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Nissan 2011 - page 1
9 2011 NISSAN TOWING GUIDE Table of Contents Introduction _____________________________________________________ 1 Towing Equipm ent ______________________________________________ 2 What Is Right for You ___________________________________________ 3 Preparing Your Vehicle _________________________________________ 10 Towing Safety ___________________ ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 1 INTRODUCTION SAFETY IS PRIORITY ONE Obviously, your first concer n should be safety. Your vehicle wa s designed to be used primarily to carry passengers and cargo. Always reme mber that towing a trailer places additional loads on your vehicle’s engine, drivetrain, suspensio n, steering, braking, and other systems. There ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 2 It is also a good idea to discuss your towing requirements with either yo ur NISSAN dealer or a professional supplier of towing equip ment before you equip you r NISSAN vehicle for towing. F inally, there are state and local laws on towing that you should review to ensure compliance with all regulations. TOWING EQUIPMENT ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 3 PURCHASING If you are buying a travel or boat trailer, be sure that your NISSAN vehicle has the towi ng capacity to pull it. Refer to your vehicle ow ne r’s manual for detailed information regarding the towing capacity of your s pecific vehicle. Your ve hicle owner’s manual shoul d ALWAYS be referenced before making a ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 5
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 4 Installing an aftermarket hitch may affect t he rear crash performance of your v ehicle. Be sure that the hitch doe s not interfere in any way with the vehi cle’s impact-absorbing bumper. Regularly check to see that all hitch-m ounting bolts are securely fastened. For receiver-type hitc hes using a ball ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 6
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 5 Weight-Distributing Hitch System – This type of system uses a “load-leveling” or “equalizing” hitch. The weight-distrib uting feature helps shift trailer tongue weight to all trailer tires a nd the tow vehicle fro nt tires. For Armada, Frontier, Pathfinder and Titan vehicles, a weight-d istributing hitch ball mo ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 6 5th Wheel or Gooseneck Hitch – Mounted in the bed of a pick-up and designed for heavy-duty applications, these types of hitches are not available from NISSAN but can be purchased from a professional supplier of towing equipment.* A 5th wheel or gooseneck hit ch is usually installed and adjusted to meet the requirements ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 8
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 7 Like ball mounts, hitch balls are available in a numb er of weight capacities and sizes. Always make sure the hitch ball selected has the pro per shank diameter and weight rating for the ball mount as well as the coupler on your trailer. Using a 1 7 / 8 ” hitch ball in a 2” coupler, for e xample, could result in the t ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 9
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 8 will allow the chains/cables to drag on the ground. Do not use S-hooks for attaching, as they may become un-hooked and are illegal in many states. To avoid damage to the bu mper and chains/cables when makin g a sharp turn, do no t attach the chains/cables too close to the couple r. Cons ult your trailer ma nufacturer for ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 10
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 9 converter” must be us ed, as a converter of this type creates only minimal additio nal electrical demand (draw) on the vehicl e lighting circuits, whi ch helps to ensure protection for th e vehicle’s sensitive ele ctronics. Always check for correct operation of the t aillights, stoplights, and turn signal ligh ts ever ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 11
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 10 NOTE – Improper or poor quality tr ailer harness wiring may affect your vehicle’s electri cal system. Use only a NISSAN approved wiring harne ss, or consult your dealer or a profe ssional supplier of towing equipm ent for compatible eq uipment. SWAY CONTROL DEVICE Sudden maneuvers, wind gusts, and buffeti ng caused b ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 12
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 11 MEASURING VEHICLE WEIGHT The key to safe, efficient to wing has to do with weight. Your vehicle — SUV, crossov er, truck or passenger car — is capable of carrying and towing only a certain amount of weight. You must compare your vehicle’s to w weight ratings with th e combined weight of the veh icle, trailer, and t ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 13
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 12 On all NISSAN vehicles, the GVWR is shown on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (F.M.V.S.S.) certification label located in the driv er’s-side door area. To avoid overloading the vehicle, be sure to include the trailer to ngue/king pin load as a part of the cargo when d etermining how much weight can be safely c ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 13 GROSS COMBINED WEIGHT (GCW) The Gross Combined Weight (GCW) is the total weigh t of the tow vehicle with all passengers, cargo, and fuel, plus the total weig ht of the trailer and all its cargo. To determine the GCW, simply weigh your vehicle when fully l oaded and ready to tow, and add in the weight of the loaded traile ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 14 For example, to determine the pr oper trailer tongue load for a 1,500-lb. trailer, multiply the weight of 1,500 lbs. by 10% to arrive at a fi gure of 150 lbs. 5th whee l and gooseneck trailer king pin load must be kept between 15-25% of the actual tra iler weight, within th e limits of the king pin load allowable. Some t ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 15 TOWING SAFETY Towing can significantly alter the handling and performance characteristics of your vehi cle. Plus, it puts increased strain on the e ngine and dr ivetrain. Therefore, it is always a good idea to approach towing from the standpoint of safety — whe ther you are purchasing equip ment or actually pulling the ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 16 The trailer load should be balanced eq ually from side-to-side. Unequal side-to-side loading can negatively affect handling and braking. Once in place, all cargo should be firmly secured to prevent shifting. If the loa d should shift abruptly during braking or cornering, it could quickly affect the handling of your vehic ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 17 VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS Vehicle modifications — beyon d those required for proper hi tch installation, wiring ho ok-up, or adding extended mirrors — are not re commended for any NISSAN vehicle b eing used for towing purposes. Changes to the driv etrain, suspension, exhaust systems, frame structure/unibody, or other ve ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 18 If possible, before you actually hit the open road, practice tow ing in a large uncrowded area such as a stadium or shopping center parking lo t. Become especially familia r with backing up a trailer — the maneuver many people find most difficult. BRAKE SOONER The combination of your tow vehicle and trailer obviously r ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 19 the trailer to the righ t, move the wheel to th e right. All movemen ts of the wheel should be done in small increments. Of course, backing up should be done only at very slow speeds. For large trailers that obstruct your rearward vision, ha ve someone outside the ve hicle act as a “spotter” to guide you along. PARK ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 20 (if equipped) carefully. At the first sign of over heating, pull to the side of the road. See IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS later in th is section for more information. HILLS – DOWNGRADES While going downhill, th e weight of the trailer push ing on the tow vehicle may decrease overall stability. Therefore, to maintain adequ ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 22
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 21 the hood. Never remove the radiator ca p when the radiator is hot. If the cap is removed under these conditi ons, hot water/coolant u nder high pressure may spurt ou t, possibly causing serious injury. 5. As soon as the engine has cooled to its no rmal operating temperature, visually inspe ct the drive belts for damage o ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 23
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 22 TOWING GLOSSARY 5TH WHEEL HITCH Located just forward of the rear axle ce nterline, this hitch uses a king pin to serve as the pivot point for the trailer. BALL MOUNT A bar that holds the hitch ball and is inserted into the hitch receiver. Also commonly called a drawbar. BREAKAWAY SWITCH A safety device using a trailer ba ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 23 HITCH BALL A ball that connects the trailer to the tow vehicle hitch and provides the means by which the trailer pivots during cornering. Available in a number of sizes and weight capacities, it must correspond to the trailer coupler size, and have a sufficient capacity rating for the trailer being pulled. RECEIVER HITCH ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 25
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 24 PROTECTION At NISSAN, we back everything we b uild. So we are proud that every NISSAN is protected by some of the best New Vehicle Limited Warra nties, including 3-year/36,000-mile basic coverage. All 2011 models also feature 5-year/60,000-mile Li mited Powertrain Warranty.* And, NISSAN warranties are completely tra nsf ...
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Nissan 2011 - page 26
2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 25 CONCERN FOR YOUR SAFETY NISSAN urges you to always use your seat belt whenever yo u drive. Also, please make sure all passengers are buckled up. Keep in mind that air bags are a supplemental restraint system and must always be used in conjunction with a seat belt. In addition, a rear-facing child restraint must never be ...
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2011 NISSAN Towing Guide 26 All illustrations, and specifications in th is document are based on the latest product information available at the ti me of publication. Some vehicles are shown with optional equipment. See the actual vehicle for complete accuracy. Availability and delivery time for particular models and equipmen t may vary. NISSAN Nor ...
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