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.

[BurbMan]

AJ143camping wrote:
OK, what is your opinion on this one FLAGSTAFF MICRO LITE 23LB

It is 23' 4830lbs GVWR
Dry is 3704lbs
Hitch: 430

Better match for your Pathfinder IMO. It's not just about weight, as was stated, aerodynamics of a high-sided trailer and the length of the trailer vs the wheelbase of the TV all contribute to how well the TV controls (or fails to) the trailer.

Weights also depend on what you plan to carry in the truck...the truck carries the tongue weight of the trailer as part of its cargo. Since it's just you, sweetie and the dog, you'll likely be OK. Where folks run into trouble is adding the kids and a bunch of gear in the back, leaves little if any room for tongue weight.

Nice trailer by the way, our 2000 Mallard had a similar floor plan.

[rowekmr]

x2
I did this on my maiden voyage and realized that taking everything incl the kitchen sink had me heavier than I wanted to be.

petendoll wrote:
Whatever you do be sure to visit the scales before heading out. You might be surprised how much you loaded in the trailer.

[AJ143camping]

I could not find the sticker that your said. All I found was what I had posted previously.

[DaveF-250SD]

OP, what is the payload capacity of your Pathfinder? It is located on a sticker inside the door jamb. You have provided the axle weight ratings, and GVWR, but have not listed the payload capacity.

[petendoll]

Whatever you do be sure to visit the scales before heading out. You might be surprised how much you loaded in the trailer.

[AJ143camping]

ok, So if look for a TT with a GVWR under 4800lbs, and keep it under 24' I should be ok. 80% of my towing capacity is 4800lbs

The Flagstaff 23lb should be ok with a WDH and I were to pack light. My wife dog and I weight under 300 lbs combined and the car will be relatively empty since most thing will be in the camper. At the most another 50 lbs of cargo.

I learned that peak 295ftlbs TQ on the Pathfinder is at 4k RPMS. Only when needed will I go that high or I will just slow down to keep it there.

Thank you for all the input.

[marquette]

Have you looked at Ameri-lite trailers? I'm not sure how far they will get you below the 3000 lb dry / 5000 lb wet weight but they have several 7 ft wide trailers that will lower wind drag. Aero-lite had some 7 ft wide trailers but I don't know if they still do. To drop 5-800 lbs to get comfortably inside your tow ratings will usually require a trailer with a dinette/bed combo rather than a permanent bed. Hybrids and tent trailers will offer some options but they still don't have permanent beds. If you are not looking directly at the physical trailer but at a brochure or on line be-careful on what they are including it the listed weight. Refrigerator size, oven, A/c etc. all affect weight. We looked at a trailer that was listed at 1700 lbs. But it turned out that was with no cook top (it had a 1 burner hot plate), no propane hook up at all, no sink or water tanks, a electric space heater and a compact 110v dorm fridge. So as we added the necessary items to make it a use-able camper it jumped to almost 2200 lbs. I know that was an extreme case but it was a lesson learned to read the fine print and not just look at the picture.

[glkids2]

Agree with everything said above with your declared intentions of cross country traveling depending on your routes you will climb some good grades and down the other side. With the rig/setup you are suggesting it will make for some cross your fingers moments.IMHO for that kind of traveling I would either go to a smaller trailer(16-18) or larger TV

[rowekmr]

I have never driver a Pathfinder but I am assuming it is in the similar territory as other lighter SUVS as far as weight, suspension, drivetrain power and braking.

I have towed my TT with many different 3/4 trucks and 1 ton van looking for the right combination but I also had 2 Explorers (98 and 06) that I towed smaller trailers with that I also towed with the bigger trucks. I don't discount the smaller brothers to the 1/2 ton SUV's (Expedition/Tahoe) when they are properly configured and the trailer is within allowable parameters. If you do not exceed the available payload of your truck (GVWR minus actual empty weight=payload), hitch and tire (esp if passenger rated) and frontal surface areas that will be in the owners manual (or towing guide) I think they perform well. Many times for the medium weight and smaller trailer I preferred towing with my Explorers which racked up many miles towing with no issues. I preferred the creature comforts, smaller size and tighter turning radius and with my Explorer with the 4.6L (292 hp) I preferred the acceleration and braking compared to 00 Excursion and E350 both V10's. Funny thing even though I was closer to the limit of my ratings with the Explorer compared to the V10 which was rated much higher the power/efficiency of my drivetrain allowed me better mpg's for the same load.

You mention your tow rating but realize they are calculated for typical trailers like boat, auto or small cargo NOT a TT. Whereas a auto transport trailer that weighs 5,000 loaded might have a tongue weight of 500# (10%) a typical TT that weighs 5,000 might have a tongue weight of 750# (15%) or more if you loaded cargo in the front where they typically have the storage compartment. So for the same trailer weight (5,000#) you will have to deduct an extra 250# (750 vs 500) a 50% increase from available payload as they mentioned earlier you will run out of payload way before you ever get close to your theoretical tow rating in these lighter vehicles with a loaded TT.

I also want to disagree to what was mentioned earlier. WD when installed correctly and used with properly loaded trailers put more weight on the front tires AND work towards leveling the truck (sag) and trailer (tongue sag). Look at the WD hitch ads and videos and you will see they compare a TV and TT without WD with the sag vs with the WD hitch and they are level. That is how mines was installed and how I adjusted it to maintain a close as level stance. And the air suspension can accomplish leveling the vehicle although I prefer WD for the task because it is designed to do that while putting more weight on the front (for improved braking and steering). I had a 03 Navigator that I would turn off air suspension to hitch (it deflates) and I would hook up everything including the WD bars and the tongue weight would cause the deflated rear to sag even more but once I turned on the system it would inflate the rear bags and the truck would be level. I believe by leveling you are not transferring weight to the front but you are not allowing more weight to leave the front from the rear sagging low too. Like drag cars use soft rear springs and shocks so the rear sits low at the point of traction I believe that by sitting low the front looses even more weight. Now on the other extreme my Explorer with the WD installed with my heavy TT still sagged to the ground (don't ask me how I know) because the WD system and suv suspension was not designed for that load.

The only thing I would add is the shorter wheel base might not handle the sway from crosswinds as well so you might want to camp the day the winds are blowing across the highway briskly instead of driving through them. Already mentioned was the headwind and aerodynamic drag slowing them down but it slows me down as well in the larger diesels but with their higher torque they tend to stay in OD but those V8's will downshift more often (higher rpm's) to handle the drag which means to more fuel flow (less mpg's). I think everything is about balance so if you can find a trailer size/weight that fits into your TV limitations you will enjoy the experience.

In my Explorer that had a towing rating of 7.2K that I towed at (and more) I set my personal limit of 5k loaded if I ever bought/towed a TT.

[AJ143camping]

OK, what is your opinion on this one FLAGSTAFF MICRO LITE 23LB

It is 23' 4830lbs GVWR
Dry is 3704lbs
Hitch: 430

[jerem0621]

There is a huge difference in towing a flat utility trailer at 6,000 lbs and a Travel a Trailer at 4,000 lbs. the huge difference is aerodynamics. Aerodynamics require horse power to overcome, unfortunately for cars like yours and mine, our peak HP happens in the upper RPM band.

People get all worked up about towing uphill. That is only a small % of a typical RV trip...however you can face a strong headwind for DAYS depending on conditions and where you are towing, do you want to spend Days at 4500 RPM just to maintain speed because you are fighting aerodynamic drag.

Then there are other factors to consider.

How much weight is in the tow vehicle?
What is the rating on the receiver hitch itself?
Is the receiver even rated for weight distribution?

People here are not trying to discourage you, they are trying to help you understand the towing dynamics you are going to be dealing with when you tow a travel trailer.


I'm not saying you can't tow a travel trailer, I just want you to be informed of all the factors.

Thanks,

Jeremiah

[AJ143camping]

I just did a search and found out that most people don't like the Pathfinders for towing. I grew fond of Nissan since I towed my Wolfpup TT across the country and never had any issues. I got 180K miles towing with a boring CVT and not once did it fail me. I have recently towed my Wolfpup with my Pathy and I can keep right up with traffic. Transmission even goes to 5th and locks up at 65mph getting about 12.5 mpg.

Experience goes along way so I'm going to have to discount the ones I was looking at and go for something smaller. I'm def not changing TV

I'm Bummed. What the point of 6000lbs tow rating if I shouldn't get close to it.

[rexlion]

OP, do a search... there was a thread about this just last week. Someone with a '08 Pathy, IIRC, and just about every poster on that thread advised against it.

[IdaD]

bikendan wrote:
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.

I would guess he's working with 1200-1500 lbs of payload. That's pretty typical for a midsize SUV like the Pathfinder. My wife's Pilot is has a hitch rating of 500 lbs and an overall payload rating of just under 1500 lbs, and that's a crossover type SUV rather than a body on frame style like the Pathfinder.

From what I've seen the payload rating is often more of a hindrance on half ton pickups. I.e., a 1200 lb payload on an F150 rated to tow 10,000 lbs is going to be a bigger problem than a 1400 lb payload on a SUV rated to tow 6000 lbs.

[AJ143camping]

Sonic SN220VBH: Dry is 4200 dry, Hitch Weight: 390, Carrying Capacity: 1000
Passport Expresss238ml, Dry: 3753lbs Hitch Weight: 495lbs Carrying capacity: 1647lbs

As far as my car goes this is what is listed on the door

GVWR: 6000LB
GAWR FR: 2775LB
GAWR RR: 3500LB