Nissan Frontier & Fun Finder 189FBR

[penguin149]

Well, here I am 3 years after moving due to a job change; selling my beloved Keystone Bobcat 293EBS and Ford F150. The RV fever has got me again!. My current TV is a 2012 Nissan Frontier SV crewcab with the 4.0L V6 2WD and factory tow package. I've been looking for a TT that will fit this truck and have found a 2006 Fun Finder 189FBS. It is not the "X" series but instead has the aluminum skin and wood frame construction. The hitch weight is listed at 240# with a UVW of 2325#. Less than 60 square feet of frontal area. My trips would be a couple of hours, with few mountains (KY, TN, etc.) and an occasional 8 hour trip to a football game.

Now for the questions!

Anyody with experience pulling a TT of this size & weight with a Froniter?

Any experiences with the Fun Finder?

Am I missing anything?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

[Bigbird65]

I have about 800 miles on the RAM and I'm very happy with the performance of the engine and transmission. The gears in the transmission are close ratio and the shifting is so smooth that the only thing you notice is a 500 rpm drop on the tachometer. The engine is incredible also and has been getting around 21 in mixed driving and 27 - 28 mpg on highway only driving. I got the 3.21 rear end instead of the 3.55 because most of my driving is without trailer.

After looking at a lot of trailers we chose the Minnie because of the quality and features. I really like the slide out for the couch. The ducted air for the air conditioner seems to be a very good idea. We live in Texas so a good air conditioner is a must.

There were a lot of new Minnies locally but we ordered so that we could get the right color combo. It is a white one with the Java interior. I'll post a photo when we get it. Got to 12 degrees here last night.

[SWVANewbies]

We have been out a few more times and the Nissan V6 still seems up to the task, but I don't push it. We can maintain 60 to 65 on level ground and somewhere around 11 mpg. I usually have the tanks empty, but on our last leg, the tanks weren't full so I didn't drain them. I think the weight didn't matter much, but it did seem to increase trailer stability, possibly by lowering the center of gravity.

I'll be interested to hear your Ram experience as we are wondering what we will do next year when our lease is up. We wondered about a Grand Cherokee or Ram with the 8 speed transmission.

[Bigbird65]

SWVANewbies wrote:
I'm optimistic and hopeful that you all are correct. I just bought a Minnie Winnie towable 21Ft, dry weight about 3900 lbs. We towed it once so far with our 2012 4wd Pathfinder V6. We made our maiden voyage from Winston-Salem, NC over to Boone, in part to see how it would do on the few really steep grades on Hwy 421. It does have a Reese weight distribution hitch.

I towed with O/D off at about 62 mph, 2400 rpm, which is about the same rpm as cruising at 70 in overdrive. It seemed pretty stable and comfortable. On the really steep grades, I let it find its own way. It dropped back as far as 35 mph at one point, but only about 3,000 rpm and did not seem to strain. The the temp was in the low 80's and not much headwind. We definitely plan to keep the loads light, even though the GVWR of the trailer is under the 6,000 lbs.

I'm wondering if CVTs will eventually be reliable enough to pick the right RPM for each load situation.

Glad I found this site. I have a Minnie Winnie 2101DS on order. It may arrive this week as it was completed at the factory on 2/25/14. I'll be pulling it with a 2014 RAM 1500 with a 3.6L V6 rated at 305 HP and 269 foot pounds torque. The transmission is an 8 speed auto with tow/haul mode. Rear end is 3.21. The trailer weighs 3800 dry so it is well within the tow capacity rating of 4800 pounds for this truck. The truck pulls my 2200 pound trailer very well.

Do you have any experience with your Minnie, since you have had it for a while, that you would like to share?

[dakasa47]

we love our 2007 21ft Funfinder. We have traveled all over the country in it since we bought it. Have fun with it.

[marc515]

We have a 2011 Heartland MPG-181 which has a GVWR of 3,800 Lbs., and tow it with our 2011 Nissan Pathfinder, which has a V6. The Pathfinder tows it just fine.

[SWVANewbies]

I'm optimistic and hopeful that you all are correct. I just bought a Minnie Winnie towable 21Ft, dry weight about 3900 lbs. We towed it once so far with our 2012 4wd Pathfinder V6. We made our maiden voyage from Winston-Salem, NC over to Boone, in part to see how it would do on the few really steep grades on Hwy 421. It does have a Reese weight distribution hitch.

I towed with O/D off at about 62 mph, 2400 rpm, which is about the same rpm as cruising at 70 in overdrive. It seemed pretty stable and comfortable. On the really steep grades, I let it find its own way. It dropped back as far as 35 mph at one point, but only about 3,000 rpm and did not seem to strain. The the temp was in the low 80's and not much headwind. We definitely plan to keep the loads light, even though the GVWR of the trailer is under the 6,000 lbs.

I'm wondering if CVTs will eventually be reliable enough to pick the right RPM for each load situation.

[GrWhiteNorth]

I tow with a V6 Pathfinder (2009) which has the same engine. My trailer is heavier 3500# dry and the truck handles it quite well. I definitely know when I am on a grade of any kind, but cruise down the hwy great.

I think you will be good.

[profdant139]

I towed a small Fun Finder for seven years with a Pathfinder on some of the most difficult roads in North America. No problem. Yes, the transmission cooler did fail, but Nissan said that this was a manufacturing defect and was covered by a recall. Otherwise, it was steady as a rock.

Having said that, I now have a Tacoma -- my mechanic said that they were even more reliable than Nissan. We will see -- so far, so good.

[facory]

We have a 2008 FunFiner Xtra and pull it with the F150. I think you will find that FunFinders tow very well. All I use is a Reese anti-sway bar and have never had a problem with interstate travel. Your set up sounds just fine and should give you a lot of pleasure.

[goducks10]

I towed a 4050lb loaded TT with an 06 Frontier 2wd 4.0 AT. It wasn't the best experience. But your TT is smaller/lighter so IMO you should do just fine. You will enjoy the compact nature of your setup as lots of CG's have small spots that limit larger rigs from using. Have fun.

[coolestdude]

In my opinion, sounds like you got it covered! Go find your fun.

Happy Trails!

[ghaindle]

penguin149 wrote:
Well, here I am 3 years after moving due to a job change; selling my beloved Keystone Bobcat 293EBS and Ford F150. The RV fever has got me again!. My current TV is a 2012 Nissan Frontier SV crewcab with the 4.0L V6 2WD and factory tow package. I've been looking for a TT that will fit this truck and have found a 2006 Fun Finder 189FBS. It is not the "X" series but instead has the aluminum skin and wood frame construction. The hitch weight is listed at 240# with a UVW of 2325#. Less than 60 square feet of frontal area. My trips would be a couple of hours, with few mountains (KY, TN, etc.) and an occasional 8 hour trip to a football game.

Now for the questions!

Anyody with experience pulling a TT of this size & weight with a Froniter?

Any experiences with the Fun Finder?

Am I missing anything?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

I pulled my Fun Finder with a ford Explorer 4.0. Pulled fine, 12.5 to 13 mpg on a good day. About 10 mpg with a head wind.

[TPUC]

I towed a 21 foot Amerilite with my 2008 Crew Cab NISMO. It did fine as long as I ran about 60. I took it on several 2000 miles trips before moving to a Titan.

[ChooChooMan74]

In my opinion, you will be fine. Go find some fun!