Towing restrictions on the Titan

neaudi · September 2003

I see that the Nissan Titan will tow about 9400 lbs (I've also seen 9500 mentioned). Considering this is a 1/2 ton, will this tow a 5th wheel?

The 5th wheel weighs 7500 lbs dry and probably under 9000 loaded.

FYI, Ford says DO NOT tow a 5th wheel with the new F150, as it will most likely void the warrantee.

Thx in advance for the help.

ryanbab · September 2003

do they make a longbed version?

I dont think a short bed would be a good idea for 5th wheeling

sonjaab · September 2003

Really don't know the titans curb weight. I can't find it anywhere. I suspect the titan has GOT to be a 3/4 ton. Just the 9000+ lb. tow rating clues me in. The big 3 3/4 tons are rated about the same.

brianbm · September 2003

Several reviews have noted that the F-15o transmission is optimized for towing. Others have hinted that the Titan is faster away from a stoplight. I infer that the Titan is not a 3/4 but a half, and that it's oriented towards "life style " owners rather then "work truck" owners. I'd wait for some detailed reviews before I committed my money to a Titan, if I was bent on serious towing. Your nickel.

boaz47 · September 2003

is a half ton. It's tow rating is 9400 lbs. if press releases count. It also seems as if it is flirting with the work truck group. I am not sure what to think of the computer controlled throttle but I guess it is the wave of the future. I like 3/4 ton and 1 ton trucks so I am still not interested. yet.

wpalkowski · September 2003

Titan looks like a neat truck, that'll challenge 1/2 ton market. But you want to tow a 9K lb 5th wheel with it? What's the pin weight of your fiver? Thought that a fiver usually puts about 20% of its weight on the pin = ~1800 lbs. While you haven't exceeded towing capacity of the truck, by the time you put passengers, their gear, and gas in the truck, you've probably exceeded its payload capacity. Titan would probably be able to pull the rig, but I'd bet that you'd have some long term wear/reliability problems with suspension components and tires, not to mention some handling issues. If I'm pulling a trailer and have my family with me, I prefer to have a fair margin of safety available in my vehicle. JMO, but I think you'd be much better off looking at a real 3/4 or 1 ton pickup if you're gonna do a lot of towing.

brianbm · September 2003

.... treat'em with suspicion, like any other statistic, until verified by test drives, 3rd party testing, and a year's worth of user comments here after the start of general retail sale. this isn't peculiar to the Titan, or Nissan, just a healthy caution about advertised stats. The only thing that the Titan offers on paper that I'd like to see on an F-150 is a 5-step automatic transmission,and that's hardly a salemaker or salebreaker.

oldharry · September 2003

When I camped, I used a tent in the trunck of my car, but at campgrounds I never heard anyone with a trailer say they wished they were pulling with a smaller truck. People always seem to add to what they bring along each year. Don't go with a truck that is barely adequate the first year.

Harry

neaudi · September 2003

I currently have a travel trailer weighing 5000 lbs dry and tow w/ Jeep Gr. Cherokee V8 (max towing 6500 lbs). We would like to move to a fiver that weighs 7400 lbs dry, w/ a hitch weight of 1400 lbs. Adding passengers and cargo would keep me under 9000 lbs. I am looking for a tow vehicle that will do the job, but would still give me a "decent" quality ride during non-towing driving. I was hoping the new F150 and / or Titan would meet those requirements.

My wife will not trade the Jeep for a truck. She just doesn't want to have the image associated with driving a truck. (I don't blame her). So, if we get a truck, it will have to be me trading in my Infiniti G35 for a truck. Which is why I want a decent riding truck.

mullins87 · September 2003

You can forget any 1/2 ton truck, or Titan whatever size it is. On paper, the truck may be able to tow that 7,400lb fiver. However, by the time you take the ACTUAL WET weight of the truck, add in yourself, passengers, gear, and the hitch weight of the fiver, you'll be way over GVWR. The GVWR would have to be up near 8,000 lbs on that truck for you to be within spec.

There are many weight ratings on any given truck. But the three that you need to be most concerned with is GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating), GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating). The GAWR is the max that can be loaded onto that axle. The GVWR is the max the vehicle can weigh. The GCWR is the max both the vehicle and trailer can weigh. If you go over anyone of these three, then you are overweight.

kcflyer · September 2003

"My wife will not trade the Jeep for a truck. She just doesn't want to have the image associated with driving a truck. (I don't blame her). "

Sorry can't let that go without asking you to explain. What truck image? The function over form practicality perhaps.

As opposed to the grand Cherokee (nice suv btw) which for most owners never gets within 10 miles of "off roading", seats no more than a sedan getting nearly twice the mpg, etc. etc. At least the truck says "useful, practical, modest, etc."

Lastly, the new F-150 claims over 9,000 lbs max GVRW in most configurations

mullins87 · September 2003

You surprised me with the 9,000 lb claim, so I went to Ford's website. They are listing an 8,200 lb GVWR for all the Styleside configurations. I was shocked at the 9,500 lb tow rating and 15,300 lb GCWR of the 5.4 with 4.10 rear end. WOW!!! I just can't believe it could do that without sitting on its bump stops.

chuckles_g · September 2003

Actually, you can only get that 4.10 gears by selecting a long box in reg or supercab. You wouldn't want that for a daily driver anyway because of the sacrifice in fuel economy and the handing around town for a personal use vehicle for your wife. The total GCWR on a super cab or crew with the std. 3.73 gears would be 15,000, subsequently giving you an available trailer towing weight of 9,300 or 9,200 respectively.
So the truck will do the job, however, before you lay down the cash, check out the fact that max. payload @ #1650 for the supercab 144.5" wb. This is best-in-class for a 1/2 ton, but get that tounge weight of the fiver and figure out what else you are going to have in or on the truck for additional accessories and people. I've seen far too many people who chronically over-load for the job that needs to be done.
I actually selected my last trailer by taking a few I was considering to a scale, hooked to my truck with all passengers, then calculated my reserve for water, waste, LP gas, groceries, camping gear, etc. You have a huge consideration for the safety of yourself, your family and others on the road in an emergency stopping or manuvering situation. You really do need at least a 3/4 ton to do the job.
To address the 5th wheel issue in a 1/2 ton, the warranty issue would apply to any vehicle when it comes to altering or modifying the chassis, such as a 5th wheel installation, and the risk the manufacurer doesn't want to bear in the event that you cause subsequent damage to the vehicle, you or others.

snooks · September 2003

I recently took my 98 F150 into the local Ford shop for a brake check because the pedal felt soft. I was told the brakes were fine but my tranny had a leak and a tech accidentally removed the pan on my transmission instead of another one.
It was full of metal particles and they wanted to tear it down, I said ok only if my Ryan extended warranty would cover it. Ryan proceeded to send a rep to look at it and report his findings. The flywheel flex plate gearteeth were also broken due to a bad starter.
Ryan wanted to pay for nothing on my 0 ded policy.
After a heated discussion on the phone they agreed to pay for the gear and labor. After calling a local tv station the dealer agreed to pay for the transmisssion parts. I still owed $790. All the problems with this 150 with 60k on it there will be no more Fords for me, nor any other Detroit iron. Don't buy a Ryan warranty which is next to worthless.

chuckles_g · September 2003

That's too bad to hear about your experience with a dealer that doesn't sound too reputable and the ensuing problems with the warranty company. Sounds more like the dealer trying to sell you a bill of goods.
First, I don't know of any truck that has been used for 60k that wouldn't have some metal shavings in the pan, they all do, it's a moving part that has slip built into it and thus wears.
Kinda like the rubber or leather that wears off the bottom of your shoes. As for the starter gear, ditto. That's why a transmission flush is worth the trouble every 30k to reduce that contamination from causing more wear than need be.
Second, guess you learned the hard way, like me, that unless it has the manufacturer's name on it, extended service plans from others companies are usually worth about as much as the paper they are printed on. I still won't own a vehicle past the original warranty without a service contract. Just read the fine print if not from the manufacturer who's name is on the back of the vehicle.
Too bad you're not considering the all new '04 F150, it really is shoulders above anything else on the road in about every aspect.

snooks · September 2003

I would like to believe Ford is improving their quality as the Asian market is breathing down their necks building larger pickups. With Hyundai
offering 10 yr. 100,000 mile warranties on SUVs the race is really on.
Companys like Ford can use lesser grades of steel on drive train gears and other parts, why not, they only have to last 3 yrs.
People cannot afford to play the obsolescense game as Detroit has so well done in the past.
Coming out with a redesigned F150 is a call to arms by Ford but that warranty will have to change
drasticly and they will have to be serious about it. Where did you find the improvements in the 2004 so encouraging?

hairong · September 2003

This is getting silly. Ford upped '04 F-150's towing rate again, to one-up Nissan. Are Ford AND Nissan just playing number games, or they did make improvement before increasing those numbers?
Will Nissan change Titan's number? again, too?

Any way, if you go by the numbers, the new F150 should be your best bet.

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 15, 2003  Ford is upping the ante in the full-size pickup market
and announcing best-in-class maximum towing capacity of 9900 lbs. for the 2004 F-150 
an increase of 400 lbs. from the number released at the initial media reveal. The new F-150 also boasts best-in-class low-end torque, with more than 80 percent of the trucks 365 foot-pounds of torque available at 1,000 rpm.

"Ford is the proven leader in the full-size pickup market," said Doug Scott, Ford Division truck group marketing manager. "The 2004 F-150 delivers on our reputation of producing Built Ford Tough trucks, and gives customers best-in-class towing capability when and where they need it most."

In addition to towing and low-end torque leadership, the 2004 F-150 owns a number of other best-in-class titles, including payload of 3000 lbs., maximum cargo box volume of 81.3 cu. ft., as well as interior volume and securable interior storage space. The 2004 model also offers the quietest cab and strongest frame in the industry, and is the first full-size pickup to feature an all-four-door lineup.

mullins87 · September 2003

I'm with you. I can't believe for one minute any 1/2 ton PU can safely tow 9,900 lbs or carry 3,000 lbs of cargo. I have an F-350 dually and I saw just last week what 3,000 lbs of wheat did to it. My truck handled it just fine, but I wouldn't have done that to a single rear wheel truck!

Kirstie_H · September 2003

Don't forget tonight's member-to-member chat -- Our topic tonight is "Warranties: Are they worth it?"

http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/townhallchat.html

6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Drop by for live chat with other members. Hope you can join us!

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

snooks · September 2003

I would like to believe Ford has really beefed their drive train to say the towing capacity is greater. I blew a tranny with very little towing and remarks by the insurance company were "What the heck have you been towing?" What real changes have they made?

hairong · September 2003

Looks like Ford did a little trick on Nissan regarding to the ever changing max. tow ratings on the two trucks. Ford did not actually beef up anything for the increased rating, they intentionally released a low number to bait Nissan into matching it (9500lbs.), then published the real number after '04 F-150 is already on sale.

Read this story in USA Today.

Towing restrictions on the Titan

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