Is it ok to tow with a 2003 Nissan Frontier?

04-05-2006, 04:29 PM

We have a 2003 Nissan Frontier, XEV6, 4 door, crew cab, with a short bed. The truck is rated to tow 5000 lbs. The TM dealer told us that our truck would pull a 2006, 2720SL, with NO trouble, even in the mountains of Arizona. Is that really the case? The TM would have AC, Awning, Satellite and the Hanging Kitchen Cabinet. Also, if this truck would work for us, what would be the best kind of hitch to get installed as our vehicle does Not currently have a factory installed towing package? We've never towed a trailer before, so we are serious newbies.

04-05-2006, 04:59 PM

Thanks for the quick reply and the info, we really appreciate it!

04-17-2006, 05:37 AM

We put an E-Qualizer (sway system) on ours and have not been sorry. It makes lots of difference when the conditions warrant it, and if you are not sure how to balance the interior load, it also helps. I do not htink we would ever tow again without a good saway sytem after totaling a TT two years ago and almost being killed ourselves. I say always plan for the very worst emergency and thank God if you do not have to use it. In addition, if you are towing with a vehicle that meets standards for wheelbase and towing weights but does not substantially exceed the standards, I would sure use the sway setup. Just my 2 cents for safety. Queeniereads aka Judi

04-17-2006, 05:38 AM

We put an E-Qualizer (sway system) on ours and have not been sorry. It makes lots of difference when the conditions warrant it, and if you are not sure how to balance the interior load, it also helps. I do not think we would ever tow again without a good sway system after totaling a TT two years ago and almost being killed ourselves. I say always plan for the very worst emergency and thank God if you do not have to use it. In addition, if you are towing with a vehicle that meets standards for wheelbase and towing weights but does not substantially exceed the standards, I would sure use the sway setup. Just my 2 cents for safety. Queeniereads aka Judi

**fcatwo** · 04-17-2006, 11:27 AM

We were in the early stages of upgrading from a 400-4000 WDH to a slightly heavier one when I read Denny-A's accident report and that influenced my decision to spend the extra $100.00 for the 600-6000 Equal-I-zer. Denny is a pilot and has a scientific background and I think his opinion on the subject would be of interest if he wants to voice it. While it's possible (likely?) nothing short of a $3,000.00 WDH could have prevented the sway they experienced during the accident, it would be interesting to know what kind of WDH Denny would get should they return to TMing -- then again, maybe he hasn't even thought about the subject.

**Bill** · 04-17-2006, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Queeniereads

We put an E-Qualizer (sway system) on ours and have not been sorry. It makes lots of difference when the conditions warrant it...

I have to ask. You say "it makes lots of difference". How did you do the comparison? Did you tow for a while without an Equal-I-Zer (in other words, with a different hitch) and then switch over to an Equal-I-Zer? Sounds like an expensive experiment!

Bill

04-18-2006, 05:57 AM

We towed a TT with a different and less effective hitch and a PUP wihout a hitch. We have been towing for about 12 years. We feel that the E-Qualizer, for the size of things we tow, has been very effective and seems to maintain a high level of control in all situations we tow in -- wind, rain, heavy truck traffic. I continue to maintain that it pays to plan for the emergencies, as we were almost killed towing in Idaho and were hit by a huge wind gust. We THINK the outcome might have been better if we had had a better hitch set-up. Hindsight is 20/20, and who knows, but we feel as if we are well taken care of by the E-Qualizer. I also think, if we were pulling our TM with an F-350, we might not need an E-Qualizer, but we have felt we were on the edge with our Mercury Mountaineer, so the E-Qualizer takes care of that edge. Hubby would have answered this better, but I think I covered the bases in lay-person's language. Queeniereads aka Judi

**fcatwo** · 04-18-2006, 10:33 AM

I'm not comfortable telling people they don't need sway control with a TM any more than I am comfortable telling them they don't need seat belts in their TV. I will say that we towed our 2619 for 14,000 miles with a Honda minivan without sway comtrol in a variety of conditions and never felt even a hint of excess sway. I've also read that too much sway control can interfere with turning on slippery roads as it tends to keep the rig going straight ahead. IMO it's a decision that everyone has to make after analyzing their unique situation TV/TM wise and going from there.