Hi Scotty....Ken from Nova Scotia Canada. We have a Scamp 19 ft fiberglass travel trailer 5th wheel style. looking at a used Nissan Frontier with an automatic as a tow vehicle. They originally advertised these units with Ford Rangers as the tug. Do you think that the Frontier 6 cyl with the automatic will hold up cross country and in the mountains? Do I need to get a transmission cooler? Or should I look at a manual tranny or another type of vehicle? I chose the Nissan because the box on the back is not too tall..all the new pickups are crazy tall in the back (what the heck is with that anyway?) Also, we have a 6-year-old Nissan Micra with 270000k trouble-free miles. thanks...Ken
duffster49, just personal experience here. I have had since new a 2007 Nissan Frontier NISMO king cab, 4.0L, 6 speed manual, 4x4 with 185K and absolutely love it. Currently, I also own a Kioti sub-compact tractor which with the front bucket on front and hoe on the back goes about 3,300 lbs. which I transport on a 1,000lb (actual weight, not loading rate) tandem axle trailer and my Frontier. I regularly pull this around the Pennsylvania hills for projects on my various properties. Also, upon exiting the Army in 2014 I loaded up my cargo trailer with all my house hold items to move home from Georgia, about 1,000 miles. When I weighed in, I was a little over loaded grossing out just over 12,000 lbs.! I had no issues with power pulling the hills, keeping a maximum speed (self imposed) of 60mph. Even the braking was no issue, of course the trailer provided brakes as well. I had a class III hitch installed at the dealership when new, along with wiring (plug and play). NOTE: To ensure the 7 pin connector supplies power for charging the trailer battery when in tow, you will need to install a fuse in one of the boxes. I can't remember which one since it's been too long. My truck also has the integrated cargo system in the bed which is extremely useful. Hope this helps
"Do you think that the Frontier 6 cyl with the automatic will hold up cross country and in the mountains? " Depends. Get it configured well enough, like a Crew Cab Long Bed SV 4x4 with the interior package, perhaps a better set of wheels/tires for towing, and it could handle your trailer in most environs.
Your trailer is VERY light for a 19 footer, about 2,900 pounds (manufacturer empty weight), but 3.8L V6 9-speed would struggle a in mountainous low-speed curves, uphill grades of 3% or greater, and in other conditions encountered in RV use.
Do I need to get a transmission cooler? YES. And Nissan doesn't offer a "tow package" per se, so transmission cooler, hitch, wiring, etc. is either dealer/owner installed and/or after-market.
I know of no other mid-sized or full-sized new pickup has a bed as low as the Frontier. Any "moderators" know of one ?
I disagree with a comment that says "Too big of a trailer to be pulling with that size truck. Tail would be wagging the dog" With your trailer, that would be absolutely NOT TRUE. In flatland environments, you would feel the extra weight and pull, but it would be NO BIG DEAL.
Forget a comment about an F-150 5.0L V8. Since inception of the non-metallic cylinder liners (about 2018), 5.0L engines die very quickly, major issue with Ford, several lawsuits but as usual, Ford is IGNORING customers. And any Ford vehicle with the phrase "Eco" in the engine description should be avoided like Covid.
Forget any Tacoma made in Mexico (especially the old Baja plant), quality and workmanship has fallen through the floor. It's just incredible how bad they're getting. And I'm a sales person, and I'm supposed to sell those things while parts fall-off in test drives !!
Too big of a trailer to be pulling with that size truck. Tail would be wagging the dog,
A good ole V8 gas engine, radiator recommended for towing, 5 or 6 speed transmission, manual or automatic with a cooler. Restored 1970s F250 Ford camper special would be ideal.
Diesels and EcoBoosts will have you camping at dealerships.
F150 with towing package and 5.0 would be plenty.
