[OnGortonPond]

Looking for some help. I have a 2005 Titan SE Extended Cab and would like to tow a fifth wheel RV. I do not have the factory tow package. The 5ers that I’m look at are CroosRoads Suncruisers with a dry weight of 6800-7900 lbs. and hitch weight of 1450-1850 lbs. The dealer says I should be fine with the weight concerns but when it came to the gear ratio he was concerned. It looks like my Titan has a gear ratio of 2.94, where as the tow package offered a 3.36 gear ratio. He thought these may have even incorrect, because “there is no way it would be that low with all that horsepower”.

I know that there are some of you out there towing fifth wheels. Do all of you have the factory tow package? Can I add or change anything on my Titan to make it capable, or is it okay as is? Or am I just out of luck and need to go look for another truck.

 

[mjw357]

You won't want to tow 6000-8000 pound trailers with the non-big tow gears. It is possible to swap the ring/pinion set with the lower gears. The other obstacle with your truck is bed length (not sure if 'extended cab' in your case means King Cab or Crew Cab?), you may need a sliding hitch, and you will have to be careful about the width of the trailer (turning clearance).
Do some looking around in the towing & hauling section, lots of threads on both of these subjects.

Good luck!

 

[OnGortonPond]

Do you know the approx. cost of swapping gears?

 

[Carbeaux]

On a 2005 your payload capacity (depending on model and trim level) isn't any more than about 1300 lbs. The hitch weight alone on that 5er you're looking at is far more than that capacity, and that's without even getting into the gearing and clearance issues.

Scratch the 5er idea and go bumper tow. You'll be far happier with your towing experience, your truck will last longer, and you'll be safer. There are some really nice bumper tows out there in the ultra lite category that I'm sure you'd like. As another plus, they're often quite a bit cheaper than the Fifth wheels as well.

As an example of what's out there, the one in my sig is a 27' single slide that comes in at around 6500 lbs when it's loaded up but without water in the tanks. I don't ever tow with any of the tanks full.

 

[HudsonValleyTitan]

Looking for some help. I have a 2005 Titan SE Extended Cab and would like to tow a fifth wheel RV. I do not have the factory tow package. The 5ers that I’m look at are CroosRoads Suncruisers with a dry weight of 6800-7900 lbs. and hitch weight of 1450-1850 lbs. The dealer says I should be fine with the weight concerns but when it came to the gear ratio he was concerned. It looks like my Titan has a gear ratio of 2.94, where as the tow package offered a 3.36 gear ratio. He thought these may have even incorrect, because “there is no way it would be that low with all that horsepower”.

I know that there are some of you out there towing fifth wheels. Do all of you have the factory tow package? Can I add or change anything on my Titan to make it capable, or is it okay as is? Or am I just out of luck and need to go look for another truck.

I wouldn't even consider it without the tow package. As already mentioned, the hitch weight alone is over your capacity. Either upgrade the truck or look for a Travel Trailer (TT). Most dealers just want to sell you a unit and will say almost anything so be careful.

 

[Nissanloyalist]

I wouldn't even consider it without the tow package. As already mentioned, the hitch weight alone is over your capacity. Either upgrade the truck or look for a Travel Trailer (TT). Most dealers just want to sell you a unit and will say almost anything so be careful.

I agree with Hudson. That 5er is too heavy with the higher gearing. Mine is 7000# dry and hitch is 1100#.. I'm at 8000# loaded for camping but I have the tow package and have modified the suspension to accommodate the heavier load. There are some nice lighter 5ers out there and you wont have any problems with clearance. Keystone also has some really nice new light bumper pulls. Good luck.