Posted by: 52
Exhaust upgrade and towing - 03/08/12 05:51 AM
I have a 2003 Xterra my kids of name that made her because he tows the family camper. I have a kn intake installed thinking of doing an exhaust catback by Gibson for a little extra power towing the trailer. It's a 3500 lb popup. What are everyone's thoughts?
Jay
Posted by: granitex
Re: Exhaust upgrade and towing - 03/08/12 09:15 AM
Anything that you can do will help, is your truck an A/T or a M/T? If you are a M/T you are at the towing cap, for your truck with it empty to begine with and if you have people and gear in the X than you would be over the limit.
If you have an A/T then you are fine. A tranny cooler would be a good thing to add though.
Posted by: 52
Re: Exhaust upgrade and towing - 03/08/12 02:45 PM
It's an auto trans. I have a cooler installed already. Figured the exhaust would help the beast a little more.
Posted by: granitex
Re: Exhaust upgrade and towing - 03/08/12 05:31 PM
it may help a little but not much, a set of headers with that cat back would do what you are looking for though.
Honestly...
Your best bet is to get something with a V-8 in it.
Posted by: 52
Re: Exhaust upgrade and towing - 06/08/12 08:23 PM
No doubt a Titan v-8 would be a lovely upgrade the price isn't where I can get to at the moment. So the X will be our workhorse.
It towed it fine on flat surfaces. There were just a few hills where a little more power would have been nice.
Actually towed it 500 miles so far. Averaged 12.8 mpg. Was expecting single digits.
Posted by: turboprop
Re: Exhaust upgrade and towing - 05/10/12 10:53 AM
I have put a Nismo cold air intake on my 2012, after installing it my mileage went down 2 mpg. I am towing a utility trailer from Idaho to California, will have to see what kind of mileage I get 8^).
Posted by: coolerman
Re: Exhaust upgrade and towing - 19/10/12 08:43 AM
Hope you don't plan on towing in the Rockies with that setup. My 2000 X with auto was BARELY able to go over the 10,500 ft Vail Pass when the truck was NEW towing a 3200 lb pop-up. We were literally doing 20mph, first gear, at 4000 RPM. Later that same trip we went across the 12,480 ft pass going into Rocky Mountain National Park. I was about to put it in 4-Lo when we got to the top. We just returned from a trip across Vail Pass WITHOUT the camper (Now with 181,000 miles)and were doing 40mph at the top. Flat land, no problem. Just be aware the early Xterra was horribly under powered for towing close to the limit.