Nissan Titan Forum banner

2019 Titan Tow and Moving Adventure

2K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  dkmura 
#1 ·
One of my friends needed some help in completing a move from Denver to Las Vegas and I volunteered to help. After dealing with the frustrating tracking system at U-Haul, we ended up taking the 24' enclosed trailer (with the Z racecar in the garage) and my '08 Titan SE LWB KC on the 1,650-mile round trip. The trip would take us through four states (Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada) over soaring mountain passes, searing high plain deserts and gorgeous National forests.

After loading the truck and trailer, the trip down went smoothly. The Equal-I-Zer antisway WD hitch did its usual good job as it has over the past two decades and made driving easy. The speeds ranged from 65-75 MPH across I-70 in Colorado to 80-85 MPH through Utah and down into Nevada on I-15. One parameter I wanted to examine in greater detail was the fuel mileage from my VK56DE. After all, without the usual 350Z racecar onboard, I was curious to see how the unladen Dynastar trailer would affect mileage.

The (perhaps predictable) answer was the increased frontal area and corresponding aero drag pulled mileage down into single digits, no matter whether the trailer was fully loaded or not. Speed was a bigger factor, as keeping highway speeds down to the 55-65 MPH resulted in higher ::kiss::MPG (7.567- hand calculated), while running 80-85 MPH took me down to 6.278 MPG. Running 70-75 in the Colorado mountains across I-70 had mileage right around 7.0 MPG, but this was via the onboard system as I didn't really collect much data or hand calculate this figure. I thought elevation changes would be a bigger factor, but my Titan happily went up anything I asked it to. Going faster really was the biggest factor during this trip, and that 34-gallon tank got filled up an awful lot.

Fuel prices ranged from $2.47 to $3.49/gallon for regular unleaded in Colorado and Nevada, respectively. But it needs to be said that mileage wasn't the sole focus of this trip. Far from it! The scenery was spectacular at this time of year, and I was awestruck by the pure beauty of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Nevada. After delivering my friend's furniture and personal items to Las Vegas, I also had a side goal of meeting another TT member (TitanPro4Xutah) to purchase a radiator from him. He's a true Nissan enthusiast and I thank him for driving south to meet me on I-15 at Spanish Fork. Made the trip back southeast over US-6 a better option with more direct route. Now, if you'll excuse me, I go collapse in my own bed for a good night's rest!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Neglected to mention that the weather this trip was mostly clear and sunny! Some wind on the way out, but not enough to really skew the MPG by much.

Wondering if other Titan owners with travel trailers, or enclosed toy haulers get comparable mileage? Also, can any gen 2 owners with the VK56VE direct injected motors report better mileage while towing?

Whatever, get out there in your Titan and enjoy driving in prime summertime weather!
 
#3 ·
Also, forgot to mention how well all the HVAC systems continue to work on my 11-year old Titan. Las Vegas summer temps were already up in the 105-108 degree F range and the a/c kept the cabin as cool as I wanted. The VK didn't miss a beat, and gave me power and torque on command throughout this 1,700 mile trip. I love all my vehicles, but this truck continues to impress me. I wonder if any second gen owners can give me some comparisons with the first gen trucks and what the VK56VE does better?
 
#4 ·
Generally I get about 11mpg towing a Jayco X19H which is a right around 5000lbs loaded. However I roll on ST tires so don't exceed 65MPH due to the tire speed rating.

Interestingly, I get slightly better mileage when I have the kayaks mounted on the roof of the Titan. They cut through the air better than the slab face of the trailer so despite the extra weight, give better performance.
 
#6 ·
Wow- what I wouldn't give to get 11 MPG while towing my race trailer! And you made me chuckle when you mentioned the kayaks on the roof of your Titan. :big_grin: My 24' Dynastar enclosed trailer weighs about 5500 lbs empty and while it's no lightweight, it's plenty sturdy enough to last through the years.
 
#5 ·
I towed my 2011 coachman catalina 24FBS to yellowstone and back with my 2015 Pro4X, averaged 6-7 mpg. I did a personal best at 4.3 mpg trying to make up time to the Devils tower but it towed the trailer like a champ. Traded it off for a 2018 titan SL midnight due to rear diff issues, looking forward to towing with the new truck
 
#10 ·
Interesting. My old 2015 Titan Pro4X got about 7 mpg, towing a 6600 lb (loaded) travel trailer. Same trailer behind my 2017 Pro4X, I got 9 mpg on the same roads.
Now, that is interesting! I think the larger enclosed trailers and TT probably have similar aero profiles and result in similar drag figures. With all the technology in the VK56VE, it's interesting to see what mileage gains there are. Of course, my mileage crossing mountain passes and yours will vary, depending on where you live.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top