Limitations for a 2008 Pathfinder w/ V8

the tb payload was only 1200lbs. we had no intention of towing anything but a pup with it. one tow only with hybrid, and never looked back!

interesting thing i found out about payload is that most 1500 series trucks have the same basic payload that my pathy did. now i realize full size trucks have a bigger footprint, better tow gearing etc than a mid size suv but my point is once i started down the road of "how do i make sure i'm over prepared for my tow situation" it only made sense to go with a 2500 or better to gain the payload breathing room especially with the hemi instead of the diesel

yaksickle wrote:
the heavier rig, (which by the way has a very underestimated dry weight, all the internet info shows it as 4900lbs, but the sticker on the front corner says 5300lbs)

it is constantly pointed out here, that website/brochure "dry" weights are for a stripped-down version of the trailer and don't include the weights of things most trailers have.
many of us tell buyers to add about 400-500lbs. to the "dry" weight to get a ballpark weight when it leaves the factory.
as you have found out, adding the weights of awning, oven, microwave, a/c, spare tire and others, will increase that "dry" weight number.

that's why it's constanty recommended that buyers look at the trailer's yellow sticker to get a real-world weight number.

rjstractor wrote:


All trailers are not created equal either!! Your friends are towing an Airstream which is much easier to tow than most higher profile trailers. Their Pathfinder may have struggled just as much or more towing the same trailer as the Trailblazer.

I agree.

Road Ruler wrote:
There ya go. You discovered the V8 TB was a lousy TV.

In contrast our friends V6 Pathfinder with trailer in tow cruised all day at 60MPH into a head wind.

Lesson learned: All TV's are not created equal!

All trailers are not created equal either!! Your friends are towing an Airstream which is much easier to tow than most higher profile trailers. Their Pathfinder may have struggled just as much or more towing the same trailer as the Trailblazer.

Time for an update on my towing experience. Traded my 2006 Roo 21RS for a 2014 Roo 25RS and absolutely love the space increase / amenities etc., great camper! Now for the painful part, the info. about payload issues turned out to be correct. The Pathy V8 had plenty of torque to tow the heavier rig, (which by the way has a very underestimated dry weight, all the internet info shows it as 4900lbs, but the sticker on the front corner says 5300lbs) get it moving just fine and get it over hills with moderately more effort than the 21 the issue turned out sure enough to be severe sway. After a couple of trips and fully "moving in" with all our stuff it was clear the setup was unmanageable and dangerous on the hiway at any speed over 40-45mph and on any secondary road over 55mph. We even bought a better two bar WD / anti sway hitch and the trailer sat level but the Pathy was nose high. Basically with passengers, tongue weight and a full tank of gas we were sitting on top of the payload limit with no gear in the car at all and close enough to the tow limit to really feel it. So it was either get a better tow vehicle or go 45mph every time we camped and that's not realistic or safe. Thankfully it was time to trade my '02 Frontier Crew cab anyway and I bit the bullet and got a '11 Ram 2500 Mega Cab with the Hemi. Not a diesel fan and didn't need it for this rig. In fact it tows it so well I feel confident about going up in trailer size if the need ever arose. I chose the 2500 over the 1500 because even though the tow ratings are similar the payload is much higher and we like to haul a lot of stuff. It may be a bit of overkill but after two trailers and two vehicle swaps to support the camping process over the last year and a half I was ready to put this issue to bed once and for all. Thanks to everyone who contributed, it was all very helpful. At the end of the day my general rule of thumb from all this hands on experience is stay roughly 2000lbs below your vehicles stated tow limit and it will be a manageable, stress free ride. A big truck may give a bit more breathing room than that but the closer you get to the limit on any given vehicle the more you know it.

Mvander wrote:
As a wild guess you will probably be over on your suvs payload with the extra toung weight.

this is what many SUV owners fail to look at and only look at towing capacity numbers.
many v-8 SUV's have great tow capacity amounts BUT very low payload amounts once you subtract the weights of passengers, cargo, WDH and the trailer's tongue weight.

skipnchar wrote:
I"d recommend you wait until you have a problem before fixing it. Not likely you will notice much difference (or any difference) in trailer stability unless there is something wrong with the trailer. Fixing something before you even know if there is a problem is usually expensive.

Opting for a high end connection system is not always about fixing a problem. Many use it as added insurance, having the extra stability when things start to go wrong.

yeah the hensley type stuff is brutally expensive. have to check out the others. thx.

You can do it if you get a good hitch with built in sway control like the Equilizer 4pt or Reese Dual Cam. If you can go Hensley or Pro-ride that's a major leap forward but they're over 2 grand, but if the budget can take it go for it.