i'd stay away... add water and gear and you're close to if not over the trucks limit. What did you do to beef up your suspension? i have the hellwig 500 helper springs. like you, i'm in the market for a small trailer 17-18 footer.

 

I had a spring shop build new leaf packs. They said they added 1000 lbs of load which would = 2600 I think. I would have to look at what the truck started with. I know it doesn't sound like it, but my ride is better. No overload = no sudden stops. One smooth motion. I had two cow elk in the back and it dropped the bed an inch. Well worth it.

 

Man, that just seems right on the limit. Does the trailer have electric brakes? Any estimates of what your gear would add up to? I know that you could always add water once you get to your destination to help limit travel weight, but that sure seems like it could potentially be a strain. DO you have an aftermarket tranny cooler?

 

also, u say the trailer is 28'7", is that including the tongue? if it isn't you're over 30' total length. I'd be scared to tow something that big. I tow a 23' fully loaded toyhauler with a 2500 chevy duramax. It's 5500 lbs empty, 800 lb tongue weight, holds 30 gallons gas, 107 gallons h20. fully loaded, with quads, easily tops 10,000 lbs... total length is 27'. the duramax is rated at 12,000 lbs hitch pull. the toy box feels really heavy that close to the trucks max tow rating. Just like the frontier, but a smaller scale I would stay away with something that close to the limit. Add the six speed, imagine being stopped on an incline and trying to accelerate... BTW, what is the tongue of the trailer you're interested in?

 

tongue weight and trailer brakes are going to determine if you can do it. however, i still think your are at about the upper scale of what a midsize can handle. tow ratings also take your truck's weight into consideration, not just suspension, power, and braking ability.

 

There are a few campers on the market now that are designed for midsize suvs and pickups. They have a lower hight and a narrower profile. If you search the web you will find them....

Check out Cruiserrv.com and others...much for reasonably sized campers.

 

I concur with TLBones. You are going to want to stick with a "lite" trailer. There are many out there in the 25-26 foot range that weigh in around 47-4800 lbs. Steer clear of anything with a slider as these add considerable weight. And it goes with out saying that you will need a brake controller as most travel trailers these days have electric brakes. You might also consider a small 5th wheel. They are easy to tow and when properly set up, you will hardly know they are there.

 

Towing 6000# with 4400# rig is possible but I would not want to do it on regular basis, your at the limit and probably dangerous in high winds and emergency stops and stressful to drive. I would do more shopping, should be able to find something you like in 3000# dry weight range.

 

Another nod for a brake controller here, based on all the reading Iv'e been doing about towing. Also, a weight distributing & sway control hitch (like the Equal-i-zer) is probably a must when you are getting into this weight range. I'll be towing a 3500lb 20' trailer this summer, but hope to buy something around the 4000lb & 22-25' range in the next couple of years. We've been looking mostly at rear slide units; they seem to mostly fit the bill though a couple of them have pretty high tongue weights.

 

I would stay away from it. It is better to have to much truck then just enough when it come to pulling

 

IMO, it seems like it would be at the limit for manueverablility, especailly in smaller campgrounds and forest roads. Are you considering a weight-distributing hitch? It seems like that would be safer for you, the truck, & the trailer. I saw this one on Courtesy Parts.
Nissan Weight Distributing Ball Mount - Class IV towing :: Nissan Parts, NISMO and Nissan Accessories - Courtesyparts.com

Make sure and let us know what you do. I might want to upgrade our pop up trailer.

 

That's a GREAT PRICE...

That looks just like mine, made by Hidden Hitch. BTW, they are not unique to the truck or brand of truck -- but they do come in different weight ratings. Mine is 8,000 lb, which was their smallest at the time I bought it. I paid close to $300 (delivered) for mine in 2004...

 

the weight and your 285s aren't going to help tranny temps either with out gears

 

Electric brakes a must, weight distributing a must, the length is legal but long if your not used to it. But might be close to the limit

 

another vote for walking away ..
I have been towing trailers since '92 and I would only pull an under 20 ft. ultra-lite or hybrid with this truck ...

just my .02

d-mo

 

i pull a 19 foot hybrid with a weight distributing hitch and electric brakes 3500 pounds and i wouldn't want to pull anything bigger.

 

I was looking at doing the same thing. Were going to get Travel trailer that's 28' long around the same weight. Might be the same one? Were set on the Coleman 270..

If you check your Nissan owners manual it's a no.. The frontal area of the trailer is too much. Plus the trailer is just to long for the truck's wheel base.

Were still going to get the trailer.. Just need to sell my Frontier and get a F150 first..

 

Thanks guys! The tongue weight is 604lbs. Weight distributing hitch is a must. I don’t think I'm going to buy it but I plan on getting a Suburban in a year or two so that would take over the pulling duties when that happens. You guys confirmed what I was already thinking…just a little too big. Thanks for all your input

 

I would recommend a different truck for a trailer that size. My Wolf Pup 16bhs is just under 4000lbs loaded. I have electric brakes and a weight distribution hitch. I wouldn’t want to tow anything bigger and for sure not heavier. The frontal area (of trailer) is a lot for this truck and it’s wind resistance.

 

You don’t have enough truck for a 29’ highway sail, think about the wind from a passing semi. First as the semi comes up next to the rear of the trailer the air being pushed to the side hits the left corner of your trailer, heres that lever effect again, the rear of the trailer tries to move away from that wind pushing the front of the trailer towards the left taking the rear of your truck with it, now the front of the truck tries to go toward the ditch causing your to steer left. About this time the semi has passed the trailer wheels and now the opposite effect is taking place. When I first started camping(1978) I was pulling a 24.5’ bunkhouse travel trailer, back then the size included the tongue to the bumper, now the size is the length of the box. I was pulling with a heavy duty 1/2 ton and had white knuckles every time a semi passed. That truck was at least 1500 lbs heavier than your frontier. That much sidewall would challenge a light duty 3/4 ton.

 

It’s not the weight, it’s the amount of sidewall in the wind, go on you tube and look at the wrecks where a trailer gets caught by the wind and is being pulled by a midsized SUV.

 

I’m sure after 11 years he’s probably figured that out. The original post was in 2010… #zombiethread

 

Seems like many of us, me included at times have missed how old some of the threads are.
The parameters of the threads cave been recently changed and the oldest threads will now be within the last year.

Clint