Trailering

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Hi All,

We would like some input on trailer vehicles. Right now our favorite is the Nissan Frontier Quad Cab 2005. Before we go ahead with this there is some concern about this being powerful enough to tow our CD-22. At this point we mostly will be traveling to the Great Lakes and mid-west area, no mountains! The Titan is more truck than we really want, but if that is the better choice we will reconsider.

Thanks for your input,
Steve & Deb
 
I've towed mine with a Dodge 1500 and got 10 miles to the gallon all over the US. Lately, I simply tow with a Jeep Liberty 3.7 V6. The only thing I have to do with the smaller engine is take it out of overdrive (or it will shift constantly) and I get 10 mpg in Drive. The good thing is I have a tow vehicle that gets 20 mpg when not towing.

The main thing with the smaller vehicles is braking -- the Jeep has good brakes. Practically any small vehicle will tow a C-Dory (even in the mountains) you just have to downshift and fall in line with the big trucks going up the mountain. If you're in a hurry -- go diesel and payments all the way! VROOOM
 
What is the tow rating on the quad cab? I tow with a ford ranger with the 4-liter engine and I do ok. I would not want to got over the mountains and will be getting a new truck in the future. The tow rating on my rig is 4000lbs so you can see that I am pushing it to the maximum. Add to that the 190,000 miles on the engine and you can se why I want a new truck.

I just looked up the tow rating on the quad and at 6100lbs it should be just fine. fun is that it has the same engine i do but they are pushing out 50 more hp then my truck.
 
I was concerned about my tow rig as well. I'm using a ford explorer sporttrac. It's rated at 5000 lbs and I do tow over some mountains. It does quite well. If money was no object I would prefer a more powerful rig but then your stuck with it the rest of the time. I have the dual axle with disc brakes and when stopping I don't notice that I'm pulling anything. On the flats I can maintain highway speeds pretty easily. Up the coast range it's 50 mph sometimes less if someone slows u down before a hill.
 
I have a Jeep GC with V8 and quad-track. The tow rating is 6500lbs. It tows the 22 very nicely. I average 16-17 mpg when not towing and 12-13 mpg when towing the boat.
I have look at the new Nissan Titans-- nice trucks.
If I was to change, I may go with a Dodge diesel. :wink:
 
According to the Nissan site the '06 king cab V6 4x4 has a tow rating of 6300 lbs. That SHOULD be more than enough for a 22 I would think.

Interestingly enough I used to have a 97 Dodge Dakota 4x4 with the 5.2l V8 and a 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 5.2l V8 w/quadratrac. While both of them worked for towing my sled and had similar tow ratings, the truck was noticably better. The boat had its way with the softer suspension on the Jeep causing it to wag its tail to some extent. Plus the braking power of the truck was far better. On the truck I never had to worry about getting the boat that last inch up on the trailer but with the Jeep it made a huge difference in how the car handled.

One other side note about the Jeep vs Dakota. I got the truck stuck on 3 different occasions on the riverbanks but never had a problem with the Quadratrac! It is amazing how well the Quadratrac system works! In all cases the Jeep pulled the truck and boat out :)
 
Gary,
I agree about the suspension-- I beefed it up on my Jeep :roll:
Also- the factory brakes on the Jeeps are worthless, IMHO.
For those of you that have a Jeep GC (sorry- no Fords, Chevys or Dodges need try to join, but you are free to look and drool :wink: )--

North American Grand Cherokee Association

I replaced my brakes with the cross drilled rotors and new pads- they work great.
 
Let's see, I replaced the Dakota with a 2000 Passat V6 4motion, and the Jeep with a 93 Ford F250 Diesel 4x4. In many ways I still wish I had the Dakota and Jeep though! Although we are seriously considering getting a Liberty as well.
 
Gary:

If you're seriously considering a Liberty, you might want to consider the diesel because of its torque at operating rpm is optimal for pulling power while towing. The gas engine produces a theoretical 235 pounds, it's only theoretical since it takes 4000 rpm to get it. Although I've had no problem pulling the CD, if I had the diesel, I'm sure I wouldn't have to downshift to Drive with all that torque, and mileage would be greatly improved towing in overdrive. When I got mine, you had to get the Limited to get the higher-geared transmission, and be sure to check that out as the one they specify in the website is the one you want.

Take a look at the comparisons:

http://www.allpar.com/model/jeep/liberty-2005.html

Brakes (from the same site):

http://www.allpar.com/model/jeep/liberty.html

Jeep Liberty features several braking system enhancements to deliver even more safety, durability and performance. Since heat is one of the biggest contributors to premature brake wear and loss of braking effectiveness, Liberty brakes were heat-tested in the parched desert of Death Valley, California, and in the grueling stop-and-go rush-hour traffic of Los Angeles. Major improvements over previous brake systems include larger, more robust rotors and drums and greater cooling capacity. The result is reduced brake fade (the loss of braking effectiveness as brakes heat up) and a longer life for Liberty's brake linings.

An available integrated anti-lock braking system (ABS) includes Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), which automatically distributes braking forces between the front and rear axles, depending on how they can be used best, and adapts to variations in road surface and vehicle load. The system can be used off-road, since it allows for limited wheel lockup as needed, such as when the vehicle is descending steep sand or gravel hills. Liberty's ABS also is designed to limit false activation on bumpy surfaces, such as at railroad crossings and on the rough "washboard" surfaces of gravel roads.
 
flagold":2jdvv3g4 said:
If you're seriously considering a Liberty, you might want to consider the diesel because of its torque at operating rpm is optimal for pulling power while towing.
Click to expand...

And if it ever comes to fruition, the Jeep Gladiator concept truck, outfitted with the same diesel, looks to be a nice addition to the Jeep line.

To my eye, it has a very classic look - reminds me of a Willys. One of these towing a C-Dory would be a nice lookin' package...

Not that anyone buys boats/trucks based on looks... :shock:
 
You can go small and just get over the hill or up the ramp. What I did was go big and get up ramp and over the hill + don't slow down on the way.
We use the Chevy 3500 with the 8.1 liter engine and 5 speed trans. Pulls the boat with the camper and what ever we need it for when not boating or camping.

Don't cut yourself short on power or size.

good luck
Jim
:beer :beer :beer :beer
 
Jim,
I have the 8.1 in my motorhome on the Workhorse chassi-- love it. You are right on the power. It pulls my 8 ton coach and the boat with no problem. :beer
 
We tow our 22 with a Roadtrek 190 Chev Camper. A one ton Chevy van loaded with a high top and all camping stuff, a very heavy unit. Our 22 and single axel trailer weigh 4200 lbs (truck scales) with 1/2 fuel and water. The Chevy has the new 6.0 L V8, 4:10 rear end and gets around 13 MPG towing. I am a very happy camper.

Fred and Pat Messerly
 
I've got the Dodge Dakota 2 wheel drive. Tows great, but I do have to watch it on ramps. (90% sling launch) Liberty sounds good. Gladiator sounds GREAT! What do you diesel guys get for mileage?
 
What do you diesel guys get for mileage?
Click to expand...

My 1-ton which weighs a little over 7000# and has 4:10 gears, gets 18 mpg empty and 11.5 mpg towing the TyBoo at 7500# on the trailer and loaded.

The Jeep GC we had would tow the CD22 just fine, and did so for few thousand miles. The Jeep also towed the CD25 for a few hundred miles, and while it handled amazingly well, it was not safe enough for the emergency situations we so fortunately avoided with it. If we still had the 22, we would still have the Jeep.

That new Jeep truck sure looks cool.
 
If we get the Liberty it won't be used to tow anything heavier than my 14' Columbian. I bought the F250 Diesel for my main towing rig. It gets averages 17mpg empty and 12 pulling the 27' CD.

Since we will purchase a used Liberty it will likely be a 6cyl gas.
 
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