Great White

On You Tube on the Motor Trend Channel there is video of a Professional race driver making rounds on a road coarse in a high roof NV. It is under the Racers Line Playlist. The video is about weight transference of vehicles but it is fun to watch. It is cool to see a high top drift out of corners. Enjoy!

I have the Bed Rug. I have converted mine to a camper and it works great.Good on bare feet and cushioned the knees. Grass and sand vacuum out easy and can be taken out and sprayed at car wash. Holds up to spills and oil, gas, etc. This is the third Bed Rug I have had in as many vehicles. Jagged metal, wood, and greasy engine parts might be a problem. The fit and installation is good quality. Real Trucks has them for a good price, Free shipping, and it gets to you fast. Hope this helps.

The Dealership has contacted Nissan America and sent all the computer recordings of the knock to the engineering department there. They have a R O File on it. Basically a open file that supposedly I will be contacted by them and they will send an engineer to do further test on it. We shall see. I'm sure it will be one of those, drive it till it breaks things but who knows, they may actually be wanting to be preemptive on this. Would be nice not to be broke down somewhere having to get a rental to get back and have my vehicle sit in a shop for weeks. I have hope Nissan will do the right thing here. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks for the input. I have been a mechanic for years. It just gets frustrating to have engine issues with new vehicles for anybody. This has been the second in a row and it gets old. The knock only last a few minutes then it is gone all day until it sits overnight. Any aluminum engine makes a lot of noise. Piston slap is common. Irritating but common and will not hurt the engine. The problem I have is down low like a rod knock but more like a torque converter bolt. The Techs could not pin point it. It just gets old having a vehicle with less than 10,000 miles on it with a major issue. I just wanted to get it out there to give you guys a heads up in case you start having the same thing. There is a lot of Titian and Armada owners with the same problem going back about 10 years. Just wanted some feedback. Sorry to come off as Bitching,

I just researched the Armada and Titian forums. Seems the 5.6 has had knock issues for many years and it is said to be contributed to; cracked exhaust manifolds, oil filters with no check valves bleeding oil down, Timing belt tensioners, piston slap. Nissan seems very aware of these issues and have some service bulletins out about it, but see it as either no problem, normal engine noise, or owners negligence. Ouch! If this is normal then if I try to sell it to an individual then I should just tell them that it is just normal and they have Nissan's assurance that it is a non issue. Right. Sorry if this seems negative but, Damn, Really?

I have a definite engine knock on cold start up or when engine sits overnight. It has gotten worse so I took it into my local dealer. Had a long talk with the line tech and service manager. They haven't herd this before in the NV's. They made digital sensor recordings and ECM info and sent it ti Nissan America's engineering department. They will get back to me with the results. Looks like a new engine is in order. They have to have Nissan's blessing. Since This is a new style vehicle little is known about the long term life of these vehicles in real world use. Has anyone else had issues like this? It runs as good as always, but the noise is more pronounced. The dealer I bought it from recommended full synthetic so that what I have been using. Seems to have helped with gas mileage, about 1 mpg. The knock is not changed though. I have found that finding a dealership that works on them to be a problem. I had a talk with the service manager where I bought it and found out that the NV was kinda forced on the dealers. They had to have Techs certified to work on them, in order for the dealers to be allowed to sell them. This also meant refitting stalls to accommodate the NV. They also made it mandatory for all dealers to stock certain replacement parts for the NVs. This meant one dealership may have to stock suspension parts, another, may have drive train parts, and another may have body parts, ETC. This means when you need to have your NV serviced they have to order parts from some other dealer and this takes time. They had to hunt down brake parts for mine and it took almost a week. This seems kinda slick on Nissan's part. They can force the new vehicle on the market and make the dealers foot the bill and carry the responsibility for part inventory. If the NV fails then Nissan doesn't have to stock any parts. Crafty! I hope the NV makes a good foot hold in the market and we can enjoy having them for years, but I will be more reserve in my decision to keep mine depending on the outcome of this engine issue. I have questions about the 5.6. It is the engine that has been in the Titian for many years, isn't it? They have had millions of mile racked up on them from years of service, right? I'm sure the knocking issue has come up several times before. You have to expect severe issue within a certain percentage of engines manufactured don't you? Since this is not a new engine platform than this should be an expected cost of business. We shall see. If anyone else is dealing with these issues, please let me know. Maybe we could contact Nissan as a group. This could be isolated incident or there maybe more. Thanks for your feedback.

Have had my 3500 TallTop for about a year. Best I have gotten is 16.2. I have driven it 75-80 and watched the mileage go to Hell. I have found with mine the sweet spot is between 60 and 65. Towing, about the same speed with 11.5 mpg with a 7,000 lbs. trailer on flat ground. I have a K&N stock air filter and will be replacing the muffler with a Magnaflow 12580. I hope that may get me a little boost on mileage. It will sound better irregardless.

Welcome to the forum and the NV. It is a great platform for conversion. I built mine to be light weight and removable in case I need it to haul. I use 5 gal. jugs for fresh water and grey water. I have a porta potti. I didn't want to deal with tanks. I have an RV we live in full time and the tanks on it are enough hassle for me. I have pics posted in Conversions. Good luck with your build and enjoy the van.

Thanks for the info.It would be nice if we had a longer wheel base to work with like a sprinter or Chevy. More space, more options, but I think we have a better van. The AC issue is always a problem. Thanks again.

We are originally from Texas. Lived there most of my life but traveled a lot. My wife is a travel nurse and we full-timed rving for about 8 years back and forth across the country. I have made the trip from Tx. to Or. 6 times and towed it twice. I have marked out regular stops both fuel and for the night. I was concerned about fuel due to the smaller tank and lower MPG than my trucks. I kept it around 65 and found that on regular roads, not mountains, I could keep it around 10 mpg. Not bad for the added weight of my camping rig. I stopped when I could find gas but avoided truck stops. My trailer is 24" less hitch, and the turning radius of the NV is not great. But fuel was not a problem. I have always tried to remember gas stops, because, Like you said, there is miles of nothing out there and no place to stop or pull off. South eastern California and Southern New Mexico can be desolate. Nightly stops where in Oarland,CA., Lost Hills, Ca., Kingman, AZ., Grants, NM., Roswel, NM., Fort Stockton, TX. Lastly, The Texas hill country. We ran about 300-350 a day. Not break neck but a nice days drive in heavy winds, mountains, traffic, and August heat. It is a good trip and the van ran great. If it is someones first time in the Southwest traveling, keep in mind that gas can get sparse at times so fill up frequently. There are long stretches with no gas or places to stay. Wind can blow up at any moment and 50-60 side winds are common and if the sign says gusty winds ahead pay attention. I have seen many RV's rolled over up and down that stretch every time I make that trip. Caution aside, The views are spectacular! The New Mexico light is the best in the country. Give yourself an extra day or so to spend quiet morning with a cup of coffee and watch the sun set the red cliffs and hills on fire and listen to the Doves. Pull off early and enjoy the cooling off of the desert and watch the indigo sky give way to more stars than you can imagine! Most of all enjoy your vans and your lives folks.

Has anyone tried to use a secondary AC for camping? Just moved back to Texas. The heat is going to be a problem. I thought about using the small ac unit put out by Aliner. I would have to use a large generator or two smaller ones in series because I want to boondock. Any suggestions or successes? Thanks guys.

Just pulled a 24 ft. 7,000 lbs. Travel Trailer From Oregon To Texas. Trip went great. Pulled up mountains of over 7, 300 ft. Elevation in August temps of 90 plus. Never missed a beat. Engine temp never budged and Transmission temp only rose two bars or about 10 degrees, Even in 115 degrees heat of the Mojave desert with the air going and running 65 mph. I was also carrying about 1,000 pounds of camperconversion weight in the van. I did go to middle grade gas due to some preignition in the mountains. It may have been bad gas but it pulled like a champ. I also went to full synthetic oil and this actually seemed to help with gas mileage, I got an average of 10.5 mpg on smooth and hilly road at 60-65 and 6 mpg in the mountains. The only things that were bothersome,were the side wind issues in Arizona. A bad down draft with 50-60 mile an hour winds made the trip eventful and when an 18 wheeler passed me the bow wave was pretty harsh and would push hard and suck the rear of the van in as it passed. Not dangerous but not fun. I had the wheel turned 1/8 to 1/4 turn for quite a few miles. This is a High top van so I expected it. The trip was long but good. The van preformed flawlessly. The ride was a bit bouncy but it is a 1 ton. I had a weight distribution hitch and anti sway. I have to say, if you are wondering about towing a travel trailer any distance I would recommend it totally. This is one great van and it out preformed trucks I have made the same trip towing comparable trailers.

Thanks for the input. I will be towing from Oregon to Texas next month. August in the desert, Yea Fun! I have made the trip many times before but this will be the first for the new rig. Have her good and broken in now. About 7,000 miles. I love the tranny in the mountains. Most sure shifting tow vehicle I have had. No hunting for gears. I have noticed that when I am on a sizable incline of some distance that when I pass someone the trans wants to stay in the higher gear for much longer than it should. It will not drop out of the higher revs even when I take my foot off the gas. I sometimes have to put the brake on to get it to up shift. This is without towing. I am taking into the dealer next week. Has anyone else noticed this issue?

Wow! I have been away for a while and it is good to see passion in a owners forum. I have seen it time and again that trollers start stuff in other forums then go back to their own forum sites to have a good laugh with their fellow members. Don't let them have the satisfaction. Not worth it. We chose the rigs we have for personal and business choices. Mine happens to be size, horse power and torque, towing ability, and warranty. Love the van and it makes a great camping platform. It is solid and feels solid when using it for work or play. I am happy every time I get into it. The truck front is far superior to the vans I test drove and my feet fit without any problems. 800 mile trips are a breeze! Don't play into any of this BS. Enjoy your vans and let Klaus go bother others. Have a great day Y'all.

I'm married but I go off by myself at times. I will be installing a snap curtain to the front bulkhead just before the shelf. Privacy is a concern but blocking windows and the curtain will help. The pit toilets can be great and not so great. I was in Sedona in the winter....Cold!! Pit toilet was not fun. My wife didn't want to have to leave the van at night. Being a boy is not as crucial about facilities. It is more for emergencies as far as i'm concerned. You are right about traveling companions. I only go with her so it is not an issue. Everyone's comfort zone is different.

This is some of the photos of my camper conversion of my 3500 high top. I am living in a travel trailer full time that I pull with the NV. I didn't want to deal with tanks so I opted to make it as simple as possible to maintain while I am out on photo shoots on BLM or Forrest service lands. This is pretty basic but you get the idea. I insulated with Sound deadener floor to roof, Styrofoam, and Reflect-ix. I made some panels to bring the walls up and allow soft storage. I am using 5 gal jugs for fresh and gray water. A butane stove for cooking. I have a 50 qt. Dometic fridge freezer. Thetford 5 gal. porta-potty. I have two 6" fans for exhaust and LED lighting throughout. 4 speaker stereo set up that will also play movies. I have wired it all to a 100 watt Renogy solar panel and have a Vtank 151 amp hour battery to start. I will expand the solar with a folding 100 watt kit and a second AGM battery. I have a Ctek charger for back up. I replaced the bed mat with a Bed Rug for comfort. the beds are Disco Beds. They are used in the military and aid relief. They are 80 X 40 and each will hold 500 lbs. Very comfortable and can be used for storage. I know this looks spartan compared to other rigs but I wanted less to worry about and have room to move around in it. The fridge will set on the console when camping to make floor space. I'm using a 30 amp 25 ft. three outlet extension cord for land line in campgrounds.It is not finished but getting there. For a investment of under 3,000 I have a serviceable, reliable rig that I can stay out in for 7-10 days at a time.

Sounds like Dodge. Miserable company to deal with. They denied any problems with my Challenger and the transmission problems with the Ram truck I gladly traded in on my NV. This is so much more solid vehicle than anything Dodge puts out. Dodge is a master of not standing behind what they sell. It is not a surprise that there are major issues with their van. Run don't walk away from their vehicles.

I picked up some inexpensive D ring holdowns that I will be using to secure Batteries and water supplies to the sidewalls of my 3500. They have a 1,200 lb. limit and use two bolt holes. That means I can mount them just about anywhere. I think they were less than 15.00 and come in a pack of 4. Good luck with whatever you find and enjoy the bike. I'm envious!

Yup, that's why I went with the sway bar set up. Never had to use one before. It is a learning curve.

Thanks for the info. That sounds like a doable range. I will be keeping an eye on it as I get more mileage. It is still new and not fully broke in. Should stabilize in another few thousand miles. The extra height dose make it feel a little squirrely. Like the first time I towed a 5th wheel.

Thanks for the info. Defiantly use manual mode. The 6.0 was a different animal. High rpm's weren't to its liking. I love this 5.6. Pulls steady and doesn't bog as bad. I will run it across the scales when loaded. I can go up to 8500 but will never get close. I like to keep well within limits for tires, brakes , and trans. Even though you have the NVP do you find any cross wind whip issues with the short wheel base? This high top is great head on but I found it wanting to push with heavy side winds. Like I said earlier, I have always pulled with a truck so i expect a learning curve and getting use to this new trailer. 160 degrees is great. The Chevy's would start crawling up to the 200 plus mark on long steep grades and especially in the south west. Hence, the reason I made the mods. I was hauling a mcgh larger and heavier trailer though.

I have seen some threads on towing with the 3500 High Top and was wondering about trans temps. I just bought a new travel trailer. It is 5800 lbs. empty. I was towing it to the park it will be set up in before we hit the road permanently and I noticed the trans temp went from 3 bars to 6 over a 30 mile trip through hilly roads. This is in ambient temps of 40-50 degrees. I have pulled a lot of trailers both TT an 5th wheel. I towed across the country with Chevy trucks that had a regular style gauges. Not crazy about the bars. Has anyone had any problems with high trans temps in hotter weather, mountains, desert? The van seemed to handle the trailer pretty well but the high top and shorter wheel base will take some getting use to. The Chevy's I had would get pretty warm in desert mountains and as a standard fix I would install a second window washer setup and run a small diameter vacuum line with small holes drilled in it accross the top of the evaporator then spray it when the temp got too high. Worked like a dream to drop temp by quite a bit. Please let me know if anyone out there has had any high trans temp issues. Thanks

I like the seat covers. I have been considering some. How much were they? They seem to fit well.

I would be interested in a meet up. Next year for me. I'm in the middle of Finishing the remodeling of my home and selling it to hit the road full time again. I'm waiting for the weather to break so I can finish my van conversion. High top won't fit in the garage. All it dose is rain and stay cold here and that won't work for cutting holes in the roof and sealing them up. So I won't be making any long trips till summer. There are a lot of NV's sold in my town. We have a great dealer here and they move them pretty well. I have noticed that the majority are NV cargo for business. I think the more they sell for business then down the road consumers will buy. Like the sprinter vans. people see them as fleet vehicle and feel they must be good, right? These companies are using them. Time will tell but I can definitely see a shift in the ratio of NV's to sprinters. Fed Ex is getting away from the sprinter platform here. I have seen more Express and transit vans being utilized by them here. We have a Mercedes dealer here and they don't seem to move the Sprinters or conversions here. Too expensive. Also, 4 wheel drive is king here. You can hardly find a 2 wheel drive new truck of any kind on any lot in this area. I think that is why the NVP will not take off here. Has to be a 4x4. Sorry to get off topic. Don't give up on a gathering. It sounds like a lot of fun and we need the community. These are great vehicles and Nissan is kinda like a Salmon swimming up stream in this market.. I hope the NV will take a good foot hold in the market or we may become a very small group indeed.

Good point. I have the cargo van and I know that you will only get the 400 watts at idle with no accessories going. When driving the watts will drop a pretty good amount, according to the electrical system tech I talked to. Sounds like the system is for working at a job site only and then to recharge laptop, etc. while driving. You may have a problem with high wattage stuff.