Per my avatar, we pull a 2008 Keystone Passport 280BH, 31' long hitch to bumper. I have the Airlift 1000, we use a WD hitch with 800lb bars, and I use the Cortex Tuner with tow mode (though I'm not sure if it actually makes a difference). I would not pull anything bigger than this setup. Its 4508lbs dry, and about 5600lbs loaded, with 450lb tongue weight.

The biggest issue you will face is the wind. Due to the high face area of the TT, there is a lot of drag. We don't have issues until the winds pick up. At that point, the tow load is a little higher, and I find the transmission hunts from 4th to 3rd alot. Wind causes alot of sway, as well.

Always drive with the OD off. I also find that if I drive at 90km/h, it tends to cruise a little better, though this isn't always an option, and the truck has no issues getting up into higher speeds. Don't expect to get better than 10 MPG when towing.

We don't tend to go more than 100mi from home for now due to having small kids. Once I have a tranny temp gauge installed, I will be be more than comfortable pulling longer distances (provided the tranny temp isn't getting too high). Its also very flat here in Manitoba, so if you are in the hills or mountains, you may need to be patient on steeper grades.

However, my concern is always more about being able to stop than being able to go really fast.

t

I pull ~5,000LB with my Path every other weekend. through mountain also.

mine is an open car trailer, I have no problem with it. but I've also tried some same weight enclosed trailer, it is a handful.

imo, I would not tow an enclosed 5,500LB trailer with my Path at such high altitude and in mountains. you will have a lot of issues with crosswind.

Thinking about renting a 28ft travel trailer this weekend to town in the mountains. Have a WD hitch and air bags. I have an 08 PF V8. Am I crazy? Will the transmission take it or will the crosswinds be my biggest issue (I don't have anti-sway). JC

thejean wrote:Thinking about renting a 28ft travel trailer this weekend to town in the mountains. Have a WD hitch and air bags. I have an 08 PF V8. Am I crazy? Will the transmission take it or will the crosswinds be my biggest issue (I don't have anti-sway). JC

I saw your other post saying it weighs 9000lbs+??? I kinda doubt that, but you should make sure to stay within the tow limit specified by Nissan, which for your V8 is 7000lbs.

Yeah, that's just what the guy is telling me it weighs when it is full. He doesn't think I can tow it. It has a slider on it which adds weight but not that much. Most trailers in this size range seem to be in the 5000# range so not sure. I was supposed to go check it out tonight but he cancelled so going tomorrow night. I'll post back tomorrow night.

thejean wrote:Yeah, that's just what the guy is telling me it weighs when it is full. He doesn't think I can tow it. It has a slider on it which adds weight but not that much. Most trailers in this size range seem to be in the 5000# range so not sure. I was supposed to go check it out tonight but he cancelled so going tomorrow night. I'll post back tomorrow night.

Unless it has 3 axles, I doubt GVRW is greater than 7500lbs. Assuming it has only 2 axles, and the GVRW is 7500lbs, the trailer would probably be about 6500lbs dry.

I guess the best way to determine is to find out what the model of the trailer is. Google is your friend!

t

You are bang on. He confirmed today that it is indeed 6500 lbs dry. I am guessing that means I should have no issue towing provided I don't push it on the uphills?

thejean wrote:You are bang on. He confirmed today that it is indeed 6500 lbs dry. I am guessing that means I should have no issue towing provided I don't push it on the uphills?

You will most likely be over your GVRW. The trailer will probably end up close to 7500lbs.

I just pulled my 28' trailer to the campsite yesterday. GVRW is 6050lbs (not 6500, 6050), and has a dry weight of 4508lbs. Loaded, I assume its ~5200-5500lbs. I was bucking wind the whole way (30-50MPH winds), and got blown around pretty good. Every strong gust of wind pushed on the trailer, and made the truck turn into the wind. At times, I slowed to 45-50MPH, but was usually able to maintain 60MPH. If the wind got really strong, I put the trans into 3rd.

Thats the limitation of our truck, the shorter wheelbase and overall low weight of the truck means that strong winds will cause issues. The curb weight of the truck is only 4500lbs, so remember you are pulling something that is over 1.5x the weight of your truck.

For info, while pulling the trailer:

60MPH in 4th - 2900 RPM
60MPH in 3rd - 3600 RPM
50MPH in 4th - 2400 RPM
50MPH in 3rd - 3000 RPM

While not pulling the trailer:

60MPH in 4th - 2500 RPM
60MPH in 3rd - 3000 RPM

Regards,
t

Thanks for the advice. I decided to skip the camping this weekend as I was concerned with this setup. Next year I'll just buy a 21 footer and get the anti sway setup and be done with it.

disallow wrote: For info, while pulling the trailer:

60MPH in 4th - 2900 RPM
60MPH in 3rd - 3600 RPM
50MPH in 4th - 2400 RPM
50MPH in 3rd - 3000 RPM

While not pulling the trailer:

60MPH in 4th - 2500 RPM
60MPH in 3rd - 3000 RPM

That tells me that the torque converter (TC) is not locking up and generating a lot of heat!!! I am sure the computer knows best in this situation, but... Put me down as another who votes for a 6 sp manual in this Path.
I have not towed yet with the Path (bought used 8 mo ago), but will go ~350 mi away in 3 weeks with a 3K # camper, 20 ft. I have towed the trailer with a 93 S10 Blazer, 4.3L & it did not like anything above 57 MPH or the temp would rise. With a 98 Tahoe, 5.7L it had the power & weight & brakes so the camper behaved.
I can't help but cringe when I hear ones who put a camper that is longer than ~23 ft on the rear of a Pathfinder. I think it is too easy for the trailer to become the master in a hair-raising scenario, hence the need for a heavier, beefier tow vehicle.
Also the frontal area of the trailer must be considered. The Nissan book says no more than 60 sq ft. I think we should look for trailers that are more aerodynamic, not just light in weight. Some mfg are slowly doing something about that. I was with someone yrs ago that had a 70's trailer, when he let off the gas, it was if he applied the brakes!

If I am going to tow a travel trailer, I would not tow a trailer in snow country without chains available for the brake axles. If it snowed and got slippery, the trailer would be all over the place when you hit the brakes. Just be very careful when traveling, safety first above all.