Makes · Nissan · Nissan Frontier
2011 Nissan Frontier towing capacity
Trim-level maximum towing capacity — 3,500 – 6,500 lbs across packages. Exact capacity depends on configuration. Payload is separate from towing capacity and is shown where GVWR and curb weight (or manufacturer payload) exist.
Tow Planner
Select your exact configuration and tell us what you're towing. We'll compare trailer weight, payload, tongue weight and the available vehicle limits. Year-level towing and payload answers below are available without selecting a configuration.
Which configuration do you have?
18 configurations
18 possible configurations match your selections.
What are you trying to do?
Choose a job to open interactive tools. Year-level towing and payload answers appear below even before you pick a configuration.
What can a 2011 Nissan Frontier tow?
Across 18 configurations with published ratings, 2011 Nissan Frontier towing capacity ranges from 3,500 lbs to 6,500 lbs. Exact capacity depends on configuration — not every 2011 Nissan Frontier can tow the maximum value.
- Minimum published towing capacity in this dataset: 3,500 lbs
- Maximum published towing capacity in this dataset: 6,500 lbs
- Configurations with a towing rating: 18 of 18
Highest-rated example: PRO-4X · 4x2 · King Cab — 6,500 lbs
Lowest-rated example: SV-I4 · 4x2 — 3,500 lbs
Highest towing configurations
Top configurations by published maximum trailer rating for the 2011 Nissan Frontier. Payload is shown only when present in the dataset.
| Trim | Cab | Drivetrain | Bed | Axle ratio | Max towing | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO-4X | King Cab | 4x2 | 6 ft | 3.13 | 6,500 lbs | 1,393 lbs |
| SV | King Cab | 4x2 | 6 ft | 3.54 | 6,500 lbs | 1,565 lbs |
| PRO-4X | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 4.75 ft | 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 1,271 lbs |
| PRO-4X | King Cab | 4x4 | 6 ft | 3.69 | 6,300 lbs | 1,237 lbs |
| S | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 4.75 ft | 3.54 | 6,300 lbs | 1,462 lbs |
| SL | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 4.75 ft | 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 1,355 lbs |
| SL | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 6 ft | 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 1,257 lbs |
| SV | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 4.75 ft | 3.54 | 6,300 lbs | 1,461 lbs |
| SV | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 6 ft | 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 1,393 lbs |
| SV | King Cab | 4x4 | 6 ft | 3.54 | 6,300 lbs | 1,399 lbs |
Towing capacity by drivetrain
2011 Nissan Frontier 4x2 towing capacity
Range: 3,500 – 6,500 lbs (median 6,300 lbs) across 10 configurations in this dataset.
2011 Nissan Frontier 4x4 towing capacity
Range: 6,100 – 6,300 lbs (median 6,100 lbs) across 8 configurations in this dataset.
Towing capacity by cab style
2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab towing capacity
Observed range: 6,100 – 6,300 lbs (12 configurations).
2011 Nissan Frontier King Cab towing capacity
Observed range: 3,500 – 6,500 lbs (6 configurations).
Towing capacity by axle ratio
| Axle ratio | Towing range | Configurations |
|---|---|---|
| 3.13 | 6,300 – 6,500 lbs | 5 |
| 3.36 | 6,100 lbs | 3 |
| 3.54 | 6,300 – 6,500 lbs | 4 |
| 3.69 | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 4 |
| 4.08 | 3,500 lbs | 1 |
| 4.36 | 3,500 lbs | 1 |
2011 Nissan Frontier payload capacity
Payload is not the same as towing capacity. Where both GVWR and curb weight exist in the catalog, payload is GVWR minus curb weight (or the manufacturer payload field when present). Payload covers people, cargo in the truck, hitch equipment, and trailer tongue weight — not the full trailer weight.
- Observed payload range: 950 – 1,565 lbs
- Configurations with payload data: 18
Highest-payload configurations
- SV · 4x2 · King Cab — 1,565 lbs
- S · 4x2 · Crew Cab — 1,462 lbs
- SV · 4x2 · Crew Cab — 1,461 lbs
- SV · 4x4 · King Cab — 1,399 lbs
- PRO-4X · 4x2 · King Cab — 1,393 lbs
Quick configuration comparison
Observed towing ranges from the 2011 Nissan Frontier dataset. Values are min–max of published ratings in each group — not a claim that every unit in the group can tow the top figure.
Drivetrain
| Drivetrain | Towing range | Configs |
|---|---|---|
| 4x2 | 3,500 – 6,500 lbs | 10 |
| 4x4 | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 8 |
Cab styles
| Cab | Towing range | Configs |
|---|---|---|
| Crew Cab | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 12 |
| King Cab | 3,500 – 6,500 lbs | 6 |
Bed lengths
| Bed | Towing range | Configs |
|---|---|---|
| 4.75 ft | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 8 |
| 6 ft | 3,500 – 6,500 lbs | 10 |
Axle ratios
| Axle | Towing range | Median | Configs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.13 | 6,300 – 6,500 lbs | 6,300 lbs | 5 |
| 3.36 | 6,100 lbs | 6,100 lbs | 3 |
| 3.54 | 6,300 – 6,500 lbs | 6,300 lbs | 4 |
| 3.69 | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 6,100 lbs | 4 |
| 4.08 | 3,500 lbs | 3,500 lbs | 1 |
| 4.36 | 3,500 lbs | 3,500 lbs | 1 |
Why does towing capacity vary for this vehicle?
Towing ratings vary across configurations. These are configuration differences present in our dataset:
- Drivetrain: 4x2, 4x4
- Axle ratios: 3.13, 3.36, 3.54, 3.69, 4.08, 4.36
- Cab styles: Crew Cab, King Cab
- Bed lengths: 4.75 ft, 6 ft
- Published towing range: 3,500 – 6,500 lbs
Compare this vehicle
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Towing capacity by trim
| Trim | Max towing | Curb weight | Payload* | HP | Torque | Axle | Wheelbase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO-4X 4x2 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,500 lbs | 4,207 lbs | 1,393 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 125.9 |
| SV 4x2 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,500 lbs | 4,125 lbs | 1,565 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.54 | 125.9 |
| PRO-4X 4x2 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,239 lbs | 1,271 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 125.9 |
| PRO-4X 4x4 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,363 lbs | 1,237 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.69 | 125.9 |
| S 4x2 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,228 lbs | 1,462 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.54 | 125.9 |
| SL 4x2 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,375 lbs | 1,355 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 125.9 |
| SL 4x2 Crew Cab 6 ft. box 139.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,473 lbs | 1,257 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 139.9 |
| SV 4x2 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,229 lbs | 1,461 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.54 | 125.9 |
| SV 4x2 Crew Cab 6 ft. box 139.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,337 lbs | 1,393 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 139.9 |
| SV 4x4 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,294 lbs | 1,399 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.54 | 125.9 |
| PRO-4X 4x4 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,497 lbs | 1,103 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.69 | 125.9 |
| S 4x4 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,410 lbs | 1,255 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.69 | 125.9 |
| SL 4x4 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,560 lbs | 1,256 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.36 | 125.9 |
| SL 4x4 Crew Cab 6 ft. box 139.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,691 lbs | 1,124 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.36 | 139.9 |
| SV 4x4 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,411 lbs | 1,255 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.69 | 125.9 |
| SV 4x4 Crew Cab 6 ft. box 139.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,555 lbs | 1,260 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.36 | 139.9 |
| S 4x2 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 3,500 lbs | 3,684 lbs | 976 lbs | 152 | 171 | 4.08 | 125.9 |
| SV-I4 4x2 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 3,500 lbs | 3,751 lbs | 950 lbs | 152 | 171 | 4.36 | 125.9 |
* Payload = manufacturer payload when present, otherwise GVWR − curb weight. Towing capacity is a separate rating and is not the same as payload.
What affects the rating
Higher figures usually need the tow package, the right axle ratio, and enough cooling. Passengers, fuel, gear, and tongue weight all eat into what you can safely pull — stay under both the trailer rating and the vehicle’s payload.