towing length - Nissan Frontier

OK, guys and gals,

Iv'e viewed this forum for awhile and am getting close to buying a TM. Been saving my milk money........ Anyway, my TV is a 06" nissan frontier crewcab pickup 4X4 with tow package. Now I know I can pull 6100 , (lets round down) 6000 lbs. I have a tongue weigh limit of 600 lbs. Furthermore my truck's length is 17ft with a weight of around 4500 lbs. My eye has been on the 2720sd. But recently I have been thinking about the 3124 ks . I don't need a second perm. bed so the 30something model is not what we want. So, even if I maxed out the 3124ks with 1000 lbs of water , propane, stuff etc....I will still be under the 80% load figure. Now then, my question, would that 24ft be too much length to handle safety?

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by biggfreightt

OK, guys and gals,

Iv'e viewed this forum for awhile and am getting close to buying a TM. Been saving my milk money........ Anyway, my TV is a 06" nissan frontier crewcab pickup 4X4 with tow package. Now I know I can pull 6100 , (lets round down) 6000 lbs. I have a tongue weigh limit of 600 lbs. Furthermore my truck's length is 17ft with a weight of around 4500 lbs. My eye has been on the 2720sd. But recently I have been thinking about the 3124 ks . I don't need a second perm. bed so the 30something model is not what we want. So, even if I maxed out the 3124ks with 1000 lbs of water , propane, stuff etc....I will still be under the 80% load figure. Now then, my question, would that 24ft be too much length to handle safety?

Don't get hung up on "Tow Ratings". They mean nothing when it comes to towing a camper and a TV full of passangers and cargo.

The # that you need to know is the GCVWR (Gross COMBINED Vehicle Weight Rating). You should be able to get the correct figure from the Nissan Service Dept computer. All they need is you VIN.

This is the total amount of weight that your vehicle can safely STOP within legal limits.

The state and your insurance company could care less how much weight your TV can "PULL", all they care about is how much weight you can safely stop.

If you are involved in an accident, these are the figures that your insurance company will use to possibly deny your claim. It is also the #s that the Highway Patrol will use to determine if there was any negligence involved in an accident while towing.

Once you have your GCVWR, all you have to do is look at your GVWR on your TV (and not exceed that) and the difference is what you can safely tow. I can assure you that it will be no where near your vehicles "tow rating".

One more mistake that people often make. You need to consider the tongue weight of the trailer into the TV GVWR and the GAWR.

Essentially, the only thing the tow rating tells you is the max amount that the vehicle can tow with no driver, no passengers, no fuel and no cargo.

I really don't think that you have a problem but it is good to know the facts and not just go off of "Tow Ratings". I have seen vehicles with 5000# tow ratings and when you subtract the GVWR from the GCVWR there is only 2000# left.

The other thing that you should look at is your GAWR. (especially the rear axle).

As far as the length is concerned, I wouldn't be too concerned about it. The axle is set far back on the TM. This makes swaying much less of an issue (If that's what you are concerned about).

[Mr. Adventure]

"If you are involved in an accident, these are the figures that your insurance company will use to possibly deny your claim. It is also the #s that the Highway Patrol will use to determine if there was any negligence involved in an accident while towing."

I'll be real surprised if an insurance claim has ever been denied because of a recreational vehicle being towed overweight. Negligence is a complicated question, I'm sure, and there's a fair amount of it spread around an accident scene because negligence is what accidents are usually made of. Being overweight can be a contributing factor to an accident, but I'm sure it's at least as hard for the highway patrol to figure it out as it is for the rest of us. So he's going to write "Failure to maintain control of a motor vehicle" and let it go at that.

A guy with a 6100 pound tow rating starts out in pretty darned good shape to be a TrailManor owner. But like everyone towing, you need to pay attention to the details of weight and balance in your vehicle.

[Bill]

Tow rating means nothing? Oh, my! I wonder why the manufacturers bother to concoct one then. And why they bother to put numerous asterisks and caveats on most tow ratings, telling you what they mean and how you must interpret them, and why the phrase "When properly equipped" almost always appears next to the tow rating.

I certainly agree that it is not the only thing that counts, but to say it is meaningless is a lot farther than I'm willing to go.

Bill