I have an 04 Nissan Armade SE 4x4, it needs to pull my 30x8 foot travel trailer that can range from 6000 - 7700 Lbs. I wanted to know how Armadas were doing pulling loads up hills and at high speeds.

My second question is has anyone used the brake modulator with the Armada, i have electric brakes on the travel trailer. I know i should of tested all this at the dealership but my trailer is set in place for the winter right now so i had to take my dealers word :(

Any info on the brake modulator will help or trailer wiring harness faults.

You won't be disappointed. I pull a cargo trailer- around #6500 or so. Pulls it like it's barely back there. The brake install was easy cheesy- the harness just plugs right in. I have the prodigy controller (which is great) The leveling shocks on the back of the Armada are sweet, and work really well.

Towing is one of the things this vehicle does best!

explain the prodigy controller for me please. I had a after market brake controller installed in my 150 but it was my trade-in for the Armada.

I have the Prodigy as well.. I bought it because everyone recommended it. It is easy to use and very adjustable.

I've towed 7000-7500 lbs over 3,000 miles last year. It was an enclosed race trailer with my car in it. The enclosed trailer sucked down the gas like no other exp. with a headwind. The mountains didn't matter much, it was mainly the wind.

I am going to look for an open trailer or some sort of wind-deflector because the 6mpg I was getting is NOT going to work. The best we saw was 9mpg and that was very very rare.

I've seen F150's with a 4.6 give better MPG with this much weight behind them.

I'm 99% sure it was due to the closed trailer just acting like a brick wall.

This truck tows great. I live in Appalachians and always tow on grades. Agree with the Prodigy controller-- have used it for 2+ years.

The Prodigy is a proportional brake controller. From what I've read it has a gyroscope in it that senses how much you are braking and applies a continously monitored signal to your trailer brakes. The effect is excellent- it really make the trailer feel as though it is a part of the trucks' braking system. The adjustments are very easy, and you can "set it, and forget it".

(Where's Ronco?) :D

Anyway, I had a couple of other before, but the prodigy is the sh!t. I paid like $140 a couple of times to have a lesser controller installed in previous vehicles. I got a new prodigy for $100 shipped online and put it in myself- just plugged it right in to the supplied harness.

What about pulling 8750 to 9100? Any issues with that? I am looking at getting a toy hauler that weighs 7200 or so, dry. Add other stuff and I could easily be reaching the 9100 threshold.....

Do all Armada's have the rear auto leveling feature?

What kind of gas mpg can I expect? Its mostly flat here in Texas.

You'd be creeping on the max with 9100. By the time you add people and gear you'd be over. I'd probably look at a 3/4 or 1 ton vehicle if you need to tow that much. The Armada is great (and I'm sure it would tow it) but you'd really be wearing and tearing the drivetrain with that much weight. The Armada is rated at 9500. The tow package includes the rear leveling shocks.

I know my LE has the leveling feature..

Gas mileage will truly depend on the trailer. If you have good air deflectors then you will be ok. It's tough to tow a enclosed trailer that is larger then your vehicle. It acts like a brick wall.. I simply could NOT believe how crappy gas mileage I was getting. It was truly insane. I went broke over one damn trip. I'm going to make the trip one more time with an open trailer and see the difference.. I was totally expecting 10 - 11 mpg towing with my trailer... Boy was I wrong..

I'm pretty certain that only the LE's have the autoleveling rear suspension -- you SE owners feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that.

I have an SE with the tow package and have the leveling suspension.

I know my LE has the leveling feature..

Gas mileage will truly depend on the trailer. If you have good air deflectors then you will be ok. It's tough to tow a enclosed trailer that is larger then your vehicle. It acts like a brick wall.. I simply could NOT believe how crappy gas mileage I was getting. It was truly insane. I went broke over one damn trip. I'm going to make the trip one more time with an open trailer and see the difference.. I was totally expecting 10 - 11 mpg towing with my trailer... Boy was I wrong..


My Armada has over 5,000 miles of towing a 16ft. box trailer with an Avg. of about 10 MPG.

My Armada has over 5,000 miles of towing a 16ft. box trailer with an Avg. of about 10 MPG.

Tell me more about the trailer, the roads and the type of load you are carrying. If I could find a trailer that would net 10-11, I would be in heaven.

I am towing an enclosed 20' car hauler that is considerably larger then the Armada... Fully loaded is around 7000-7500 lbs.

Here is a picture.

I can get 12mpg on the highway towing my open trailer and race car. I'm thinking about getting a 18' Haulmark low-hauler trailer which is a few feet shorter than an normal closed trailer.

What about pulling 8750 to 9100? Any issues with that? I am looking at getting a toy hauler that weighs 7200 or so, dry. Add other stuff and I could easily be reaching the 9100 threshold.....

Do all Armada's have the rear auto leveling feature?

What kind of gas mpg can I expect? Its mostly flat here in Texas.

Pecos, I would not go that big on the toy hauler for several reasons. Toy haulers have a higher percentage of tongue weight than regular travel trailers to offset the cargo weight. The Armada is only rated at #910. My 2124C LX Rage’n weighs in at #6200 dry. It can hold 100gal of H2O (#800), 2 batteries(#100), 14gal of propane(#100), 34 Gal of gas (#240) 1 utility ATV(#600) 3 dirt bikes(#750) and at least #200 of food , drink and gear for a grand total of #9000. Trust me on this, you do not want to go there. I only carry the minimum of H2O and fill at the campground and empty before leaving. Also, I only put in about 15-20 gal of gas.

The first time out with this trailer I was loaded to the MAX(~#9,100), I WILL avoid doing it ever again! This load was all the Armada wanted and then some. The load leveling shocks worked good but with this kind of load they pumped up and it was like there was no rear suspension, you would not have liked riding in the 3rd row. I also do not trust our "passenger car like" tires for that heavy of a load. I try to stay at or under #8000, it is more fun to drive and much easier on my sweet Armada. I am too scared to figure the MPG. In less than 2 years I am getting a 3/4T pickup to take over front line towing. Invest in a good hitch, a dual cam or equalizer along with a Prodigy. Good Luck with your choice.

Cillyone,

Thanks for the info. I just called a RV place and they also recommended against it. Basically, I need to be looking at a trailer 25ft long or less that weighs no more than 6k, dry.

25ft toy hauler is small. Not much living space b.c of cargo and they don't make them with vapor walls.

Thanks for you help. I will continue to search.

Andrew

I have a 30 foot travel triler jayco Qwest, comes in at 6000 Lbs dry around 8000 Lbs fully loaded with evertyhing. Sleeps 9 with full size bed and 3 bunks I have too use weight distro bars and sway control. Just right for the Armada

is this a toy hauler?

I also utilize a weight distibution hitch/bars with sway control.. Controlling the trailer was no problem at all.. Armada handled it great.

TypeSH,

Good info.. I'm going to experiment with a few different trailers.

I'm towing a 26' travel trailer, 4300 dry, about 5500 loaded. Armada is an awesome tow vehicle for a trailer of this size, I can power up hills as fast as I want (or can afford!). Gas mileage is about 10 to 11, towing under 65 mph. Drops quickly when I tow any faster.

Keith

I'm pretty certain that only the LE's have the autoleveling rear suspension -- you SE owners feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that.

The auto-leveling suspension comes with the tow package (available on all models).

Pecos, Campfamily has great advice on towing speed, do not get a combined 6 tons going too fast for you, your family’s sake and everyone else on the road, take your time. Being a cowboy can ruin everybody’s day. Toyboxes are foot for foot heavier than a regular travel trailer because of the required robust construction to carry cargo. You will have to give up some floor space to have the luxury of having your toys with you; I think it is worth it. We only prepare meals and sleep in ours anyway. The family almost always eats outside on a picnic table except in bad weather (camping, remember). When you have your dirt bikes and ATV who wants to be inside anyway? Having the freedom to explore vast areas with your toys is an experience you can’t get on foot. I really like it better than our previous larger foo foo travel trailer. I do not want carpet to deal with camping. Vinyl floor is wonderful; a quick broom every night before bed and it is ready for another 24hrs. Having the fuel station and generator has been a real asset. Your RV dealer advice sounds real good, it is no fun towing white knuckled. The whole idea is to relax and enjoy your self. Take care and good luck again.

I also utilize a weight distibution hitch/bars with sway control.. Controlling the trailer was no problem at all.. Armada handled it great.

TypeSH,

Good info.. I'm going to experiment with a few different trailers.

I think your 6mpg may be an effect of speed. I don't have an armada but currently own a trooper. I noticed that when towing my racecar on an open-trailer, if I do 60-65mph I pull down close to 10-12mpg. If I start trying to keep up with the guys who drive their cars to the track, doing 75+mph I drop down to like 8mpg. My guess is that wind on your enclosed trailer combined with your speed is likely the culprit for the poor milage.

-mike

Mike,

60-65 was my speed the entire trip.. Sometimes it was slower..

I'm sure the wind is playing a large role when combined with the large trailer.

I've towed a variety of trailers with a variety of vehicles.. It's just that this combo isn't happy. :)

Mike,

60-65 was my speed the entire trip.. Sometimes it was slower..

I'm sure the wind is playing a large role when combined with the large trailer.

I've towed a variety of trailers with a variety of vehicles.. It's just that this combo isn't happy. :)

gotcha. Just trying to narrow it down. I know anything over 65 and mine drops off considerably. Even without a larger frontal trailer area.

-mike

It was definitely a legit response.. Speed does play a large factor.. Exp. anything over 65.

We experimented a bit on one of our "trailer" trips with the whole speed vs. mpg issue using the trip computer.

While traveling down I-95 through the realatively flat Carolina's we were getting 10.2 mpg on a few tanks while maintaing an average speed of 79 mph.

When we dropped it down to 65 mph for one tank of gas we only saw an increase to 11.1 mpg

If you look at the trade off we got a over a 20% increase in speed for less than a 10% increase in fuel consumption.

In other words ..... How valuable is your time.

Shamus

I got a chance to try an Open Trailer this past weekend... Here are the details.

20' Open Trailer (~1500-1700 lbs) + Car (~3000 lbs) and towing in a headwind as well as a crosswind. Towing the Armada between 60-70 we averaged 13.4 MPG... I am very impressed and I have decided to get this type of trailer instead of the Enclosed which I have been using.

Tows awesome with an open trailer.. Just awesome.

what did your X-mission temp gauge look like.

Tell you what.. I was VERY impressed that the gauge never went higher then 1/2 way and it never kicked out of 5th gear until I hit some high inclines.. I was very very pleased.

13-14 MPG is just incredible.

Tell you what.. I was VERY impressed that the gauge never went higher then 1/2 way and it never kicked out of 5th gear until I hit some high inclines.. I was very very pleased.

13-14 MPG is just incredible.

Awsome that's the setup I'm gonna have so I'm very happy to hear this, heck that's almost better milage than i get on my Trooper W/O a trailer!!!! :)

-mike

Just an update. Towing my 10,000lb boat trailer this past weekend, pulled 10mpg at 70mph w/A/C on.

-mike

i have checked the for the Prodigy controller on their website, i want to buy this but im alittle confused on the wiring. there is a nissan wiring harness, do i need this? and if i do where does it go? http://www.tekonsha.com/bch3050.html

or..

according to this http://www.tekonsha.com/instructions/BC%20Wiring.pdf

how do i get into the trailer harness on the truck? and what color is the wire i need?

right now on my trailer im not using the trailer brakes...just pulling and using truck brakes but its killing me.. im using a 4 pin plug into a round adapter to go to the truck for lights,blinkers,brakes... the trailer brake wiring is not connected.. will i have to chnge to a 5 pin plug with a different round adater?

i hope this makes sense to u guys..i need the help please.


fiddlyD

See reply to your duplicate post.....

i'm gald to see everyone has the same crappy gas milage range. i have a 07 mada and i tow a 28 ft trailer trailer @ est 70-75mlhr ( 120km/hr) i recieves 10.9 mpg. Does anyone have a 2 degree timing advancement? how did that affect your towing? pro/con's

Mike,

60-65 was my speed the entire trip.. Sometimes it was slower..

I'm sure the wind is playing a large role when combined with the large trailer.

I've towed a variety of trailers with a variety of vehicles.. It's just that this combo isn't happy. :)


a couple of questions: were you towing with the tow mode on or off and were you towing in D,4, or 3

your trans selection could be the key to your mpg...just a thought


tg

i'm gald to see everyone has the same crappy gas milage range. i have a 07 mada and i tow a 28 ft trailer trailer @ est 70-75mlhr ( 120km/hr) i recieves 10.9 mpg. Does anyone have a 2 degree timing advancement? how did that affect your towing? pro/con's

I wouldn't say that 10.9mpg towing over 70mph is crappy. Trucks/suv's and trailers have aerodynamics of brick walls and over 70 you are really pushing the aerodynamics of it. I am happily suprised to get 10mpg at 68mph towing 10k lbs and with the A/C on! :)

-mike

I agree with this point. The Beast is more than capable of towing my enclosed trailer. The fact that the trailer is a very large box kills the fuel mileage. I used to get between 7-8 at 70-75 mph. Slowing down to 65-70 mph improved the fuel economy to 8-9mpg. This may not sound like much, but I tow anywhere from 4 -12 hours at a time. That little increase in fuel economy makes a difference.

Just for the record, I tow in 4th gear, Tow/Haul mode on. The trailer and racecar weigh around 6500 lbs.

I agree with this point. The Beast is more than capable of towing my enclosed trailer. The fact that the trailer is a very large box kills the fuel mileage. I used to get between 7-8 at 70-75 mph. Slowing down to 65-70 mph improved the fuel economy to 8-9mpg. This may not sound like much, but I tow anywhere from 4 -12 hours at a time. That little increase in fuel economy makes a difference.

Just for the record, I tow in 4th gear, Tow/Haul mode on. The trailer and racecar weigh around 6500 lbs.

Do you get excessive shifting in 5th with Tow/Haul mode on? I tow in 5th but drop it to 4th if I see it shifting a lot.

-mike

Do you get excessive shifting in 5th with Tow/Haul mode on? I tow in 5th but drop it to 4th if I see it shifting a lot.

-mike

It does shift a LOT more in 5th when climbing hills. It seems happier in 4th.

It does shift a LOT more in 5th when climbing hills. It seems happier in 4th.

Gotcha, yeah I had to throw mine into 4th on the hills of the interstate going up to Lake George. Otherwise I just kept it in 5th, turned about 1900rpms at 69mph in 5th.

-mike