Towing question

[Gilgamesh]

Hey all, I ahave a queston about towing with my new Titan. No towing for 500 miles, I know that, and I probably will not until after 1200, but what is this no towing over 50mph for the first 500 miles of towing?

I am going to tow my G35 (3500 lbs) on a Uhaul trailer (1000-1500 lbs) This fits under the what the truck can tow (I have big tow) What I want to know is, do I really need a load leveling hitch? U-Haul says not to use one, and when I pulled one of these combos before, on an F350 PSD, I just had a hitch and pulled it...period...no mess. I think the Titan should be able to just fine without a weight dist. hitch, but I want to make sure...what do you all think?

[vansd1]

the weight you are towing is no issue, its the tounge weight you need to be worried about. just hook it up, it will drop the truck a little bit but it shouldnt bottom it out. if it drops is to much u need load leveling. we cant tell you if you need it or not because we dont know what the tounge weight will be. if its a car trailer that you can position the car on just keep it towards the back and give yourself 500 or so lbs tounge weight and you will be good.

[Steamguy]

Originally Posted by Gilgamesh

Hey all, I ahave a queston about towing with my new Titan. No towing for 500 miles, I know that, and I probably will not until after 1200, but what is this no towing over 50mph for the first 500 miles of towing?

I am going to tow my G35 (3500 lbs) on a Uhaul trailer (1000-1500 lbs) This fits under the what the truck can tow (I have big tow) What I want to know is, do I really need a load leveling hitch? U-Haul says not to use one, and when I pulled one of these combos before, on an F350 PSD, I just had a hitch and pulled it...period...no mess. I think the Titan should be able to just fine without a weight dist. hitch, but I want to make sure...what do you all think?

Gilgamesh,

The no towing over 50 for 500 is because the rings haven't seated properly in the engine yet. It's to keep the heat loading down on the engine so that things don't get too hot in relation to each other. Heat = expansion, and if the rings haven't seated, the expanding pistons will force them to dig into (score) the cylinder walls, and presto: a Ford. The engine will use oil forever.

Case in point: when I was a Journeyman, the City had gotten this new '72 Caprice cop car. It wasn't broken in yet, was being used only in town until it hit its break-in miles. But the officer got involved in a high-speed chase and yup, he scored the cylinders. The engine did not ever make good power nor did it ever run really well due to all the bypass gas; plus it used oil at the same rate as the '69 Ford sedan they had. Of course the City just ran it that way until the wheels fell off; why rebuild a new engine...

On your towing, the truck will handle it well; make SURE you load the front of the trailer heavy and this will cause it to track much better. With that kind of value and weight on the trailer, you really want to have trailer brakes if you can get them.

[Gilgamesh]

Steam,

Thanks for the input. So if I just put the 1200 miles on the truck before towing, (as was the plan anyway) I am ok to tow above 50? I think I should be, or do I still need to keep it under 50 for the first 500 miles of actual towing?

I have pulled this comobe before, you HAVE to front load the trailer, to be able to secure the car to it...also, the trailer does have in toungue hydraulic brakes, not my favorite, but without an aftermarket brake controller, certainly the best method, IMHO. The only thing I don't like about the setup is they have one of those hitches you screw down...ugh.

Also, front loaded, I needn't worry about a special hitch...I can just slap on the trailer and go? Guys pull their RX-7's and such out to these events (granted they are lighter than a G35, but still) on old Nissan harbodies, just fine...the road is really mild..only a few nasty bumps, no real bends...and a few grades.

[Steamguy]

Originally Posted by Gilgamesh

Steam,

Thanks for the input. So if I just put the 1200 miles on the truck before towing, (as was the plan anyway) I am ok to tow above 50? I think I should be, or do I still need to keep it under 50 for the first 500 miles of actual towing?

<snip>

Also, front loaded, I needn't worry about a special hitch...I can just slap on the trailer and go? Guys pull their RX-7's and such out to these events (granted they are lighter than a G35, but still) on old Nissan harbodies, just fine...the road is really mild..only a few nasty bumps, no real bends...and a few grades.

Gilgamesh,

You're doing just what I did... Every night I drove the LONG way home to rush to get some miles on the truck. Believe me, you're better off doing it like this. I've got about 17,000 on my truck now, and just plain no problems. Until I got about 3,000 on the engine (I'm old-fashioned) I kept my foot off the floor - the Titan would pull my trailer just fine anyway up most grades at 3/4 throttle. And I have a 6500# trailer. So what if you slow down a little... you will not harm the engine by taking it a little easy anyway.

Best advice on towing with a new engine: make REAL sure it's thoroughly warmed up before you hit the highway; don't try to pass everything in sight, and just pretend it has less horsepower until it's thoroughly broken in and on that second change of oil.

As far as the car trailer.... You can just hook 'er up and go. Agree with you that surge brakes aren't the best, but they are 'WAY better than nothing!

I have an SE, and have been really pleasantly surprised: I haven't had to change shock absorbers for towing. The last 4-5 trucks, I had to do so.

[Gilgamesh]

Steam,

Thanks again, there will be at LEAST 1200 on the truck by then...the frist oil change will come at 1000 miles...(what was that about being old fashioned?)

I am a firm believer in the no revving for 1200 miles...I followed the same rule in the coupe...Nissan wants their motors babied, for sure. The coupe has been great so far...just a little rear axle tick that has since been taken care of.

The event I want to tow to is an HPDE Oct 8/9.

I HATE carrying a full set of tires in the back of the coupe, along with all my tools. I've done it but its so much easier with a truck...just throw all the wheels and tires and tools in the bed and hook up the trailer and roll. Next will be a trailer with real brakes, when I can afford that, until then...UHaul rentals baby...

The no going over 50 is mostly for my own sanity...its a 120 mile drive....