Big Tow towing vs. non-big tow

[ptgarcia]

Originally Posted by Nascarman

It really makes me mad that there is such confusion over this truck. We will add whatever we can to the truck to help keep it cool, but we don't plan on pulling more than 6k. We may even go to a HD truck. This may have been our first and only Titan. We love the truck, but Nissan and its sales people need to get their act together. Telling customers that every nissan on the lot can tow 9500 #'s is just pure crap.

J

Don't fool yourself into thinking other manufacturer's sale people are any more knowledgeable. Most sale people change dealerships more than I change underwear. When buying a new vehicle these days you need to do the research and know what your buying.

[Steamguy]

Originally Posted by Nascarman

<SNIP> It really makes me mad that there is such confusion over this truck. We will add whatever we can to the truck to help keep it cool, but we don't plan on pulling more than 6k. We may even go to a HD truck. This may have been our first and only Titan. <SNIP>
J

Forget about an HD truck for that size of a load: More money in gas and maintenance. Plus the things are beasts to drive and park. I've been there, done that. I have an '04 non-BT SE, and the truck does a great job of hauling my Arctic Fox 26J. It weighs 7000# hooked up to the truck and ready to go. This means that the tongue weight is on the truck, so the trailer actually weighs more.

Let me try to help demystify it here: I didn't do anything to mine for cooling, or otherwise mechanically prep it for towing other than having the dealer install all the BT stuff as part of the sale. It's got enough trans cooling and brakes to do the job adequately for you. By the way, when we bought ours, our only other choice was an LE that was about $6000 more, IIRC. (Oh, the price you pay for buying the first one in the area...)

Just tow in 4, forget about the stupid Tow Mode button, and you'll be fine. Period. Tow Mode on this truck doesn't "work right", in that it doesn't keep the trans out of OD, and have the torque converter attempt to stay locked as much as possible. Maybe Nissan will release a firmware update for it, but I'm not holding my breath.

I keep up on my maintenance for all the oils because I'm towing, but that's all I do that's out of the ordinary. The truck now has about 60,000 miles on it, and a lot of them are towing miles. I tow at about 58 MPH, so I'm not going so fast that I'm overstressing stuff, or trying to break the land speed barrier with that brick behind the truck.

A lot of dealers will tell you anything just to get you to buy. One guy actually told me that my old Dakota would tow this 29', 11,000# monster of a trailer.

Bet bet? Ask a question here and all of us will do our best to give you a straight answer.

Hope this helps.

[loufish]

I tow at about 58 MPH, so I'm not going so fast that I'm overstressing stuff, or trying to break the land speed barrier with that brick behind the truck.

Many people think if your not towing at 70-75 mph then the truck is underpowered...Thanks for the reality check...

[Steamguy]

Originally Posted by loufish

Many people think if you're not towing at 70-75 mph then the truck is underpowered...Thanks for the reality check...

No sweat. But after towing for many, many years, I have to ask the rhetorical question: WHY would you endanger the lives of your loved ones, not to mention people you don't know, by towing at those kinds of speeds?

Not trying to start a flame war, but instead trying to encourage safe driving.

[TheEagle]

Originally Posted by red_rider_elsinore

All titans have the tranny cooler, engine oil cooler, and tow/haul mode. The tow package just adds a tranny temp gauge, hitch, extendable mirrors ('cept XE models), lower gearing, and HD battery. You can add the hitch, a tranny temp gauge and mirrors no problems. The difficult part would be changing the gears. With what you're towing, go with the tow package.

Hey guys (and gals too... )
Second time Titan owner. My first one was a 2004 SE CC 4X4 Off-Road Pkg that I gave my dad because He needed it more than I did. Now I bought a 2007 XE KC 4X2. I got into a smaller pymnt and stuff but that's another story. My inquiry deals with this topic.....the towing.

The truck didn't come with the Tow Pkg but I did notice it had the same coolers my other one has, and like you guys said, it's minus the tranny temp gauge, extendable mirrors, lower gear ratio and factory hitch. I installed my own hitch and have pulled some serious weight and have had no problem whatsoever pulling anything. What I would like to do is add some towing accessories myself. One thing in particular would be the extendable mirrors. Do you guys know if the harness for the power mirrors is already in the truck even though my truck didn’t come with power mirrors? I ask this because I know ALL the Titans have the electric brakes harness ready for install and have the trailer lights harness ready for hookup when installing a hitch. I wonder if I were to pull off the door panel, would I find the harness already there, ready to bolt on extendable mirrors and connect the power portion of the mirrors. Now I know I would have to buy the selector switch assembly and stuff, but that isn’t a problem. If I knew the harness and hookups are already there, it would just be a matter of getting the rest of the parts.

The same goes for driving lites. I wonder if the harness is already run through the body. All you’d have to do is bolts the lights on and hook up the relay and switch inside. I’ve seen the OEM lamp kit with replaceable headlamp switch assembly that replaces the ld assembly on the steering column. Do any of you Titan owners know just how much of the pre-wired harness for optional stuff (like power mirrors, driving lites, etc) is already in the truck?

[Shizon]

I have an '05 XE, without the tow package, rated for 6500lbs. I tow a 21' Outback that weighs about 4000lbs unloaded. I am never at a loss for power. I do wish that I spent the extra $ and bought an SE with the tow package. As my family grows up I'll need a larger trailer and will then need a new truck. I have since added the alloy wheels, and towing mirrors. What I wish most for is the tranny temp guage.
Piece of mind would have been worth the extra cost.
Sean

[4wheelpeel]

I have the big tow with 4x4 and was pissed because I did not have the off road pkg because I thought it had a lowe gear ratio and the locker. is this true? I am buying the aftermarket eaton locker on it so if what I hear about gears I will be up on the folks with off road pkg.

[Curmudgeon]

I think there is an article on ClubTitan about hooking up power mirrors on a XE; doable but not trivial. Some folks just add the mirrors, but adjust them manually - I may go that way if I find the generic hook-on extended mirrors don't work well for me.

It should be pretty easy to add on an aftermarket trans temp guage, the only nuisance is to find a spot to mount it where it is easy to see.

The tow package and OR package have the same axle ratios. People have noted that the brake-based limited slip (ABLS) in the Trac package doesn't work all that well is some towing situations (like a boat ramp); there is another thread hear about it.

[4wheelpeel]

How could the not work better? you will get more traction thats better in any situation. I am plan to get a boat but have only towed with it once with it. If u have vdc on and your tires start spining the ecu throws on the brakes and kills the power. It sucks for snow and I am sure it would be bad on a wet boat ramp. if its a big boat on a steep wet ramp put it in 4lo turn the vdc off and pull it to dry ground. if your 4wd works you should be able to put it in drive and tow away! I hate the vdc!

[StuntDriver06]

Originally Posted by 4wheelpeel

I have the big tow with 4x4 and was pissed because I did not have the off road pkg because I thought it had a lowe gear ratio and the locker. is this true? I am buying the aftermarket eaton locker on it so if what I hear about gears I will be up on the folks with off road pkg.

big tow includes lower gear ratios... but not the locker... locker comes only with OR package...

[loufish]

WHY would you endanger the lives of your loved ones, not to mention people you don't know, by towing at those kinds of speeds?

So, me towing my 3000 lb tent trailer at 73 mph thru the desert hiway when it's pretty empty is endangering the lives of my loved ones?

I just get back from camping/riding 2 weeks ago up near Tracy Kalifornia. This is up by San Fransico...I was towing between 67-70 mph and NOT really passing people. The flow of the I-5 was closer to 80 mph, and I was putting my loved ones in danger because I wasn't keeping up...

Speed is relative...

[timid1]

Originally Posted by loufish

Speed is relative...

There is no relative speed limit for people who are tugging trailers. 55 mph is the max, chief.

[Learjet]

[quote=loufish]So, me towing my 3000 lb tent trailer at 73 mph thru the desert hiway when it's pretty empty is endangering the lives of my loved ones?
QUOTE]

I hope you replace the ST tires on the trailer, if you have them, which are only rated for 65 mph.

[myogeek]

I have read through this forum and seen that a truck requires the BT package to have the lower gear available. I purchased an '07 Crew Cab 4x4 OR and it came with the same gear offered in the tow package. This is part of the OR package. Not sure if this was a change from previous years. To my surprise, it also came with the heavy duty battery (710 CCA instead of the 650). If my truck also has the trans cooler, then I theoretically have full towing capacity minus trans temp visibility.

Taking additional advice from here, I purchased an after market hitch (hidden hitch 70530) from etrailer and the wiring package (30608). My wiring package came with all 3 relays so I did not have to buy the 3rd one from the dealership. Total spent with free shipping was $190. Installed it myself without a problem. I did have to buy a couple of screws from Home Depot to mount it to the underside of the bumper though.

Thanks for all of the good info

[AF-Medic]

Originally Posted by Steamguy

No sweat. But after towing for many, many years, I have to ask the rhetorical question: WHY would you endanger the lives of your loved ones, not to mention people you don't know, by towing at those kinds of speeds?

Not trying to start a flame war, but instead trying to encourage safe driving.

So you can hurry up and get there. You tow at 55 in Alaska you will get run over or shot at.You better leave at midnight. Drive as fast as your comfortable.