GAmes

Do not assume the salesman knows anything about his product. I transport RVs. One morning while waiting my turn at a dealership in Mesa, Az I started a conversation with a salesman. It was his second day there. He had never used an RV and his previous jobs were selling used cars. He said if he sold one he would have to tag along with another salesman for the buyers orientation.

grantx5

I put this one out on RV.NET, what a hoot! They're beating it to death. Seems on RV.NET Titans are THE towing machine. Go Nissan...

dodgeguy71

I see people all the time with there 1500 cheby's, brand new of course with this huge 5th wheel camper. Mom and Pop, retired, spent a blue million on the camper to have all the amenities of home and cheap out on the tow vehicle. Then trailer trucks pass them going uphill. They should have signs on these campers when they sell them, "if you buy this you will need a 3/4 ton tow vehicle at minimum". Not to mention the fact that most of the people riding around in these rigs have no idea what the heck they are doing. Should be some kind of special license, training to be able to haul/tow these things. I feel safer sharing the road with a trailer truck with an oversized load than I do mom and pop in their rv. Let's buy this 30' camper and since we have no money left over we'll tow it with our pinto....it'll be ok.

d0dg301

I was just at camping world today and saw a nissan car looking thing pulling about a 29' TT. This car was bottomed out both front and rear. Looked very scary to me .

04ctd

got a link? i like lurking around, watching idiots fuss with each other....

horsepoor68

I drive about 180 miles a day down I-10 and every day I see someone pulling something way too big with something way to small.

ptgarcia

I had an early production (Dec. '03) '04 Titan crew cab before buying my MegaCab. In the beginning it did have brake problems but Nissan had it figured out in a year. When I sold it they worked perfectly.

I loved that truck. It was quick and nimble (for a truck), comfortable, and a very capable tow vehicle. It yanked my 28', 8000 lb travel trailer around with no problem. I admit, the suspension was soft for that kind of load, but with a set of Timbrens and Bilsteins on the back it worked well, even with 1000 lb tongue weight.

Power is class leading. It has lower numbers than the Hemi but beat it in every test. I attribute that to the engine/transmission combo. On that truck it was near perfection. Don't knock the Titan until you drive one.

ChrisLib

There are boneheads of every shape and size, driving/towing with trucks of every shape and size. Case in point, this past Memorial Day weekend I`m tooling around. I come to a stop light and there is a guy in a newer Super Doodie 6.0 with a MONSTEROUS fiver hooked to it, light turns green and the way traffic flowed I wound up in front of him. Now I`m figuring this dude has to be pulling some pretty hefty weight so I`m trying to stay at a pace that will give him ample room between us. What does this guy do??? He runs his big ole doodie mobile RIGHT on my rear bumper. Now I`m thinking "god help ME if I have to stop in any type of hurry". I wound up passing my turn off because this guy was just running waaay too close and waaay too fast for my taste. Soon as the traffic flow eased a bit I hopped into the left lane (thats right he was HAMMER down in the right lane) and he cranked passed me like he on his way to a fire...some people.

truckjunkie

Some of these tailgating idiots are just nuts. One of these days when I'm more cranky than usual I'm gonna let one of those idiots in their higher-end cars tap my bumper. I'm gonna fall out of the cab screaming and holding my neck, and on the phone to Larry H. Parker all at the same time.

rammtuff

Easiest way to prevent any accidents like this is to CDL ANY driver that pulls a trailer. Period. Driving OTR you see way too many RV'ers that are a hazard on the road. Most are driving 3/4 and one ton trucks. They just don't have a clue.

If weight was the issue (assuming he had legal hitch weight) why can highway tractors pull 80k gross with 5 axles or 140k with multi axle? Tractor has more HP and a 46 rear end (vs a 38 or 40) but really no other difference and they pull this legally and safely all the time.

I feel bad for the dog.

Fronty Owner

I have read alot of people knocking the titan. From my experience with other nissan trucks, I think they are under rated. Nissan is doing alot of things right straight from the factory on thier trucks. useful tie down points, fuel efficient V8 that doesn't have to run like a 4 cylider to do it.
Im not sure a CDL is the right answer, perhaps a better drivers ed program (especially with its a required class). Or perhaps a better trained sales force selling trailers and probably trucks too.

MikeyB

Nissan did have issues in the late '80s and early '90s with their trucks. I had a Hardbody SE V6 xcab and after three years ditched because of all the problems I had.
A friend has a Titan and it's a pretty good truck, except for the fuel economy.
And I think the Dana 44 rear axle is a little on the small side for such a big truck.

MikeyB

GAmes

A special endorsement for trailers, much like a motorcycle endorsement might help. CDLs are way overrated, just had a flat bed take my lane today in Dallas forcing me to either slam on the brakes, hit his trailer or hit the guy beside me in the right lane. I'm assuming he had a CDL, the truck had 18 wheels. His comment to me on the CB was F... you. I have a one ton and I do have a clue.

StrokeThisCTD

Ok i dont plan to read the whole thread, but after seeing "The salesman is at fault" i had to reply. One of my best friends owns Holiday RV, a very popular RV dealer in my town. He sells 5-10 trailers a day in the summer.

I asked him what if someone wants to buy a 20,000lb trailer with a half ton. He said that he tells the customer it is more than their truck is made to handle and they will be in it deep if they crash, and their warranty could be void. They can buy whatever trailer they want, but they are warned.

Hillcountry

Aside from what seems to be general lack of common sense by many who buy cars and then tow with them, one of the big issues is that people are generally confused about the difference between an engine/transmission setup that has the power to tow a heavy load, and the total vehicle package which is a good set up for towing. Case in point, my neighbor has a 27' boat that he tows with his F-350 (non diesel). My other neighbor had a BMW X-5 that he used to tow his 25' cabin boat. Both have roughly the same power. Now I say had because my second neighbor found himself in a downhill situation with that 25' boat pushing the rear of the car around. Jacknifed, the boat hopped off the trailer (broke it's tiedowns) slid into the oncoming lane and wrecked two cars coming the opposite way. Obviously my neighbor was cited for the accident. 3 cars and a boat were destroyed, luckily no one was killed. The BMW could pull (accelerate) the load, what it could not do was control it or stop it in a safe mannar. Wheelbase, weight rating, braking power and longevity (no brake fade), understanding loads and stopping distances, all play a role in towing. I have a CDL and I learned a lot getting it, but you still need to have the common sense to judge whether you have a safe set up or not.

Not bashing any vehicles, or drivers, just commenting on an increasingly common danger I see on the road. It all comes down to having the right vehicle for the job. There are a lot of factors that make a vehicle "right."

Safe driving and towing to everyone!