Posted: Oct 17 2006 at 10:21pm | IP Logged

Everything in the 2006 Nissan Towing Guide seems OK and logical to me, but I'm curious why they say not to use cruise control (P. 18.) I specifically wonder if it is a mechanical issue or a safety issue. Does anyone know?

I'm towing a Casita 17' SD with a 2006 Frontier LE Crew Cab 4X4. Trailer is under 3000 lbs.

Thanks

Posted: Jan 27 2007 at 7:07pm | IP Logged

I should have mentioned that my '06 Frontier has the (5-speed) automatic.

A couple of comments to 3gibby's reply: 1) If you held the speed manually, it shouldn't make any difference in the transmission's shifting whether you use cruise control or not. 2) I also don't know why 5th (overdrive - ??) should be locked out - the gear should be selected by the need as determined by one of those "black boxes." If it doesn't need 4th, or a lower gear, why not use 5th? 3) As indicated above, I agree that the gear should be determined by the need (weight, drag, incline, etc.) and don't see why towing a trailer makes any difference in that. As Cracker39 says, the engine seems to have plenty of power to avoid frequent shifting. (Just out of curiosity, what RPM do you downshift from 6th?)

Posted: Jan 28 2007 at 8:10am | IP Logged

(Just out of curiosity, what RPM do you downshift from 6th?)

That depends on the situation.  When towing (remember, it's under 1700 lbs), I try not to let the rpms get under 1800-2000 in 6th.  When just driving around town (not towing), I've let it get down to 1200-1400 rpms before downshifting.  If the engine is still running smooth and not laboring, I let it stay in gear.  I have let it get down as low as 800 rpms and still accellerated smoothly, but I don't make a practice of doing that.