In the Grand Canyon's 100th year anniversary as a national park, there is another cause for celebration. Nissan today revealed the Ultimate Parks TITAN, a purpose-built park support vehicle that will be donated to the Grand Canyon Conservancy through Nissan TITAN's partnership with the National Park Foundation. The Ultimate Parks TITAN will be used to assist the organization's Canyon Field School, a partnership between Grand Canyon Conservancy and the National Park Service that offers unique opportunities for youth to experience the great outdoors in the heights and depths of Grand Canyon National Park. Also through Nissan TITAN's support, the Arizona Conservation Corps becomes a grantee of the National Park Foundation and will work to repair trails and park infrastructure at Grand Canyon National Park this summer. more "Nissan is proud to support the outstanding work being performed, trail-by-trail, campsite-by-campsite, by partners like the National Park Foundation, Grand Canyon Conservancy and Arizona Conservation Corps," said Tiago Castro, director, Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. "This custom-built TITAN XD 4x4 and trailer should help make their important work in remote areas of the park a little easier, safer and hopefully even a little more comfortable." The Ultimate Parks TITAN is the final modified TITAN donated to national nonprofit partners as part of the Calling All TITANs campaign. The others include the Ultimate Service TITAN for the American Red Cross and the Ultimate Work TITAN created for Habitat for Humanity. The Ultimate Parks TITAN build, like the previous two projects, started with an understanding of the specific tasks at hand. For use in the Grand Canyon National Park, which is known for areas often reached only by pack mules, sure-footed traction and efficient load carrying were priorities. The Ultimate Parks TITAN is built off of a 2019 Nissan TITAN XD Gas PRO-4X Crew Cab and is designed to transport five people and a host of park equipment deep into the Grand Canyon National Park's remote areas. As in all 2019 Nissan TITAN XD Gas PRO-4X Crew Cab trucks, the Ultimate Parks TITAN is powered by Nissan's 5.6-liter Endurance® V8 engine, rated at 390 horsepower and 394 lb-ft of torque. All-terrain traction is provided by an advanced four-wheel drive system featuring a transfer case designed to ensure maximum power distribution in every gear. It distributes torque to both ends and provides four-wheel drive when added traction is needed. Like all TITAN XD PRO-4X models, the Ultimate Parks TITAN includes an advanced electronic locking rear differential that helps boost traction. Durable off-road performance features include Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist and Brake Limited-Slip Differential (BLSD). An off-road gauge uses accelerometer data to calculate the vehicle's pitch and roll angles – an important addition for terrain that is seldom flat. Adding extra clearance for traversing over rocks, boulders or other obstructions is an ICON 3-inch suspension lift kit and Hellwig Air Suspension. To help enter and exit the now higher cabin, AMP BedSteps were added. The Ultimate Parks TITAN also rides on new, high-traction 35-inch Nitto Trail Grappler tires mounted on Method 701 Trail Series wheels. Next, the rugged TITAN XD's heavy-duty fully boxed steel frame was extended to fit the CM Truck Beds custom service body. Tucked behind the roomy 5-person TITAN XD Crew Cab body is a series of locking compartments, storage bins, equipment racks and tie-downs, including a Rhino Rack Pioneer Tray and EGR fender flares. The extended frame also accommodates a 55-gallon fuel tank and RotopaX fuel cell – since refueling opportunities are few and far between deep inside the park. "The Ultimate Parks TITAN is a physical manifestation of the support Nissan is providing to parks and park champions coast to coast," said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation. "From the Grand Canyon, to the Great Smokies, to Glacier Bay in Alaska, Nissan's support bolsters the critical work of local partners connecting youth to parks and service corps helping to restore these treasured places." Housed inside the service bed are a range of special repair tools and equipment, including a Miller EnPak welder, air compressor and generator. Completing the equipment list are a WARN Industries ZEON Platinum 12-S Winch for getting the vehicle out of tight or low traction spots. Also included are custom Baja Designs worksite lighting and Addictive Desert Designs HoneyBadger front bumper. In the tradition of packing it in and packing it out, the Black Series Camper off-road trailer provides additional cargo capacity. Other helpful features of the specially outfitted trailer include a CargoGlide bedslide, Leitner Designs bed rack, Rhino Rack Batwing awning and CVT hard shell tent. The Ultimate Parks TITAN's maximum payload is rated at 2,990 pounds with a maximum towing rating2 of 11,680 pounds – so taking a trailer full of equipment and supplies is no problem. Among the list of TITAN XD's available towing aids are an Integrated Trailer Brake Controller, Trailer Sway Control (TSC), Tow/Haul Mode with Downhill Speed Control and a Trailer Light Check system that allows one-person hook-up operation – checking turn signals, brake lights and running/clearance lights from inside the TITAN cab or with the key fob. Literally wrapping up the Ultimate Parks TITAN build is a custom full body and trailer wrap. The unique design features topographical lines from the north rim of the Grand Canyon set against a National Park Foundation signature blue background. "The Ultimate Parks TITAN is as impressive a vehicle as the work provided by the Grand Canyon Conservancy in one of the most amazing national parks in the country," added Castro. "We can't wait for it to be put to work by the exceptional men and women improving our national parks every day." The Ultimate Parks TITAN will be on display during the 2019 Overland Expo West, May 17 through 19, at Ft. Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Ariz. Click here for more information.
