2021 NISSAN ARMADA tow

WAJ0219X
To install the trailer hitch cover:
1. Insert the upper clips to the recesses
, and then push in the cover to its
original position.
2. Install the 2 clips
.
WARNING
Trailer hitch components have spe-
cific weight ratings. Your vehicle may
be capable of towing a trailer heavier
than the weight rating of the hitch
components. Never exceed the
weight rating of the hitch compo-
nents. Doing so can cause serious personal injury or property damage.
Hitch ball
Choose a hitch ball of the proper size and
weight rating for your trailer:
.
The required hitch ball size is stamped
on most trailer couplers. Most hitch
balls also have the size printed on top
of the ball.
. Choose the proper class hitch ball
based on the trailer weight.
. The diameter of the threaded shank of
the hitch ball must be matched to the
ball mount hole diameter. The hitch
ball shank should be no more than
1/16″ smaller than the hole in the ball
mount.
. The threaded shank of the hitch ball
must be long enough to be properly
secured to the ball mount. There
should be at least 2 threads showing
beyond the lock washer and nut.
Ball mount
The hitch ball is attached to the ball
mount and the ball mount is inserted into
the hitch receiver. Choose a proper class
ball mount based on the trailer weight.
Additionally, the ball mount should be
chosen to keep the trailer tongue level
with the ground.
Weight carrying hitches
A weight carrying or “dead weight” ball
mount is one that is designed to carry the
whole amount of tongue weight and
gross weight directly on the ball mount
and on the receiver.
Weight distribution hitch
This type of hitch is also called a “load-
leveling” or “equalizing” hitch. A set of bars
attach to the ball mount and to the trailer
to distribute the tongue weight (hitch
weight) of your trailer. Many vehicles
cannot carry the full tongue weight of a
given trailer, and need some of the
tongue weight transferred through the
frame and pushing down on the front
wheels. This gives stability to the tow
vehicle.
A weight-distributing hitch system (Class
IV) is recommended if you plan to tow
trailers with a maximum weight over
5,000 lbs (2,267 kg). Check with the trailer
and towing equipment manufacturers to
determine if they recommend the use of a
weight-distributing hitch system.
NOTE:
A weight-distributing hitch system may
affect the operation of trailer surge
brakes. If you are considering use of a
weight-distributing hitch system with a
surge brake-equipped trailer, check
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10-26Technical and consumer information
with the surge brake, hitch or trailer
manufacturer to determine if and how
this can be done.
Follow the instructions provided by the
manufacturer for installing and using the
weight-distributing hitch system.
General set-up instructions are as follows:
1. Park unloaded vehicle on a level sur-face. With the ignition switch in the ON
position and the doors closed, allow
the vehicle to stand for several min-
utes so that it can level.
2. Measure the height of a reference point on the front and rear bumpers
at the center of the vehicle.
3. Attach the trailer to the vehicle and adjust the hitch equalizers so that the
front bumper height is within 0 - .5
inches (0 - 13 mm) of the reference
height measured in step 2. The rear
bumper should be no higher than the
reference height measured in step 2.
WARNING
Properly adjust the weight distribut-
ing hitch so the rear of the bumper is
no higher than the measured refer-
ence height when the trailer is at-
tached. If the rear bumper is higher than the measured reference height
when loaded, the vehicle may handle
unpredictably which could cause a
loss of vehicle control and cause
serious personal injury or property
damage.
Sway control device
Sudden maneuvers, wind gusts and buf-
feting caused by other vehicles can affect
trailer handling. Sway control devices
may be used to help control these affects.
If you choose to use one, contact a
reputable trailer hitch supplier to make
sure the sway control device will work
with the vehicle, hitch, trailer and the
trailer’s brake system. Follow the instruc-
tions provided by the manufacturer for
installing and using the sway control
device.
Class I hitch
Class I trailer hitch equipment (receiver,
ball mount and hitch ball) can be used to
tow trailers of a maximum weight of
2,000 lb (907 kg).
Class II hitch
Class II trailer hitch equipment (receiver,
ball mount and hitch ball) can be used to
tow trailers of a maximum weight of
3,500 lb (1,588 kg).
Class III hitch
Class III trailer hitch equipment (receiver,
ball mount and hitch ball) can be used to
tow trailers of a maximum weight of
5,000 lb (2,267 kg).
Class IV hitch
Class IV trailer hitch equipment (receiver,
ball mount and hitch ball) can be used to
tow trailers of a maximum weight of
10,000 lb (4,545 kg). A weight distributing
hitch should be used to tow trailers that
weigh over 5,000 lb (2,267 kg).
Your vehicle may be equipped with Class
IV trailer hitch equipment that has a
10,000 lb (4,545 kg) maximum weight
rating, but your vehicle is only capable of
towing the maximum trailer weights
shown in the “Towing Load/Specification”
chart earlier in this section.
CAUTION
.
Do not use axle-mounted hitches.

.Do not modify the vehicle ex-
haust system, brake system, etc.
. Do not attach any additional
hitches to your vehicle because
a hitch is already mounted to
your vehicle frame.
Tire pressures
.When towing a trailer, inflate the
vehicle tires to the recom-
mended cold tire pressure indi-
cated on the Tire and Loading
Information label.
. Trailer tire condition, size, load
rating and proper inflation pres-
sure should be in accordance
with the trailer and tire manu-
facturers’ specifications.
Safety chains
Always use a suitable chain between your
vehicle and the trailer. The safety chains
should be crossed and should be at-
tached to the hitch, not to the vehicle
bumper or axle. Be sure to leave enough
slack in the chains to permit turning
corners.
STI0745
Trailer lights (if so equipped)
Your vehicle is equipped with a towing
package, which also includes the 7-pin
trailer harness connector located under
the trailer hitch cover on the rear bumper.
CAUTION
. When splicing into the vehicle
electrical system, a commercially
available power-type module/
converter must be used to pro-
vide power for all trailer lighting.
This unit uses the vehicle battery
as a direct power source for all trailer lights while using the ve-
hicle tail light, stoplight and turn
signal circuits as a signal source.
The module/converter must draw
no more than 15 milliamps from
the stop and tail lamp circuits.
Using a module/converter that
exceeds these power require-
ments may damage the vehicle’s
electrical system. See a reputable
trailer retailer to obtain the prop-
er equipment and to have it
installed.
. Do not connect electrical devices
that draw more than 40 amps to
the vehicle. The fusible link may
melt.
Trailer lights should comply with federal
and/or local regulations. For assistance in
hooking up trailer lights, contact a NISSAN
dealer or reputable trailer retailer.
Trailer brakes
When towing a trailer load of 3,500 lbs.
(1,587 kg) or more, trailers with a brake
system MUST be used. However, most
states require a separate braking system
on trailers with a loaded weight above a
specific amount. Make sure the trailer
meets the local regulations and the
regulations where you plan to tow.
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10-28Technical and consumer information
Several types of braking systems are
available.
Surge Brakes -The surge brake actuator
is mounted on the trailer tongue with a
hydraulic 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 vehicle and the trailer.
Electric Trailer Brakes - Electric braking
systems are activated by an electronic
signal sent from a trailer brake controller
(special brake sensing module).
Have a professional supplier of towing
equipment make sure the trailer brakes
are properly installed and demonstrate
proper brake function testing.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.
WAJ0207X
Gain –
Gain +
Manual control lever
Boost
Trailer Brake Controller Unit (TBCU)
The Trailer Brake Controller Unit (TBCU),
located on the lower instrument panel, is
a device that assists the vehicle in having
effective and smooth braking while tow-
ing a trailer. Operating modes:
.
Automatic mode:
This is the normal operation of the
TBCU depending on the gain and
boost settings adjusted by the custo-
mer. This mode will activate when
vehicle brake pedal is pressed.
. Manual mode:
This mode is initiated by adjusting the
manual control lever from resting
position. This mode will provide out-
put power to trailer brakes without
applying the vehicle brake pedal.
To determine the output operation of the
system:
. Gain + and Gain - :
Used to increase or decrease the
braking force supplied to the trailer
brakes.To adjust the gain, press Gain +
or Gain - to the desired point (0-10).
For example: gain setting 6.0 is a
typical starting point for heavy loads.
. Boost:
Used to adjust the feel of the auto-
matic brake event that occurs when
the vehicle brake pedal is applied. To
set up boost, press Boost button once
to display for current boost setting
(display for 3 seconds). Keep pressing
to increase boost level until the de-
sired level (0-3) is achieved.

WAJ0208X
This graphic shows the suggested
boost levels for different trailer sizes
relative to the vehicle size.
WARNING
Do not exceed Gross Combined
Weight Rating (GVWR). See “Towing
load/specification” (P.10-23).
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10-32Technical and consumer information
Pre-towing tips
.Be certain your vehicle maintains a
level position when a loaded or un-
loaded trailer is hitched. Do not drive
the vehicle if it has an abnormal nose-
up or nose-down condition; check for
improper tongue load, overload, worn
suspension or other possible causes
of either condition.
. Always secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shift 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 op-
eration, 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
regulations. If not, install any mirrors
required for towing before driving the
vehicle.
. Determine the overall height of the
vehicle and trailer so the required
clearance is known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understand-
ing of the vehicle’s behavior, you should
practice turning, stopping and backing up
in an area which is free from traffic.
Steering stability, and braking perfor-
mance will be somewhat different than
under normal driving conditions.
.Always secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shift while driving.
. Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a
pin or lock to prevent the coupler from
inadvertently becoming unlatched.
. Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or
stops.
. Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
. Always drive your vehicle at a moder-
ate speed. Some states or provinces
have specific speed limits for vehicles
that are towing trailers. Obey the local
speed limits.
. When backing up, hold the bottom of
the steering wheel with one hand.
Move your hand in the direction in
which you want the trailer to go. Make
small corrections and back up slowly.
If possible, have someone guide you
when you are backing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle
and trailer when parking. Parking on a
slope is not recommended; however, if you must do so:
CAUTION
If you move the shift lever to the P
(Park) position before blocking the
wheels and applying the parking
brake, transmission damage could
occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until
the blocks absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park).
6. Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) models:
Make sure that the 4WD shift switch is
engaged in the AUTO, 4HI or 4LO
position and the Automatic Transmis-
sion (AT) park warning light is turned
off.
7. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.

2. Start the engine.
3. Shift the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Drive slowly until the vehicle andtrailer are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks.
. While going downhill, the weight of the
trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may
decrease overall stability. Therefore, to
maintain adequate control, reduce
your speed and shift to a lower gear.
Avoid long or repeated use of the
brakes when descending a hill, as this
reduces their effectiveness and could
cause overheating. Shifting to a lower
gear instead provides “engine braking”
and reduces the need to brake as
frequently.
. If the engine coolant temperature
rises to a high temperature, see “If
your vehicle overheats” (P.6-14).
. Trailer towing requires more fuel than
normal circumstances.
. Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s
first 500 miles (800 km).
. Have your vehicle serviced more often
than at intervals specified in the
recommended maintenance schedule
shown in the "9. Maintenance and schedules" section.
. When making a turn, your trailer
wheels will be closer to the inside of
the turn than your vehicle wheels. To
compensate 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
prepared for possible changes in
crosswinds that could affect vehicle
handling.
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 conditions allow. This combina-
tion will help stabilize the vehicle.
.Do not correct trailer sway bysteering or applying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply 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 earlier in this
section.
. Be careful when passing other vehi-
cles. Passing while towing a trailer requires considerably more distance
than normal passing. Remember the
length of the trailer must also pass the
other vehicle before you can safely
change lanes.
. Use the Tow mode or downshift the
transmission to a lower gear for en-
gine 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, result-
ing in reduced braking efficiency.
. Increase your following distance to
allow 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.
. While towing a trailer, do not use the
following systems (if so equipped):
— the Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
system
(See “How to enable/disable the
LDW system” (P.5-28).)
— the Intelligent Lane Intervention (I- LI) system
(See “How to enable/disable the I-LI
system” (P.5-34).)
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10-34Technical and consumer information
— the Blind Spot Warning (BSW) sys-tem
(See “How to enable/disable the I-
BSI system” (P.5-48).)
— the Intelligent Blind Spot Interven- tion (I-BSI) system
(See “How to enable/disable the I-
BSI system” (P.5-48).)
— the Intelligent Back-up Intervention (I-BI) system
(See “I-BI system operation” (P.5-
65).)
— the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system
(See “Intelligent Cruise Control
(ICC)” (P.5-74).)
— the Rear Automatic Braking (RAB) system
(See “RAB system operation” (P.5-
118).)
— the Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) system
(See “How to enable/disable the
RCTA system” (P.5-59).)
. Some states or provinces have speci-
fic regulations and speed limits for
vehicles that are towing trailers. Obey
the local speed limits.
. Check your hitch, trailer wiring har-
ness connections, and trailer wheel
lug nuts after 50 miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
. When launching a boat, do not allow
the water level to go over the exhaust
tail pipe or rear bumper.
. Make sure you disconnect the trailer
lights (if so equipped) before backing
the trailer into the water or the trailer
lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, the transmission
fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information,
see the "9. Maintenance and schedules"
section.
TOW mode
Using TOW mode is recommended when
pulling a heavy trailer or hauling a heavy
load. Push the TOW MODE switch to
activate tow mode. The TOW MODE
indicator light in the meter illuminates
when TOW mode is selected. Push the
TOW MODE switch again to turn TOW
mode off. TOW mode is automatically
cancelled when the ignition switch is
placed in the OFF position.
TOW mode includes the following fea-
tures:
. Grade logic — Adjusts transmission
shifts when pulling a trailer or hauling
a load up a grade. .
Downhill Speed Control (DSC) — auto-
matically downshifts when driving
down a grade with a trailer or heavy
load to help control vehicle speed.
Driving the vehicle in the TOW mode with
no trailer/load or light trailer/light load
will not cause any damage. However, fuel
economy may be reduced and the trans-
mission/engine driving characteristics
may feel unusual.
When towing a trailer, the transmission
fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information,
see the "9. Maintenance and schedules"
section.Trailer Sway Control
To minimize trailer sway, your vehicle may
apply braking to individual wheels based
on input from your vehicle sensors and
vehicle speed. Trailer Sway Control is a
function of the Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) system and is active when the VDC
function is enabled.
CAUTION
If the VDC OFF switch is on (meaning
VDC system OFF), the Trailer Sway
Control is also disabled.