Should this tow a 20V?

[TigeMike]

I’ve been using a Nissan Frontier to tow our 2007 20V and it’s worked great, smallest pickup I could find that safely tows. However I want to move to a car and switch over to the kid hauler 2019 Nissan Pathfinder (with tow package) to tow. With boat at 3800 lbs and estimate dual axle trailer at 1200, we’re right at the 85% amount of Pathfinders spec’d rating.

I’ve yet to tow to ramp and launch, but just driving around town and the boat pushes the pathfinder backend down low. Is that just aesthetics and functionally I should be fine?

[bsreid]

If the frontier does it with no problems and your launch conditions are good you should probably be fine. If it ever struggles I would be cautious. Is the pathfinder awe or 4wd?

[Grebva3]

Air lift 1000 can help with keeping truck level fairly simple mod (air bags inside coil spring). Might want to check trailer brakes and upgrade front brakes on Nissan.

[BCRider]

At 3800lbs I'd say that's closer to dry weight and not actual. The trailer alone is close to 1500lbs, a full tank of gas (44 gallons/176L) is close to 400lbs plus gear, any lead etc. Pulling is one thing. The bigger issue as always is stopping. I added air bags to my 14 F150 and that did make a difference in handling and keeping the truck level after I did a 1.5" lift to the front.

[NVRandyT]

I tow mine behind my 2005 4-runner V-6 4” lift and 33” tires and does great. The wife says it drives great behind it too.

[TigeMike]

With little kids these days there isn’t any lead or other ballast being towed, just vests, tubes and floatables, so gas is the only real variable.

The pathfinder is 4wd and is only rated 500lbs less tow capacity than the frontier. I just wasn’t sure if something like the frame made a big difference. I’ve yet to have to put the frontier in 4wd to launch/retrieve where we boat.

Would leveling out with the air bags improve performance or is it more so aesthetics?