Towing in Mountains

Hi all,

We are in the process of finding a new to me (used) truck to tow a pop up trailer.

So far we know we do not want a full size truck, but we need 4 real doors and a bed. So we are looking at Nissan, Toyota, Dodge etc.

Does the 3.4L have enough torque to pull a 2000lb trailer plus other camping stuff / people (lets say another 800lb) without problems?

Thanks

Sean
SLC, UT

 

Yes, you shouldn't have a problem, have fun.

 

3.4L is rated to tow 5000 lbs. Since you are looking at a double cab, then you are also looking at an automatic. KEEP THE TRANNY OUT OF OVERDRIVE in the mountains. Flat ground, use good judgement as long as it doesn't hunt and jump between gears, it should be fine, but climbing or descending keep it out of overdrive.

 

does my 08 access cab have auto overdrive? cuz now im scared to pull anything up a hill

 

Yes, your 08 auto does have overdrive. I am not trying to be a typical media type fear monger here, I just make it a point to try to make people understand that having an auto in overdrive while towing on hills or grades can cause a problem over time. The overdrive is not the problem, it is the truck's computer actually that will send the transmission into a hunting fit, back and forth between direct drive and over drive on a hill as it is trying to match it's idea of the correct speed. The hunting back and forth between gears is what builds the heat in the trans, the heat is what breaks down the transmission fluid, the broken down trannsmission fluid is what causes the transmission damage. So as long as you pay attention to what your truck is telling you, and if it starts hunting you take it out of overdrive, then you'll be fine. (This is all covered in more detail in the towing bible and many other posts in this section)

However, the reason I was so absolute about it is because the opening post asked about towing in the mountains, not about small grades or little hills. In the mountians you can be assured that the tranny is going to hunt, so in the mountains don't even give it a chance to do so and just drop to direct drive, which will also give you more engine breaking ability on the downgrades.

 

isnt the OD automatic?

 

On the v6 atleast, you would pull the lever over to the left (into the manumatic mode) so that the display reads 4 instead of D. I have never been in a 4 cyl auto, so I am not sure if the procedure would be the same for that, or if it would be a pull the lever down one notch from D4 to D3, or OD to D or if there is a button for OD OFF or overdrive off or something like that, but all automatic transmissions have some way to lock out overdrive.