I used my 2018 to tow my trailer around. My trailer weight is about the same as yours. My tongue weight is around 700. I crossed over the Appalachian Mountains including part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Lots of up and down mountains. I do not have any extra suspension add ons. I use a Blue Ox weight distribution hitch. The biggest thing is to keep you engine RPMs up to around 2200+. That helps a lot on reducing transmission temp. I locked the tranny to 5 gear and that held the RPMs up. Higher engine RPM mean more tranny fluid being pumped around cooling it down.

 

I appreciate the reply! I was messing with the manual up and down shifts when I drove it home just to see how it worked. I was getting worried since the rpms were a bit higher than normal, but good to know that's actually better while towing. Thanks!

 

When pulling our 26' RV on longer trips I found overriding the cruise control helped with the excessive downshifting. The programming on my 2017 at least is a little more aggressive on downshifting than it needs to be. I prefer to not exceed 65 MPH for any length of time when towing (even without) as it just just further kills the mileage and increases risk. We've towed ours many times in the last 2 years and even in 100+ degrees south Texas summer I've never seen the trans temp get warm.

 

I won’t tow anything over 60-65 and can’t believe when people blow by. I was in Florida on interstate 75 north in a rainstorm and people were going far faster than I felt safe pulling my trailer so I just kept at a slower pace. Not long after I see brake lights everywhere and a semi jackknifed next to me, cars collided and people into the guardrails and somehow I came out unscathed. The state police came walking through everywhere assessing the damages and asked what happened to me and said not a thing except an elevated heart beat for a few minutes. Lucky for me that the semi behind my trailer was able to stop about 25 feet behind plus the break on the concrete divider and the police guided me to back up and when it was clear let me hang a u-turn and find a parallel road towards my destination. According the the news the road was shut down for 6 hours to clean it all up.
I had just switched seats with my son, had he been driving I can’t imagine his reactions and he said that to me. Why tow on a hurry, so it takes an extra amount of time…
These trucks are amazing especially if you don’t flog the tar out of them.

Clint

 

I just push this button and don't think about it.

 

Your trailer (mine too!) is near the practical limit for any 1/2 ton truck. IMHO, it's too much for the stock rear suspension without enhancements. There are a lot of good options to beef up the rear suspension for heavy towing. For price and ease of I install, I added Roadmaster RAS and SumoSprings. Also, it's a given that you need a hitch hitch with WD and sway control when towing that heavy, especially when towing a TT that has a ton of surface area.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

That travel trailer is right in the wheelhouse for these trucks with the tow package. You just need to use a good weight distribution hitch with sway control, and make sure it's set up properly. No need for suspension mods or a re-gear unless you're lifted and running taller tires. Drive it in tow mode of course, and have fun on your trip.

 

Thank you sir! I was thinking about beefing up the suspension first and maybe adding on a transmission cooler. Already got my weight distribution and sway control hitch. I baby my truck so much so I definitely want her running her best. Thanks again!

 

You may already have a good weight distributing hitch. If you don't, this one is amazing:

Ultimate Sway Elimination Hensley Hitch & TrailerSaver 5th Wheel Hitch

The Ultimate Hensley Arrow it the sturdiest Hensley trailer hitch on the market, 100% guaranteed to eliminate trailer sway. Best in class weight distribution hitch with sway control. Fifth-wheel hitch owners enjoy ultimate comfort with the TrailerSaver Air Ride fifth-wheel hitch, reducing bumps...

hensleymfg.com

 

I am curious about these posts on towing. We are thinking of taking a 36' travel trailer across the country from Fort Myers FL to Yellow Stone National Park some 6K in miles. I have a 2019 Nissan Titan SV Crew Cab 5.6L Gas Engine and I assume it has a tow package on it as it has the "TOW" Button on the gear shift and it already came with a 2" Reciever Hitch and a place in the bumper to connect the wiring for brakes and lights made in the bumper already. So with that said will, I have any problems towing this camp trailer 6,000 miles through the mountains in Colorado to Yellow Stone? I have read some of you mention getting a sway control hitch what is that and where do I get one from? Any help would be appreciated! TIA!!

 

An XD would handle it better but when u are getting over 25’ AND hitting the interstate an 3/4 hd truck would be best..

Local trips of a 100 miles or so on lonely hwys u might be fine…

 

that link in the post above yours, that says hensley mfg, is one of those hitches to help with sway and weight distribution. that is what you need to look into and they probably also sell them at your local u-haul.

yes, you have to tow package with that stuff on your truck. mine does too and it works great

 

36', huh? I'd be a little concerned about weight with something that big. Definitely would need a good weight distribution hitch, either with sway control, or you'll need to add a sway controller. There's a few ways they do the sway control. The ones I have used either mounted a friction bar next to your trailer ball mount back to a point on the trailer frame, or the distribution hitch is actually the sway control itself. That's what I have now and I wouldn't use anything else. Simple hookup once it's set, and no fussing around with that extra piece. It's a little noisy, but I don't mind a little creaking. Trailer stays put & nice & solid on the road. Mine is from Curt manufacturing.

 

36’ is a lot of trailer for a 1/2 ton. How much does it weigh fully loaded and what is the tongue weight?

 

I’d think that pushing it a little bit as well. When towing I try to stay at or under 2/3 of the allowable max weight.

Clint

 

36' will be like the tail wagging the dog, especially in the windy conditions. I think it would be an unpleasant tow.

 

Yep. I predict a very high tongue weight, and an all around over max weight trailer. You need at least a 3/4 ton truck I bet.

 

One of these would help…

 

The dollies are only to help with tongue weight. It's still a matter of the tail wagging the dog. And with 32 feet, that is a LOT of tail for a half-ton dog. This is at least 3/4 ton territory. And a long bed with the 3/4 ton. for control.

 

As far as my setup, I have a 2017 Titan King Cab, and pull a 2000 Jayco White Hawk 32RL. The max towing on the truck according to Nissan is 9400lbs. I went with the King Cab mostly to get max payload. The 32RL comes in at an around 8900lbs, and is 36 feet long from front to rear. Getting the Weight Adjusting hitch just in that sweet spot has helped tow fine, but, because it is a very long TT, I am very careful not to tow in high winds. I will be upgrading soon to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. Wish Nissan would build that size truck, but, they do not.

 

one thing you might also want to look at is to see how long you can be before you are illegal. some states have a length limit on truck and trailer combinations so be sure to look for that.

i only know because my dad brought it up when talking about getting a travel coach. he can't go over a certain length because he wants to put his motorcycle and mom's small suv on a small trailer behind it

 

Busemans, I don't understand. Is there a time limit on when you have to buy a travel trailer after you have purchased a truck? Or do you mean that there is a length limit on the travel trailer? Sorry I just don't quite follow you on this.

 

Dry weight is misleading. It doesn't include the stuff you mentioned, but it also doesn't include 50-75lbs of propane and several hundred pounds of battery weight, nor any fluid aboard in your tanks. The as-towed weight of the rig is going to be somewhere in between the dry and max GVWR weights. Ideally, you want to stay somewhere around 80-85% of your tow capacity (after you subtract for things in the truck like extra passengers and driver weight over 150lbs and luggage, tools, and your hitch weight. So you could be several hundred to a thousand pounds lower on max tow capacity if you load up the family, some bikes, and a couple of coolers in the truck. The hitch will go 60-70lbs I suspect.

Once you figure out what your truck will have in it, then you can start to look for trailer weights which will work. Pay attention to your payload versus the tongue weight, as that will potentially make you out of spec very quickly. As an example, a Jayco Jay Flight 26BHS (sleeps 5-6 adults comfortably, up to 10 if kids are involved) is a little over 30' long, has a 5500lb dry weight, and a 7k max GVWR. Tongue weight, however, is 680lbs dry, and will go to something like 1100-1200lbs at max GVWR. My guess is, that tongue weight is going to exceed your payload after you get in the cab and load whatever else tire taking, but maybe not.

Shop by max and tongue weight and you'll be in good shape.

 

Dry weight is misleading. AND often miscalculated! It doesn't include the stuff you mentioned, but it also doesn't include 50-75lbs of propane and several hundred pounds of battery weight, nor any fluid aboard in your tanks. The as-towed weight of the rig is going to be somewhere in between the dry and max GVWR weights. Ideally, you want to stay somewhere around 80-85% of your tow capacity (after you subtract for things in the truck like extra passengers and driver weight over 150lbs and luggage, tools, and your hitch weight. So you could be several hundred to a thousand pounds lower on max tow capacity if you load up the family, some bikes, and a couple of coolers in the truck. The hitch weight will increase 60-70lbs I suspect. (Slight edit for clarity)

Once you figure out what your truck will have in it, then you can start to look for trailer weights which will work. Pay attention to your payload versus the tongue weight, as that will potentially make you out of spec very quickly. Tongue weight is the silent gorilla in the room. ... tongue weight is going to exceed your payload after you get in the cab and load whatever else ... Shop by max trailer and tongue weight and you'll be in good shape.

Dubyam is EXACTLY on-point. I have over 45 years of experience in towing just about everything towable, and I just emphasized his major issues; these are the ones you really need to watch out for. Also, get a GOOD weight-distributing and sway-cancelling hitch; you're looking at what are very long trailers for a half ton* and those little friction bars aren't going to cut it. Spend the money on a decent hitch - better to be safe than to put your family in jeopardy. What kind? There are LOTS of opinions out there; find what works for you.


*You're literally on the edge of something that's TOO big; I'm going to presume to tell you to take a serious look at your needs (not your wants) and get something just large enough to accommodate them.
I know this is a lousy time to be looking at the used market, but see if you can find something used as a first trailer. That way, you're not throwing away thousands of dollars in depreciation for something you might end up hating for one reason or another.

 

and i mean how long your truck is with the trailer attached to it. whichever trailer you are considering. some states don't allow over a certain length between truck and trailer overall length (truck front to trailer back)

 

@busemans, I really appreciate you taking the time to explain both scenarios to me. Like I said I am new to this stuff and just learning. I would think that the RV Place would tell me to wouldn't they if I was looking at too big of a Travel Camper? Maybe not, but I really appreciate you explaining it to me. I will need to measure the total length of my truck as well to get the total length of what I am looking to pull.

 

A single tow is not anything to get worried about when it comes to length. A double tow could get you over the max length. It varies by state. Wyoming allows for some absurd length, like 85'.

 

@Titan~Man, there's only so much capability in a 1/2 ton pickup. The longer the trailer, the more it is susceptible to wind (it's just a big sail) which can result in a loss of control. The heavier the trailer, the more potential it has to induce sway which can result in the loss of control. A heavy trailer usually means a heavy tongue weight, which adds to the payload of your passengers and gear, which can overload the components of your truck. Towing on relatively flat, strait roadways is easier than on curvy or mountainous terrain. I think having a properly loaded trailer with a good WDH and brake control set up is a must. The most important thing is speed and distance between the vehicle in front of you. You can safely tow a 30 foot that weighs in around 7500 lbs loaded, but get the hitch and brake controller properly dialed-in and drive within reasonable speed. I suspect that your payload capacity might be an issue. You probably have about 1400-1500 payload capacity. A trailer weighing 7500 lbs loaded has at least 750 lbs tongue weight (most likely more). So your best case scenario is 1500 - 750 = 750 lbs payload for the weight of you, all your passengers and anything else in the truck or truck bed.

I had a 1/2 ton before (Toyota Tundra 1400lbs payload capacity) and pulled my 4700 lb trailer with my family of 5 and bicycles in the bed and it pulled that weight comfortably. The payload was going to be an issue because my teens are still growing. And I would not have enjoyed towing a larger/heavier trailer for any distance beyond an hour or two's drive with that setup. I just bought a Titan XD which has 1980 lbs of payload for this exact reason. I am planning on purchasing a 30 foot trailer that weighs about 8000 lbs loaded. My guess is that the tongue weight will be 950 lbs. This will leave me with about 1000 lbs of payload for a family of five and bicycles in the bed, plus some margin left over for comfort. Plus, the extra weight of the XD will help me control the trailer better.

 

@Titan~Man, there's only so much capability in a 1/2 ton pickup. The longer the trailer, the more it is susceptible to wind (it's just a big sail) which can result in a loss of control. The heavier the trailer, the more potential it has to induce sway which can result in the loss of control. A heavy trailer usually means a heavy tongue weight, which adds to the payload of your passengers and gear, which can overload the components of your truck. Towing on relatively flat, strait roadways is easier than on curvy or mountainous terrain. I think having a properly loaded trailer with a good WDH and brake control set up is a must. The most important thing is speed and distance between the vehicle in front of you. You can safely tow a 30 foot that weighs in around 7500 lbs loaded, but get the hitch and brake controller properly dialed-in and drive within reasonable speed. I suspect that your payload capacity might be an issue. You probably have about 1400-1500 payload capacity. A trailer weighing 7500 lbs loaded has at least 750 lbs tongue weight (most likely more). So your best case scenario is 1500 - 750 = 750 lbs payload for the weight of you, all your passengers and anything else in the truck or truck bed.

I had a 1/2 ton before (Toyota Tundra 1400lbs payload capacity) and pulled my 4700 lb trailer with my family of 5 and bicycles in the bed and it pulled that weight comfortably. The payload was going to be an issue because my teens are still growing. And I would not have enjoyed towing a larger/heavier trailer for any distance beyond an hour or two's drive with that setup. I just bought a Titan XD which has 1980 lbs of payload for this exact reason. I am planning on purchasing a 30 foot trailer that weighs about 8000 lbs loaded. My guess is that the tongue weight will be 950 lbs. This will leave me with about 1000 lbs of payload for a family of five and bicycles in the bed, plus some margin left over for comfort. Plus, the extra weight of the XD will help me control the trailer better.

Thank you for the information, it helps explain it better to me. So I probably will go with a lighter trailer than what I have been looking at. I found another Camp Trailer dry weight was 6500lbs at 30ft and we liked it as well. So I may go with that one instead.

 

Completely agree. They are only interested in making the best sale they can make.

 

If it's just the two of you, buy a smaller trailer (around 24-25' of living soace) with an added outdoor kitchen, and spend some of what you save on a screen room setup for under your outside awning. You'll come in at roughly 7-7.2k max weight, with 10-15% of that as your tongue weight, giving you room for you and your wife plus a little gear in the truck (400-500lbs worth of total people/gear in the truck). It will be a far more enjoyable tow, and you won't feel cramped, especially with outdoor cooking space as an added benefit.

 

Ours is a 17 footer since it's just my wife and I. Bathroom at the back so it's not one of those shower toilet deals. I don't like those. We have a shower/tub, a toilet, and a sink with cabinets for towels and stuff.

The bed is at the front and the kitchen is in the middle. We just roll the awning out to sit under and have a BBQ for cooking on instead of using the stove so much.

No worries on weight or over loading because it's only like 3200 pounds, or something close to that.

 

Make sure you’re looking out for yourself as a salesman is mainly looking for their commission. It’s been discussed here and other forums how a trailer weighed far more than the dealer said it did and at that point you already own it.
It’s sad that people count on being told facts/ truthful information and have to worry.
RV’s are an expensive item and a good proper weight distributing hitch will come at a significant cost but it’s worth that cost as it’s keeping the owner and their family safe.
If a trailers starts to sway significantly not only can the RV flip, the truck usually goes over as well and I surely NEVER want to hear that it happened to anyone here.
I’ve seen videos/pictures on the web of towing wrecks.

Clint