Which TM can a 1997 Patfinder tow if any?

Hello all!

My wife and myself have been bitten by the camping bug but we are a
little concerned about the horse power of our pathfinder. Ours has
the automatic with a towing capacity of "5000 lbs" lol.

What do you guys think? Can it be done?

Thanks,
Ron

Here is some specs from -> Path Specs

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine Type 3.3 Liter V6 w/MFI*
Engine Size 200 cid/3275 cc
Horsepower 168 @ 4800 RPM
Torque (lb-ft) 196 @ 2800 RPM

PERFORMANCE

EPA Economy, miles per gallon
city/highway/average 16/18/17
0-60 MPH 11.3 seconds
1/4 Mile (E.T.) 18.3 seconds @ 74.5 mph
Towing capacity 3500 pounds
* Multi-point fuel injection


ON THE ROAD - Pathfinder's 3.3 liter V6 engine uses single overhead camshafts to produce 168 horsepower and 196 lb-ft of torque. It gives good off-the-line acceleration and good power to merge into freeway traffic. Also, over 90 percent of Pathfinder's torque comes on by the time the engine spins to 1500 rpm. This means that Pathfinder drivers need not rev the engine high to get good acceleration, or, in many cases, good pulling power while towing. The optional limited slip rear differential in our test vehicle provides extra traction on slippery roads, or on a great summer day, a slippery boat ramp. Our five-speed manual transmission is the standard Pathfinder gearbox, but we wished our test vehicle had come with the more popular four-speed automatic. Equipped with the automatic, the Pathfinder is rated to tow up to 5000 pound - 1500 pounds more than the stick-shift version.

[Wavery]

Tow ratings mean very little on some vehicles. What you need to know is Your GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)..This is what your vehicle is rated to tow at, including fully loaded trailer, cargo, passengers and fuel. Subtract the "Dry Weight" of your TV from the GCWR and you will have a pretty good idea what your allowance is for fully loaded trailer, cargo, passengers and fuel. On some vehicles you may well find that it barely equals the "tow rating" of the vehicle. Tow ratings are typically the max that a vehicle can tow with a 150 driver and no passengers or cargo.

Although if your tow rating is indeed 5,000# you should be in pretty good shape. It just depends on how many people you bring along and how much gear. For instance, our 2720 weighs just over 4,000# on the scales. By the time I put my lard butt behind the wheel, my wife and all our junk, we are pretty close to that 5,000#.

Do a search for "GCWR" for more info.

Thanks HarveyRV,

I'm having a hard time finding the GCWR. If someone hadn't stole my
manual I could probably look there lol. I think our main concern is the
power of the thing even if it can tow x amount of weight according to the specs.

But I did find this-> www.cars.com

Curb weight 3,985 lbs.
GVWR 5,150 lbs.
Max trailer weight 3,500 lbs.

GVWR:

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The maximum a vehicle can safely weigh when loaded, including the vehicle itself, occupants, cargo and optional equipment.

Max trailer weight:

The maximum weight of a loaded trailer that the vehicle, as equipped, is rated to tow. This assumes that only the driver (68 kg / 150 lbs) and no extra cargo is in the tow vehicle.

Thanks,
Ron

[Bill]

Wayne's answer regarding GCWR is really the right one. You should attempt to follow it up.

Failing that, and as a general statement not specific to your vehicle, I think the board has concluded that if your vehicle has a tow rating of 5000 pounds, then you have a pretty good chance of having a workable combination, at least for the lighter TMs. It really depends on where you intend to tow, which you didn't mention. If you stay on the east coast (particularly the flatlands) or the midwest, you are probably good to go. You or your vehicle may not be happy if you tackle the Rockies or Sierras, though some people say they do it.

A 3500-pound rated vehicle makes me very nervous, especially in high altitudes or steep terrain. But agaion, we have people who do it.

Horsepower is not really the defining parameter. It may define how fast you can go, but it doesn't tell you how fast you can stop, or how the other parts of the vehicle (particulary trhe transmission) will handle the added stress of towing.

If the base vehicle has a rating of 3500 pounds, but your particular vehicle has a rating of 5000 pounds, it means that yours has some kind of factory-installed towing package. That's good. Beyond that, I can't say much without further info. But as you see, the manufacturer plays games with the specs, including the thing about "150-pound driver, no passengers, no cargo". Be wary of this. As Wayne noted, a ready-to-camp TM weighs well over 3000 pounds, and depending on loading may exceed 4000 pounds. When you add passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle, you run out of margin pretty fast.

Bill

Thanks Bill,

We had planed to camp from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Outer Banks.

Looks like we will be tent camping .


Thanks,
Ron

Neighbors at the storage lot pull their 2619 with an Xterra, claim it does great and they love it. i would think that the Pathfinder is in the same class...if not better???

[Wavery]

Most people can live with going up a hill at 20MPH as apposed to 55MPH. If its a 5 mile grade, it will take 5.5 minutes at 55 and it will take you 15 minutes to take that same grade at 20MPH. I don't see that as a reason to to change my TV.

However, any vehicle can go down that same grade at 55MPH. The real issue becomes, how long can you keep the vehicle from accelerating out of control before the vehicle has brake fade. Many people do not survive after a crash from a vehicle having brake fade while towing. I see that as a major problem.

I'm not suggesting that this is a problem for the vehicle in question here. I'm merely pointing out that towing consideration is 90% about stopping and 10% about pulling. Stopping is about life & death.....pulling is about patience.

I'm just a little concerned whenever someone points out the lack of "pulling power" that a vehicle may or may not have. Seldom do I see a post that says........"Whoa...I'd be concerned about that vehicle having the stopping power to handle mountain driving".

Two weeks ago, while towing the ATV trailer, not the TM, I was making a gently left hand turn at 35 mph on a paved road with loose debris on it. Slightly off camber.

I had to slam the brakes to the floor and let the ABS system prevent me from skidding. If the idiot that pulled out in front of me without looking had not quickly seen the error of his ways and promptly jammed it into reverse and backed up, then I would have stopped 2 feet too late to prevent the collision.

I don't think that there was anything else that I could have done. Maybe cranked a hard left and hope the trailer did not slide around my right side.

I have had only one instance when I had to do panic stop while towing the TM. It was nice to discover that it all stayed in a straight line.

In 5 years of towing, that is the only two times I had to make a panic stop. I am comfortable with what I drive.

Worst case scenario that I can think of is:

1. towing downhill
2. in a turn
3. off camber
4. dirt/gravel on the surface in spots
5. deer jumps in font of you from nowhere.

I like having a very long wheelbase so that the trailer does not try to push me around. Unfortunately, I can not tell you how long is long enough. This is a compromise with your desire for safety versus your budget.

This has nothing to do the with the TM. This is something to consider towing any trailer. The TM being relatively light weight with a low center of gravity is easier to stop than a regular stand up trailer.

Like the other Wayne said, it is more about stopping than pulling.