A 5-Step Guide To Towing A Nissan Frontier Behind A Motorhome
If you own a motorhome, you may be asking yourself, can a Nissan Frontier be towed behind a motorhome? This detailed guide has the answers. Can you tow a Nissan Frontier behind a motorhome? Is it safe to tow a Nissan Frontier behind a motorhome? How do you tow a Nissan Frontier behind a motorhome?
Table of Contents
- Can you tow a Nissan Frontier behind a motorhome?
- Overview
- How to Tow a Nissan Frontier Using a Motorhome Safely
- Alternatives to Flat-Towing a Nissan Frontier Using a Motorhome
Can you tow a Nissan Frontier behind a motorhome?
The Nissan Frontier can be towed behind a motorhome. The towing method will depend on the transmission. If the Nissan Frontier has a manual transmission, then you can flat-tow it. If the Nissan Frontier has an automatic transmission, then you can only tow it safely using a tow dolly or car hauler.
In this detailed guide, we will answer the question of whether you can tow a Frontier behind a motorhome. So, if you have been wondering whether it’s manageable, then this guide has all the answers you need.
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Overview
If you own an RV, you may want to tow your smaller car whenever you are going on a trip. Bringing your smaller car adds considerable convenience to your trip. Once you reach your destination, you can park your RV, and use your car to explore the surroundings or run errands.
And this means you don’t have to keep worrying about where you will park your RV or how to park this cumbersome vehicle. Furthermore, motorhomes tend to consume more fuel than regular cars. By parking your RV and using the smaller car, you will save considerable money on fuel costs.
If you own a Nissan Frontier, you may be wondering whether you can tow it behind your motorhome. Yes, you can tow a Nissan Frontier behind a motorhome. The towing method will depend on your vehicle’s transmission. If it’s a manual Nissan Frontier, then you can simply flat-tow it, where all the four wheels on the vehicle will be rolling.
If the Nissan Frontier has an automatic transmission, you can’t safely flat-tow it behind a motorhome. Any attempts to do so may cause significant damage to the vehicle. Therefore, you need to explore other alternatives for bringing it along instead of trying to tow it behind your motorhome.
How to Tow a Nissan Frontier Using a Motorhome Safely
Here are the steps to follow on how to do it, to ensure the vehicle’s safety, your safety, as well as that of other road users.
Install the Tow Hitch
First, you need to check whether your motorhome has a tow hitch. If it doesn’t have one, you will first need to install one before you proceed. You can opt to install the tow hitch yourself or hire a professional to do it.
Once the tow hitch has been installed, you should then proceed to install a tow bar, which you will then connect to the tow hitch of your motorhome.
In case your motorhome already has a tow hitch, you should check to ensure it’s secure. If it’s not secure, it may end up coming off when you are in the middle of the towing process. And when this happens, the Frontier will roll back, causing accidents or serious damage.
Install the Base Plate
Once you’ve installed the tow hitch, you should then proceed to install a base plate. Normally, the base plate will come with the installation instructions. You just need to ensure you follow these instructions to the letter.
You will then install the base plate to the front of your Nissan Frontier. After mounting the base plate at the front of your vehicle, you should then attach the tow bar to it. At this point, your Frontier should be securely attached to your motorhome.
Install Tail Lights
After you’ve finished attaching the Frontier to the motorhome, you should then proceed to install tail lights. Failing to install tail lights can pose a safety risk to both you and other road users. Besides, they are a requirement in almost all jurisdictions.
Therefore, you can’t afford to skip this important step.
The tail lights that you purchase will come with installation instructions. You will then follow these instructions to wire them. After installing them, you should test them and have someone check to ascertain they are working properly.
Install Safety Cables
As much as they are not a requirement, it’s highly advisable to add safety cables to your towing setup. Safety cables will provide a secondary level of safety, in case the Frontier becomes separated from the tow hitch.
If this happens, the frontier won’t roll backward, meaning you will have avoided causing a serious accident or incident. So, ensure you add safety cables to the setup.
Install a Supplemental Braking System
As its name suggests, a supplemental braking system is designed to brake the Nissan Frontier, as you pull it behind the motorhome. With this system, whenever you apply brakes on the RV, you will also apply them to the Nissan Frontier.
Installing a supplemental braking system comes with numerous benefits. First, you will achieve a more controlled and much safer towing experience. Second, you will reduce stress on your motorhome’s braking system. Also, you will reduce the level of stress exerted on the Frontier’s chassis, wheels and tires.
Third, installing a supplemental braking system will reduce the amount of force exerted on the tow bar whenever you apply brakes. And this will result in a longer-lasting tow bar. Besides, most jurisdictions require supplemental brakes to be installed on towed vehicles.
At this point, your towing setup is now complete. And you are now ready to hit the road. Make sure you stop every 500 miles or so, to inspect the setup. Also, you should use this opportunity to start your Frontier and allow it to idle for around two minutes.
Alternatives to Flat-Towing a Nissan Frontier Using a Motorhome
As earlier mentioned, you can only flat-tow a Frontier behind a motorhome if it has a manual transmission.
So, what happens when your Nissan Frontier is an automatic and you want to bring it along with your RV? Well, there are other options that you can explore to tow a Nissan Frontier using your motorhome. They include:
Trailer Towing
This method entails placing the Nissan Frontier on a flatbed utility trailer or flatbed pull-behind trailer. You will connect the pull-behind trailer to the motorhome using the provided mechanism. Once you’ve securely connected the pull-behind trailer to your RV, you can then load the Frontier onto it and secure its wheels using straps. And from there, you are ready to hit the road.
Dolly Towing
Dolly towing provides yet another alternative to flat towing. With this method, you will first need to purchase a tow dolly if you don’t have one. From there, you will then hook up the tow dolly to the motorhome.
After that, you will mount the front of your Nissan Frontier to the tow dolly. This way, the vehicle’s front wheels will be elevated, meaning it will only be rolling on the rear ones. However, you can only use this method if your Nissan Frontier is a front-wheel or all-wheel drive.