Hitting the road... (Long-haul driving/towing questions)

[ZacharyAKlein]

Greetings all!

It's been a while, and a lot has changed on this end. I'm driving the same '08 Pathfinder (S, 4x4), which has rolled from coast to coast more than once now, with 157k miles and still going steady. But the big change is that I'm getting married next month, and the faithful Pathy finds itself in the thick of the action once again.

Specifically, my fiancé and I have decided that we rather like the idea of a more mobile lifestyle, so rather than going apartment shopping in town, we took a drive, bought a camper trailer, and are preparing to spend some quality time on the road after the wedding. No plans for when - or where - we might settle down yet. It was a bit of a scary decision at first but we're excited to see where God takes us.

Being the dutiful fiancé I am, I've been trying to prep the Pathfinder for some long-haul driving and towing, and I figured I should check in here and see if folks had any advice. Here's a rundown of our setup so far:

2008 Pathfinder S, V6, 4x4 - fog lights and cargo rack added.
Towing package was factory installed - including 7-pin plug, wiring for trailer brake controller, and transmission cooler

Trailer is a 2002 Aero Cub M210D - 21' (plus queen & double-bed pop-outs on front/back), dual axle, dry weight of 2988lbs (GVWR of 4400lbs).

As far as mods I have planned - I've ordered a Hopkins 47235 brake controller + connector, and an Airlift 1000 kit (60810). Planning to install those myself.

Of course I've also got a full oil change and transmission flushing on my list. The brakes and rotors have been replaced recently, but I'll check those too.

Anything else I should be thinking of? I'm a little giddy about all of this but I'm trying to stay level headed and all. I still have a few weeks to work on the truck and trailer and I really want to make sure I've done all the prep I can reasonably do.

Really appreciate any input folks might care to share!

[eieio]

internal transmission cooler by-pass, or a replacement radiator

[Kestral]

Prob not a bad idea to have a new radiator installed I had a slow radiator leak in my "06" V6 Toyota 4Runner at 120,000 miles and it was a good thing I replaced it. The crud and bugs that were stuck inside the Finns was massive and from the front of the truck it looked just fine but it was prob 40-50% blocked. When I replaced it I also replaced the water pump as it was right there anyway and it was only a matter of time before it would have started to leak (shaft on pump had slight play). I don't know where the water pump is located on the PF but if it's behind the radiator then just put a new one on if you plan to keep the Pathy it will save you in the long run.

[smj999smj]

The water pump is driven by the timing chain and under the front cover. There's an access panel to get to it. While it happens now and then, it's usually pretty rare to see one leak or fail on a VQ-series engine.

[CPLTECH]

I have a similar size & weight camper, 2003 Amerilite, 21’.

My observations are that drag severely increases when speed goes beyond 55-57mph despite the angled front. It’s the square rear that sucks on your box.
I got 12-13mpg at ~55. 10-11 at 60. Fuel tank is small, so expect many fill-ups. Use only premium gas.
For the occasional vacation camping trip, the PF is OK. However, it is nowhere near the vehicle my 98 Tahoe was with similar mpg. So, for the serious camper, consider something more rugged. Newer trucks have 6-9 sp trans. Jeep(?) has a 9 sp, 3.0L diesel.

[JAHBLESSINGS]

change the differential fluid if you haven't already. check wipers of course with the fluid.