ASD Dad

10 grand?!? Heck no! That's more than it costs to upgrade to a top line diesel and transmission in the domestics HD trucks. That price is absurd. The motor we have has been untouched for over a decade! It wasnt top spec back then and these days is laughable compared to a modern V8, such as the new one going in the Titan. If Nissan follows along with other brands it should be a $3K upgrade or so to the new V8 and maybe $7-8K for the Cummins in the NV. This is assuming a new NV would get the new transmission stock for either V6 or V8 and the Cummins would get a matching transmission.

Welcome! I love that color and almost bought one but I was afraid of keeping it clean and somewhat cool in the SC summer.

Timbrens are not supposed to contact anything unless there is a load on the rear suspension. There is supposed to be some clearance, on my Tundra there was a little over an inch. That way there is no change in ride when unloaded, I only felt them when I hit something like a speedbump. If they are in contact you basically have a solid connection from the frame to axle and the ride would be terrible. Traction could be an issue - they can reduce weight transfer to the rear axle. I would email or call Timbrens and ask what the height of the part should be and if they should be in contact unloaded.

On my recent trip to FL and back I saw 3 total NVP's and that was actually looking for them actively just to see how many we could spot. This was 1400+ miles of driving. However - I saw over a dozen Transit passengers, most of the top XLT 350 model low tops. The only new vans I see fewer of than NV's are the new Ram Promasters. I do see a lot more commercial NV's but we were only counting Passenger NV's and Passenger Transits. In my home area there is exactly ONE other NVP and it is brand new. They actually bought it after seeing mine in the parking lot at a few stores. Family of 5 plus friends/family. They had a extended 'Burb and it was falling apart so needed something bigger. They have the 3500 SV V6 model and love it. I know there should be more since my only local dealer seems to sell them but I never see them. There are 3 other NVP's but I dont count them, they are all shuttles. Not sure why there are so many XLT 350 Transits out there vs. the NVP.

Welcome to the forum. A NVP and a Volt are quite the combo in the driveway! We were looking at used Excursions before buying our NVP. My truck couldnt hold the family any longer so we needed more space. A good, used Excursion cost more than a new NVP! No thanks. We love our NVP so far and I am averaging just around 1800 miles a month with our trips added in to the mix and have several long tows with it. Family loves it and it drives really well for a big box! There seems to be a possible glitch with the climate control. I dont know if you have the SV or SL. Mine doesnt have it but several have reported it. I had some QC issues but they were all handled by the dealer. Dealers can be few and far between so if you plan on taking long trips you may want to look a couple up along the route. Nissan Commercial Customer service (phone and email) used to be Terrible! Not sure if they got better or not, it is a totally different division of Nissan consumer cars and trucks. Doesnt matter if you have the P version, you still have to talk to Commercial service.

There are quite a few on here and I believe some other threads on the subject. What you need to watch for is backspacing. I spoke to a couple who have done it and the sliding door can hit the tire! There isnt much clearance between the door and tire as it sits stock. I plan on upgrading to get more traction when camping but I need the door to open all the way to the lock position with my kids getting in and out. EDIT - http://nissannvforum.com/forum/16-wheels-tires/ There is a whole forum section... Lots of info there.

Just got home from towing a little over 1400 miles with my new Toy Hauler. Went down to the FL coast (Ormond Beach) for a week and also took the kiddos to Legoland. Awesome weather and much warmer than expected. I never expected to be in the ocean without a wetsuit at the end of January! Had the typical rolling hills on 385/26S and then it flattened out further south. So much so that I could easily use the cruise control towing which was nice. Speeds were around 68mph average while towing and I got 9.2 mpg both going and coming home. Just about as expected with my worst tank on the rolling hills at around 8.3 mpg. Had the full family, both large dogs and the two food coolers in the van. Everything else was in the camper. Towed just fine if just a bit soft in the rear of the van. I have a high tongue weight with the basically empty garage of the TH and I think I may get the next size up spring bars for my Blue Ox or I may get some Timbrens for the van. Zero sway issues or power issues for the trip other than typical gas engine revving on the uphills. Some hills were definitely in 3rd gear but it pulled fine. Side note - trip to Legoland was without camper and I had cruise set at 75 mph. Got 15.3 mpg on that trip. Had the Bully Dog setup as normal for my day to day use, no changes for the tow trip and there were no issues with pinging or anything else running 87 octane.

Looking forward to a towing report. Just got back from over 1200 miles of towing our camper and I think I need stiffer spring bars or the Timbrens to get the rear of my van up a bit.

Merry Christmas! We're heading to FL this weekend for a week of camping at Ormond Beach.

That's why I picked them over air bars or springs. The Timbrens is just a big hollow block of rubber. Nothing to fail. Air bags you need to worry about leaks. Helper springs like Supersprings can squeak or rattle like crazy. I have heard decent things about Roadmaster springs but they're always under tension so ride is affected as well as ride height. When empty the Timbrens should still have a small amount of clearance so the ride is totally stock unless you hit a bump big enough to compress the suspension to make contact. Timbrens arent adjustable (although some have had varying degrees of success trying) but they're simple and reliable.

Do a review when you get them installed! On my Tundra installation took all of 45 minutes and that was with one of my little guys helping. That's a great price, lowest I have found was around $305 shipped. I've got a 1000 mile tow coming up in two weeks (going to FL and back) which will be my longest in the NV so far. I plan on loading up my TH differently to see if I can get some weight off the tongue but I'll be interested to hear how they work out for you.

Used them for 4 years on my Tundra towing various campers. Most half ton trucks have suspensions tuned for ride comfort and not hauling so I had a lot of sag/bounce even with my WD hitch setup perfectly. They worked fantastically. When unloaded you'll never know they're installed unless you go over a speed bump or similar. Loaded they took all bounce and sag away. I prefer them to airbags or springs. They're dead simple with nothing to fail and they're quiet. I'm actually considering them for my 3500. I've got a heavy tongue weight with the toy hauler

Welcome! I had no idea somebody made exhaust kits for this van. I figured everything would be custom only. How does it sound? Any drone?

Not even remotely close. Stock we're at 317 hp. To get to 390 without using forced induction would require long tube headers, custom exhaust, intake, maybe even cams and throttle body. Then it would require a full tune from Uprev and premium gas. EVEN doing all that, I still dont know if you could make it to 390, I somehow doubt it. Plus most of that is geared towards horsepower and not torque. Plus we wouldnt get the new 7 speed transmission. On the Toyota 6 speed, 5th and 6th are overdrive for mileage on the highway. I'm guessing 6-7 would be overdrive on the new one. Plus with the higher number of gears you can have a super low final drive for great pull right off the line. Tundra has a 4.30 final drive which on a normal transmission would equal highway driving at very high rpms. 6th gear drops that down to normal. 375 to 400hp is where any modern V8 should be sitting for a truck/van. Torque should be at 400 as well. Toyota did it back in 2007 and with the 6 speed it was a game changer. Nobody had anything remotely close. Now everybody does except Nissan. All the domestics have caught or passed those marks and the old Toyota 5.7 is still stout. At least Nissan will have something to compete with motor wise for the gas buyers.

http://www.off-road.com/blog/2015/12/15/nissan-unveils-5-6-liter-v8-gas-engine-for-nissan-titan-and-titan-xd/ This is the motor I wish we had. The Cummins looks stout and I am sure will be but fuel and maintenance costs will be higher. I know maintenance on the the domestic diesels is pretty insane vs. gas. 390 HP with 401 TQ along with a 7 speed transmission looks pretty perfect. I sorely miss the similar power, TQ and 6 speed from my Tundra and this big box could use the extra oomph and gears. I wonder how soon it could come to the NV... If/when it does I may trade in early even though I normally keep vehicles a while.

Anyone notice the Miles till Empty is very pessimistic? I think most vehicles are but I have gone 10+ miles when the digital display was flashing blank lines vs. miles till empty and I still had 5 gallons left in the tank when I filled up. I think the physical gauge is pretty dead on though based off where the needle is when that happens. You could get an offroad bumper and put on some Jerry cans out back! Not sure how much that could affect clearance when towing and turning though. Aluminess has a pretty awesome looking high top offroad build on their site.

There were some posts in the past about this and I am not sure anybody came up with anything. I'd love a larger tank as well. 8-9 mpg and a small tank equals lots of stops. Thankfully my kids and dogs are ready for a break then too but we've had some close encounters with not finding a station where we'd fit and running low on gas. Almost had to drop the camper off on the side of the road so I could go in and get gas!

Check the Titan forums. There are several that have made true cold air intakes that funnel in air from the grill. Only problem is you need to lose the windshield washer reservoir as it is in the way. JC Whitney used to make a universal mount that fit right in for a Titan so you still had some cleaner to use if needed but they stopped making it from what I know. I use the washer quite a bit so I havent tried to look for a replacement.

http://nissannvforum.com/topic/702-air-box-mod-diy/ Its under the 5.6 motor forum. Very simple, takes little time and actually works based off myself, a few here and a whole lot of Nissan 5.6 owners. I had to scrounge around Titan and Armada forums to find mods that work. Some fit, some need minor tweaks (like the Airaid). I went with the AEM dry flow filter. No oil to mess with, just wash and dry. I was shocked how quick my stock filter got dirty and I dont drive on dirt roads!

I honestly dont know what it would cost. I used to watch and help out at a friends shop and the shop for the dealership I worked just for the learning experience. This was all many years ago though! I'd ask friends if they have any recommended shops or ask the dealership if they offer that service. I wouldnt make an insurance claim. Those ding you in their eyes and can raise rates or make it harder to get renewed. I dont see it being all that much more than your deductible unless you had them redo the whole front of the hood to blend. They make some decent clear rock/chip guard films you can apply. It's like heavy duty self stick clear vinyl. Sort of like the non-glass screen protectors for phones. The body shop can apply a spray rock guard as well, it is a thick coating of clear with a rubberizer added so it has some give. It sort of looks like thick orange peel though. Some factory cars have that in front of the rear wheel well or along the lower rocker panel.

Totally different class of truck if they want to complain of gas mileage. Its like a Ford Ranger vs a F250 or a Corolla vs. a Avalon. I have seen quite a few complaints about gas mileage though from early testing. It just weighs a lot with the beefy steel frame and that motor/transmission. Mileage and towing stats are no better than many normal gas 1/2 T trucks. The driving experience may be nicer with all that torque but the numbers are quite similar.

Ouch. That is big chip. If you fix with touch up paint it is possible but will require multiple layers. Since it is not flat the paint will want to run out as well so apply thin layers. Once built up you would need to wet sand it flush with surrounding paint and feather the edges. Then wet sand the area to get it all uniform, polish it and possibly apply some clear coat. If you do the clear you'll need to sand and feather it again before polishing. Dont use a paint pen, that area is too deep. Get the factory touch up paint with the open end with a brush in it and very lightly dab it in there and smooth to build layers. Above is if you want it took as close to factory as possible. If you dont mind a small blob just touch it up in layers and get it as close as you can to leveled. Regardless you want to seal it up quickly if you have salt in the area. Before you paint rub that area down with denatured alcohol and let dry completely. Make sure the paint around it is solid as well and wont flake. A body shop would sand that area down first to feather those edges and then prime, paint, wet sand, clear and polish all while blending in to the surrounding area. EDIT: forgot to mention, if you decide to go it on your own there are lots of videos online and step by step guides. Sounds like a lot of work and it can be but none of it is "hard" if you take your time. I'll warn you that wet sanding can look scary with the paint hazing over and will look awful. Once polished out it will look as good or better than the surrounding paint.

I know parts can order seats and the actual parts of the seats but the costs can be way up there. They had to replace my drivers seat due to a defect and I think they said the whole seat would run over $2000. That was mainly due to it being all shipped as a unit - all the power motors and air bag add to most of that cost. The rears are just huge benches but I dont think they will be much cheaper. I dont know of any after market company that makes ready made leather covers for the benches but you can contact them (Clazzio, Katzkin, etc). Other option would be to try and locate a NVP SL in a scrap yard and get the seats. There are so few of them that could be difficult though.

Sent it back to Amazon. Worked well for power but was too loud and droned during towing which is when I really wanted the extra power. The BDGT, modded stock box and AEM filter are doing well for me.

Pick up the Bluetooth code reader, they're only $10 for the basic models. They way you guys travel who knows if you can find a autoparts store either! With the code reader it works whenever and wherever you happen to be. You'll also know right away if it is safe to keep driving to the nearest Nissan dealer or if it needs something more serious like a tow truck or mechanic.