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Old 04-24-2015, 05:07 AM   #1
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Nissan NV 3500 high roof as tow vehicle

Hello all! When my husband and I were trying to find the "perfect" tow vehicle to not only tow our International 27fb but also haul a motorcycle and 5 bicycles, we scoured the internet and didn't find much on the Nissan NV (aside from everyone thinking its ugly). We bought one and are towing with it, wanted to report:

Pros: Beefy suspension, transmission cooler standard, came wired for towing and brake controller, has a "tow mode" option, heavy duty batteries, big V8 engine, class IV hitch standard, GCWR is 16,000lbs, tow capacity is 10,000lbs. Pulled our AS through the TN mountains no problem, we could pass Semi's going 60mph uphill and not push RPMs over 3500. Husband has been towing all his life, said he couldn't be happier with the NV.

Cons: Of course, gas mileage. We averaged 11.7 until we came to the mountains and dropped to 8.9. Some may think its ugly but we like it.
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Old 04-24-2015, 05:19 AM   #2
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Not ugly. All trucks are beautiful to some of us. What engine does it have? Good luck, looks like you have a vehicle that really suits your need. Peace,jim
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Old 04-24-2015, 05:21 AM   #3
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Glad to see your post as I've been considering one of these myself but one of the concerns when I was doing my research was that I could find no info on a transmission cooler and in fact was told by Nissan that it didn't have a transmission cooler. So interesting that Nissan doesn't seem to know how their vehicles are equipped.
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Old 04-24-2015, 05:38 AM   #4
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We had the same issue with nissan salesmen- but found if you talked to a dealer who sells them as fleet vehicles, you will get the correct information (usually). We were told the 2014 and 2015 now is standard with transmission cooler and tow package, the 2012 and 2013 has to specify "tow package" to have the transmission cooler. Our vehicle is a 2012 (bought used with 8000 miles for 25k yay!) and has the tow package included. We made absolutely sure before we purchased.
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Old 04-24-2015, 05:48 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by avionstream View Post
Not ugly. All trucks are beautiful to some of us. What engine does it have? Good luck, looks like you have a vehicle that really suits your need. Peace,zigzag
It appears to have a 5.6-liter V8
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Old 04-27-2015, 02:14 PM   #6
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That thing is bigger than the Airstream!
When will they start making B-vans on the Nissan NV?
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Old 04-27-2015, 02:36 PM   #7
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It is ugly, but I'm glad to see Nissan's NV towing. I'm really disappointed that the E-Series and Express lines are now gone from GM & Ford, they all seem to be moving to european style city based cargo vehicles, which often have huge payloads, but little to no towing ability.

And personally, I envision myself wanting a van style TV in a couple years as our family grows past 4.
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Old 04-27-2015, 02:40 PM   #8
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I have heard that the drivetrain is essentially the same as the 5.6L + 5sp auto they put in the Titan/Armada, just with no 4WD (for now)

Glad it's working for you!

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Old 04-27-2015, 05:04 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by BoldAdventure View Post
It is ugly, but I'm glad to see Nissan's NV towing. I'm really disappointed that the E-Series and Express lines are now gone from GM & Ford, they all seem to be moving to european style city based cargo vehicles, which often have huge payloads, but little to no towing ability.

And personally, I envision myself wanting a van style TV in a couple years as our family grows past 4.

The Express is not gone yet. There are 2016s at our local Chevy dealer. It will not go away, only change.


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Old 04-27-2015, 05:12 PM   #10
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Nissan NV 3500 high roof as tow vehicle

My Titan has essentially the same powertrain and I just rolled it past 186,000 miles (about 65,000 of that towing my 31' Sovereign) with nary a hiccup.

I did have to replace the exhaust manifolds at about 100k and I installed aftermarket slotted/dimpled disk brake rotors on the front. Other than routine pads/hoses/belts that has been it.

Waiting to see how they price the 2016 Titan XD but the NV3500 is my backup plan.

It does enjoy that unleaded, though, generally about 10mpg towing, 15 solo.

Enjoy the journey!

Mike
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Old 04-28-2015, 04:57 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BoldAdventure View Post
It is ugly, but I'm glad to see Nissan's NV towing. I'm really disappointed that the E-Series and Express lines are now gone from GM & Ford, they all seem to be moving to european style city based cargo vehicles, which often have huge payloads, but little to no towing ability.

And personally, I envision myself wanting a van style TV in a couple years as our family grows past 4.
Bold Adventure- We tried hard not to buy the NV. Wanted a MB Sprinter and came so close to buying a 144" 3500, but its just too whimpy and we were pushed right to the limits on its towing capacities. Wasn't worth it. But much much prettier.

That said, the NV is growing on us in looks. And it is awesome to stand up inside your mobile garage when accessing your gear. And it tows like a Pro.

We are watching you on instagram, and are not long behind you for a launch!
Have fun with your adventures!
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Old 04-28-2015, 07:27 AM   #12
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Yeah, that's the thing with these new cargo vehicles. Been noticing that they're wimpy. Actually it kind of makes sense, the market is shifting to building purpose specific vehicles for commercial users who purchases those, and then adding more options.

For us, we're all in the minority. Heck can't even get 3/4 ton SUV's anymore. Ford & GM both stopped producing them.

We're following you guys too I believe on Instagram. Cheers.
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Old 04-28-2015, 08:16 AM   #13
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I wanted a NV , so in May 2014 we took one for a test drive and loved it.

But it was a 2013 that had been on the dealers lot since Jan. 2013 and the IDIOT sales manager offered me a whopping $ 350 discount to take it home and wouldn't budge.
I said enjoy it ! And he did until he was fired the next month. His strategy was to sell at MSRP on all vehicles . That didn't move a lot of metal and cost a lot of flooring.

So that afternoon I took a Tundra for a test drive and bought it.

I went back to the Nissan dealer in August and they still had the NV and they were in a dealing mode $ 6750 off msrp, but still not sweet enough for a 19 month old, besides I already had a Tundra.

I would have bought the NV in May if they dropped the price by $ 9000 , Oh Well .
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Old 04-28-2015, 01:19 PM   #14
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Tundra? NV? Tundra? NV?
Hmm...
Tundra!


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Old 04-28-2015, 01:23 PM   #15
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Don't worry, if Nissan follows suit, the NV will look exactly the same ten years from now, just like the Titan.
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Old 04-28-2015, 05:05 PM   #16
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The Armada, Frontier and XTerra still look the same, too. They did redesign the Pathfinder for 2013, but it was the same from 2005-2012.


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Old 04-29-2015, 05:16 AM   #17
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LOVE the looks of the toyota line, in fact we have a Sequoia but again between payload of our gear, tongue weight, and weight of rig we go over the GCWR of most SUV's/1/2 ton pick-ups. I found this capacity to be the hardest to stay under.

We would have loved a pick-up and looked seriously at a long-bed (for the motorcycle) but would have had to put a cap on it and then your wheelbase is ridiculously long.... adds another dimension to towing a 28ft beast behind your rig.

So it works for us. We are super happy with towing and feel its a very safe and practical option.
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Old 04-29-2015, 06:08 AM   #18
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Don't mind me, I'm an automotive enthusiast. I remember when the Titan was a game changer when the big 3 where all sucking at their game. And then ...... then it just stayed the same for 10 years. Come on Nissan! The Titan XD is exciting, but not stylistically. The NV's are also very interesting. But now I'm just rambling about cars in your thread. Sorry, cheers guys.
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Old 04-29-2015, 04:59 PM   #19
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How much longer is a Tundra Double Cab with an 8' box than a Tundra CrewMax with a 5.5' box? 2' maybe?
The CrewMax turns really tight- as tight as my Nissan Pathfinder even though it is much longer-


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Old 04-29-2015, 05:02 PM   #20
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I feel ya about the Titan, my brothah-
I wanted one real hard in 2004, but by the time I purchased a pickup in 2008 I didn't even consider the Titan. The pickups from GM, Dodge, Ford, and Toyota had all been updated, but the Titan remained unchanged. Now all the others changed twice before the Titan XD.


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