[MiataguY_97]

Just found this forum and it's been alot of help so far. I have an 04 LE 4wd that I use to tow my 22 foot bowrider (around 5000lbs with gear, trailer, and fluids). It towes it fine but the boat's too small. We want to step up next season to a 26ft outboard deck boat which I figure will tip the scales at 8000 lbs with trailer gear and gas. Here's the questions - Can I tow that much without weight distribution - those type hitches aren't readily available nor recommended by surge brake trailer manufacturers. I figure the air bags help some and boats on trailers aren't typically tongue heavy. I'm assuming that the factory tow pkg is a class IV but typically I've seen class IV hitches with a 7500 lb rating unless using weight dist. Also has anyone done anything to help their towing power - chip, exhaust, intake,etc... - and really found that it helped with towing?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Daniel

 

[92TripleBlack]

Just found this forum and it's been alot of help so far. I have an 04 LE 4wd that I use to tow my 22 foot bowrider (around 5000lbs with gear, trailer, and fluids). It towes it fine but the boat's too small. We want to step up next season to a 26ft outboard deck boat which I figure will tip the scales at 8000 lbs with trailer gear and gas. Here's the questions - Can I tow that much without weight distribution - those type hitches aren't readily available nor recommended by surge brake trailer manufacturers. I figure the air bags help some and boats on trailers aren't typically tongue heavy. I'm assuming that the factory tow pkg is a class IV but typically I've seen class IV hitches with a 7500 lb rating unless using weight dist. Also has anyone done anything to help their towing power - chip, exhaust, intake,etc... - and really found that it helped with towing?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Daniel

Its in the manual. With a class IV hitch you can go up to 9000. Class IV is a weight distribution tongue in a Class III hitch. Class III is good to 6500.
Towing power is fine. Remember, we pull as much as F150, Ram 1500, etc. There aren't any good power adders out yet. Exhaust doesn't do much except change the sound and add some high end hp at expense to low end torque. You don't want that. There is one ECU replacement out. No "chips" for nissans. It is pretty crude but I've seen one report saying it was good. Also, the First Supercharger just came out from Stillen. More chips and chargers on the way. Intakes are good for show, not go.

Get the class IV tongue, wire the harness, and put in an aftermarket brake controller for the best setup. Check the Nissan site for the hitch, etc. Plenty of guys on here towing that much and more.

 

[Cillyone]

Big boat!

I have pulled heavy trailers with our Armada, but no boats. The first and most important question is; what is the tongue weight? On travel trailers it usually is about 10% of total. I have pulled my 8k toybox around the block without WD bars just to relocate it, and trust me on this - you don't want to go there. That little unintentional experiment really showed the benefits of the WD bars. It would be a HUGE mistake to go out on the highway like that. Why can't you use electric brakes?

 

[MiataguY_97]

Why can't you use electric brakes?

Boat trailers all use surge brakes. Saw a 33 foot Sea Ray (12000+ lbs loaded)on a triple axle behind a f450 the other day and it only had surge brakes (4 prong wire connector). I assume because of the fact they are in and out of the water on a regular basis and the water may short the system. The tongue weight shouldn't be any more than 10% as most of the boats weight is on trailer axles - the bunks that it sits on stop way before the front of the boat and trailer. I have seen some trailers that have surge brakes on top of electric - I presume so you can use a tow controller to bring the trailer in line if it starts to sway on the highway. But the one I'm looking at doesn't.
I noticed my hitch has a small sticker on the underside claiming a 10000lbs tow rating so I must have the class IV.
thanks,
Daniel

 

[92TripleBlack]

Boat trailers all use surge brakes. Saw a 33 foot Sea Ray (12000+ lbs loaded)on a triple axle behind a f450 the other day and it only had surge brakes (4 prong wire connector). I assume because of the fact they are in and out of the water on a regular basis and the water may short the system. The tongue weight shouldn't be any more than 10% as most of the boats weight is on trailer axles - the bunks that it sits on stop way before the front of the boat and trailer. I have seen some trailers that have surge brakes on top of electric - I presume so you can use a tow controller to bring the trailer in line if it starts to sway on the highway. But the one I'm looking at doesn't.
I noticed my hitch has a small sticker on the underside claiming a 10000lbs tow rating so I must have the class IV.
thanks,
Daniel

No. Class III and IV use the same hitch. Its the tongue that makes it III or IV. The Tongue shouldn't affect the braking system.
Not sure why a surge brake trailer maker wouldn't recommend a class IV hitch. Without the weight distribution, it really is a Class III 6500 lb setup. Its an industry standard. Who makes the trailer? As for the brakes, The Big tow comes with the wiring standard for them. They even have the harness, though you need to hook it up, for the brakes. Check with your dealer for the wire harness. I got mine when I got the truck. Part number 24167-7S000. They call it the brake controlling sub harness.

 

[wwjdwithca]

Boat trailers all use surge brakes. l

I've seen boat trailers with electric brakes. Didn't actually seen them, but the owners told me they were electric. They would have to disconnect every time they submerged the trailer. kind of pain, but man they are a TON better.

I had a pop-up trailer that weighed about the same as my boat, and the electric braking system is so much better.....the only thing surge is better for is install cost and the aforementioned disconnecting problem, otherwise they are a hideous excuse for a braking system. Your Armada will accept an electric braking system easily, I believe you just have to buy and electric brake controller, and have it hooked-up via the provided factory connector module. No extra wiring. Do a search and I'm certain you'll find the right info on that.

I also heard that there are electric brake systems out there that will automatically disconnect when the vehicle is put into reverse, and require manual re-activation. That would rule!

 

[Cillyone]

Still don't understand

Electric brakes are only 12vdc systems, no different than taillights or turn signals. They energize a simple electro-magnet in the drum which puts pressure on ordinary drum brake pads. 12vdc is not enough voltage to arc or short-out from being submerged in water. Its like if you poured water on top of your battery nothing would happen, 12v in not enough to conduct in water, where as your ignition voltage of thousands of volts will short out on a path to ground provided by water. The only problem I would see with contact with water is corrosion.

 

[wwjdwithca]

Electric brakes are only 12vdc systems, no different than taillights or turn signals. They energize a simple electro-magnet in the drum which puts pressure on ordinary drum brake pads. 12vdc is not enough voltage to arc or short-out from being submerged in water. Its like if you poured water on top of your battery nothing would happen, 12v in not enough to conduct in water, where as your ignition voltage of thousands of volts will short out on a path to ground provided by water. The only problem I would see with contact with water is corrosion.

Thanks for the education. I always thought electric brakes ran on 120 volt, alternating current.

Now every smuck that turns his/her electric brake system off when submerged can stop doing so because you said they don't have to.

 

[Cillyone]

Where does the 120vac come from? Information from Dexter Axle Service Manual. 600 - 8,000Lb Axles & Related Components. Dexter Axle Electric Brake portion of the manual http://i.b5z.net/i/u/1080235/f/6-8K Service Manual/Electric_Brakes_7-05_80_res.pdf

Pay special attention to page 3 of 18 and 16 of 18, have someone read it to you if you can't.

Now every smuck that turns his/her electric brake system off when submerged can stop doing so because Dexter Axle said they don't have to.

By the way it is "shmuck" not smuck

 

[proffsionl]

I tow a travel trailer (Outback 30RLS, 33.5 ft. tongue to tail, 7500 lbs loaded). I use a Hensley Arrow hitch (weight distributing) and Prodigy brake controller (I don't think I would want surge brakes for an 8000 lb load). If the tongue weight is over 500 lbs., Nissan states that you must use a weight distributing hitch. With the weight distributing hitch, the max tongue weight goes to 1000 lbs. My LE has the autolevel suspension. It took some getting used to hitching/unhitching process with the active suspension, but it works well.

Kevin Taylor
Austin, Texas

 

[92TripleBlack]

Where does the 120vac come from? Information from Dexter Axle Service Manual. 600 - 8,000Lb Axles & Related Components. Dexter Axle Electric Brake portion of the manual http://i.b5z.net/i/u/1080235/f/6-8K Service Manual/Electric_Brakes_7-05_80_res.pdf

Pay special attention to page 3 of 18 and 16 of 18, have someone read it to you if you can't.

Now every smuck that turns his/her electric brake system off when submerged can stop doing so because Dexter Axle said they don't have to.

By the way it is "shmuck" not smuck

Completely correct, except we used to spell it schmuck.

 

[Cillyone]

smuck, shumk, schumk, whatever dude TB!!!!

Completely correct, except we used to spell it schmuck.

Sorry, I'm lost without spellcheck. What a "schumk" I am.

 

[Cillyone]

Big

I tow a travel trailer (Outback 30RLS, 33.5 ft. tongue to tail, 7500 lbs loaded). I use a Hensley Arrow hitch (weight distributing) and Prodigy brake controller (I don't think I would want surge brakes for an 8000 lb load). If the tongue weight is over 500 lbs., Nissan states that you must use a weight distributing hitch. With the weight distributing hitch, the max tongue weight goes to 1000 lbs. My LE has the autolevel suspension. It took some getting used to hitching/unhitching process with the active suspension, but it works well.

Kevin Taylor
Austin, Texas

Yo, that is a BIG (long <wide openTB>) trailer, any problems with cross winds with so much sail area?