# Anyone towing with the Nissan Armada?



## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

Anyone towing with the Armada or know anyone towing with one? The wife and I stopped at the Nissan dealer this afternoon and test drove one. It is considerably roomier than the 4-Runner (and now that I have 3 little ones, I need the room) and definately more powerful. The ride is similar other than the obvious size difference. The only negatives were no sun roof (ok, call me spoiled, I like the blue sky) and perhaps a little less er, refinement? Lots of plastic, not quite as polished as one would like.


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## Central Mass Outbackers (Jun 13, 2004)

Yes, we tow our 21RS with a Nissan Armada. We bought the Armada in January specificaly to tow our camper. We had previously owned a Dodge Durango, and were very unhappy with it. I know that lots of folks love them, but ours was very unreliable. So far the Armada has been terrific. It tows the camper with ease, and is as roomy inside as a mini-van, seating 8 comfortably, and hauling a lot of gear with the rear seats folded into the floor. The ride is smooth and car-like, and it handles very well. Only negatives are, as you note, the interior is sort of utilitarian looking, and the thing is very tall. It makes putting bikes up on the roof kind of a challenge, and you have to be careful to check clearances in parking garages. Naturally the gas mileage isn't great, but it's pretty comparable to the Durango in that respect. We also looked at the Toyota Sequoia, but ultimately chose the Armada. No regrets at 10K miles!


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## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

Thanks for the reply, I am glad to hear that you like it as I picked ours up last night







(Off Road edition with the "big" tow package).
So far (about 100 miles) I am liking the Armada. It is definately not as refined as you would expect for a $42,000 vehicle (the climate control knobs for example rather than an electronic control by temperature) but it's functional. The one big issue I had last night when picking it up was in placement of the (3) car seats for the kids. The seat belt latch's are placed pretty far forward so the seat belt does not hold the car seat against the back of the seat firmly, allow it to move which I am not very happy about. I'm thinking I will have to use a seperate strap around the back of the seat to hold it firmly. 
I have not heard anything good about the Durangos. Everyopne I know that has had one had nothing but problems with them. Personally, I have given up on American vehicles altogether (call me unpatriotic if you wish but really folks, the "Japanese" vehicles are mostly built right here in the US). We also thought about the Seqouia. If they had a bigger engine for it we most likely would have gone that route. Unfortunately, it has the same engine and drivetrain as the 4-Runner with less towing capacity due to the weight difference of the vehicles. The whole idea was to tow safer, and I have no doubt the Armada will pull the 21 better than the 4-Runner did.

BTW, where are you from in Mass? I live just over the border in R.I. (down 146 south of Worcester). Where did you buy the Armada from? We decided to travel up to Clay Nissan in Dedham. They were pretty fair and professional (unlike our local dealers).


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

Man, oh, man, brand new tow vehicle.......definately can't hide the money







sunny









My truck has a sunroof, and power rear window and 4 door windows, feels like riding in a Jeep when everything is open.

Congrats on the new purchase, have fun with it, get er waxed up.


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## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

> Man, oh, man, brand new tow vehicle.......definately can't hide the money


Heh, my inlaws think we are insane at this point. This is the third time in three years that we have traded in a vehicle for a new one...

Just got done swapping the connectors on the brake controller (Tekonsha Voyager - would have loved to have picked up a Prodigy but the wife has shut down any further purchases...lol). Hopefully I can get the thing mounted tonight, adjust the hitch height and get in a test pull this weekend (heading to Old Orchard beach Maine in two weeks, need to have everything set before then. I'll post after that with my thoughts on the setup.


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## denali_3 (Mar 18, 2004)

Consult your owners manual regarding securing your childseats. My wife volunteers for the local ambulance company at child seat inspections. She says that about 90% of the seats she inspects are installed incorrectly. We usually have 4-5 kids a year killed in car accidents because the seats weren't installed properly. You may even consult your local ambulance company or paramedics about child seat installation.


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## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

Further thought on the car seat has convinced me to purchase a new one for the truck that latches using the Latch system. More secure and a lot easier to remove when folks need to get into the rear seats. The booster seat for my oldest is fine as it uses the seat belt to secure the child and seat in and the baby's seat is already using the latch system. Thanks for the input.


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## Central Mass Outbackers (Jun 13, 2004)

We bought our Armada at Nissan of Natick. Wasn't real impressed with the dealership- but we did get a fair deal after a lot of dickering. We won't be using them for service, as Worcester is a lot closer for us. We live south of Worcester, on the MA side of the CT line.


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## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

Would be fun pulling into the same campground at the same time with two Armada's pulling two 21RS's









Sounds like you are just up the road from me, Douglas/Sutton area? Or more over by Sturbridge? I do the 146/Mass Pike/84 shuffle every day (work in Tolland, CT).

I've been noticing more and more members in the New England area. We'll have to see about getting an East coast outbackers rally going some time, don't want the west coast boys out doing us.









On another note, pertaining to the car seat problem, I realised last night that one of my other car seats has the LATCH strap which is not being used, this will allow me to secure the problem seat with it rather than the seatbelt, so no need to buy another one.


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## Central Mass Outbackers (Jun 13, 2004)

We're actually in Dudley. A New England Outbackers rally would be cool. We met a fellow 21RS owner a few weeks ago at Scusset Beach State Park, and saw another one last week at Fishermen's Memorial State Park down in Point Judith, RI. There are definitely more than a few Outbackers in the area, and plenty of great places to camp!


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Hello Everyone
We have a 2004 Nissan Armada SE /2004 Outback 21RS
Just got back from our big trip
We drove from Schuylkill Haven Pa. to Orland Fla. (Disney Fort Wilderness)
3 Adults & 3 Kids
Plenty of Room, kids love DVD player, so do I
The Armada was Great, We cruised 70-75mph and there was no problem for Power.
Had to look back now & then just to make sure it was there!!!
Changed Brake controller from Envoy to Prodigy and love it.


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## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

Wow, three of us pulling 21's with Armada's... Very cool! I'm looking forward to the "Had to look back now & then just to make sure it was there!!!", with the 4-Runner you _always_ knew it was back there. It pulled it ok, but you certainly felt the camper in every move you made. To be honest, I think the thread on the crash is what convinced me to purchase a larger tow vehicle. The rig he was pulling his 21RS with was very similar to the 4-Runner and really made me concerned for my family's safety.

HootBob, have you ever taken the kids to Sesame Street theme park? My wife showed me a brochure a couple of days ago, looks like a nice place for us to take the kids. Any good campgrounds in that area you can recommend?


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Sorry never went to Sesame Street Them Park
And about campgrounds haven't been down that way.
I'll ask around.


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## Central Mass Outbackers (Jun 13, 2004)

We haven't been to Sesame Place recently, but when my kids were small, we went several times. It was great- It's operated by the Anheuser Busch people (like Sea World), so it's clean and well run. A couple of my co-workers with small kids go every year and love it. I can't be too much help on campgrounds. The only one near there that I have personal experience with (and that was a while back too), was French Creek State Park- and that's on the other side of Philly from Sesame Place. Even so, it was a nice park, with a huge swimming pool. Hopewell Furnace- an historical site worth checking out is also nearby the park.


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## pcschrader (Mar 11, 2004)

We also own a NISSAN ARMADA 4X4 SE OFF ROAD with Tow Package. Bought in Feb 04 and bought an OUTBACK 28RSS in April. Moved from Anchorage, Alaska to New Jersey this summer 4700 miles. Our TV performed great. We towed between 6500-7000lbs the whole way depending on supplies and water we decided to carry that day...The two seem like they were made for each other. We averaged between 8.7 to 10.8 miles per gallon. Not bad for a thirsty 5.6 L V8 carrying 3 kids, dog and wife as well as a 28RSS. I get between 13-18 MPG when not in Tow. The Tow Mode as well as the air leveling system on the Armada keeps the trailer in perfect trim when pulling. We did take a rock in the windsheild but I guess that is to be expected when you drive the Alaskan Canadian Highway. After this experience I recommend the Armada to anyone planning on getting a lite Weight TT like an Outback.


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## Ymryl (Mar 2, 2004)

Glad to hear of your success with the 28 RS-S, we have one on order and can't wait to start camping in it next spring.


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## Wristcrew (Dec 28, 2004)

Ymryl said:


> Glad to hear of your success with the 28 RS-S, we have one on order and can't wait to start camping in it next spring.
> [snapback]18254[/snapback]​


Well my confidence level has defiantly been raised. We (wife+2 kids+dog) just bought the Armada, 4x2 off road, and tow package at the end of Nov. Love the vehicle, Iâ€™ve been searching the web for the past 4 weeks and we have visit every RV dealership here in Albuquerque . We have decided on the 2005 28RSDS, (dinette slide) but I was concern on rather or not the Armada could tow it. Safety foremost, but wanted the Armada to tow the outback with no major issues and not have the power to tow up a little incline. Wifeâ€™s family is from Germany and needed the double bunks to accommodate Oma and Opa. Sounds like I have the vehicle to tow it and we really love the Outback. All that is left is to negotiate the price, MSRP $24k and change, read on this site that 2004â€™s were bought for $17.5K to $22K, Do you experience expects outbackers have any ideas on what would be a good price for the 2005s and what is the dealership mark up on them?







Wife would love to get it for 2004 prices ($17.5K) but Iâ€™m a little more realistic, Could I get it for $20K? or will they think Iâ€™m crazy? Any info would greatly be appreciated, Thanks and love this site, talk to you soon.


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