Tow mode does not mean you have the tow package. If you have the tow mirrors and the transmission temperature gauge on the dash then you do have the tow package (aka Big Tow).

A 4x2 with the tow package is rated for 9000+ lbs of trailer, with a tongue rating of 10% of the trailer weight. See the charts on this posting for exact values (or consult your owners manual): Towing Capacities Chart - Nissan Titan Forum.

I've heard of only one frame issue when towing and I think that might have been due to using a weight distribution hitch and going over and very odd speed bump. The engine is strong. It's the gearing in the differential that makes the difference.

Have the dealer hook up the trailer to your Titan and see how it pulls.

 

Even if you don't have the full tow package that travel trailer should be fine. My co worker uses an old school Dodge Ram to tow one about that size and it has half the hp and he's at the limit of his towing capacity..

I've towed almost that much with a Dodge Dakota a mid sized truck with a 5.2l V8 that only has like 220 hp.

Also watch this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxwLSNK3vNU

 

Thank you. I called the dealer and he said the 9500 is only if the hitch came with the truck off the truck, not after installed like ours. I have had so many people say it's ok, but then others say it isn't. We drive like 3 hours to go camping one way and just don't want to ruin our truck. We do not having those mirrors or separate transmission temp gauge.

SilverS4sAreFaster, how far do you go with it when you tow?

 

Just to clarify, a very big difference between a factory Big Tow Titan and a non-BT Titan is the HITCH. The BT Titan has a 10K rated hitch. Most aftermarket hitches are basically a Class III at 6K pounds, I've seen 'em as high as 7200 pounds though.

The OEM BT hitch has a larger main tube, thicker end plates and a double gusseted receiver. This is what the dealer is talking about.

You can buy a BT hitch and technically tow 9K+ pounds, but your gearing would not be ideal. And without a temp gauge, the fact that the non-BT gearing revs lower means your trans will run hotter. on my BT truck, pulling 5K pounds up a mountain, the trans would get way hot if left in OD with low revs. I had to manually shift it to 4th gear to bring the revs up, which cools the tranny down very quickly. I wouldn't have realized that was happening if not for the trans temp gauge!

 

Technically, your dealer is wrong. If you have the off-road package then you have the lower gears in the differential. So adding the hitch, tow mirrors and battery brings you up to the same components as the tow package with the exception of the transmission temperature gauge. The transmission temperature gauge is a handy way to keep track of your transmission temperature and avoid cooking the transmission.

 

Engine isn't weak. Frame is certainly not weak. The rear diff is. Keep in mind that if that's the weight the stickers for that trailer say it is, it's going to be more than that when it rolls off the lot, even with dry tanks. Probably closer to 7,500 lbs. Load it up and you'll be close to 8,500 lbs. It could still pull it, even given your ~7,200 lb tow rating as long as you're very gentle on the throttle and tow only in 4th with the tow mode on, but it WILL be over the manufacturer's capacities for the truck.

Two other things to keep in mind are that as HRTKD mentioned, tongue weight should ideally be about 10% of the trailer weight, or about 850 lbs in your case. Your payload capacity is only at about 1200 lbs, and that includes passengers and gear in the truck, so you're going to be close on that one, too. Second thing is a question: How long is that trailer?

 

from what I've read here on TT, tow mode button locks out 5th gear. If you push tow mode and then put it in 4th it overrides tow mode. All you should have to do is push tow mode and then drive.

 

This is not correct. Tow mode changes the shift points in 1st through 3rd gears. Nothing else. Towing in 4th keeps it from going into 5th. Nothing else.

 

The temp gage has nothing to do with controlling tranny temps. The tranny will not run any hotter with or without Big Tow gears. The gearing is irrelevant to that. What will come into play is how strong the truck pulls. Lower (Numerically higher) is better for towing.

The reason your truck got so hot was because you towed in Drive. If you'd read the owner's manual, it states plain as day to tow in 4th. Uphill or not, 5,000lbs tows like a breeze with these trucks.

To the OP: The weight you giave for the trailer, is it dry weight from the brochure or max GVWR? If it is a dry weight, you might be lookng at too much trailer for your gearing. The gearing is the biggest difference between BY and non BT Titans that would affect that. Are you 4x4 or 4x2? For under $1000 you can get a ring and pinion installed to give you the BT ratio on a 4x2. If it is an Off Road package 4x4 you have the BT gears already and would be good to go. I would def look into a good WD hitch with sway control (I run a Reese Dual Cam) and tow mirrors. The OEM ones are really nice if you have some mechanical ability and want to replace the stock ones you have.

 

The temp gage has nothing to do with controlling tranny temps. The tranny will not run any hotter with or without Big Tow gears. The gearing is irrelevant to that. What will come into play is how strong the truck pulls. Lower (Numerically higher) is better for towing.

The reason your truck got so hot was because you towed in Drive. If you'd read the owner's manual, it states plain as day to tow in 4th. Uphill or not, 5,000lbs tows like a breeze with these trucks.

Ummm, yeah I kinda already know that a trans gauge doesn't control trans temps. My point was that he wouldn't even realize that his trans would be overheating without it.

You are incorrect about the gearing statement. 2.94 gears will cause the trans to heat up faster at given steady road speeds in OD. Because the trans is spinning slower compared to BT gears, the volume of trans fluid through the trans cooler is somewhat less. This is why getting out of OD and going to a lower gear like 3 or 4 causes the trans temp to come back down, you're increasing the trans fluid volume through the cooler. But it's true both gear ratios do heat up in OD, the 2.94 just overheats sooner.

The only reason I towed in OD was because it was going up a 3-4% grade in at 60 mph in OD without breaking a sweat. The moment I realized the trans temp was 75% up the temp scale I put it into 4th, because I already know that, "plain as day" as you say.

 

I've towed ~8,200lbs before with my non BT truck lowered 2/6 on 22's... it was a rough ride by the truck didnt complain at all.

 

I have BT but no mirrors or temp gauge. I towed a car on a car hauler from San Diego to michigan, no problems. I used to tow a utility trailer every day. It wasn't that heavy but still. 190k and no problems.

 

My opinion is that getting any truck near it's maximum weight just makes for a miserable towing experience especially if it's in a hilly area. I have my CDL and have towed some extremely heavy stuff throughout the years ( personal & commercial ). It's always best to have too much vehicle than trailer/load.

 

To the OP. 2 things are needed to be able to give solid advice on your towing capabilities and both have been mentioned. First, determine the GVWR for the trailer that you are looking at. Second, determine the gearing your truck has. If the dealer looked up your VIN and told you that you have 2.94 gearing, then your capabilities are gonna be 7200lbs. If they confirm that you have the big tow gears, then your capabilities are the 9500lbs. if the trailer is 7225lbs GVWR then it will be over the designed abilities of the non big tow titan but should be just fine if it is a big tow. on the other hand, if the GVWR of the trailer shows to be 8500, then it will be at the limits of the big tow titan when you include the gear and passengers in the truck and certainly over the limits of the non big tow titan. Can these trucks pull up to 9000lbs big tow or not...? yes. is it safe to do so (for you, your passengers, and others on the road) no. hope this helps.

my rig is in my signature. 6500lbs dry weight and 8500lbs GVWR. I am at my limit. I have weighed it and it usually is around 7500lbs on the scale fully loaded for camping.

 

It's funny everyone on here says you can tow this or that if you got gauges and gears or mirrors. Nobody ever says refer to the GVWR which is right on the door of the truck. This is what determines what you can legally pull-along with the GAWR which says what you can haul on each axle.

So here's one for you guys:
I have the towing mirrors, the trans temp gauge, and my GVWR on the door tag says it's only rated for 7100lbs.
According to everything I have read on here that criteria should make it good for 9xxx lbs. So there must be more to it than just mirrors gears and gauges. It's a KC Pro 4x btw.

 

I think you have a misunderstanding of the placard located on the door frame. The rating of 7100 is the maximum that YOUR vehicle can weigh. It does not address how much the trailer can weigh. Go back to post #2 in this thread and in the second paragraph there is a link to the towing capacities chart.

 

It's gears. Plain and simple. There are no other structural differences in the trucks that would dictate capacity.

 

Not according to post #8. He says the hitches are different also.

I would like to know what the gvwr and gawr and if in the manual or somewhere what the gcwr ratings are on a known BT truck and a non BT truck is.

End of the day, you gotta go by the stamp on the sticker, not the gauge cluster to know what your legal to pull. This is what the DOT will look at. They don't care if you have a trans temp gauge or what your gears are. As far as the hitch rating this also plays a part as far as tongue weight goes. Need to know this as well.

 

Post 8 is referring to aftermarket hitches, wherein he states the obvious of the proper hitch being required. There's only one OEM hitch, and it's rated sufficiently for the maximum capacities of the truck whether it's BT or not. For the OP's year model truck the differences in a BT over non-BT truck (whether related to actual capacity or not) were:

Battery
Mirrors
Gears
Trans temp gauge
Factory installed hitch/harness/relays

That's it. No other differences.

 

You forgot one ... The driver makes a HUGE difference :big_grin:

 

He clearly stated it, and he's clearly wrong.

 

Prove it.
I've read about 5 different description's about how much you can tow and what determines a BT or a non BT. For all I know you could be the one that is wrong.

End of the day it seems the only way to know is take the Vin to the dealer and find out.

 

If you believe him, that would make you wrong as well.

 

Another self professed towing guru...

 

You seem to have the Max Utililty package (based on your mirrors) and the Tow Package. Both factory installed. They don't call it BT in your model year like they did on the OP's truck. Different animal.

 

My picture is misleading. I installed the BT mirrors aftermarket. I only have the Value Truck Package:
Includes: class IV receiver hitch, 7-pin wiring harness, trailer brake pre-wiring

 

The Tow Package that's offered now is not the same as what the BT packaged offered during the early model years. The Big Tow package came with a factory hitch.

 

I fully understand that over the years they've changed the packages. RobKar posted that "ONLY" BT's come with hitches and that is wrong. Maybe at one point it was right but now the Value Package comes with a hitch. It just doesn't have the mirrors nor the rear end.

 

All Titans (at least in my model year) came pre-wired for the brake controller. And all Titans had the same transmission cooler also.

 

I'm getting a hitch put on this weekend. I make this drive all the time and will soon be dragging a 26 ft travel trailer up that hill on a regular basis. I have no concerns now. That drive is SKETCHY in winter time. Thanks for the input!

 

I have a 2006 Titan LE with full tow package. Towing a tandem axle 7200 weight box trailer with minimal tools and other small gear. Recently when taking grades, I start overheating very quickly. Any way to boost the cooling system, change thermostats? Didn't have this problem with my first trailer. Could there be another issue I'm not seeing?

 

Gear down. Don't be afraid to go to second if you have to. The faster engine RPM's help the transmission to push more coolant through the system. Never use 5th gear when towing a heavy trailer. That's the easy answer

Otherwise, you may want to consider an additional external cooler as well as the PML extra capacity transmission pan. There are threads for both solutions on the forum.

 

FOr anyone that's towing, I do recommend the PML Extra Capacity Transmission Pan for the Nissan Titan. We can also get any other PML item, so always ask!

PML’s Nissan transmission pan helps keep your tranny oil cool in three ways. First, the pan adds 3.5 additional quarts of oil capacity. Second, the pan features raised fins on the outside to help get rid of heat. Third, PML designed cast-in baffles on the inside of the pan that keep oil near the filter inlet, prevent sloshing, and aid in heat transfer from the oil to the pan. All this aids in less wear and tear on your transmission.

The tranny pan also features a cast-in boss that can be drilled and tapped for a temperature sensor, 3/16-inch thick wall to add strength to the transmission case, 3/8-inch thick gasket flange for a secure seal, and a magnetic drain plug for easier, less messy maintenance. Pan is available in as-cast, black, and polished finishes.
Also, be sure to check out the matching PML Differential Cover for the ultimate combo.

Increased oil capacity for cooler temperatures, 3.5 qts. over stock!
Sand-cast aluminum with raised fins
3/16-inch thick wall construction to add strength to the transmission case
3/8-inch thick gasket flange will not bend when bolts are tightened
Machined gasket surface for a secure seal
Boss cast into pan can be machined for a temperature sensor
Magnetic drain plug for easier, less messy maintenance
Mounting hardware provided
Gasket and filter not included (use stock parts)

Burtman Industries PML Deep Transmission Pan, ORDER HERE

Burtman Industries PML Deep Transmission Pan, ORDER HERE

 

I have a 2012 SL Crewcab and Tow a 7200lb TT plus gear, bikes, 5 people and a dog. it has the tow package. I can say with certainty that it does not lock out O/D now. The gear changes are longer and if going up a grade the truck takes a mile or so to go back into O/D after leveling off. But yes, they are a beast to be reckoned with when towing. I find though that once you go over 60 mph (100 kph) the economy really drops fast.

 

With that load, you should never be in drive... Tow it in 4th and leave O/D out.