Parts Needed to Equip 2013 Nissan Murano for Towing a 3000+ lb Boat

Question:

Hi, I am thinking about installing a hitch on my mid size SUV. I was wondering if someone would be able to tell me if my 2013 Nissan Murano SL is capable of towing my brothers boat. The tow rating for my Nissan is 3,500lbs. My brother took the boat to the scale with a full tank of gas/loaded with ski gear and got it weighed. The weight of the boat+trailer unattached from his vehicle was 3400lbs. Attached, it weighed 3140. The tongue weight was then given at 260lbs. The trailer has electric drum brakes as well. Given this information, would my 2013 Nissan Murano with a tow rating of 3,500lbs be able to tow the boat? I would be launching it and taking it out of the water frequently, and would definitely be looking into installing a class III receiver and a brake controller. Thanks

asked by: Andy

Expert Reply:

I've looked at the owner's manual, which confirms the 3500 lb towing capacity for your Murano. Can your vehicle tow that boat? Yes it can, but because you're getting close to maxing out the towing capacity of the vehicle, you'll want to proceed with some caution..

If you'll be towing the boat fairly often and if the route you're taking involves moderate to long distances and/or hilly terrain, I'd highly recommend going with a transmission cooler to help protect your transmission. A cooler like # D13502 will be a low cost addition that will do a great job of protecting your transmission. I've linked to a video showing a similar cooler being installed on a 2nd gen Murano like yours as well as to some help articles that explain further about how transmission coolers work.

For a hitch, I'd recommend the etrailer class III hitch, part # e65AR. You'll also need a trailer wiring harness like # 118653, a ballmount like # D-4, Hitch Pin and Clip, # PC3, and # 19260 for a 1-7/8 or # 63845 for a 2 inch trailer ball.

To actuate the electric trailer brakes, you'll need to install a brake controller. The easiest installation would be the Curt Echo, part # C51180 which would use your smart phone as the in-cab control unit, which makes the installation considerably easier versus a typical brake controller.

To install the controller, use our # ETBC7L install kit which includes an adapter that will convert the 4 pole trailer connector provided by the # 118653 to a 7-way trailer connector as well as the necessary wire and circuit breaker to connect the 7-way to the vehicle battery in order to provide power to the controller.

I've linked to numerous install videos for the hitch, the wiring harness and the brake controller install kit. I've also linked to a video showing how the Curt Echo Brake Controller works.