17z Towing with Nissan Frontier

abrockhaus · 06-12-2011, 07:07 PM

I just purchased a 17z and after reading all the towing threads I am concerned that I may be over working the truck. Its a 2004 Nissan Frontier 4x4 longbed crewcab. Its rated at 5000lb towing, and 9500 GCWR. It is a 3.3 V6. Not sure if having a WD hitch would help or not, I have a brake controller installed. Would like to hear feedback as to whether I may have issues or not. We live in Central Wis. and plan on hitting campgrounds within 2 to 4 hours, its pretty flat around here so its minimal uphill towing. Thanks for any feedback.

Cole 28r · 06-12-2011, 09:07 PM

I towed a fleetwood compass 718fq(19ft) with a 02 nissan frontier crew cab with the 3.3. We towed up to 6 hrs. away from our home in Alabama. Anywhere from the gulf coast to the smokie mountains and never had a problem. I did add a sway control and trailer brakes. I also had added air bags to the rear suspension due to the sagging that most of the frontiers experiance.

Terry · 06-12-2011, 09:32 PM

Hello Abrockhaus! Welcome to the forum - glad you found us. If you get a chance, come on over to the New Member Forum and introduce yourself.

On your 17z - the Jayco site says the weight unloaded is about 3,000 and the max with cargo is 3500 - does that jive with what you show on your sticker? Seems to me like you are well within your ranges.

How did it tow and handle for you?

29BHS ECO · 06-13-2011, 06:46 AM

abrockhaus--- Please remember it's not only the weight you have to contend with but the DRAG,which is caused by the fontal area of your tt & tv being driven against the wind. Nissan might have the "sq. area" recomended for your truck on thier website. Happy towing Larry

Denise · 06-13-2011, 10:20 AM

Welcome to the Jayco Owners Forum abrockhaus! Congrats on the new tt

abrockhaus · 06-25-2011, 07:09 PM

So I towed our new purchased camper this weekend back home. It towed fine i had WDH and sway control with trailer brakes working fine. It towed straight and felt ok. But have a concern about how much stress i am puttin gon the truck's transmission/drivetrain. Down the freeway was able to keep 55 mph no problem on flat sections of road engine was revving at about 3000rpm didnt seem like working too hard. Then up small hills of a 1/4 mile or so it slowed down to 50 mph or less. I just couldnt keep the speed up. Just wondered what others thought about this, is this typical of towing this size trailer with a V6? Anybody have similar experiences.

29BHS ECO · 06-26-2011, 08:06 AM

abrockhaus-- Another thing you might think about are coolers for the transmission fluid ( most important) and the engine oil . Both will help in extending the life of your truck. You may have one or both if you have a "tow package" on the truck. Larry

abrockhaus · 06-26-2011, 06:20 PM

I do plan on adding a tran cooler its a cheap addon that will help the transmission keep cool.

Nismo66 · 06-26-2011, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abrockhaus

So I towed our new purchased camper this weekend back home. It towed fine i had WDH and sway control with trailer brakes working fine. It towed straight and felt ok. But have a concern about how much stress i am puttin gon the truck's transmission/drivetrain. Down the freeway was able to keep 55 mph no problem on flat sections of road engine was revving at about 3000rpm didnt seem like working too hard. Then up small hills of a 1/4 mile or so it slowed down to 50 mph or less. I just couldnt keep the speed up. Just wondered what others thought about this, is this typical of towing this size trailer with a V6? Anybody have similar experiences.

I had a 2010 Nissan Frontier w/4.0 V6 and was thinking of purchasing the 17Z; however, the dealer didnt have one on the lot at the time. We looked at the 197 with the slide, and the wife was sold on it. It is slightly heavier, and I had the same problem....it was fine on straight and level...but the slightest incline in the road, the truck kept shifting like crazy. I opted to upgrade to a F150, used with only 18000 miles on it. The new camper pulls like a dream.

I am not sure if it would have been a problem, but I feel much better now knowing I have the power. Also, I can upgrade in the future.

bender031177 · 07-10-2011, 07:13 AM

The 17Z was designed for Mini Van's and smaller SUV's. Your frontier will have no problem handling the weight or drag. I know there are a lot of "experts" out there that say you need a 3/4 ton diesel to tow a tent trailer but that isn't the case. Look at what they use in europe for TV's and you will feel your Frontier is over kill.

Cole 28r · 07-18-2011, 12:46 PM

Sounds about right as far as power when pulling. Just make sure you take it out of overdrive.

Rustic Eagle · 07-18-2011, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bender031177

snip.......I know there are a lot of "experts" out there that say you need a 3/4 ton diesel to tow a tent trailer........snip

There might be a couple floating around the internet, but haven't run across any around here.

Bob

DTJ9610 · 07-21-2011, 12:45 PM

We had been pulling ours with a V6 Toyota Sienna (minivan). It had the tow package with extra tran/oil cooler (one I can't remember which). I did add air bags to the rear to hlp and it did a great job. As for keeping up speed, it didn't happen on decent inclines, but I expected that. Otherwise thre weren't many major issues.

Seann45 · 07-22-2011, 07:01 AM

It is fairly flat here in Saskatchewan Canada too but all the import dealers that sell trucks have to stock extra axles and transmissions for those that tow haul near the trucks limits...

29BHS ECO · 07-22-2011, 01:29 PM

More drag, is the difference between a mini van and a small suv as compared to a pickup without a cap. Air flow goes over the roof of a pickup then down across the bed and into the front of the tt approx 2' up from the hitch. With a minivan & suv the air flow goes across the roof& hits the tt 4' to 5' up from the hitch therefor reducing the drag by close to half. That make a huge difference to the power & life of a 3-4 litre motor & transmission. You can safely pull anything you want if the tt is within your tv's mfg's weight and frontal area specs. Larry

Sabina · 08-18-2011, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bender031177

The 17Z was designed for Mini Van's and smaller SUV's. Your frontier will have no problem handling the weight or drag. I know there are a lot of "experts" out there that say you need a 3/4 ton diesel to tow a tent trailer but that isn't the case. Look at what they use in europe for TV's and you will feel your Frontier is over kill.

My husband towed our X17C with our Nissan Xterra SUV from New York to Colorado and back and we had no problems except for a blown tire in Denver.

You may also like: