Hi,
new to the forum.
i had a 05 off road automatic that i loved. it however did not pull my horse trailer so I had to get a 1 ton truck.
now that its paid for almost i am looking to get another xterra. my question is this.
the off road i had i had added a Shrockworks bumper and sliders along with a Warn 9.5 XI and would like those options once again . I get VPP pricing through Nissan as well so it makes th. base model even more attractive.
i am thinking of getting a base "X" model 6 speed this time.
for the price of the stock off road I can get:

6 speed base X model
Shrockworks sliders, front bumper, rear tire carrier with hi-lift bracket, trans, fuel tank, transfer case and oil pan skid plates
Warn 9.5 XI winch
ARB rear locker
M205 front diff with the pathfinder axle shafts to make it work right (so when the ARB locker for this diff is available I can just drop it in).
Snorkel from 4X4 parts.
I have a set of 4 (2 spot, 2 corner) 10" HID baja design lamps in a adjustable roof pod on my truck i would put on the Xterra along with two 10" HID baja design lamps for the bumper (1 spot 1 corner).

So what are your opinions on going this route??????
What am i missing besides the shocks which I could also upgrade?
I can also add the clutch interlock kill switch that the X does not come with and the new bumper comes with a receiver since the tow package is not offered with the X.
It seems that I will have a more "off road" going this route this time than buying a Off Road and it would not have all the upgrades.
I know it comes with XM and bluetooth and a folding passenger seat but I am having a hard time seeing a downside to this route.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!

I wanted a 6 speed when I bought mine, but am glad I didn't find one. The 6 speed is only rated for 3500 lbs. towing, while the 5 speed automatic is rated at 5,000 lbs. I understand that the problem is that the clutch won't handle heavy loads. In fact if you check the older threads on the 2nd gen you will find that a lot of clutches have had to be replaced.

You should be able to add the tow package as a dealer option for around $500. I don't know if this includes the transmission cooler which came with my off road automatic.

I am currently towing a 21' camp trailer. The only issues is gas mileage. In the mountains it gets as low as 8 mpg. The highest I have ever gotten was 13.4 and that was with a tail wind. This can be an issues when you only have a 21 gallon tank. You need to plan ahead so you don't run out of gas on a long trip.

thanks for the reply! I actually have a 1 ton dodge truck for towing now so this will just be for off road and trips to work. I had the auto before and even though it is rated to toe 5000 i a 2 horse slant load trailer with front tack behind it and it was scarty even though the trailer was below the limit (empty). I only want the rear bumper with reciever for a reciever mounted shackle.
i wanted to 6 speed because it also comes with the Dana sourced rear axle that the auto does not come with so I can add the arb locker.
towing would only be an issue if I decided to tow a few dirt bikes on it.
thanks for you'd feedback though it's great to have people that have experience to refrence!

go w/ your "X" model buildup, sounds well thought out,a nd the end result's a great trail rig.
Suspension parts (UCAs and Rear springpacks) are all I see not mentioned, and their worth is negligible..

I've got the OR and I'm going to have to second the X buildup. If you're going to put that much work into it, get the cheapest model you can. No sense paying the extra for a locker you're going to replace and a clutch start button.

This isn't my normal advice, but with your plan it's the best way to go. BTW, I do love my 6spd, though I'm not sure if I'd rather have the automatic when I'm off-road. Maybe it's just my learning curve, but I almost think it'd be better of have an auto for that.

Certainly sounds like you know what you're doing, and that you'd be replacing most of the Offroad bits anyway. Have you estimated how much each route would cost?