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TX, USA
Posted: 6/10/2026 7:13:11 PM EDT
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Hello all, I just bought a small, used pop-up camper (my first trailer of any kind) and I want to make sure I'm not going to screw up in a big way. The camper has a dry weight between 900-1200 pounds and I will be towing with a Nissan Frontier. Will I be okay with this comnbination? I think this is a light load for my truck but like I said, I'm new to towing and don't even know what I don't know. Will I be good to use a bumper mounted hitch or do I need a frame mounted receiver hitch? I don't know if it's pertinent but the axle has been flipped on the trailer to give it more ground clearance so I'm hoping it'll line up okay with a bumper mount. I'm going to be using this for camping at my family ranch and at my highpower club and I pack light for that, won't be loading the trailer down with water and heavy junk. Any tips or insights for a newbie owner? Thanks everyone, Monte |
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I thought everything was bigger in TX, even campers!! lol Congrats for entering the world of camping!! It is a hobby that tends to be easy to accessorize(very much like AR15s). If you like it, expect it to build from there. So, as far as towing: There are a lot of opinions that go along with towing and you do want to be careful, but I see people tow pop ups with small SUVs. Not knowing exactly how heavy the trailer is or what your trucks capacity is does make a difference, but as a general rule, if you can pick up the tongue of the trailer, then pretty much any truck can pull it. However, I would suggest a frame mounted hitch over attaching to your bumper. Bumpers are really bad at towing. Keep the questions coming. There will be more |
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When backing a trailer, you need to remember 3 things. 1. Go slow, with gas and hand movements. 2. Put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and move it where you want the trailer to go. 3. Don't hesitate to bail and start again. It's easier than trying to unfuck a bad situation. Go to an empty parking lot and practice putting the trailer in a spot. Start parallel, going straight back, and work your way to being perpendicular to the spot. |
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Frame hitch man. Once that is figured out you can get an idea of the drop needed, if any on the receiver hitch. If it’s even a little damp after a trip, open it up when you get home and let it dry. Is the truck already wired for a trailer? |
If life was easy nobody would quit.
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I would go ahead and mount a real receiver hitch even if the bumper hitch combo is within the weight restrictions. They are not expensive and mounting one is an easy DIY project if you have any mechanical skills. The trailer you have is well under what a Frontier can handle. I tow with my 4.0 Frontier all the time. Occasionally I am at weights that are right at the upper towing limit (tandem trailer, Kubota BX with backhoe). With that combination it will struggle on a steep grade but with my single axle trailer (900 lb) with another 1000 lb of cargo on it I really don't notice it is back there until I need to brake. If you haven't pulled a trailer before and your camper doesn't have brakes you need to be very aware that your stopping distance is much longer than without the trailer. Also, regardless of what you are towing be prepared to be shocked at your increase in fuel usage. I have never towed with one of the newer Frontier's with the turbo motor but the 4.0 is a gas hog empty and the milage with a trailer behind is abysmal. |
It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.
 
Peace of mind device . You can’t tell when your trailer tires are low or hot while on the road without one of these. |
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Tongue weight about 15% of trailer weight, don't forget all the extra weight you added to your trailer (food, bedding, etc...). Make sure your truck brakes are in good condition, change out the fluid if more than 2 years old. Don't overload the truck bed either. Even though you aren't exceeding the tow limits, you might exceed the weight limit. You *might want to look into a lightweight sway/weight distributing system. For lightweight trailers I like the Anderson system that uses chains and rubber 'springs'. A lot of people poo-poo at sway set ups but if you've been in a sway situation, you'll understand. If you start to sway DON'T hit the brakes, ease on the gas to straighten out. |
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OK, USA
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Bought a frame mount receiver class 3, 2" off amazon for $130 put on my 16' S frontier xcab. eta: read post above mine. It tows like a small light truck. It took a bit for me to remember it's a small truck & easy to overload, you can really feel it/load when you're going down the road & the trailer weight push when you brake. I've got full size trucks if I need to tow heavier trailer loads or haul heavy stuff. |
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TX, USA