[RacerDave]

Expect your gas mileage to be really bad. That's just the nature of towing with a first gen Xterra. I towed a Ford Escape on a tow dolly for about 70 miles with my 01 non-SC Xterra. Granted, not near as far as you'll be going, but my experience was it took forever to get up to highway speed, but once at highway speed it did better than I thought it would maintaining the speed on level ground. This is obviously in tow mode. When I say highway speed, I mean 65 max. I think I was between 55 and 60 most of the time. Like the others have said, take your time and enjoy the scenery..Correctly balancing the load in the trailer is very important.

If you're going from Denver to Texas it's downhill most of the way so there is that, lol.

 

[RacerDave]

Thanks for the info. Yeah I definitely would rather make it to Texas than crash trying to go 5mph faster. You mentioned you were in “tow mode.” Do these trucks have a tow mode? I did not think they did.

I actually meant the OD on/off button on the left side of the gear shift lever. Basically the same thing as tow mode. If you're towing, you want OD turned off.

 

[RacerDave]

Yes if i were to get one it would be OEM, however a cheap china distributer (for back up only) to get you out of a pickle would do, or you could buy some replacement bearings.

XiKe 2 Pcs 6001-2RS Double Rubber Seal Bearings 12x28x8mm, Pre-Lubricated and Stable Performance and Cost Effective, Deep Groove Ball Bearings.: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

XiKe 2 Pcs 6001-2RS Double Rubber Seal Bearings 12x28x8mm, Pre-Lubricated and Stable Performance and Cost Effective, Deep Groove Ball Bearings.: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

My attempts to find an OEM distributor last summer were unsuccessful. Couple places said they had them but when I placed an order they came back as no longer available. I hate it when online retailers list stuff they don't have and can't get. I ended up doing the bearing replacement. That won't work if you're broke down on the side of the road. If you can find a place that actually has one, snap it up while you can.

 

[RacerDave]

Why would you want O/D off for towing? It just doesnt let you go into 4th right? Wouldn’t the trans shift down if I needed more power?

Changes the shift points (higher rpms) before it shifts to the next gear. Makes better use of the power and torque of the engine. With OD on, the ECU is programmed for peak efficiency (economy). With OD off, the programming is focused on max power and torque. Granted, the first gen X is neither economical nor powerful in the first place.

The other issue is transmission heat. Across the board for all manufacturers, the guidelines in owners manuals if the vehicle has OD on/off or tow/haul mode is to turn OD off or engage tow mode when towing. Failure to do so could overheat the trans. Excess heat is the greatest danger to an auto trans.

 

[RacerDave]

I wish I had been a little more aware of this particular "feature". 🤣

Lol I knew what I was getting when I bought my Xterra. Did a lot of research. At the time, I was looking for something rock solid off road capable that wasn't a Jeep. And something affordable, once again not a Jeep. Power wasn't a big deal because that's what low range in the transfer case is for. And at the time, gas was well below $3/ gallon where I live. Now that I can't afford to drive it out to places like Moab, it's purpose is to pick my granddaughter up from school a few times a week.

My favorite description of the first gen Xterra -- 4 cylinder power, V8 economy. I'm pretty sure I first saw that on this forum