vanguy

If I'm not mistaken all Prodigy's have a lifetime warranty. Have you contacted Tekonsha? They can go over some troubleshooting measures over the phone with you to help determine if there is a problem with the controller. If the controller is the problem they will tell you to simply take it to the closest dealer for a new one. It's that simple. If the controller is not the problem they can offer other troubleshooting advice. I've found them to be very helpful. I had one of the original Prodigys & after 5-6 years started giving me problems. They swapped it out for a new one.

Been thinking about mounting a couple of these on my front bumper: http://southland.gizmodo.com/this-giant-searchlight-once-scanned-l-a-from-a-mountai-1616978277 Just got to work out the mounting details. When I get it figured out, I let you know.

I don't believe I would go below the TPMS setting either. Probably not safe.

It happens on mine too. I try to wax mine twice a year & make a special effort to cover those bolts in wax to help with the rust. It doesn't solve the problem but it helps.

Personally that's why I went with the 2500 instead of the 3500. There's not a huge difference in the load carrying capacity. A 1 ton suspension is very stiff & made for hauling heavy loads. If you have a lot of weight in the rear you will find that it rides much better. My last van was a Chevy 3500 1 ton & I know exactly what you are describing. There a number of things you can try: removing a leaf spring, adjustable shocks, air bags, etc. If you remove a leaf spring be aware that it will affect the load carrying capacity of your van. I'm sure others will offer some help soon. Give them time to reply. Also remember you have load range E tires. They have a very stiff sidewall made to support a heavy load and are part of the problem. If you are driving with no or very little load, you can always reduce the air pressure in them. Some folks think that because they are rated for 75 - 80 PSI that you have to run that in them all the time. Not true. I always run about 55 - 60 PSI in my fronts and 60 - 65 in my rears when not towing my heavy trailer. I air up the rears when towing. If you tow a heavy trailer AND use a weight distributing hitch, you need to air up the fronts a little more also.

Had a real freak accident & busted the mirror out of my drivers side mirror. Scheduled an appointment with Classic Nissan in Statesville NC so they could order the parts needed to repair. To my utter amazement they had the parts in stock & fixed it on the spot & I was on my way within an hour. Great job Classic Nissan ! I left happy even though my wallet was screaming as if it had been tortured.

Please read this thread : http://nissannvforum.com/topic/572-weight-distributing-hitch-necessary-for-hybrid-camper/

Thanks Gotcha

It's highly unlikely that you need a weight dist. hitch since you have the NV3500. 2800 lbs is super lite for that vehicle. Only two things would require a WD hitch in your case: 1. Sway. If you get a lot of sway from the trailer while towing you need a WD hitch to attach sway control. Again sway is highly unlikely due to the short length of the trailer in relation to the NV3500 2. If you have quite a bit of weight already in the back of the van, the added tongue weight might make the rear of the van sag too much. The WD hitch would then bring you back up. To test just hook up the trailer & see. I have the NV2500 & pull a 16 ft trailer weighing over 7000 lbs & don't need a WD hitch.

Ok I'm dumb on this subject. What is navigation lock out?

I didn't go to any car stereo shops. Wouldn't listen to their salesman anyway. What do they know? They just work there? I do all my research online. I find that when I'm shopping for something I'm not familiar with, I research for a month or two before going to a local store. I find that 90% of the time I already know 10 times more than the salesperson that has worked there for 10 years. I never trust a salesperson. You can wind up very disappointed with your purchase. As for these in dash receivers I only checked the 3 largest Mfgs: Pioneer, Kenwood, & Alpine. I checked the owners manuals for the top line models & mid grade models for all three. I also only checked their "Universal Fit" models since they are the only ones that will fit the NV van. According to their manuals none of them can do voice phone commands. Some will do a limited few play music voice commands. They all require you to touch the screen for phone dialing. I also only compared receivers that have all the same features as those in the NV Van: navigation, bluetooth, AM FM radio, DVD player. Bluetooth phone voice dialing is coming to all three of these Mfgs soon thru Apple Car Play & Android Auto. Right now it is not there and I certainly wouldn't want to be a sucker, excuse me I meant an "early adopter", for this technology. It will need a year or two to mature. (We are suckers, excuse me I meant "early adopters", for this technology for Nissan.) There may be other brands out there that will fit the NV that have better features, like i said I only checked the big three. According to Crutchfield there is no cable for steering wheel controls for these 3 mfgs for the NV van. There may be ones for other vehicles.

Never had heated seats until my current vehicle. The way I discovered heated seats: Went to a friends funeral, I meant wedding, in California. Rented a car at the airport. While I'm driving, the wife is pushing every button she can find on the dash. A few minutes later, sweat starts pouring from my forehead, down my back, & my butt feels like it's on fire. I know its August and its hot outside but this is ridiculous, so I tell the wife to turn up the AC. Took awhile to realize this rental had heated seats. The wife got a good laugh.

Almost all vehicles now have variable timing so you can run the regular grade gas without the pinging. If you do a lot of long distance highway driving the mid grade may slightly improve MPG. Not sure if it will compensate for the price difference. Like Chris said I run the cheap stuff & toss in a can of complete engine treatment in the gas tank every oil change to keep the fuel injectors clean ( Lucas, Techron, Valvoline, Sea Foam, etc.) I never could tell any difference in using any particular Brand gas with all the fancy additives. One seems as good as another.

Did some research on aftermarket in-dash navigation receivers. Prices vary from $600.00 to $1500.00. These type receivers are in their infancy right now. What works with your particular vehicle features may vary widely. None have built in voice commands for Bluetooth such as phone number look up, dial, etc. all must be done from the touch screen. So in that respect Nissan is ahead of the game to implement this feature on my 3 year old van. Although it doesn't work really well. Maybe that's why aftermarket units don't have it yet or the expense to implement it is too great. Google recently announced "Android Auto" which should take over voice commands for Bluetooth & hopefully make it work better. This will probably a year or two before this works well & would be available for aftermarket units. Navigation looks more full featured on the aftermarket units. Kenwood even uses Garmin maps & software. I can't find one that can use your existing GPS receiver. You have to use an external receiver that sits on the dash. Price for map updates look to be the same as any other auto maker $125.00 - $150.00 The USB / Aux input on the NV dash won't work, no adapter connector for aftermarket receivers. Although you can connect a USB cable to the back of the aftermarket receiver & let it hang down under the dash (Ughh) No way to use your steering wheel controls for the NV vans in the aftermarket units. Could not find if phone controls will come up while in navigation mode. Nothing in any of the Mfg owner manuals to indicate whether it will or not. For me it definitely is not worth the cost to switch out given that you loose many of the above features. Also it will be awhile before a good competent system is available for Android devices.

Who makes the one for your Chevy?

When I'm using navigation I'm going somewhere I've never been. So I focus my attention on the GPS screen and I don't make or take calls. Do other brands of head units with all these same features allow bluetooth call features with the nav going? Who are they, and what do they cost? I would be interested if the voice recognition was better. The voice recognition software works like a circa 1990's edition. Current smartphones voice recognition software is light years ahead of Nissans.

I have the same Audio /Nav / Bluetooth system as you in my 2012 NV2500. This is my first vehicle that has had built-in bluetooth so I have nothing to compare it to. I find that it pairs to most popular cell phones easily & downloads contacts to the phonebook flawlessly It recognizes my voice commands accurately about 90% of the time. It recognizes my voice when calling out names of entries in phonebook about 20% of the time. The problem is the voice recognition software. It could use a ton of improvement. Nissan cheaped out here. I've used the Voice Adaptation mode which is a trainer for the voice recognition software but it didn't help. For receiving incoming calls it works great. I have not tried to make or receive calls while in navigation mode. My little mind can't do but one thing at a time. Maybe Nissan doesn't want us multi-tasking while driving ! I find that navigation works very good. I think it as about as accurate as my stand alone Garmin unit. The unit in my van just doesn't have quite as many features as the Garmin. Of course it is like anything you buy from a vehicle mfg or dealer: RIDICULOUSLY OVER PRICED.

Personally I don't believe you will see a price drop on the Sprinter vans even though their build cost may go down some. Just more profit for Mercedes Benz. Sprinter has a big following in the delivery & expediter segment. I think the only reason those folks buy Sprinter is because of the diesel engines. I think Dodge & Ford will give them some competition now.

The 3500 with a V8 has the capacity to tow the trailer you mentioned above. As Andy George states above, I used to tow an 8000 lb trailer with my Chevy 3500 and 5.7 engine without any problems. The NV 3500 is quite a bit more stout than the Chevy in every respect. This receiver hitch has the capacity if used with a weight dist. hitch. It is a class IV but has the lip on the rear for the extra capacity. http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Nissan/NV+3500/2012/C14000.html?vehicleid=201227855 According to the Nissan Manual your van & trailer can't exceed 16000 lbs with the above hitch. Also the max tongue weight is 950 lbs. It pays to weigh your van fully loaded & then again with the trailer attached at a Cat scale to be sure of proper weights.

There is a difference in the hitch. Look for a class 5 hitch. It has a lip that attaches to the top of the frame on the rear of the van that the class 3 & 4 hitches do not have. That's the only difference & thus the higher rating. However you may not need it. I would be more concerned with the tongue weight of the trailer. Make sure it does not exceed the the rating of the receiver you put on the van. The receiver hitch you put on the van will have two ratings. one is for the overall weight rating of the trailer & the other is for the tongue weight. Don't exceed either one. As far as the "Tow Mode" switch, as stated above the only thing it does is control the shift points on the transmission. It's really no big deal. I have it on mine & I can hardly tell any difference. In fact I forget to turn it on most of the time. Whoever puts your receiver hitch on the van can wire your 7 pin plug for the brakes & lights. If I'm not mistaken I believe that rear lip is welded to the frame at the factory. So even if you can find a class 5 hitch you may not be able to weld it. It's possible it could be bolted on in that area if there is room for the nuts & bolts. That's just something you will have to check out if you decide you want the extra weight capacity.

If you use full synthetic oil & premium oil filters there is no problem with 5000 - 7500 mile oil changes. I've been doing it for years. The old natural oils could break down over time, just due to attracting bacteria (engine didn't even have to run). Synthetics don't have that problem. Synthetics have 4 -10 times the lubrication factor of natural oils & so last longer.

High wind gusts can move you some, especially with a high roof van. You definitely have a steering or suspension issue. Make sure the dealer drives it on open road at high speed. These issues are not as noticeable in stop & go city traffic. Let us know what you find.

Premium intake air filters can be purchased at your local auto parts store for $25 or less.

Since most of drivetrain in the NV's are from the Titan, was wondering if the NV might get the new diesel as well? Looks like a nice V8 Cummins diesel that can actually pull a decent load, unlike the wimpy V6 in Ford & Dodge vans.

Have not ever smelled exhaust in cabin. That could be a very serious as in life threatening situation. Please have the dealer check it out right away.