Towing with the 2015 Rogue - Can it be increased?

Post by **coffenut** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 10:27 am

Is there any way to increase towing capacity for the 2015 Nissan Rogue?
I see by the specs that it can only tow 1000 lbs and I would like to tow a 2000 lb trailer. Like an idiot, I didn't check the towing specs when I bought the Rogue after my previous vehicle was totaled. I have had nothing but issues with the Rogue but I am really hoping to hold on to it for another couple of years.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

Post by **Rogue One** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 6:31 pm

NO. The limiting factor is the CVT. These transmissions provide slightly better gas mileage over a standard tranny, but other than that, in all other aspects they're completely inferior.

Post by **amc49** » Mon Mar 11, 2019 7:33 pm

X2, quick way to send a CVT into an earl(ier) grave. They don't put up with even normal use really well on average.

Post by **datechboss101** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:22 am

JDM Swap the CVT with the 6MT from an X-Trail man!

I never towed a thing, and never will tow anything with my Rogue or mom's Kicks, because the CVT (ofc its a no brainer). I wouldn't even tow 500 lbs on the Rogue, let alone the full 1000 lbs. Your better off renting a Ford F150 from Turo or from a rental company.

Post by **coffenut** » Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:30 am

Thanks all. Seriously bummed. I mean come on. 1000 lbs. That will barely pull my motorcycle once all is said and done. It's supposed to be an SUV. Sigh. I am just not having luck with this thing.

Post by **Lone Wolff** » Thu Mar 14, 2019 5:04 pm

coffenut wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:30 am
It's supposed to be an SUV. Sigh.

It is marketed to the public as such, but it is just a car. Not a truck, not an SUV, just a car. Some Rogues have AWD, some do not, but the frame & chassis are 100% car. Some even call it a crossover, but that's just a specific type of car. A car that pretends to be an SUV based on it's physical appearance, not its performance.
I have no doubt that the Rogue's frame and the engine are both capable of towing 2000 pounds, provided it was at low elevation and on fairly flat ground. But asking the transmission to do that...no way in hell would it survive for very long.

If you absolutely HAVE to be able to tow, cut your losses and get a vehicle that has a transmission that is capable of doing it. Or rent a truck if it's only needed on rare occasions.

Post by **rowlands57** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 4:46 am

I agree with wht all the others have said. I wouldn't even put a roof box on this thing for fear of creating drag. The CVT in these vehicles are pathetic and the reason I'll never own another Nissan again.

Post by **PeterH_605** » Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:12 am

I did some research into this. I find the tow limits given in North America make very little sense and are artificially low since most drivers do not know how to balance a trailer or how to use trailer brakes. The best resource I found was the Nissan Australia website, the rogue is called the x-Trail there and is offered in a configuration with the QR25DE and a CVT. The Australian tow limit is 1,500 lbs unbraked or 3,500 lbs braked.

I started to tow a small 1,000 lb unbraked RV last summer on our 2014 Rogue awd and encountered no issues. We had a car full of camping gear and the trailer behind, I'd say total interior and trailer load were close to 1,500 lbs plus 2 adults and a full tank of fuel. I mainly kept to back roads cruising at 65 mph and the occasional highway staying stickily in the right lane.

The Rogue did fairly good towing on reasonably flat ground, I'd be reserved about taking it though rocky mountain passes as it struggles keeping up the speed going up large hills, you can tell the engine is on the small side for towing a trailer that size.

Going forward I'm planning on adding the 4 line transmission block and a transmission cooler to the car at the 60k miles cvt service. I'm still on the fence about a brake controller this season and adding trailer brakes.

PS: the SL Rogue is pre-wired for a trailer harness, in the trunk on the driver's side there is a 12v power harness for the trailer power, just need to add a fuse in the accessory slot in the lower engine fuse box

rdttfc · Post by **rdttfc** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:14 pm

Have there been any experienced failures from towing? What weight of the trailer, number of miles, terrain? I have a 2015 Rogue SL AWD and my temptation is to put an aftermarket intercooler for the trans, then tow a ~1,500 lb trailer in 3-4 hour stints 5-6 times a year. Thoughts?

rdttfc · Post by **rdttfc** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:20 pm

PeterH, what's your status now? Any issues?

PeterH_605 wrote: ↑
Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:12 am
I did some research into this. I find the tow limits given in North America make very little sense and are artificially low since most drivers do not know how to balance a trailer or how to use trailer brakes. The best resource I found was the Nissan Australia website, the rogue is called the x-Trail there and is offered in a configuration with the QR25DE and a CVT. The Australian tow limit is 1,500 lbs unbraked or 3,500 lbs braked.

I started to tow a small 1,000 lb unbraked RV last summer on our 2014 Rogue awd and encountered no issues. We had a car full of camping gear and the trailer behind, I'd say total interior and trailer load were close to 1,500 lbs plus 2 adults and a full tank of fuel. I mainly kept to back roads cruising at 65 mph and the occasional highway staying stickily in the right lane.

The Rogue did fairly good towing on reasonably flat ground, I'd be reserved about taking it though rocky mountain passes as it struggles keeping up the speed going up large hills, you can tell the engine is on the small side for towing a trailer that size.

Going forward I'm planning on adding the 4 line transmission block and a transmission cooler to the car at the 60k miles cvt service. I'm still on the fence about a brake controller this season and adding trailer brakes.

PS: the SL Rogue is pre-wired for a trailer harness, in the trunk on the driver's side there is a 12v power harness for the trailer power, just need to add a fuse in the accessory slot in the lower engine fuse box

Post by **Rogue One** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 5:53 pm

Just an FYI, there are differences in the engines and transmissions used in the Rogue, X-Trail and the Qashqai. These specs will even vary between countries. Do not assume that if you find a higher tow spec for the X-Trail that it will apply to the Rogue.

2014 Nissan Rogue
Horsepower - 2.5 litre Gas 170 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque - 175 ft-lb @ 4400 rpm

2014 Nissan X-Trail
Horsepower - 1.6 litre Diesel 130 hp @ 4000 RPM (manual)
Torque - 236 lb-ft @ 1750 RPM

Horsepower - 2.0 litre Gas 144 hp @ 6000 RPM
Torque - 145 lb-ft @ 4800 RPM

Horsepower - 2.5 litre Gas 171 hp @ 6000 RPM
Torque - 167 lb-ft @ 4400 RPM

This is only a partial list of specs for the X-Trail.

rdttfc · Post by **rdttfc** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 6:00 pm

Thank you! Yes, I did notice they’re different engines/transmissions. Mainly wondering about boosting the performance of the CVT or if that just makes it a time bomb.

Post by **AZhitman** » Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:41 pm

I'll concur with what most have said. It's not a SUV or even a CUV. It's an underpowered FWD car with a CVT and a lift kit.

It's as well-suited to towing as a Versa, Civic, Corolla or Mini Cooper.

Post by **PeterH_605** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:31 am

rdttfc wrote: ↑
Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:20 pm
PeterH, what's your status now? Any issues?

No issues to report, towed the RV for 3,500 miles or so over the last year, longest trip in one day with the trailer was around 800 miles. I can tell you the fuel economy gets really bad and when taking mountain passes in the steep sections I can't maintain 60 mph and drop down to 40-45 mph depending on the slope. Having a braked trailer makes a big difference. I am thinking about getting a weight distribution hitch in the future to counter the rear squatting. I do keep a close eye on the CVT temp using a Bluetooth scanner and the app CVTz50, if it gets hot I pull over and let it cool down. I was looking at installing a transmission cooler in front of the radiator but the hose routing seems more hassle than it's worth. I think I will just change my engine coolant early and maybe add some 'Water Wetter' to increase the heat transfer of the engine coolant, logic being the CVT is cooled in the engine radiator, the faster the engine coolant can dissipate the heat the colder my CVT should run.

Load wise, I think we are maxed out. Last time I scaled it was 4,600 lbs on the Rogue axles and 1,500 lbs on the trailer axle.

Overall, it works, no issues, but you can tell it doesn't like towing.

rdttfc · Post by **rdttfc** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 9:15 am

That’s an awesome perspective, thank you! It’s good to hear “I actually tried it this way and this is what I experienced” vs just naysaying. I do agree that it’s not built to tow and you run the risk of blowing up the transmission, but a transmission is cheaper than a different car

Post by **Rogue One** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 10:55 am

rdttfc wrote: ↑
Fri Jun 05, 2020 9:15 am
That’s an awesome perspective, thank you! It’s good to hear “I actually tried it this way and this is what I experienced” vs just naysaying. I do agree that it’s not built to tow and you run the risk of blowing up the transmission, but a transmission is cheaper than a different car

Cool, cool. But remember, results may vary. Also, while replacing a tranny "is cheaper than a different car", not everyone has the spare change to do that either.

How does that saying go? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Post by **PeterH_605** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 12:16 pm

rdttfc wrote: ↑
Fri Jun 05, 2020 9:15 am
That’s an awesome perspective, thank you! It’s good to hear “I actually tried it this way and this is what I experienced” vs just naysaying. I do agree that it’s not built to tow and you run the risk of blowing up the transmission, but a transmission is cheaper than a different car

Just to further add background, I am in Alberta, Canada summer temperature when I tow is around 70-85F, I suspect that also aids in keeping the temperates of the engine & cvt low. I don't believe you could translate my experience to middle of the summer in Phoenix .

rdttfc · Post by **rdttfc** » Fri Jun 05, 2020 1:37 pm

I agree on prevention, mainly just it’s tempting to do an trans oil cooler DIY install for <$150 and also push the vehicle towing than get a different car (in my case). I also like pushing things to the limit, so yes an F150 would be the ‘right’ choice to tow a camper, I think it’d be fun to test it and see if it can do it

I used to have a 1997 Boxster and towed a 4x8 trailer with over 1,000 lbs on it multiple times. Should I? No, but it did work

rdttfc · Post by **rdttfc** » Mon Jun 08, 2020 4:12 am

So what we're stepping into, Class III 2" hitch with a luggage carrier on the back that clears the rear door. Maybe a pop-up camper and oil cooler in the long-term...

Towing with the 2015 Rogue - Can it be increased?

Towing with the 2015 Rogue - Can it be increased?

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