.

Check with your trailer rental company about whether you need a brake controller or not. Towing more than 1,200 lbs will require some kind of trailer brakes, the most common for rental trailers is hydraulic surge brakes, which require no additional equipment. The force of the trailer pushing against the hitch coupler causes a piston to activate the trailer brakes. The disadvantage of this system is that attempting to back-up over unpaved surfaces or uphill also will activate the trailer brakes.

Electronic trailer brakes do not interfere with backing-up and generally allow finer control of trailer braking forces and manual activation of the trailer brakes (useful to control trailer sway). But this system requires the installation of an electronic trailer brake controller and a new hitch wiring connector to interface the trailer's electronic brakes with your vehicle's braking system.

If you do need an electronic brake controller, I recommend you DO NOT get one from the trailer rental store. When I looked around, all the trailer rental places wanted to install a cheap brake controller and cut into the factory wiring harness, rather than go with a better (but more expensive) proportional brake controller and use OEM wiring harnesses. If you need to use electronic trailer brakes, look around this and other forums for what others have done, or post a follow-up question here for more information. Installation is a fairly-easy do it yourself, plug-n-play project, with the only problem being locating a suitable place to mount the controller within easy driver's reach.

Since you will be towing more than 5,000 lbs you will need a weight distributing hitch (WDS hitch). This should be supplied by the trailer rental outfit, otherwise you're looking at a minimum of $400. Ideally, the WDS hitch will also have anti-sway features (friction bars or pistons).

You should also take time to review the [url=http://pdfcast.org/download/nissan-towi ... e-2007.pdf]Nissan Towing Guide[url] for some generic but helpful information about towing.

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Triffid
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Postby Triffid » Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:09 am

Welcome SPSERG!... Here is a very good link that Carl did...
http://www.thenissanpath.com/viewtopic.php?t=65

I also use the Prodigy... http://www.tekonsha.com/prodig.html
on my Pathfinder & my Chevy diesel towing over 15K and it has worked perfect... Make sure if you get the Prodigy that you get the plug & play harness that plugs into the Nissan wiring... You should not have a problem towing your car!........... Triffid

SPSERG
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Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:36 am

Towing Auto trailer

Postby SPSERG » Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:33 am

Thanks for all the info! I must say, I am very impressed with everyone's technical knowledge. Yesterday, I reserved the auto transport trailer from U-haul. Its a standard 2"inch ball, 4 wire flat, and hydraulic surge brake. They have a pretty big computer dbase for towing standards, and the PF met their requirements, which is good for me! I am planning on having the oil changed before the trip (Nov), and all the fluids checked. We normally use synthetic in the motor, but does Nissan have a synthetic requirement for the rear end when towing?? :?:

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Triffid
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Postby Triffid » Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:43 am

I use Mobil 1 synthetic 75W90 in the rear end & Mobil 1 5W30 in the engine... Good luck........... Triffid

SPSERG
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Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:36 am

One last question

Postby SPSERG » Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:26 am

I have been thrown another monkey wrench in the whole car towing deal...There is also a 5.7 chevy crate motor for the Camaro. The trailer is not set up for any bulk cargo, just ramps so it cant go on the trailer. The estimated weight is 400lbs, and its still in the wooden framed crate. I know it will fit in the back of the PF, but will that cargo area in the rear support that kind of weight? I know a couple of big guys in the back can equal that, but does anyone see an issue with the weight on the flat cargo panels? Obviously, it will be strapped down secure and the airbags will be filled to capacity. Thoughts, comments, concerns??? :?:

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MonkeyMike
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Re: One last question

Postby MonkeyMike » Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:41 am

SPSERG wrote:I have been thrown another monkey wrench in the whole car towing deal...There is also a 5.7 chevy crate motor for the Camaro. The trailer is not set up for any bulk cargo, just ramps so it cant go on the trailer. The estimated weight is 400lbs, and its still in the wooden framed crate. I know it will fit in the back of the PF, but will that cargo area in the rear support that kind of weight? I know a couple of big guys in the back can equal that, but does anyone see an issue with the weight on the flat cargo panels? Obviously, it will be strapped down secure and the airbags will be filled to capacity. Thoughts, comments, concerns??? :?:

im not going to chime in on the underlying total weight / towing capacity issue...
what i will say is that i wouldnt trust the plastic cover on the jack storage area to support anything of a substantial weight. if i were you, i would put down a sheet of plywood across the entire cargo area to distribute the weight a little better. oh, and make sure you measure the size of the crate you are putting in the back. :lol:

~mike

SPSERG
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Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:36 am

Tow Complete!!

Postby SPSERG » Fri Nov 21, 2008 6:12 pm

Well, long story short, the towing job is complete! I must say, I am thoroughly impressed with the PF. The weight was extreme, but never a lack of power, the weight made it handle a little off- but I never felt any concerns. We had a 2 axle car trailer, a 68 camaro, and a GM crate motor all on board. Power was awesome! Braking was good, only the weight made it handle a bit funny. Im going to try to post some pics, but my next new vehicle with certainly be a Nissan!!


http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/Albu ... =153752111

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/Albu ... =153752111

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markspath
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Re: Tow Complete!!

Postby markspath » Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:13 pm

Congrat's on a successful mission!

I'm hopefully picking-up a donor Jeep Cherokee within the next two weeks to build-up my new project: a 2000 Cherokee Sport. But I think I'll have to rent a full trailer because of the four wheel drive setup. Fortunately, the cherokee only weighs about 3,500 so I still have the capacity for that and the trailer.


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