Towing travel trailer NV 3500HD SL

[Battlephrog]

I found the answer to one of my questions in the manual I found online. The transmission fluid temp gauge is available as a digital gauge between the two large gauges and is accessed by pressing "info knob" 3 times.

 

This will display a horizontal bar graph or little lines from left to right. There is a range marking which indicates that is is within normal operating temp, or above. It does not look like it provides a digital number though (?).

 

Would still like to know if anyone can speak to the aux tranny cooler question. ;)

[Tatunka]

The tranny cooler is right in front of the radiator and is quite large compared to the cooler in my F150.  When towing, even in 100+ heat, I have never had the temp gauge move much, and that is with a 8500lbs trailer.

[brianmcgovern]

We're picking up our travel trailer this Friday, and I need to have the brake controller installed beforehand. We have the 2014 NVP 3500 SL, which is prewired for 7-pin, and pre-wired for a brake controller.
 
I have a Reese 78077 Echelon Proportional Brake Control, but not sure how to wire it to the jumper harness the Nissan dealer included with the van. Any thoughts?
 
The trailer dealership can install it for around $100. But obviously, I'd rather not pay them to do something I can potentially do myself...

 

Brian

[sampson]

Hi Brian,

I just installed a Tekonsha P3 in my 3500 SL yesterday... I ended up using the Tekonsha harness adapter for the Armada, as it has the molex connector and proper pin outs already. I just had to plug it in. Before I did that however, I verified the wires on the truck side to make sure I didn't fry up my new brake controller by reversing the 12v+ and ground for instance... Tekonsha thought it would be fun to use white wire for the ground and trick me :) Not this time Tekonsha. Not this time ...

 

If you can find it, download the body builders guide for the nv (I found a link somewhere on the forum) which will confirm my claims here. Page.bbg118. E44 is the truck side connector if you find the page.

 

The NV side of the harness was:

Black 14 gauge wire = Ground, Light Green 23 gauge wire = stop lamps, Blue 14 gauge = trailer brake output, Red 14 gauge = battery +

Double check with a multimeter. Foot on brake should read 12 v between light green and ground... 0.3 or so with no foot on brake.

 

Most controllers use the same terminology for naming their wires. You'll have no trouble I'm sure. Benefit to doing it yourself is you can make sure it won't hit your knee (much) while driving. Just make sure your wires are long enough to reach the spot you pick AND you are able to tuck/tie/tape them neatly under the dash while not interfering with steering, brake pedal, obdc2 connector, etc.

 

Good luck!

[sampson]

Hey again Brian,

 

If the Nissan dealer gave you a separate wiring harness to plug into the truck it may have different coloured wires (they do like to keep us on our toes). It would be e62 connector and a mirror image to the truck side according to the BBG.

 

Black is ground, red/green is stop lamps, brown/ white is trailer brake output, red/ blue is not used ( illumination... I presume it dims with the dash lights), red is battery positive.

 

Let us know how you fare.

[brianmcgovern]

Thanks for the replies! I appreciate it. I was under a bit of time crunch, since we needed to pick up our trailer this morning, so i just had the RV dealer install it.
 
Thing is, once he installed & tested it, they found that it didn't have the "grab" that it should have. So I had them install one that they had. And the Tekonsha they ended up putting in was a few bucks cheaper than the Reese I had brought anyway. So I returned the Reese to Tractor Supply and got my $100 back. Drove it the 35 miles home, and had no problems.
 
Another thing I did was to use cruise control for a bit while in tow mode. From the tiny bucket of knowledge I have in my head, it didn't seem like it would hurt anything. But maybe there's something I'm missing...? One downside is that it can be easy to rely on cruise too much, and therefore could get dangerous when towing the trailer.

 

[Tatunka]

I have been told to avoid the CC because of unpredictable trailer sway.  I don't know, I still use it though.

[sampson]

Hey Brian,

 

Glad you got up and running one way or another. How did your NV handle your TT?

 

We tooks ours out for the first time and I'm impressed that it was no sweat. Our trailer may be pushing 8500 pounds so I was worried. Acceleration was just ok, but braking was great, didn't even notice the trailer. I may have to tune the WD hitch a little as the rough roads introduced an annoying porposing effect around 50 to 60 mph. No sway side to side though so I'm happy so far. We did about 100 miles round trip and mileage seems to be 10 mpg down from our usual 16 or so. Not too bad really, I was expecting 7 or 8.

 

Safe travels!

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Just back from 800 mile round trip draggin' about 8k Lbs of camper behind us. I now completely happy / satisfied that I went with an NV. It did great across MD / central PA  / NY  Finger Lakes area and back. I use cruise control a lot, but do click it off for the worst hills - either slow down early for downhill or a little extra speed for a "running start" up really steep ones. The trans temp never gets above  about 1/3 of the scale and leave that gauge up on the read-out to monitor it consistently.

 

The next big plus is the overall driving comfort on a long trip is just as good as any of the big SUV's I've had and better than any other van I've driven.

 

The NV does get looks - it drew a small crowd at the campground!

 

Also found that the towing mirrors provided are just about perfect - the van is wide enough that you can see around the camper just fine and the fish-eye section of the mirrors allows you to see down / out along the sides at the tires of the van and trailer - nice when you are swinging tight turns around fuel islands and parking lot entrances. I ordered a set of add-on towing mirrors and ended up never using them.

 

As for brake controllers - the tow package comes with a pig-tail which connects to most controllers out on the market. Our RV dealer thew in a controller when we purchased the trailer last fall. I knew that they would use an "economy" controller, to be nice (reality is it was the cheapest POS time-based unit on the market) which I only used last fall.  I stepped up to a Pridigy P2 2 months ago. The pig-tail plug being the same made the switch take 5 minutes to remove the old controller / bracket and screw the new one in place. I don't need all the extras of anything more than a P2 (mutpile trailer memory and so on), and it has been "set it and forget it" since the camper is the only thing with brakes I have towed so far. Now, no matter what speed / conditions, I don't feel any need to readjust the controller and the whole rigs stops with the same pedal feel as the van does by itself - no standing on the pedal at hard stop  or feeling like I have to dial up / down the controller due to too much / too little braking on the trailer.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Heavy Metal Doctor

[ChesterV]

Anyone getting the slip indicator light when towing?  I had it come on today as soon as I hitched up and started down the driveway.

[RICK]

About the only thing I get coming on when I tow my 4000# jetting trailer is the sonar sensors. Seems like they see the trailor as an obstacle, so I just shut it off at the dash switch. My sprinter and traverse don't get confused with this trailer.

 

Slip indicator as In the stability controller?

 

Rick.

[ChesterV]

Yes, stability control.  Nissan calls it vehicle dynamic control (VDC).  Not sure why it came on but there were no problems with traction on the ride.

[RICK]

I know on my sprinter when it engaged it was due to weight transfer while on an onramp while merging onto another freeway. At first I thought it was a fluke, but I can repeat it at this particular ramp.

 

The trailer might be causing a weight transfer especially when cornering.wheel sensors and computer aren't in sync. See if you can repeat where this happens and if there is a bump or curve in the route you're noticing this happen.

 

Rick.

[dammitjim]

Hi Brian,

I just installed a Tekonsha P3 in my 3500 SL yesterday... I ended up using the Tekonsha harness adapter for the Armada, as it has the molex connector and proper pin outs already. I just had to plug it in. Before I did that however, I verified the wires on the truck side to make sure I didn't fry up my new brake controller by reversing the 12v+ and ground for instance... Tekonsha thought it would be fun to use white wire for the ground and trick me :) Not this time Tekonsha. Not this time ...

 

If you can find it, download the body builders guide for the nv (I found a link somewhere on the forum) which will confirm my claims here. Page.bbg118. E44 is the truck side connector if you find the page.

 

The NV side of the harness was:

Black 14 gauge wire = Ground, Light Green 23 gauge wire = stop lamps, Blue 14 gauge = trailer brake output, Red 14 gauge = battery +

Double check with a multimeter. Foot on brake should read 12 v between light green and ground... 0.3 or so with no foot on brake.

 

Most controllers use the same terminology for naming their wires. You'll have no trouble I'm sure. Benefit to doing it yourself is you can make sure it won't hit your knee (much) while driving. Just make sure your wires are long enough to reach the spot you pick AND you are able to tuck/tie/tape them neatly under the dash while not interfering with steering, brake pedal, obdc2 connector, etc.

 

Good luck!

 

What was the part number for the Armada wiring harness to the Tekonsha? I'd like to just buy that as I will need to buy a new pigtail anyways. Did the connector work right off the bat or did you have to modify it (since you were saying that Tekonsha had tricked you before)?

Thanks!

[flips805]

I just picked up a Tekonsha Nissan brake control harness with plug and play on both ends. No wiring required. Haven't installed it yet. Amazon says this is not for the 2015 nissans but etrailer.com and the local RV dealer that I got it from says it does.

 

part#3050-P

Edited April 19, 2015 by flips805

[sampson]

What was the part number for the Armada wiring harness to the Tekonsha? I'd like to just buy that as I will need to buy a new pigtail anyways. Did the connector work right off the bat or did you have to modify it (since you were saying that Tekonsha had tricked you before)?

Thanks!

Hi there

 

The part was 3050-P. Mine is a 2012 NV and the harness fit for a 2012 Armada with factory 7way wiring. No modifications required, it just plugged in on both ends. Easy peasy. I just performed a detailed double check to make sure it would work.

 

Good luck!

[Gedigan]

I have a 2012 NV3500 HD SV with the factory tow package and pull a 30' Cougar trailer with no problem.  The factory option is rated at 950 lbs tongue weight and 9500 lbs tow capacity and my trailer is just within these ratings.

If you have the factory option installed, then you have the brake controller already wired into your 7 pin connector.

[Daniel Strange]

I just bought a 2015 NV3500 Passenger over the weekend.  When I hooked up the Tekonsha Primus IQ controller with the 3050-P pigtail, it blew the $20 blue L-shaped 3-in-1 fuse in the engine compartment.  

 

Has anyone else heard of this issue? 

 

The trailer place I asked doesn't dare work on it due to no experience with the the NV vans. 

 

The Nissan place was dumfounded by me asking about a brake controller (Utah people just want the van for number of kids...) and how to hook it up and say it'll cost $250 to troubleshoot.  The only consolation was that if it's a vehicle issue it would be covered by the warranty.

 

Any insight would be great!

[ASD Dad]

I hooked up my Tekonsha using the same harness but I have the P3 model.  Should still be the same wiring.  I'd go over the wiring diagrams again carefully.  Fuses only blow when there is a short/ground somewhere.  How did you wire it?  Butt connectors, crimp caps, wire nuts, solder and shrink wrap?  Check all connections and if necessary rewire from scratch.  

[Daniel Strange]

I hooked up my Tekonsha using the same harness but I have the P3 model.  Should still be the same wiring.  I'd go over the wiring diagrams again carefully.  Fuses only blow when there is a short/ground somewhere.  How did you wire it?  Butt connectors, crimp caps, wire nuts, solder and shrink wrap?  Check all connections and if necessary rewire from scratch.  

No, I didn't do anything to it.  The harness from the factory has 5 wires and the 3050-P only has 4 so I am wondering if that has something to do with it?

[ASD Dad]

No, I didn't do anything to it.  The harness from the factory has 5 wires and the 3050-P only has 4 so I am wondering if that has something to do with it?

 

Something wasnt sitting right with me so I looked again, I did NOT use that harness.  Where I mounted my P3 (dashboard cubby) was too far for the harness to work so I hard wired it to the factory Nissan pigtail that was in the glovebox.  

 

So you just hooked up the Tekonsha harness to the IQ and plugged that directly into the Nissan pigtail down by the Emergency Brake pedal, right?  

 

If yes, I would contact Tekonsha and see what's up.  I honestly cant remember if I used all 5 wires or not and I loomed and ziptied the harness inside the dash.

[Daniel Strange]

Something wasnt sitting right with me so I looked again, I did NOT use that harness.  Where I mounted my P3 (dashboard cubby) was too far for the harness to work so I hard wired it to the factory Nissan pigtail that was in the glovebox.  

 

So you just hooked up the Tekonsha harness to the IQ and plugged that directly into the Nissan pigtail down by the Emergency Brake pedal, right?  

 

If yes, I would contact Tekonsha and see what's up.  I honestly cant remember if I used all 5 wires or not and I loomed and ziptied the harness inside the dash.

So, I finally went to another Nissan dealer than the one I bought my NV at and they helped a little more.  They replace the fuse and verified the wires were correct.  Come to find out, it was a short in my controller.  I bought a new IQ and it worked right away.  Guess my fight is actually with Tekonsha about the faulty controller.

[ASD Dad]

Happy to hear you got it figured out.  Tekonsha used to have great customer service so hopefully they step up for you.

[LenR]

In October 2015 I purchased a 2016 Nissan NV 3500P V8 passenger van with the V-8 engine. It now has 13,500 miles on it. More than ¾ of this is trailer miles.  

The NVP seems to have been positioned as a full size passenger van targeted at the hotel and airport shuttle market. Recognized competitors are the outdated GM full sized vans, Ford Transit and the Mercedes Sprinter. It is also is competitive with the Ford Expedition and GM Suburban/Yukon XL as a vehicle for persons needing extra seating and trailer towing capacity.  It is interesting that this forum is all about people who tow. I didn’t see any posts by people who use it as a shuttle. An obvious but completely overlooked market would be for a cab and chassis unit for up fitters.

In my own case, I am retired and bought the NVP for towing a trailer (RV) and to use the space pickup trucks waste. I tow an Oliver LE 2. weight under tow is only about 5200 lbs. The GVW, however, is 7000 lbs and I wanted to be able to tow the 7000 if necessary. The NVP without some of the seats makes a great "spare room".

The only reason that the NVP looks so good is because everyone else’s offerings in this market are so abysmally poor.  The GM full size van design is 20 years old and badly in need of an update. Ford’s transit van has serious drawbacks, which is why they are still building the (also 20+ year old) E-series vehicles for up fitters and other truck customers.

The passenger versions of the Mercedes Sprinter and Ford Transit wagon are not contenders for this market because the towing capacity is inadequate. Most often a GM Suburban/Yukon XL,   or its smaller brother the Tahoe/Yukon are the vehicle of choice for trailer towing. Ford Expeditions are also sometimes used, but I know nothing about them. Suburbans now sell for $65,000.

The Nissan “pros” are its greater interior space, greater towing capacity (with the V-8), lower price, and better warranty. These features are what make it superior to the competition and are why I bought the NVP. I also love the large adjustable trailer mirrors with the smaller “blind spot” mirror.

The Nissan “cons”, however, are serious and the company should address them in future models. The most serious is the lack of a diesel engine competitive with to the Power Stroke in Fords, Cummins in the Ram, and Duramax in the GM. The Nissan Titan offers a smaller diesel originally designed for compact trucks, but even that is unavailable in the NVP. The competitor’s diesels are commonly used for trailer towing and are almost universal in airport shuttles. For the shuttle market, Nissan needs a diesel high roof NVP. For the private buyer, a diesel and a power sliding door (or two power sliding doors) is needed. A power retractable running board option is also needed for this high a vehicle.

Other notes are that a trailer brake controller should be included in the towing kit and integrated into the dashboard. The trailer’s rear camera should be able to integrate into the car’s rear view camera display. Outfitters like canoe tour companies would find the NVP ideal for their needs except that there is no four-wheel-drive available. Four-wheel-drive is available from aftermarket suppliers but should be available as a factory option.

In summary, Nissan in 2016 has a really fine vehicle base in the NVP series, but more design work is needed.

[Robert J Spanarelli]

We picked up our new and first RV today, 230 miles drive home, I am completely impressed on how well my NV pulled...