Nissan Armada Tow

lb7677 wrote:

mikeinaz wrote:
I have a question for any Armada owners. Considering buying a new one and coming from a 2013 Dodge Durango w/ the Hemi. The Dodge has more HP and about the same TQ but Im down a bit on payload so nee to upgrade and am just not a 'truck' guy. The Armada has about 1500# payload which would be fine for me. I have a 26' TT that's about 6200# loaded w/ less than 800# tongue weight. So how does it do towing on hills? Its less HP than my Durango and has one less gear in the transmission so as I tow through mountains, I am worried it may have to hunt around for the right gear and be winding out at higher RPM's for longer periods of time. Looking for some real world experience from any owners who can shed some light. Thanks!

Hi MikeinAZ, I have a 2008 Armada and tow a TT with about the same weight as yours, with a little more length (30ft). I live in the Phoenix area as well so you may be talking about the same hills that I have towed through many times; for me it is primarily from Phoenix to the Mogollon Rim area or Flagstaff area. I find that the Armada does need to work quite a bit to get up the long hills, running high revs and bouncing between gears if you want to keep it above 50mph. Furthermore there have been two occasions during the summer that I've had to turn off the air conditioner because my engine temperature started to shoot up. Granted this is AZ we're talking about but that's some real world experience.

For your comparison, I don't have any 1/2 ton pickup towing experience to compare it against, but prior to the Armada I had a 2006 F-250 diesel and towed the exact same trailer. It could go 80+ mph straight up those same hills without blinking an eye but that's not a fair comparison :)

Thanks for the feedback on your towing experience. We took the new camper up to the Rim this weekend and the Durango pulled it well. Of course there is one or two hills going and one on the way back that keep me under 60mph but its expected and most people go slow up those. I don't feel bad.

I did notice a bit of sway so I kept my speed at 65 or below but I think I will upgrade to a better WDH and sway control as the one I have is a EZ Lift and was great for my 23' HTT but this longer and heavier TT needs a bit more stability I think. Also the Durango's shorter wheelbase does not help. I LOVE my Durango but think the larger payload of the Armada as well as the ability to go offroad a bit will still cause me to pull the trigger. My Durango is the R/T so it has that more aggressive look which is not conducive to going down service roads w/ rocks kicking back up the rocker panels. There is always a give and take in trying to pick the right tow vehicle and having the best day to day vehicle you enjoy.