Pathfinder power

I'll leave the sarcasm to others. Go to any reputable tune up expert, or good 4wd shop and see what they recommend

Things like improved exhaust systems and chip upgrades will make a difference but you'll need expert advice on that sort of thing.

You haven't put oversize tyres on it have you? That can make em perform like a slug.

I think that the stated towing capacities of a lot of vehicles are a tad optimistic. I have a Terrano II with a 2.7 turbo diesel and according to Nissan I can tow 2500kg with it. Across the Nullarbor with a tail wind maybe, hills would be a big No No.

Have you looked at pcoa.org.au/forum/index.php ? A few Pathfinder drivers, but I don’t know if anyone has tried chipping yet.

I tow a 2.7 tonne van behind a 4.7ltr V8 Auto Landcruiser which has 170kw power and just over 400nm of torque and it tows it with ease at anything up to 100km/hr and eats hills if you like to pour dollars of fuel into the engine (30+ litres/100km) and rev it at 4-4.5 thousand rpm.

I checked the Nissan web site. The V.0 lt Patfinder engine is quoted a having 196kw of power and 385nm of torque, more power, and not a lot less torque (15nm) than the LC except you will have to rev it MUCH harder and also pour fuel into the engine.

You should have more than adequate power to tow the van if you are prepared to use the gears and get the revs up and pay for the fuel, and it should have enough power to tow the van at 80-90 km/hr even if you are back in 4th all the time.

The issue is when you are moving 5-6 tonne of vehicle up hills you just have to be patient, and enjoy the view. Just watch any heavy haulage vehicle in hilly country, they are often back to less than 20km/hr, but can quite happily cruise at 100km/hr on the flat.

A 2.5 tonne van is a heavy van and even though the LC is rated to tow a trailer up to 3,500kg, the van that I have at 2.7tonne is comfortable behind the LC at 80-90km/hr, any more (weight and speed) and one would have to start driving with caution and great care, and start dropping the speed back.

My suggestion is do nothing, recognise the limitations of the vehicle and rig you have and drive accordingly. You can fiddle with engine settings and compromise your warranty, but at the end of the day everything is a compromise. Improve one thing and something else will suffer.