Capeteacher wrote:
Ok so my Xterra is automatic which has 5000lbs towing and I'm pretty sure the tow hitch is 500lbs.
After reading through the responses these are the things to consider:
Length of trailer to length of Xterra.
Gross weight
Dry weight
Tongue weight for hitch, cargo weight of Xterra. Don't understand how cargo weight effects what you can tow.
Weight distribution hitch/ electric brakes, not sure where these brakes are.
Tire rating
Anything else.
I am planning to go to the RV show in Hershey Pa in Sept. If I don't make that one then the Edison NJ show in January.
I am in know hurry, I want to do this right the first time.
Thanks for all your help .
Not Xterra total length, so much as wheelbase. When front and rear axles are close together, the fulcrum effect of the trailer has more impact. Long wb vehicles like pickups and some vans better resist the side to side torque of the trailer on the hitch ball. Thus a shorter TT is like a shorter lever and is more manageable. Most anti-sway hitches or friction bars help control sway after it starts but do not eliminate it from starting, so they are not an end-all. Hensley Arrow and Pro Pride hitches have different geometry and may actually eliminate sway, but at a high $$ price and they are heavy.
Also, a longer TT is more able to become too nose heavy if loaded incorrectly, just like moving in or out on a teeter-totter. I once towed a 23', 3500 lb TT, 380 lb dry hitch, with a 6000/600 lb rated suv, and I bent a rear spring because I had too much weight up front including 30 gallons of water and a 90 lb WD hitch.
Best to have LT (not P) tires on the tug, and some go to a lower profile tire also. A stiff, short sidewall reduces tire squirm under sideways pressure, and aids handling when towing. Use max pressure listed on tire sidewall for all tires.
Cargo weight: if you were carrying 4 adult passengers plus some heavy gear, you might max out payload before even setting the trailer onto the ball. Hitch weight is part of payload. It can be a factor, but probably not in your situation.
Most but not all TTs come with drum brakes on one or more axles. But you need a controller installed up front to actuate them when you step on the pedal. Also a controller has a lever for actuating TT brakes alone...if you ever did have a TT start to oscillate (sway) wildly, you apply TT brakes only while maintaining vehicle speed, to bring the TT back into line.
