SA & Panamericana: doable with a travel trailer? Pros & Cons vs a Motorhome?

du+nica

New member
Hello Everyone,

We are considering touring South America (specially Chile and Argentina) and later doing the Panamericana all the way to Alaska on a travel trailer. Main reason is that we are able to get a Nissan D22 Diesel double-cab 4x4[1] plus a Palomini 177BH[2] for less than half the price of a equivalent Ducato motorhome.

The problem is, we have some experience camping and driving in motorhomes, but none in a truck + travel trailer. So we'd like to ask you knowledgeable folks for your input: is SA & Panamericana doable with a travel trailer, specially the ones we depicted? What would be the cons and pros, gotchas and issues?

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Navara#Chile
[2] http://palominorv.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=373&Image=15364&Mod...

Thanks in advance,
--
Du & Nica.
 

zolo

Explorer
You say lots of time in Chile and Argentina. I'm assuming lots of time in Patagonia or from say Santiago/Mendoza south?
I personally think a trailer would suck, parking in Chile and Argentina is a mess. Wind is a huge issue. Over all Id say a self container vehicle with as few a tires on the ground as possible is best. The Nissan with a slide in would be a better option. It would stick be a handful in the wind but easier to park and maneuver on some of the small towns and bad roads.

On the more remote areas and roads they crow the hell out of the roads and the shoulder is pretty deadly, I wouldn't want a trailer slipping off the road trying to pass on coming traffic. Over all I think a trailer combo is not ideal.

How big of a trailer are we talking? The D22 is not a very large truck.
 

zolo

Explorer
I just looked at your links, If you are thinking to pull that big of a trailer with a D22. Good Luck. Those trucks are made for payload and not trailer capacity. Id say that trailer is to big for an old Terrano like that. Brakes and suspension are not the best of those old Nissans.
 

tanuki.himself

Active member
i would second Zolo's comments - i've not made it as far as Chile/Argentina yet, but I would not fancy trying to get a combo around the roads and towns in central america and Colombia/Ecuador and parking is, as he says, a nightmare. I don't think i have seen a single travel trailer since Mexico....

I towed a 5th wheel round Oz with a fairly stock D22 with the ZD30 engine with no problems. but that put the weight over the rear wheels rather than on the normal towbar. Only problem I had was a split turbo hose, which could happen to anything.
 

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