tow vehicle

[IanC]

My plan was to sell the Nissan Frontier 4x4 I drive now (05 with 116,000 miles) and get a 3/4 ton van to tow my utility trailer (6x10). However , looking at ads for vans, it looks like what I'll be able to afford is going to be pretty high mileage. 3/4 ton trucks even more so . Blue Book value for the Nissan  is around $8,500 so  count on 7,500. I've never had a mechanical issue ever.

The GVW of the trailer is 2990 - add a max of 1,500 built and loaded. The stated towing capacity of the Nissan is 6,000.

I'm wondering now, would keeping the Nissan as a tow vehicle and just get a cap to carry a  generator and other things be a dumb idea? Considering the finished /loaded weight of the trailer, would that be pushing it?

 

[Almost There]

The only way to tell is to do some math! Never mind what the sales brochure tells you is towing capacity - it's a marketing document not real life.

Here's a good quote about figuring it out:

The true tow rating is the GCWR minus the ACTUAL weight of the truck at the time. This can vary depending on what you put in the truck. When it's just me, my tow rating is 6720 lbs (11,800-5,080). When I have the whole family in there with a full set of camping kit in the bed, it's 5,800. The tow rating is a dynamic number, the GCWR is not. Neither is the GVWR, RAWR or FAWR. That's why I always tell folks to weigh their setup. Always good to know where you sit.

Sooo, the more stuff you put in the tow vehicle, the less towing capacity it has.

In the interest of safety, you always want to err on the high side in your calculations (don't think 200 lbs for yourself if you're ignoring what the scales really, really say...

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I played back and fourth with the idea of a Van and a trailer then ultimately decided to Keep my Silverado. It's a half ton. I'm going to put a Cap on it and use it to tow the trailer and although everything has a trade off one way or another, i'm very glad to have the 4wd. Hardly ever use it but when I do I am sure glad it's there.

 

[masterplumber]

Will selling the existing truck be any harder once you hit the road? maybe a little, but I would suggest trying your existing set up and then if it's under powered for your driving style maybe replace it. Having almost the same trailer I would say you would be safe towing it with the Nissan, as long as you have working trailer brakes and a brake controller in the truck. But depending upon your own preferences it may be a little slow going up the hills.

 

[planet-beaver]

Having trailer brakes and brake controller is the ticket. It's always the stopping that is the problem. You can tow 3000lbs trailer with 4 cylinder car (just slow to get it moving but you wont be able to stop it). If trailer has it's own brakes, you can max that 6000lbs

 

[Canine]

I pull 9500 lbs with a half ton Chevy van.No problems unless you want cross the mountains at 70 mph.

 

[IanC]

I pull 9500 lbs with a half ton Chevy van.No problems unless you want cross the mountains at 70 mph.

Good to hear. I'd like to get a van for the space and better comfort for my dog and cat, but if I don't start settling for my second options I'll never get out of here. So I'll be on the hunt for a cap for the Nissan and get a thorough going over by a mechanic.