Towing 5200lbs with a 06 Nissan Pathfinder

[AJ143camping]

Hello all, I am currently considering purchasing a travel trailer and will be towing with my 06 Nissan Pathfinder LE 4x4. The Pathfinder has a max towing capacity of 6000lbs and a max tongue of 600lbs. Obviously I want to stay as far below that as possible but with what I want on my next TT I might be getting close to the max . I am considering either the Passport 238ml or the Sonic 220BH with the Sonic being my first choice. The car has Airlift bags, and trailer brake controller. I might have to purchase a WDH but only if needed depending on how much it squats with the airlift bags. My concern is that 5400lbs is max on the Sonic. Dry on the Sonic is 4200. Is it realistic to think I will be maxing out the payload capacity of the TT to 5400lbs? It's my wife, my small dog and myself, only bringing what we need nothing extra.

The car is 270hp and 291 ftlbs of torque at 4000 rpms

I'm plan to travel across the country with it.

[bikendan]

you hsven't provided us with the "dry" tongue weights of either trailer.
that is what will be a bigger issue, especially when you look at the Nissan's payload capacity.
that 600lbs. hitch capacity is probably rated with only the driver in the car. anything or anyone else will lower that capacity.
so also post what the Nissan's payload capacity from the driver's door sticker.

most SUV's fall short in payload capacity, WAAAYY before they get near their towing capacity.

[AJ143camping]

OK I will always look at the GVWR thanks.

This is odd but the GVWR on the Sonic is 5200lbs (less than the Passport)

To be more specific i'm looking at the 2015 Sonic SN220VBH

[Campfire_Time]

AJ143camping wrote:
ok, I will definitely get a WD hitch. The dealer and manual specify to have one when towing over 5000lbs.

Looks like the Sonic is a bit much for my car.

How about the Passport? It is 3900+- dry

I just looked it up. I see no trouble with this one.

BTW, ignore the dry weights. You'll never tow a trailer at it's dry weight. In fact, when you take delivery on it it'll weigh more than the published dry weight. Use the GVWR as your planning number. In the case of the Passport it's 5400#. While it will probably weigh less than that loaded, your towing weight will be far closer to 5400# than 3900#.

Have fun, you are doing the right thing by checking all this out.

[AJ143camping]

ok, I will definitely get a WD hitch. The dealer and manual specify to have one when towing over 5000lbs.

Looks like the Sonic is a bit much for my car.

How about the Passport? It is 3900+- dry

[ib516]

That's not a combo I would want to take across the country. I think you'll find it pretty underpowered.

[Campfire_Time]

AJ143camping wrote:
I might have to purchase a WDH but only if needed depending on how much it squats with the airlift bags.

You do not use a W/D hitch to reduce rear end squat. Even with weight distribution you will still have some rear end squat. You use W/D to put weight back on the front wheels, the steering control, for your safety. Trust me, it's no fun towing a trailer down the road at 60mph with reduced steering control. Check your owners manual, you might have a specification for this. For example with GM trucks and full size SUVs, the front fender height must be brought back to stock level when using a W/D hitch.

Air bags help level your vehicle and provide for a nicer ride when hauling a load or towing a trailer. Air bags DO NOT put weight back on the front wheels.

SUVs have soft suspensions to make them ride more like cars. That generation of Pathfinder probably has bit tougher suspension than most SUVs do though. That said a trailer of that weight will require a W/D hitch. I use a W/D with my 1/2 ton PU (much stiffer suspension than your Pathfinder) and my trailer is about 500# lighter than yours is.

The 80% is an OK general rule, but you really need to understand all the numbers. What's your payload? It's on a sticker in the driver door. If your payload is 1100#, you have to subtract the weight of the tongue, potentially 676# at 13% of 5200. That leaves you with only 424# left for your passengers, your dog, and anything else in your vehicle. You also have to subtract the weight of of the W/D hitch.

This total also gets subtracted from your towing capacity. So if your passengers and stuff weigh 500#, then your towing capacity is now 5500#. So now you are over 90% of your capacity. Personally I think you'd be safer and more comfortable with a smaller trailer than you are looking at. Especially since you are considering cross country trips. For local stuff, within a few hundred miles and flat terrain, you'd be fine.

[AJ143camping]

Thanks for the input. I made an edit on my first post to clarify that the dry wight on the Sonic Trailer is 4200lbs. If I add an extra 1000 lbs I will still be 800lbs below max of my Pathfinder. I have been reading on the forums and a rule of thumb is to take the max towing of the vehicle and only tow 80% of that. if I were to purchase the Sonic and load it to the max I would be at 86.5%. (that is IFI load it to max)

[naturist]

should you decide to go with the Pathfinder as your TV (and I have no basis for an opinion on that issue), do be sure to find out if a WDH is even ok with the mfg. I know that many European vehicles such as my BMW X5 the mfg says in no uncertain terms "do NOT use any WDH equipment." I'm not sure about the Japanese in general or Nissan in particular. Just trying to make sure you find out before you try to go that route.

[mleekamp]

I think you'd find the pathfinder to be wholly inadequate to tow 5200 lbs. That weight is dry...no clothes, food, water, etc. For rough estimates, add 1,000 lbs to 5200.

Either think pop-up camper or a different tow vehicle.

Bottom line: It may pull it down the road, but SAFELY is the key. I don't think it would do it safely for you, your passengers, or others on the road.