towing with a mini-van

[etex211]

I wouldn't tow anything with any kind of unibody vehicle ever....

...but that's just me.

[Notswift]

The OP asked a valid question. However, this thread is full of opinions (most of then Debby Downers) with only 1 or 2 actual real life experiences.
The makers of the vehicle state what and what cannot be towed with a Nissan Quest. They do that for a valid reason. They are not looking to hoodwink anyone into buying their product. Quite the opposite, they want their product to succeed so others will consider the purchase.
I agree with adding lift options to the rear. I have a 2012 Quest with a 4" receiver. It is close to the ground. Nevertheless, I am not concerned that the CRT or engine will fail to perform towing 3500 pounds. The manufacturer should know what they are talking about. They made the doggoned thing!
When I purchase my camper and tow it, I may check back in on this thread with helpful factual information instead of adding just another hot air opinion.
Adventure awaits!

[16WhiteColly]

If the minivan has a CVT transmission, you should not tow anything with it. The Nissan CVT has a steel belt that is very weak. Owners Manual states do not tow.

https://youtu.be/_fBbNKUSvuU

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by Notswift

The OP asked a valid question. However, this thread is full of opinions (most of then Debby Downers) with only 1 or 2 actual real life experiences.
The makers of the vehicle state what and what cannot be towed with a Nissan Quest. They do that for a valid reason. They are not looking to hoodwink anyone into buying their product. Quite the opposite, they want their product to succeed so others will consider the purchase.
I agree with adding lift options to the rear. I have a 2012 Quest with a 4" receiver. It is close to the ground. Nevertheless, I am not concerned that the CRT or engine will fail to perform towing 3500 pounds. The manufacturer should know what they are talking about. They made the doggoned thing!
When I purchase my camper and tow it, I may check back in on this thread with helpful factual information instead of adding just another hot air opinion.
Adventure awaits!

What is very often overlooked are the finer points of "Towing Capacity" one of the most critical being Payload. Would you care to post your door jamb sticker here so we can do an honest assessment of the carrying capacity of your Quest? Also post the total weight of all occupants.

Just because your Quest can drag 3500 pounds behind you doesn't mean it can be done safely. I am not trying to be the tow police or even the Debbie Downer you referred to in your response. I am simply stating that there is much more involved in calculating what a vehicle can safely tow that just using the max capacity the manufacturer lists.

We all have seen glaring examples of short wheelbase trucks towing over sized trailers all in the name of "The manufacturer says this truck can tow "XXX".

Just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be done. I for one would stay very clear if I saw a Front Wheel Drive Mini Van pulling anything more than a Pop Up.

[16WhiteColly]

Towing a travel trailer is way different than towing a pop up camper, much less with a minivan. That is definitely in the truck league.

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by Notswift

The OP asked a valid question. However, this thread is full of opinions (most of then Debby Downers) with only 1 or 2 actual real life experiences.
The makers of the vehicle state what and what cannot be towed with a Nissan Quest. They do that for a valid reason. They are not looking to hoodwink anyone into buying their product. Quite the opposite, they want their product to succeed so others will consider the purchase.
I agree with adding lift options to the rear. I have a 2012 Quest with a 4" receiver. It is close to the ground. Nevertheless, I am not concerned that the CRT or engine will fail to perform towing 3500 pounds. The manufacturer should know what they are talking about. They made the doggoned thing!
When I purchase my camper and tow it, I may check back in on this thread with helpful factual information instead of adding just another hot air opinion.
Adventure awaits!

The thing is that even with full size trucks, the stated towing capacity doesn't mean that one can tow that much weight in a travel trailer. Travel trailers are different animals than boats, utility trailers, and pop-up campers. Wind resistance issues and heavy tongue weight being the biggest differences. Towing capacity is only one number. As Marcm157 said, there are other things to be considered. I've towed a fair number of different combos, including a 3500# travel trailer with a mini-van. The closer you come to your rated capacities, the less fun it is to tow. There's a world of difference towing close to capacity compared to leaving a healthy margin, I don't care what vehicle you are towing with. It's really that simple.

The trouble is I read people who only have experience towing with one combo at the edge of their numbers and they'll say it tows great! Compared to what? They have no frame of reference other than their current combo. And honestly, I got tired of worrying about every ounce of weight. We had to limit what we took along, and what we bought on trips.

So reason it out any way you feel you need to. I've read more people who started off like you (myself included!) and 18 months later bought a bigger tow vehicle because of the limits of what they started with. Not being a Debbie downer, just speaking from experience.

[Notswift]

Towing a Trailer with a CVT-equipped Vehicle


It is fine to tow a trailer behind a CVT vehicle as long as the maximum towing capacity limit is within the vehicle's towing capacity and does not exceeded the allowable weight when the load and the passengers are accounted for unless it states in the vehicle Owner’s Manual to never tow a trailer. (Credentials:*Towing and CVTs)

[Camper_bob]

You guys realize this thread is 7 (SEVEN) years old, right?

[Murff]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

You guys realize this thread is 7 (SEVEN) years old, right?

Thank you Bob, for pointing that out!

Murff

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Murff

Thank you Bob, for pointing that out!

Murff

It's just that A LOT has changed since then. I bet the OP's Quest is not much more than a bunch of Bud Light cans these days... Or a taxi in Mexico...

[67L48]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

You guys realize this thread is 7 (SEVEN) years old, right?

I, for one, got a chuckle out of the fact that a person's first post here was to chastise people in a 7-year old dormant thread.

[Marcm157]

Wow! I never checked the date.... Now I feel silly!!

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

Wow! I never checked the date.... Now I feel silly!!

Don't feel silly. It was a post without a lot of experience trying to justify something he's going to eventually going to hate doing. We're just trying to present the experienced viewpoint and hope he reconsiders his options. That's all we can do.

[Cincinnati Kid]

[TaftCoach]

I wonder how it all turned out?

[Bippygma]

Originally Posted by melanie83103

Hello - we are trying to decide between the Jayflight Swift 154BH and the Swift 184BH. The 184 is 2 feet longer and 200 pounds heavier than the 154. Our tow vehicle is a 2011 Nissan Quest minivan. I am nervous that the extra pounds and length of the 184 will make a significant difference in the ease of towing.... any input? Right now we just have a light pop-up camper, and I am used to pulling that, and I'm worried that the 184 will be too much.

I really wish I could try out towing each and see how they feel, but haven't found a way... any input on how different these two trailers will feel? My Quest can tow up to 3500 pounds.

We are a family of 4 (two kids) and so the added sofa of the 184 is attractive, which is why we are considering the bigger camper...

Thanks!!

Melanie

I tow my 154BH with a 2015 Pathfinder. Never had a problem in many, many miles