ElementZero wrote:
So just one more question - is the tongue weight always 10% of the maximum towing capacity? I just ask because on the Passenger NV3500 the towing capacity is 8700 and the tongue weight capacity it 870 but on he NV3500 cargo I saw that the towing capacity is 9500 and the tongue capacity is 950. Just wondering for the sake of knowing.
Thanks for the insight!
The 10% is something that Nissan seems to be doing when making up numbers. This is not usual, most other manufacturers don't do it that way, tongue weight is more often derived from hitch at attachment point limitations.
That 800 pounds difference in towing capacity reflects the weight of the seats, trim and other passenger equipment in your van. This shows that the 8700/9500 is really for an empty van, and anything loaded in the van subtracts from towing capacity.
The real number to look at is GCWR - actual weight of your loaded vehicle.
In another class of vans, my E-350 passenger van has enough GCWR that it can tow 6000 pounds empty. It has enough GVWR that I can carry 3000 pounds. But I can't do both at the same time. If fully loaded, what I can tow drops to about 4500.
You need to work from GCWR for what you can tow, and GVWR vs your load to figure out tongue weights. I suspect you will find that your real world capacity to tow a RV with your family on a trip is a whole lot less than those maximum tow ratings.
Trip back from Michigan two weeks ago, had to work my way around the wreck of a midsize SUV and its flipped TT, sized at about maximum towing capacity, maybe a little more. I travel a lot and see too many of these wrecks.
