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ok im not understanding something blasterguy, first you posted about 17 inch winter rims and now you are asking about a trailer hitch, look by no means am i being critical but are you sure you dont want a SUV instead of a 4 door sports sedan?
I looked in the Maxima and Altima owners manuals and both say "Don't tow with this vehicle". I then looked at the U-Haul Trailer Hitch listing tool for a 2016 Maxima and it recommend Model 24737. It's $350 installed.
The simple answer is that front wheel drive doesn't make for a good or safe towing vehicle. The Murano has All wheel drive and there has traction on the rear axle. A front wheel drive vehicle is basically towing it's rear axle and isn't suitable for towing a trailer.
That's ridiculous. AWD Muranos are slip and grip. So essentially they are FWD vehicles. Nissan has the FWD Murano rated to tow the same as the AWD Murano.
I'll be waiting till the spring before I install either a Curt or a Hidden Hitch, but I will post pics for your viewing pleasure.
That's ridiculous. AWD Muranos are slip and grip. So essentially they are FWD vehicles. Nissan has the FWD Murano rated to tow the same as the AWD Murano.
I'll be waiting till the spring before I install either a Curt or a Hidden Hitch, but I will post pics for your viewing pleasure.
There must be a reason that Nissan says not to tow with this vehicle. Possible issues could be the transmission can't take the extra load, the brakes can't handle the additional weight, etc. I would trust Nissan and not tow with your Maxima. If it was safe to do, they would allow you to, as it may be a selling point for some people.
The murano suspension and transmission are different parts....It's not essentially the same vehicle as a maxima.
I just installed one on my 2014 Maxima. The manual doesn't say not to tow anything. It says don't tow a trailer/load greater than 1000 pounds. So I bought a nice aluminum trailer (less than 500 pounds) to use for towing our kayaks, then I use my Frontier to tow heavy loads.
My understanding is that the limitation is based on transmission cooling more than anything else, and the limit is based on towing in hot weather, so I don't think going a little overweight for short distances poses a real problem either.
I got the Curt trailer on Amazon and the Curt wiring kit, both of which can be installed yourself but there are a few tricks that can make it a little easier. (I'm happy to share that info here if anyone is interested.) I did the hitch without an assistant, but most people recommend having a helper lift it into place. The wiring is very easy except that you need to connect directly to the battery for power instead of taking it from the tail light power to avoid problems with the defective bulb fault circuitry.
I actually did this in the past 2 days and have a few steps to go, so I haven't actually towed anything yet, but I don't expect any problems as long as I stick to light loading.
Winter pretty much over so on went a CURT hitch model number 11352. Wiring harness is CURT model number 56294.
The hitch: contrary to instructions, best is to use a 1 3/16 inch OD hole saw placed right in the middle of the 2 pre drilled factory holes that Curt tells you to enlarge. This way the metal plates and bolts go in the frame and slip down with a nice tight fit thru the factory drilled holes. Enlarging them seems to only weaken the install.
Very pleased with the quality
The wiring is great, plug in play except for the fused hot wire. It must go from the battery. From battery go down the firewall, go along the rear brake linings, go over the gas tank, then up over the rear suspension and into the outer fender where there is one drain plug already (passenger side of course).
Other notes: Mufflers must be pulled off which is easy. Very high quality mufflers btw. Heat shields are history. Plastic panel under trunk must come off.
Last edited by Blasterguy; Mar 21, 2016 at 05:53 PM.
Yeah, the hot wire is the only annoyance in the wiring. I ran mine from the trunk through the channel below the door frame up under the dash then poked a hole alongside the trunk release, which exits behind the driver side wheel well.
Hey Blaster Guy, still liking the CURT hitch? I would strictly be using the hitch for a bike rack, nothing else. I wouldn't even need to hook up the tail lights. anyone else install a hitch?
OH MY GOD WHAT A NIGHTMARE! Worst DIY project ever! So glad it's done. Blasterguy, does it seem flimsy? After putting my rack on there it seems to flex a lot
Kinda ridiculous such a large car isn't recommended for towing. By today's standard it's a full size car. Shouldn't be out of the ordinary to tow a Jet Ski. Certainly one would think it is safe to put a hitch and cargo box as long as you are no trying to load 1000 lbs. Might be preferred vs a roof box.
ok im not understanding something blasterguy, first you posted about 17 inch winter rims and now you are asking about a trailer hitch, look by no means am i being critical but are you sure you dont want a SUV instead of a 4 door sports sedan?
For a great bike rack look at Seasucker. I have the Talon and absolutely love it. Leaves no marks on the car. Never had a problem with it sticking. Great product.
Thanks for posting the info and photos. I've looked all over the internet trying to find out what a '17 Maxima looks like with a Class I hitch. Yeah, makes the girl look a lot less sporty from behind but once you use the hitch that is priceless.
PS- My wife won't let me put a hitch on her "14 Malibu so I have no choice, and no, a truck is not to my taste. "Put a little peanut butter on my French Croissant please". :-)
I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but if you are installing a hitch for a bike rack, be careful which rack you buy. The rack I purchased was really heavy to begin with, plus the bikes, it actually flexes the unibody frame and bounces a lot. I'm sure it's fine for a small trailer but I worry with enough of the bouncing up and down, it will stress fracture the thin gauge metal it is bolted to. I just gotta have faith that the engineers who design these things know what they're doing!
Whoops - I missed this one when I stared a new thread on the same topic. Here's what I did with my Dodge Charger: "Hidden hitch" on a 2011 Dodge Charger Mopar Edition
