Towing & Hauling Parts for Nissan Frontier
One of the advantages of owning a Nissan Frontier truck, from a Crew Cab to a King Cab, is the ability to tow large trailers, flatbeds or other loads. Depending upon the size of your Nissan Frontier, your towing capacity may vary. Understanding what components and hauling parts are necessary is critical for safety while on the road hauling large trailers, campers, RVs, and other loads.
What class rating should you look for in a trailer hitch?The class hitch you need will be determined by two things. First, the size and weight of the trailer, camper, flatbed, or cargo you will be hauling, referred to as GTW, which stands for gross trailer weight. Second, the size and hauling capacity of the truck to which the trailer hitch will be installed. There are five classes of trailer hitches. The most commonly installed and used hitch on most cars, SUVs, and trucks is a class 3. The five different classes include the following:
- Class 1, for use with trailers up to 2,000 pounds GTW.
- Class 2, for use with trailers up to 3,500 pounds GTW.
- Class 3, for use with trailers in the range of 3,500 to 6,000 pounds GTW.
- Class 4 and Class 5, for use with trailers in the range of 6,000 to 18,000 pounds GTW.
Towing capacity refers to the amount of weight that your Frontier can safely tow with the appropriately installed hitch and receiver. For Frontier trucks manufactured by Nissan, the average range of towing capacity rating for safety is 3,500 to 6,500 pounds.
What are the different parts needed for towing and hauling?When you decide to utilize the towing ability of your Nissan Frontier, there are a variety of parts to take into consideration. These different components all play a critical role in safe hauling. The key parts include the following:
- Trailer hitch, which is attached to your truck.
- Ball mount, which inserts into the trailer hitch, and the trailer or tow ball, which is the critical connecting component between your towing vehicle and trailer.
- Hitch pin and clip, which holds the ball mount in place within the trailer hitch. In some cases, a hitch lock is used instead.
- Coupler, which is fitted over the trailer or tow ball. This allows for smooth shared movement on the road between the front towing vehicle and the rear trailer.
- Safety chains, which run between the tow vehicle and trailer and act as a fail safe should the coupler give way while on the road. In addition to the safety chains, there is also trailer wiring which runs off your trucks electrical system to power the rear brake and signal lights on the trailer.