Safely towing a 27ft tt with nissan frontier crew cab

It will tow it, but not well. I towed a 19' (23' actual) 3300 lbs dry TT with a ranger 4.0L. It does tow, but it was not easy driving. The truck is not heavy enough and the slightest winds from passing semis will enduce mild sway. Not really a fun way to start a vacation.

You could get by for a year or two for short trips. You WILL upgrade your truck if you buy this trailer though. It might be the first trip, it could be 3 years later when the transmission goes. The truck is just too small. Not enough payload, weight and the V6 is borderline powerful enough with the wind resistance.

I've been there and done that.

sunovertone wrote:
Hello! I would really like to purchase a r vision 23rbs trail light travel trailer. It has a 23 ft box and 27 ft from bumper to bumper. I have a 2010 nissan crew cab 6 cylinder frontier. It can tow 6100 pounds. I think the pay load is 1116 or so. The wheel base is 126. I know I can tow 24 ft with my wheel base, but, I would like to know if I can tow safely 27 ft. I do not think weight is an issue, the trailer only weighs 4000 dry. I really like my truck and really want this trailer, but just need to know if is ok combo!

The first question you need to ask yourself is, "do I want to stay within manufacturer stated limits, or am I one who believes those limits are just a suggestion" ??

If you are willing to go over the rear axle limit of the truck, then this can probably be rigged to pull ok, if you have reasonable expectations about how fast you can pull, etc. The key will be careful setup of a good weight distributing hitch and sway control and of course a good brake controller.
But....and this is caveat.... you will almost certainly be over the rear axle rating.
I pull a funfinder that is just under 4000 pounds with my '06 Frontier ( V6, crewcab, 6 speed manual ) and it pulls excellent. I also sometimes pull my horse trailer, which is about 4500 loaded, also pulls well. However, with these trailers I am getting very close to the trucks axle limits, so I would not want to pull more weight than these trailers.

Having said that, I was in Colorado a few weeks ago, and had a conversation with a fellow from Denver that was pulling a 5000 pound camper with a Honda Ridgeline, and he claimed it pulled very well, even at high altitude. I would not have guessed it would be a good combo, but maybe ? I'm sure he was over the trucks stated limits though, so take that for what it's worth.

Also, for what it's worth, regarding a Nissan Titan, as much as I like the looks of the truck, and Nissan in general, I probably would not recco one as a tow vehicle for a heavier trailer. There are other options in that class that are likely better suited ( as in, "all the other manufacturers", which would be Ford, Chevy, Ram and Toyota ).

EDIT: I just looked at the trailer website. They are claiming a dry weight of almost 4300, so in the real world, figure it's going to weigh around 5300 ready to camp. That will be a tongue weight of around 690 pounds when set up correctly.
And don't fall for people telling you put weight behind the trailer axles to lighten the tongue weight. Bad idea that can lead to an unstable and unsafe towing experience.

IMO it is less than adequate due to lack of payload, short wheebase, lack of stabilizing mass of the small truck and drag from the trailer frontal area

As always, weakest link governs all:

Tongue weight is your main limiter in this case, and that will be governed partly by your axle limits but mainly by your truck payload. Only your specific determination of the optimum number in that department will answer your question.

I think youll be fine... You have a little more truck them me and look what I pull.

Most important is the trans cooler. I fit the biggest one I could behind the grill.

If you have that tiny one that came with the truck replace it.

Otherwise your trans will not last long at all.


5500 tow rating...4100 trailer dry... WD hitch..

Truck only is 4900 GVWR with 2700 lb axles...

Now sway at all with double axle.

A frontier is a great litle pickup . I had one for my shop truck for several years.
I think there is too much overhang behind the trailer axles to make this a safe choice .
The Nissan has lots of zip for a compact truck . But the lighter weight that it is will be moved around pretty easily by the uncontrolled weight behind the trailer axles .
The frontier does not have enough payload to allow you to load the trailer nose heavy enough to eliminate the fishtailing .
You probably need a titan v8 to go to that 27 foot overall length . Another 800 pounds in the tow rig really helps.

I saw that the rvision 23rbs is rated 4500 lbs dry and 6100 gvw. I would estimate loaded with gear you would be about 5500 lbs, not 4000. The tongue weight is going to be over the 610 lb rating and bring you within 300-400 lbs. of your payload capacity. With a full tank of gas and two passengers, you'll be beyond the payload capacity.

Aside from the weight issue, I think that the 2 biggest issues you will face would be the truck's wheel base and the height of the travel trailer. With a light truck and short wheel base you will probably encounter sway issues with the tail wagging the dog. Also, given the height of the trailer acting like a huge brake you may have difficulty maintaining highway speeds. I am sure your truck would pull a 4000 lb cargo or flatbed trailer, but a travel trailer is much taller.

Have you considered payload for the truck compared with the likely tongue load based on loaded weight (or GVWR for staters). That is what will likely kill the deal. The truck will also be too close to the limit for my preference. Now let's see what others have to say.

Once you add 1000lbs of stuff and passengers, kids, dog, etc. you are going to be at the extreme end of your weight limit. Is it doable - Yes.