Xterra question

rusty_tlc

Explorer
Yep, that's what I have and it is extremely functional. To go further, IMHO the Xterra Offroad (renamed the Pro4X) is probably the most offroad capable SUV package there is out of the box, at least in North America.

One thing I have found though is not quite enough for me with the OEM setup comes into play moreso on extended offroad outings when carrying more gear than might be typical for a quick weekend trip.

The rear suspension just flat doesn't have enough compression headroom left in it when you load a bunch of gear in so the truck ends up banging the rear bump stops way too often. Being a cheapskate, I have squeezed every last mile of service life out of the OEM shocks and am finally going to fix this. A number of ways to do this and several have been mentioned already.

What I am doing is putting a long leaf add-a-leaf pack in the rear with new Bilsteins then for the front am putting in new adjustable Bilsteins using the OEM front springs. This will give a bit of lift front and rear, stiffen the front suspension some and give better load carrying capability for the rear.

Pretty good chance that you will end up folding down one or both sides of the rear seats to get the cargo volume you need since there will be both you and your spouse's gear. No big deal on this unless you want to haul one or more folks in the back seat. Otherwise, you could go vertical and install a basket on the OEM roof rack to free up interior room.

Folks are right that Nissan aftermarket support has fewer choices than Jeep and Toyota in particular. However, there are excellent providers for most anything you would need. In particular, I like Automotive Customizers, PRG Products, Shrockworks and ARB as these folks are manufacturers and not soley distributers for someone else's gear.
Go easy with the add a leaf option, you wind up with a truck that rides like a buckboard unless you have 500# of cargo in it.
Take a look at air bags, they allow you to tune the suspension to your load and have a nice ride for a DD yet still handle a heavy load when you need to.

I know this because I bought a 1984 Land Cruiser, the PO had decided to correct the notoriously soft rear suspension by re-curving the springs and using add a leafs. I'm saving up to replace the whole spring pack with OME springs and air bags.
 

Strizzo

Explorer
Go easy with the add a leaf option, you wind up with a truck that rides like a buckboard unless you have 500# of cargo in it.
Take a look at air bags, they allow you to tune the suspension to your load and have a nice ride for a DD yet still handle a heavy load when you need to.

I know this because I bought a 1984 Land Cruiser, the PO had decided to correct the notoriously soft rear suspension by re-curving the springs and using add a leafs. I'm saving up to replace the whole spring pack with OME springs and air bags.
stock, the truck is undersprung. even with the bilsteins that come on the offroad model, its still lacking. if you have a weekend worth of gear or 3 passengers in the back, its going to be bouncing off the bumpstops. i added the 2" deaver aal that replaced the basically worthless overload leaf. only advice i'd give in buying aftermarket is to stay away from calmini. they seem to produce products with little regard for how it will affect the rest of the vehicle.
 

timh

Explorer
Lot's of talk about the 2nd gen but none about the 1st. Do you want a 2nd gen?

We have an 04' (last year of 1st gen) and absolutely love it. It isn't as roomy or powerful as the 2nd but it costs a lot less also. We haven't had any problems with it. We have 4 wheeled ours a ton with nothing more than a 1 1/2" lift (cost you about $60-75), and slightly larger than stock mud terrains. It is very capable, fairly comfortable and decent as far as fuel mileage goes.

I would love to have a 2nd gen offroad edition but for the price it just isn't attainable for us right now and the 1st gen works quite well enough for us.
 

kmroxo

Observer
I am going to be picking up an 08 Off Road model in the next few weeks. I have been wanting the gen 2 Xterra since it came out so I am pretty excited. It will be my daily driver, though my BMW R1150GS Adventure is what I take the most for commuting. Anyway I won't be doing too many mods since it will be the daily driver.

Does anyone pull a travel trailer or small toy hauler with theirs?
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:sombrero: I did, all over the place

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:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
 

fangars

Adventurer
If the Xterra is for your wife, and she test drives both 1st Gen and 2nd, its my bet she will want the 2nd Gen. Its on road handling and power will win her over, get the OR and you will both be happy.
1st Gens are definitely worth looking at for the price point and if you have to "settle" for one you would most likely be just as happy or more so when off road.
Our 2005 S Xterra is my wife's, she loves it. If we could have found an Offroad model it would have been even better.
 

kmroxo

Observer
Dont knock those.. there bad azz :D

Oh, I am not knocking them at all. I was just referring to the traditional type of camper trailer. They do look awesome. Hopefully in a year or two I will buy one of those or an Oasis AT. I don't like the roof tents or the trailers with the tents up high because my dogs can't climb a ladder. The Oasis has a ground level entry and the the Tentrax isn't very high so my dogs could jump in or I could have a smaller ramp than if the tent was up higher.
 

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