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Newbie question - Is a Titan the right choice?

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GeekSquad

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hi all,

Great forum! We currently have an 08 Pathfinder LE and have just bought a travel trailer. The Pathfinder won't be able to pull it so we're looking to upgrade to a new truck - question is, is a Titan the right choice (compared to say an F150 for example)? We both love the Pathfinder so going to another Nissan makes sense to us, as long as we can safely tow our trailer.

Length = 34'
Hitch Weight = 595 lbs
Dry Weight = 6,330 lbs
Cargo Weight = 2,715 lbs

As a newbie and a mechanical simpleton, please keep the answers as straight forward as possible. Anything complex and I won't be able to understand. :)

Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
A Titan with the towing package can pull it, for sure, but...

Those weights are the manufacturer's weights it looks like, and that's for a pretty stripped trailer so expect your real world numbers to be higher, perhaps quite a bit so and that's going to make it heavy and up there at the limits of the Titan's towing capacity. At the limits of any half ton's capacity, really. My honest suggestion would be to consider a little smaller trailer, or consider a 3/4 ton truck.

I'll admit that I'm very conservative when it comes to towing, and I'm one of those towing people that likes to keep my trailer at 75-80% of the capacity of the truck or less.

That hitch weight seems suspiciously low for a 34' trailer, and you can expect the real, unloaded weight of that trailer being more than 7k lbs. and probably closer to 7500 lbs. Then to that, add your gear and you're at 8500 lbs., and that's with dry tanks. Put water in any of the tanks and that trailer easily tops 10k. Just something to keep in mind.
 
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Discussion starter · #3 ·
Carbeaux said:
That hitch weight seems suspiciously low for a 34' trailer
Click to expand...
Not the first time I've heard that. I got the specs from the manufacturers website although I read somewhere that model comes with wider spacing of the axles which reduces the tongue weight.

Thanks for the info about the total weight. I figured we'd be around 9k loaded but you make a good point about the water tanks.

Thanks again.
 
#4 ·
There are really nice ultra-lites out there with slides that can give you plenty of room and keep you at more conservative numbers that that Titan can easily handle. Good luck! :)
 
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#6 ·
like carbeaux said that trailer you mentioned will be pushing if not exceeding the limits of the titans towing capacity.. possibly could think of getting a used 3/4 ton that you could use just to tow that and keep the pathfinder as a daily driver.
 
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#7 ·
Other things to consider: How far would you be towing? How often? Would you ever tow with wet tanks (I do not. Ever.) Over what kind of terrain will you be towing...hills, mountains, flat?

All of those would factor in to my decision as to whether a half ton truck is a viable option.

Short trips, flat terrain, always dry, and only a few times a year? I might consider it with a half ton. :dunno: So many factors to think about.
 
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Discussion starter · #8 ·
We're in Michigan and plan on exploring MI and neighboring states but mainly for short trips (ie around 3 - 4 days at a go), the terrain will for the most part be flat.

I don't plan on towing with wet tanks.
 
#9 ·
As far as 1/2 tons go, you wont really gain anything by choosing ford, dodge, nissan, yota etc.. tow capacity wise, theyre all around the same capacity give or take. I know the titan def has more balls than a 5.4 ferd. But you might want to consider a 3/4 if youre going to be pushing 1/2 ton limits. eh eh ehmm cummins 2500 crew cab eh em ehm
 
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#10 ·
Pack lightly, make sure it's a Titan with the lower towing gears, get a good W/D hitch such as the Equalizer or if a different type make sure you have a good anti-way setup. That long trailer is going to be a VERY big sail back there. And expect your mileage to range from 5-10 mpg.
 
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#12 ·
Just my opinion since we do not know the real weights of the trailer but I feel you will be over most half ton truck tow ratings. Let alone the up to 80% rule of thumb.

I would say stay away from 1/2 ton trucks with a trailer that size.

John
 
#13 ·
Is a Titan the right choice?
Click to expand...
Of course it is. If you weigh your options in the market, you will notice that after the Titan, there is nothing left to consider.
It is definitely right because it is not wrong.
 
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#14 · (Edited)
That is a pretty long trailer and will absolutely be a sail in the crosswind.

Compared to other 1/2 tons, the Titan will smoke the other guys. The brand new '11 Fords are pretty nice if you're thinking you are buying absolutely brand new—they just tossed their tow rating to just over 10K lbs.

If you go with a Titan, you definitely want the Big Tow gears.
You also want the OEM Class V hitch (standard with Big Tow package).
You will most definitely want a anti-sway W/D hitch. There are other options but you can't beat the Equal-i-zer.
And for that amount of length, a longbed truck would do you many favors (i.e. longer wheelbase). The '08 and up models can be had with CrewCabs AND longbeds BTW.

So here is what the guys are saying when you hear "think about a 3/4 ton."

- heavier pulling vehicle (heavy trailers feel much better with heavy trucks)
- longer wheelbase options (sorta, see the Titan longbed options)
- greater payload capacity (though made negligible by the weights you stated AND with a good W/D hitch)
- greater total pulling weight rating
- diesel motors get much better mileage under load (but sometimes made negligible with the increased purchase price of a diesel)

So, here's the thing. A lot of guys on here are very conservative with their towing numbers. Nothing wrong with that. But this trailer is yours so lets work with that. With those stated weights, if you pack extremely light, tow dry, and use a W/D hitch, you will be fine. You may also find that you need 3-4 trips down before you really feel like you dial in.

If you want the freedom to pack as you please, not really add up all the weekend supplies in your head, and not think hard in the driveway about where, how, and at which spot in the truck or trailer you put stuff, hopping up to a bigger truck makes sense.

The other thing, however, is that today's half tons have the same payload and weight ratings as 3/4 tons did ten years ago. So getting an older 3/4 ton truck (say a 2001 F250) might not do you all that many favors.

You would not be the first to tow something that big with a T, you will not be the last, buy you will need to be a very good driver. And you should be willing to experiment with different add ons to make you feel comfortable (after the W/D hitch, maybe it's airbags, maybe a sway bar, maybe stiff walled 10ply tires).

The Titan motor and tranny will pull the f*ck out of that thing no problem.
 
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#15 ·
I am towing a 33 foot 5700# dry sticker weight TT with my 05 Titan KC with Big Tow package. It also has the axles farther apart that I am told help with the tongue weight. The T pulls if great. If it is windy I def know that it is back there but I have a friction type sway control that helps out. I have to keep an eye on the speed because I have caught myself doing 70 on flat land and had to slow it down because the Titan just has that much power. Good luck and have fun camping. What type trailer did you get and post up some pics. You can see mine on my page.
 
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#16 · (Edited)
I think those specs are wrong... Dry Weight = 6,330 lbs with Hitch Weight = 595 lbs seems odd to me... My TT weighs around 6300-lbs loaded on the scales and has around 820-lbs actual hitch weight. It tows GREAT through heavy winds and mountains, by the way...

If you're asking about the Keystone Passport 3050BH that you were considering over on RV.net, the mfg specs are well within the capacity of a big tow packaged Titan or Armada... If it's actually anywhere close to those mfg specs, a Titan or Armada will tow it well... If it's closer to 7,000-lbs or more actual weight then a 3/4-ton would be much better.

3050BH Specifications
Shipping Weight 5706
Carrying Capacity 1694
Hitch 605
Length 32' 8
Width 8'
Height 10' 9
Fresh Water 30
Waste Water 30
Gray Water 30
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
Pops said:
I think those specs are wrong... Dry Weight = 6,330 lbs with Hitch Weight = 595 lbs seems odd to me... My TT weighs around 6300-lbs loaded on the scales and has around 820-lbs actual hitch weight. It tows GREAT through heavy winds and mountains, by the way...

If you're asking about the Keystone Passport 3050BH that you were considering over on RV.net, the mfg specs are well within the capacity of a big tow packaged Titan or Armada... If it's anywhere close to those mfg specs, a Titan or Armada will tow it well... If it's closer to 7,000-lbs actual weight then a 3/4-ton would be much better.

3050BH Specifications
Shipping Weight 5706
Carrying Capacity 1694
Hitch 605
Length 32' 8
Width 8'
Height 10' 9
Fresh Water 30
Waste Water 30
Gray Water 30
Click to expand...
Thanks Pops. Thought I recognized that Armada from RV.net! We changed our minds on the Passport as the kids liked the bunk setup more on the Prime Time Tracer 3150BHD so that's what we went for. Pics to follow soon.
 
#19 · (Edited)
GeekSquad said:
Thanks Pops. Thought I recognized that Armada from RV.net! We changed our minds on the Passport as the kids liked the bunk setup more on the Prime Time Tracer 3150BHD so that's what we went for. Pics to follow soon.
Click to expand...
I think that one might weigh more than the MFG specs say and could possibly be above 1/2-ton capabilities... It reminds me alot of the Jay Flight G2 32BHDS that used to weigh over 7,800-lbs while empty. "E&J push'n wind" has a Jayco Eagle 314BHDS and can tell you what a hoss it is to tow behind his Armada.

If you look at used SRW 1-tons, you can likely find a great deal... The SRW is "Single Rear Wheel" so you don't have to drive a dually and it's pretty much the same size as a 3/4-ton then you don't have to worry about running over its payload capacity again next time if you decide to upgrade to a 5th wheel later on. If you search and read through NascarJody's recent threads, you'll see what it'll save you from later on.. He ended up trading his Titan in for a used Dodge 3500 Dually Cummins Turbo and he's much happier with towing with the new truck. He loves Titans but he said it just wasn't enough for his new +7,000-lbs TT.


Image


Model 3150BHD
Base Weight 6,330 lb. (2,871 kg )
Hitch Weight 595 lb. (270 kg )
Cargo Carrying Capacity 2,715 lb. (1,232 kg )
Exterior Length 34 ft. 0 in. (10.4 m)
Exterior Height 10 ft. 10 in. (3.3 m)
Exterior Width 96 in. (2.4 m)
Fresh Water Capacity 48 gal. (182 L)
Black Water Capacity 30 gal. (114 L)
Gray Water Capacity 30 gal. (114 L)
Awning Size 15 ft. (4.6 m)
Tire Size ST205/75R14/C



This is the Jay Flight G2 32BHDS:

Image


Weights
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs.) 7,800
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs.) 850
Gross Vehicle Weight (lbs.) 9,750
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs.) 1,950
Measurements
Exterior Length 35' 6"
Exterior Height with A/C 134"
Bedroom Interior Height 81"
Tank Capacities
Fresh Water Capacity (gals.) includes water heater 46
Gray Wastewater Capacity (gals.) 32.5
Toilet/Black Wastewater Capacity (gals.) 32.5
Other
Sleeping Capacity 9-11
 
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Pops
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