We haven't bought a van or tow vehicle yet but thinking of van up 18 - 20ft maximum and Nissan Pathfinder to tow it and also be an off roder when we need it. Does anyone have experience with the latest model Pathfinder as a tow vehicle. Ability, fuel economy solo and under tow. Your experience would be appreciated.

Hi and welcome "Spud". May your travels always be safe and happy. My only experience with the Nissan Pathfinder is "don't". Apparently parts are expensive and scarce, and according to the conversations I've had, you will need parts. Pretty to look at but........ If you're looking at a van of those dimensions you should be looking at something sturdy with the appropriate amount of horsepower and braking power to handle it. I tow my 20 footer with an 80 series, 4.2 ltr diesel landcruiser. I never ever considered towing with anything smaller, with less power. Better too much than too little. Spare horses make the vehicle more economical to run. I love the latest Toyota 4.5ltr turbo diesel, but I'll have to wait until someone leaves me one in their will. Please go ahead with your plans if your research has indicated this vehicle will do what you want it to do. Just investigate all your options, ask heaps of questions. Not from the sales person, but ask people who drive them, who tow vans, who drive other vehicles and any other questions you can think of. You're planning to make a major investment on which your life will depend, on black top and on the bush track. Take care. Cheers Chris

Thanks Cruisin Granny.... we will keep on asking lots of questions!

Welcome to the mob Spud, I drive a Ford Ranger 3.0LT diesel (08 model)tow the shoes off a Clydesdale. Test all available vehicles in your price range. Good luck. Gnome

Well just to put the cat among the pigeons I have the latest model Pathfinder STL TD Auto and so far have no problems when towing my sixteen footer van or 18 foot half cabin cruiser , tows them like they aren't there . On the tow in a variety of terrains average around 14-16/100 at between 80- -90 KPH. Running around town about 10 - 12 /100. At this point I only have 2500 k's on the clock so the figures are a little rubbery. With 5 years warranty I'm not concerned about spare parts and the everyday items like filters, belts and batteries are inline with all the others. Like any modern vehicle if you keep it beyond the five year mark there's going to be problems on the horizon regardless of what brand you buy. Normal yard stick I use is three sets of standard tyres or three years and it's time to change it over. Back in the Nov 2008 Overlander 4WD mag they did a field trial on the top five family wagons and a petrol Pathfinder was one of those tested. May be able to get copy from your local library or if you email me your address I'll send you a copy. Test them all out there are some great deals going at the moment with a lot of extras thrown in. Happy hunting

hi gavin.            the yanks said it 100 years ago.   "THERE IS NO SUBSITUTE,FOR CUBIC INCHES AND HORSEPOWER".            everything just works that much easier.

I heard some of the new nissan turbo diesels were tearing clutches apart due to more power and High first gear, not sure weather Pathfinder is included ,but this came from the horses mouth. But I must say Nissans are good and if this were the case I can,t imagine them not having a fix for this soon

kenmarg wrote:

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hi gavin.            the yanks said it 100 years ago.   "THERE IS NO SUBSITUTE,FOR CUBIC INCHES AND HORSEPOWER".            everything just works that much easier.

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Problem with that philosophy is that most of us only every tow for about 20 % of our mileage per year  the remainder is urban or solo running  and those extra horses still need to be fed.  That's why the V12 and V16 didn't get accepted in the RV market ,  only in aircraft or the Jags do you see that many horses  

Note that the Yanks are going down in engine capacity because their fuel is up to around $1.00 per gallon . Poor buggers


-- Edited by Wombat 280 on Tuesday 9th of June 2009 02:14:53 PM

Yes it hurt when diesel was almost $1.80 per litre, and now it's cheaper I'm stuck in town. My turn will come. How can we get our fuel down to a buck a litre? Wouldn't that be good? What does their oil wells have that ours don't? Who do we have to wack on the back of the head to get the real, true fuel prices, especially when unleaded is dearer than diesl? I believe the Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder are almost the same in many ways. Just do your homework to find the vehicle which best suits your needs for your buck. No one here can put themselves in your situation. We can only pass on our personal experiences. All the best with that. Cheers Chris

Thank you all. yes we are still researching and this forum is just one way of doing that. Yes Chris, I too am afraid that when the industrial world gets going again the price of diesel will again skyrocket. However it's seems to be the engine to tow with so I guess we look for power, torque and economy in a vehicle. Thanks again for all of your input.

If your buying a vehicle.......I've said this before....Buy what you can afford...and afford to run...get what your comfortable to drive.....Wombat...got a Pathy....I bought a Pajero....We can all suggest a vehicle.......ppl will recommend theirs as the best...as they have a good vehicle........doesnt matter what brand.......unfortunately all brands have lemons..I suggest if its second hand..get it inspected...before purchase Happy hunting Dave

Hmmmm........I have a 2003 Nissan X'Trail (2.5 Petrol) and it has been a really good vehicle and also gets a good rap from the RAC, it has a towing capacity of 2 ton (2000kg) however I wouldn't tow anything over 18' with it, preferably smaller caravan or camper trailer, only because I believe it would be working the pants off the motor (and probably use more fuel than a more powerful tug). However I have been eyeing off the Nissan Navara, does anyone have an feedback on them? Vic

General consensus off all GNs is for a real 4x4 diesel (not the pretend toys) to tow with, I have an old Patrol, this country was opened up with vehicles with a high ground clearance and a full strong chassis, not four wheel drives , now we have 4x4 making it easier, copy the old timers and you wont go wrong As far as the van is concerned make it a tough one on a platform with plenty of ground clearance ,and a rigid chassis with long shackles on the springs