How heavy should I tow?

blindcoyote · 05-07-2008, 08:48 PM

Just bought a 2008.5 Titan 4x4 short bed. It does not have a tow package (couldn't afford the upgrade price). What would you recommend as a maximum camp trailer weight that I should attempt to tow. My Titan does have a transmission temperature gauge as well as the regular temperature gauge.

There are a lot of super light campers out their, but I'd like to have a gross trailer weight number in my head before I look at them.

I currently pull a 16 foot boat without much trouble.

Your input will be appreciated.

Rntmake3 · 05-08-2008, 07:32 AM

blindcoyote,
I am a rv saleperson and a seasoned rv'er. I would "suggest" you stay between the 6500 to 7500 UVW (unloaded vehicle weight) but check with your dealer about the transmission cooler and setup. I have a 2004 model with the tow package and I can tow approximately 9400 to 9500 but I will not go over 8200 to 8500 lbs depending on the lengh of the trailer. The height, length and tongue weight of the trailer will also affect the towability. Make sure when towing a trailer at this much weight you purchase a weight distribution hitch and sway control. You will also need to install a brake controller to engage the trailer brakes. ( I am assuming you are not bumper towing the boat and have installed a receiver)

**HudsonValleyTitan** · 05-08-2008, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blindcoyote

Just bought a 2008.5 Titan 4x4 short bed. It does not have a tow package (couldn't afford the upgrade price). What would you recommend as a maximum camp trailer weight that I should attempt to tow. My Titan does have a transmission temperature gauge as well as the regular temperature gauge.

There are a lot of super light campers out their, but I'd like to have a gross trailer weight number in my head before I look at them.

I currently pull a 16 foot boat without much trouble.

Your input will be appreciated.

As mentioned already, you're limited to 6500 to 7400 LBS depending on model. The main thing you don't have that the tow package does is the lower tow gearing. All Titans have the tranny coolers and for 08.5, all but the XEs also have the tranny temp guage. I would have gone with the tow package seeing as it adds only a few hundred dollars to the price.
You can find some real nice "LITE" models that are a good size, or you can get a regular model TT in a smaller size and still be well within your towing weights. Good luck.

**Carbeaux** · 05-08-2008, 09:00 AM

Even though you didn't get the tow package, is your truck the Pro-4x type? It has the lower gears as well, and would put your towing weight at the higher limit.

**HudsonValleyTitan** · 05-08-2008, 10:15 AM

His is an SE.

**loufish** · 05-08-2008, 05:48 PM

It gets a little complicated at times to figure out what you can tow without going over any of the several weight limits...

For instance, the Titans tow rating of 9500 lbs ONLY applies if you have 1/2 tank of fuel and a single driver weighing 150 lbs. That same truck has a GVWR of 6400 lbs, and if the truck is in fact loaded to 6400 lbs, the tow rating drops to 8200 lbs...

The "correct" way to determine what weight trailer you can really tow is to figure out what your truck will weigh loaded up for a trip, less the tongue weight....

Lets say with wife, kids and you, your truck weighs 5900 lbs, that leaves about 500 lbs of capacity for tongue weight. Now since the tongue weight should be between 10-12 %, multiply the tongue weight by about 8...
500 x 8 = 4000 lbs...if you go with 10% tongue weight, you can tow about 5000 lbs...

So with 5000 lbs towing, you will NOT go over the trucks GVWR of 6400 lbs , and you will not exceed the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight (GCVW=max weight of truck and trailer) of 14,600 lbs...

If you want to tow a 6000 lb trailer, you need to figure in the tongue weight first, then see how much truck cargo capacity you have left.
It doesn't sound right at first, after all you have all this trailer rating, but since 1/2 ton trucks lack truck capacity, the actual tow rating drops fast.

This is why I recommend loading everything you can into the trailer, it leaves more capacity for the truck.

Does this help?

**HudsonValleyTitan** · 05-08-2008, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loufish

It gets a little complicated at times to figure out what you can tow without going over any of the several weight limits...

For instance, the Titans tow rating of 9500 lbs ONLY applies if you have 1/2 tank of fuel and a single driver weighing 150 lbs. That same truck has a GVWR of 6400 lbs, and if the truck is in fact loaded to 6400 lbs, the tow rating drops to 8200 lbs...

The "correct" way to determine what weight trailer you can really tow is to figure out what your truck will weigh loaded up for a trip, less the tongue weight....

Lets say with wife, kids and you, your truck weighs 5900 lbs, that leaves about 500 lbs of capacity for tongue weight. Now since the tongue weight should be between 10-12 %, multiply the tongue weight by about 8...
500 x 8 = 4000 lbs...if you go with 10% tongue weight, you can tow about 5000 lbs...

So with 5000 lbs towing, you will NOT go over the trucks GVWR of 6400 lbs , and you will not exceed the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight (GCVW=max weight of truck and trailer) of 14,600 lbs...

If you want to tow a 6000 lb trailer, you need to figure in the tongue weight first, then see how much truck cargo capacity you have left.
It doesn't sound right at first, after all you have all this trailer rating, but since 1/2 ton trucks lack truck capacity, the actual tow rating drops fast.

This is why I recommend loading everything you can into the trailer, it leaves more capacity for the truck.

Does this help?

Needlessly complicating. No idea who sold you on the 1/2 tank of gas and 150 LB driver thing but....lol....ok. Load that baby up! These trucks are made to take a lot more than their weight limits reveal. Those are guidelines at best....there to cover the manufacturers butt. I've been towing an 8500 LB TT (at least), wife and 3 kids with a bed loaded with gear for years now. Never a problem.

**loufish** · 05-08-2008, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Needlessly complicating. No idea who sold you on the 1/2 tank of gas and 150 LB driver thing but....lol....ok. Load that baby up!

That's the formula used by many manufactures, it's not the "law" but is commonly used.
My truck has a GCVW of 14,600 lbs, and a max tow rating of 9500 lbs, subtract the two and you have a truck that should only weigh 5100 lbs...How much do you think an empty Titan weighs? I read around 4800 lbs here and there, so that puts my example real close.

I know many people overload their truck, but I just wanted to educate many who may have never seen how it's computed "by the numbers"...

I'm in the market for a TT with a GVWR of no more then about 6000 lbs, and pretty sure I'll be right at or 100 lbs over my trucks GVWR...

blindcoyote · 05-09-2008, 12:08 AM

thanks for the info. Hey, are you near Aniston? My family is going there in June for my son's wedding. He's marrying an Alabama girl.

blindcoyote · 05-09-2008, 12:11 AM

thanks. our dealer only had the tow package on really "loaded" Titans so the cost would have been $2000 or $3000 more. guess I should have shopped out of town. Does my truck have the same transmission cooling as the trucks with the tow package? I know the gear ratio is different.

blindcoyote · 05-09-2008, 12:13 AM

no. it's not the pro x model. thanks.

blindcoyote · 05-09-2008, 12:15 AM

I'm a math teacher, but I'm still going to have to study your post for a while. Thanks a lot!

**loufish** · 05-09-2008, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Does my truck have the same transmission cooling as the trucks with the tow package? I know the gear ratio is different.

Yes, all the Titans have the same excellent cooling package including an auxiliary trans cooler in addition to the standard trans cooler in the radiator.
Most non- tow Titans are rated to tow about 7200 lbs...

bfrank · 05-09-2008, 10:20 AM

Well Nissan's website says 7,400lbs. That about lines up with what everyone else has been saying. From what I'm reading on this website the most important thing to do is keep an eye on your tranny temp gauge and if it starts to rise then drop it out of D and into 4. That'll bring the temp back down.

What are you looking to tow? Do you already own something or are you going to buy a TT?

blindcoyote · 05-11-2008, 08:30 PM

I'm thinking about buying a camp trailer in a year or so, but I want to have a weight range in mind before I start looking.