zaebis

Folks,

I have 96 SE auto. I know that owners manual says 1000lbs is a mx towing I can do but I just cant beleive what I read. I see all those peanut cars like civics and cavaliers towing 3000lbs boats no problems. Also dingy minivans like caravan etc (also front drive automatic and barely 140hp engines) towing way past 3000lbs boats. So why would superior maxima be rated so low?

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

I've never seen a CIVIC tow a boat in all my years of driving. Half of my family lives down at the Jersey shore, yet I've never seen the A.M. tow. I've seen my fair share of CIVIC's being towed behind motor homes.

Caravan's are made for hauling families, have strong V6 engines and probably design their suspensions for families who will perhaps use that vehicle to go on vacation and carry bigger loads. It's a big van and people fill them up with kids, bikes, luggage ect. I'm sure Chrysler had that in mind when they designed that vehicle.

You wouldn't take a family of 5 on vacation in a Maxima, would you?

Eric99SE

Personally, I haven't seen a Civic tow anything more than a JetSki (although I'm sure some people do). I have seen several pictures of small cars (usually Subaru's) in NZ and Australia towing what I consider large boats (19-22') range, and could never understand how they can do it.

I tow my light 16' boat with my 99 5 Spd Max. Total trailer weight is about 1100 pounds. I only have to tow 3 miles to the boat ramp (back roads), and it does okay. I would NOT want to have it on the highway trying to do 65. I take that back - it could easily do 65, but stopping is another story. Simply put, the brakes are not up to the task of hauling down an additional 1000+ pounds from speed.

Also, as Tom put it, the suspension plays a large roll. Put a large trailer on the back of a Max, and the front gets awfully light - which reduces traction for both steering and acceleration.

The key point to keep in mind is that although you may see Civics, Cavs and Caravans towing 3000+ trailers, they shouldn't be. Stay away from them on the roads!!

Eric

drewm

Probably for liability issues. Then again nissan says the engine should put out 190hp, and no aftermarket parts should be used, but that doesn't mean we don't strap on our intakes and y-pipes. So why not a trailer hitch.

Also, since nissan didn't design the hitch I use to tow, I'd be skeptical of any tow rating that they put out. The hidden hitches hitch states it is good for Class I, which is 2000 tow, 200 tounge, and I believe it fully.

The trailer I tow is 800lbs unloaded and I'm pretty sure I have a good 800lbs of gear in it when I tow if not slightly more. I have had exactly 0 problems in the last 3 trips towing it 400 miles with my 5-speed. Power, engine-braking, braking, all non-issues.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Another thing to take into consideration is the placement of the hitch in respect to the rear suspension. Our cars rear beam is inwards a bit. The hitch position would be after the beam, not on top of it. That would basically give the car a teader-todder (sp?) effect by pulling the front end up. Mini Vans probably have their hitch location just about center to the rear suspension which would put the load onto the rear of the car and not pull the front end upwards.

largestal

iTrader: (4)

I tow a trailer with my 99 I30 (auto) just about every week. Trailer weighs about 350-400 and I have hauled two John Deere lawn tractors without a problem.
I have added a transmission cooler and have had no problems in 15K miles. Oil is nice and clean as is the transmission fluid. Just be safe and you shouldn't have any problems.