Towing 4X4 Nissan Xterra

[bartond]

I am thinking of purchasing a 4WD Nissan Xterra. I want to know if it can be flat towed behind a motorhome. Can the transfer case be put in neutral to take the transmission out of gear so it will not turn while being towed?

[GreyGoose006]

the best way to tow a car is on a flatbed
anything else is a compromise
as long as you disengage the 4wd, and put extra tranny fluid in, it should be ok.

[KiwiBacon]

Sure that'll work. The auto doesn't turn when the transfer is in neutral (Xterra's do have a transfer box right?) so extra fluid isn't necessary.

But personally racking up all those extra km on the vehicle doesn't do it for me. I'd find a suitable trailer, then you can take any vehicle without the wear and tear.

[GreyGoose006]

i thought that it was typical procedure to put an extra quart or two into the trans when trailering it so that the driving wheels are on the ground.
even if it is in neutral.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by KiwiBacon

Sure that'll work. The auto doesn't turn when the transfer is in neutral (Xterra's do have a transfer box right?) so extra fluid isn't necessary.
.

Look in your Nissan owner's manual. If it can be flat towed, there will be instructions there.

Most 4x4's have a neutral position in the transfer case (not the transmission). The case is left in neutral when being towed.

If there is no neutral position and you have a manual transmission, leave the transmission in neutral.

If there is no neutral position and you have an automatic transmission, you will have to disconnect the rear driveshaft (it's easy to do) and leave it in two wheel drive.

I would not recommend adding extra fluid anywhere unless the owner's manual tells you to.

[GreyGoose006]

i was going off of towing old cars i guess.

[Seeker Of Light]

I'm not a fan of putting a vehicle up on a trailer to tow behind an RV. My RV is rated to tow only tow 5000 pounds. A trailer can weigh 1000 or more which severely limits the weight of the toad. Except for a very few, most 4X4's are over 4000 pounds. And the later the model vehicle, the more they weigh with few exceptions.

Outside of communicating with your dealership mechanics and your manual, there is a web site put on by Sam's Club's Motorhome Magazine that gives some pretty good information about toads from 1999 to the present.

http://www.motorhome.com/download-dinghy-guides/

I don't know how they vet their information, and some cars/years that you might think should be included are not, but it certainly gives you a leg up when you do talk to the service department mechanic or when you get your hands on a manual.

The dinghy guides say that the Xterra 4x4 MANUAL transmission can be towed 4-down with no modifications - you are just limited to 60 mph and a stop to run the engine for about 3 minutes every 200 miles for the V6 or 500 miles for the 4 cyl. They do not say "don't" for automatic.

I did look up the Xterra automatic in the REMCO site. The site states that the automatic, and I quote, MUST BE TOWED USING A TRAILER. The site states that the manual transmission must follow the limitations in the manual but no modifications are necessary.

I don't know about you but we rarely go over 60 in our MH - it just feels unsafe and the gas mileage goes way down. Besides, a break every 200 miles is even a bit far as most DMV's suggest a few minutes strech after 2 or 3 hours driving. 200 miles . . . 60 mph . . . 200 minutes . . . that's 3 hours and 20 minutes - good time for a break.

I'm looking for a toad also. I have a long way to go to narrow down the field. So far I was concentrating on the Jeep Liberty. Performance looked good, the weight was good but the whole thing seems to be made of thin plastic. So, I'm moving on to something I'll actually WANT to drive away from the campsite. Next I'll visit some used dealers to check out the quality of a dozen other vehicles that I've picked out of the dinghy guides.

[maxwedge]

Can't tow any awd drive vehicles on the ground either.

[Dave B.]

If I were thinking about doing this and wanted some type of AWD vehicle, I'd buy a well-maintained older Subaru Forester (preferred) or Honda CRV and a dual-axle ALUMINUM trailer. This combo should get you under your towing limit.

I've been towing race cars for well over 30 years. I would not flat-tow ANY vehicle for long distances if I didn't have to. As a plus, put a hitch on your CUV and you'll find dozens of uses for the trailer when you're at home! Just my two cents

SL