radin2son

Just received an email from eurocampers.com regarding a sale. In addition to selling vanrug, they sell vantred for NV cargo vans that may work in NVPs. They have other items for NVs. We bought insulated sun screens for the windshield and front side windows. You can make them yourself, but these are well made and fit well.

If it happens again, take your NV to the dealer and take the service adviser, manager or tech out for a brake test. Whatever it is, no one else has reported this. Good luck. Regarding your first question. Have you decided if and when you will change the transmission fluid?

That will be annoying if it is your gas tank. Cheap fix; just fill when half full. If you think it is from the rear, anything loose? Tank, Spare tire, hitch, rear seats? Anything is possible given what the factory lets slip by.

The manual takes you through the steps. Access to an air compressor is crucial. Any Nissan dealership can do this for you, maybe even at no charge.

Nissan just introduced the Titan XD Basecamp at the Overland Expo West Flagstaff, AZ. If we didn't have our SMB, this would be the way to go, except I opt for the basic Titan with 4x4 if available. trucktrend.com has an article with photos.

30k is the standard recommended interval for changing transmission fluid. Schedule 1 and 2 NV 30k service doesn't require this but it is part of the optional premium upgrade. I followed this at 30 and 60k not realizing the 2012 service guide says NV transmission fluid (4) change isn't needed. I read somewhere that the fluid is lifetime but lifetime wasn't defined. I plan to have it changed again at 90k. ASD Dad, when do you plan to change your transmission fluid? Found my earlier post for 60k service. Transmission fluid is described as maintenance free (page 12).

You have it covered. You have a terrific trip planned. Mc2guy before he bailed on his NV for a F150 once suggested retirees wander aimlessly around the country while he had a trip agenda with tight time constraints. I got his latter point, but disagreed with his description of our travels. There is nothing better than an unexpected tip from another traveler.

Saw this Titan at Homolovi State Park, Winslow AZ. Much better looking than its overdone/chromed Titan HD brethren. Didn't even have a trim level.

On this past trip we used manual mode on all dirt roads and most scenic paved roads. I used tow mode only once. Correct me if I'm wrong. To engage tow mode, I had to be stopped. (It can be disengaged when moving.) This would be for steep down hills with a heavily loaded van, not towing. Generally, there are warning signs with % grade and distance, plus there are signs for brake check zones and runaway vehicle ramps to tip you off. After the fact, you will know when you needed more than lower gears.

On our last trip in northern AZ and southern UT, there appeared to be fewer cell dead zones so smart phone nav systems should work fine. The 2017 nav card (2012-14 NV models) worked as well no matter where we were. On dirt roads in the San Rafael Swell, it showed side roads and nsmes for main roads. We still relied on the topographic recreational maps for AZ and UT. We also have these naps for NM, CO and WY.

CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK and SAN RAFAEL SWELL, UTAH We were not expecting the number of people camping at this time of year. Campgrounds, first come first served, were full by 10:30 am or earlier. Even dispersed camping areas were overpopulated. Don't be surprised if you are asked to share your site by Canadians and Europeans (for whatever reason, US campers don't ask) when campgrounds are full. This is common in Europe and the expectation is they will pay 1/2 the camping fee. This is a great way to meet if you are comfortable with this. The 2 times we shared, they insisted on paying the full fee. We stayed at the Cedar Mesa campground for 2 nights. 5 sites, no water and a pit toilet. Beautiful area right in he middle of the Water Pocket Fold. We spent 3 nights at the Fruita campground, the main campground. Odd setup in that almost every site has a paved parking area that can hold 3 large vehicles/campers. There is a warning sign not to be pressured in to sharing your site, but it seemed selfish to have so much space. Rangers and camphosts only require that vehicles fit in the parking area. They don't mind that your friends from Canada just arrived... Great hiking. San Rafael Swell north of I-70 is a off road area, designated trails, lots of them. The main roads are dirt but well maintained. Watch out for rain as the dips will fill. If you are towing a travel trailer, leave it at the 2 state parks on state route 10. We basically drove through looking at 2000 year old "rock art." There is BLM designated camping at the Wedge overlook. Had to cut trip short...

Looked at new inventory. Indiana and Texas have none, SMB West have one Transit (have to call for a price) and 3 Chevy EB 3500 4x4 for $154,000 to $164,000. Looks to me like truck based is the way to go, but a Chevy at that price. SMB no longer lists NVs as a van option. Base prices for Chevy ($34-38,000), Sprinter ($37-43,000), Promaster and Transit ($32-38,000).

SMB in Austin, TX has a slightly used (21000 mi) 2012 NV hightop listed for $47,450. For whatever reason, it is in Salt Lake City. Nice set up with solar, custom wheels with BFG KO2 tires. The only issue may be that it only sleeps 2, but it does seem to be a good price. Don't know why it wasn't listed here. There are 2 other NV SMB owners who posted here long ago. One from California had one like ours and the other owner was in SLC. If interested, go to www.sportsmobile.com and use the pull down menu to find preowned SMB Texas.

On a 11 day trip in southern Utah, we saw 7 older poptop SMBs, 6 Fords and 1 Dodge (pre-Sprinter chassis). 5 Fords were the 4x4 variety. The other Ford was 15 years old with over 170,000 miles. It was built at the Indiana SMB factory, where their new Transit is being built. They bought their Transit independently and have been waiting since February for it to be built. No problems with their 15 year old Ford or with SMB. Their transit will be longer, but they no longer will be able to hang their spare tire on the left door. They will lose the under floor storage. Periodically, they wonder why they made this decision. For those unfamiliar with SMB, they hold their value. My question remains. Where are the NV conversions? Did see and meet the owner, also from Tucson, of a diy NV 200 conversion. Platform bed with storage underneath, 2 windows on the driver side and 1 on the passenger side.

Added another 2000 mi on Michelin Defender tires on s trip to Capitol Reef Natiomal Park and the San Rafael ("Rafell") Swell north of Interstate 70. Entered Capitol Reef via the southern entrance near Bullfrog. Washboard dirt roads that are not suitable for towing a travel trailer. Similar roads in San Rafael, but some were better than most paved roads. One long stretch of muddy road. Tires worked well. We had to return suddenly to Tucson, so missed a chance to try them in snow. These are much better tires for us than the Transforce. They fall nicely between all season and AT tires. They also were less expensive.

We aren't unhappy with mpg. There is little we can do about it anyway. Consider how we use them and what the alternatives were/are.

Welcome. What a great report and evaluation.

Oh well, a 4th duplicative post? So, I'll ask another question. Did you buy your 2012 new? If used, it certainly is in good shape. Post some more photos. DIY projects give great ideas...

3rd... This has to be a record.

2nd...

1st duplicate post.

Mdsnyder 108, This is a little off topic but what other modifications have you made? Looked at your instagram posts. We have seen Escape vans but none as colorful. Foreign plate? They make the Juicy vans* look tame. We like their set up with the kitchen in the back. Have you done the same? *Dodge Caravans with clam shell sleeping area on top, although newer ones have poptops.

Until 3, 4 or in the near (?) future 5G is available nationwide, you will need vehicle based nav on your road trip. The problem is that some are better or more mediocre than others. We have Garmin for cycling and my wife has the Runkeeper app that works everywhere. Even if Waze or other apps work in dead zones, the battery drain* is awful because it keeps searching for a signal. We waited almost 5 years to update our card. So, you may never have to update yours. *I have to stop thinking in terms of how we use our NV. Except for national parks, you will mostly be on the grid. You also have the ultimate iPad battery charger, your NV.

When I replaced the 2011 nav card with the 2017 version, none of the visual prompts appeared. It appears it uploaded. I emailed Nissan Navigation System Help Desk, listed on the packaging to confirm. Their response was, they do not do technical support and I should contact my nearest authorized Nissan dealer for support. In addition to "Kind regards," they offered additional help. What? I'll find out soon on our next trip if it is working and if it is any better than the old card.

When we bought our van on 2012, additional air bags were optional on cargo vans. Not sure about NVPs. Definitely worth checking if considering a used NV. Our van had them. Between the bags and everything else that worked as designed, we should all feel very safe in the event something like this happens. I wonder if they will follow up with what caused this if it wasn't a distracted driver. That happens, but a mechanical failure...