TOWING

An often asked question is how does the x-trail tow? Its a 4wd so therefore should tow well, but its only a 4 cylinder so can it really? The answer is yes it can, but lets look in more details.
 

The X-trail is rated to tow 2000kg with a maximum of 150kg weight on the tow ball. As with most vehicles, the 2000kg assumes the trailer has its own brakes, and drops to 750kg with no brakes.
2000kg is at the high end of the scale for "softroaders". Even 6 cylinder challengers like the Ford Escape only boast a 1500kg limit, so how can the xtail claim 2000kg? The main criteria for towing capacity usually falls to engine power (where the x-trail has the most powerful 4 cylinder in its class), and weight (and most softroaders are around the same) to provide stability on road. Buts its more than that. The rear of the vehicle has a lot to do with it. Can the rear suspension handle the greater forces, and the distance from tow ball to the rear axel to minimize the trailers ability to sway the vehicle. The xtrail scores well on both those points. Also in the x-trails favour is 4 wheel disk brakes.

The current mindset among those that tow is that the big 4wd is king. Combined with a lot of vehicle weight, solid construction, and good torque they are the natural choice of anyone buying a caravan and doing a lap of Australia. And probably not a bad choice for such a long trip with decent sized caravans around 2000kg anyway.

But we are spoiled for choice these days. In the 70's and 80's when caravanning was at its most popular, the ideal tow vehicle was a V8 Holden or ford. Ironically, an x-trail has more horse power now than those models back then. And the weight is similar too. Add in all the advancements in technology like ABS, 4wd, etc, and the x-trail exceeds them by quite a margin. So its fair to conclude that the 'trail has all the attributes of a fine tow vehicle.

Lets take a look at the types of trailers you're likely to tow:
1) Utility trailer - Usually less than 500kg and a breeze to tow for a trail. No brakes required.
2) Boats - The x-trail is an ideal tow vehicle for a power boat which usually sit around 1200kg and up. The beauty is that all the weight in a boat is at the outboard, and therefore the wheels are near the rear of the trailer. This increases the length of the axel distance making them more stable, and puts less downward pressure on the tow ball. You often haul boats with 5-10% of total weight on the ball. Also the aerodynamic design of a boat makes it easily to tow at highway speed. Finally, and most importantly, the 4wd ability of a x-trail is in a class of its own pulling a boat up a slippery boat ramp.
3) Caravans - Your traditional full bodied caravan is probably a little too heavy for an x-trail. At around 2000kg you are pushing the limit of the x-trails ability, and the aerodynamics are appalling. For short trips it would be ok, but not for longer trips. Caravans need to run at around 15% of weight on the tow ball, so anything over 1500kg total is starting to exceed the tow ball capacity. But pop-up caravans (eg Jaycos) or camping trailers are ideal for an x-trail. With less weight, and better aerodynamics, they are a match made in heaven.
4) Car trailers - A car trailer with car is going to hit 2000kg, so for short distances its ok, but take it easy.
 

There is solid reasoning why 4wd's are considered the best towing vehicles around. The extra grip, stronger construction, and shorter distance from axel to tow ball all mean a more stable and enjoyable towing experience.
But all vehicles need to be driven a certain way when towing loads, and this applies to the x-trail especially.
- Always tow in "Auto" 4wd mode. This gives the grip required when accelerating, and on non-ideal surfaces.
- When towing with an automatic, always turn overdrive off. The gearbox is under a fair amount of strain towing around double its normal capacity, and what hurts automatics the most is gear changes. But turning overdrive off, the gear box with stay in 3rd on the highway. It will also have the x-trail sitting at higher revs making it more responsive to speed changes.
- Use your gearbox for braking. With more weight the brakes are also under pressure, so when coming down hills its better to let the engine take the braking load. The engine is better designed for dissipating heat than brakes, so use your lower gears actively.

Larger trailers/caravans need to have their own brakes fitted. These fall into two main categories.
- Surge brakes - The standard for the last 30 years. At the tow bar there is spring loaded activator which detects when the trailer is pushing into the vehicle. This then activates the trailers breaks either via a hydraulic system or cables. When reversing, there is an override catch to disable the system. These systems are simple and easy to operate. The disadvantages is that the driver has no control over the braking, so on a long downhill stretch the trailer can continually have its brakes on which can cause overheating or if the trailer decouples there is no braking system to stop it.
- Electric brakes - Relatively new but now a standard for all new caravans. These are controlled by the towing vehicle. The power for electric brakes comes from the brake controller that has to be fitted to the tow vehicle.

Securing your trailer while not in use is another important consideration. There are a number of locks available. Forget about chaining it to the nearest tree or power pole. A chain and lock has about zero deterrent value for the most basic thief with a set of bolt cutters.
Next step up is a tow-ball lock. This is a lock that covers the tow bar where it would fit on a tow ball. making it impossible to be attached to a vehicle. Very effective at what they do, but you can always tow a tailer away just on the safety chains. Some models are also able to lock the tow ball while connect to the vehicle.
Finally, and most effective is the wheel clamp. At around $150 not cheap, but with high visibility and they stop towing completely, they are the better alternative.

The stability of towing largely revolves around the weight distribution of the load on the trailer. Placing as much weight around the axel of the trailer, and allowing around 10-15% of the total weight to be on the tow ball will maximize the chances of a pleasant towing experience. Sway bars and other stabilisation systems are really a last resort where reviewing your trailer configuration can in most cases solve any sway issues.
Some people swear by (WDH) Weight Distribution Hitches, which can be very useful at the upper end of towing weight limits. The WDH are not important in short heavy trailers like horse floats, but may prove to be a good addition to have with vans which are much longer than horse trailers.

For hard core 4wd-ing, the humble tow ball doesn't not provide enough articulation, but there are specific 4wd hitches which can be installed in those cases.

Safety chains are another important component of towing. Smaller trailers have one chain, while bigger trailers and caravans have two. With two chains, its important to cross them over underneath the tow bar. This enables the chains to cradle the tow bar if it detaches thereby reducing damage to the rear of your x-trail.
One interesting quirk of the x-trail is that the chains often need an extra link to reach the attachment points compared to other vehicles. It always pays to carry an extra D link just in case.

In conclusion the x-trail is an excellent tow vehicle if you are towing less than 1500kg. In the range of 1500kg up to 2000kg only relatively short trips are recommended, but its nice to be able to go to 2000kg if required which most other softroaders cant handle.

Links:
Theft article
Pop-up caravans - American
Caravaners Forum
Australian towing guide