Surge Brakes -The surge brake actuator is
mounted on the trailer tongue with a hy-
draulic line running to each trailer wheel.
Surge brakes are activated by the trailer
pushing against the hitch ball when the
tow vehicle is braking. Hydraulic surge
brakes are common on rental trailers and
some boat trailers. In this type of system,
there is no hydraulic or electric connection
for brake operation between the tow ve-
hicle and the trailer.
Electric Trailer Brakes -Electric braking
systems are activated by an electronic sig-
nal sent from a trailer brake controller (spe-
cial brake-sensing module). If electric trailer
brakes are used, refer to “Electric trailer
brake controller" in this section.
Have a professional supplier of towing
equipment make sure the trailer brakes are
properly installed and demonstrate proper
brake function testing.
Electric trailer brake controller
Trailers equipped with electric brakes may
require the installation of an af termarket
trailer brake controller.A Genuine NISSAN jumper harness is avail-
able that is specifically designed to be used
when installing an af termarket brake con-
troller.
Install the af termarket electric trailer brake
controller according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Pre-towing tips
∙ Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded and/or un-
loaded trailer is hitched. Do not drive the
vehicle if it has an abnormal nose-up or
nose-down condition; check for im-
proper tongue load, overload, worn sus-
pension or other possible causes of ei-
ther condition.
∙ Always secure items in the trailer to pre- vent load shif t while driving.
∙ Keep the cargo load as low as possible in the trailer to keep the trailer center of
gravity low.
∙ Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the trailer load is in the front half and
40% is in the back half. Also make sure
the load is balanced side to side. ∙ Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure,
vehicle tire pressure, trailer light opera-
tion, and trailer wheel lug nuts every
time you attach a trailer to the vehicle.
∙ Be certain your rearview mirrors con- form to all federal, state or local regula-
tions. If not, install any mirrors required
for towing before driving the vehicle.
∙ Determine the overall height of the ve- hicle and trailer so the required clear-
ance is known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding
of the vehicle’s behavior, you should prac-
tice turning, stopping and backing up in an
area which is free from traffic. Steering sta-
bility and braking performance will be
somewhat different than under normal
driving conditions.
∙ Always secure items in the trailer to pre- vent load shif t while driving.
∙ Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or lock to prevent the coupler from in-
advertently becoming unlatched.
∙ Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
∙ Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
Technical and consumer information10-39
∙ When making a turn, your trailer wheelswill be closer to the inside of the turn
than your vehicle wheels. To compen-
sate for this, make a larger than normal
turning radius during the turn.
∙ Crosswinds and rough roads will ad- versely affect vehicle/trailer handling,
possibly causing vehicle sway. When
being passed by larger vehicles, be pre-
pared for possible changes in cross-
winds that could affect vehicle han-
dling.
Do the following if the trailer begins to
sway: 1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer
as straight ahead as the road condi-
tions allow. This combination will help
stabilize the vehicle
– Do not correct trailer sway by steer- ing or applying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently ap- ply the brakes and pull to the side of the
road in a safe area.
3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it is balanced as described in this section. ∙ Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires
considerably more distance than nor-
mal passing. Remember, the length of
the trailer must also pass the other ve-
hicle before you can safely change
lanes.
∙ Downshif t the transmission to a lower gear for engine braking when driving
down steep or long hills. This will help
slow the vehicle without applying the
brakes.
∙ Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently. This could cause
the brakes to overheat, resulting in re-
duced braking efficiency.
∙ Increase your following distance to al- low for greater stopping distances
while towing a trailer. Anticipate stops
and brake gradually.
∙ NISSAN recommends that the cruise control not be used while towing a
trailer.
∙ Some states or provinces have specific regulations and speed limits for ve-
hicles that are towing trailers. Obey the
local speed limits. ∙ Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness
connections, and trailer wheel lug nuts
af ter 50 miles (80 km) of travel and at
every break.
∙ When launching a boat, don’t allow the water level to go over the exhaust tail
pipe or rear bumper.
∙ Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights before backing the trailer into the
water or the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, refer
to the “Do-it-yourself ” section in this
manual.
FLAT TOWING – 4WD WITH
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Towing a vehicle behind a recreational ve-
hicle, such as a motor home, is sometimes
called flat towing.
Technical and consumer information10-41
