four-fleet-feet

Oboy, let's take 'em in order. First, I totally forgot the Michelins are my SNOW tires, they're 1500 miles away with my other rims in aircraft-engineer's garage while I'm in sunny Arizona (here visiting Mom). Since he's out and about I can't ask him to go look at them, and his wife wouldn't know how or where they are:rolleyes: ... What I'm running, right now, are the Goodrich Touring T/A's that were previously mentioned by Struct Engineer. No problems driving them down from Seattle, whether in rain, sleet, or ice in the passes. These were the $319. Costco tires (went back and edited my earlier post), and I've had this tire model on another vehicle. They wear very well, aren't noisy, and stand up to long freeway drives with aplomb. I can put an average of 25-45,000 miles a year on a vehicle, and in 17 years of using Goodrich (or Kirkland) tires on my old S-10 I remember 5 flats, all from road debris. That's over 348,000 miles. Costco doesn't sell tire junk. I could get at least 60k on each set of tires, and I expect to do the same with this set. As far as noise, the Goodrich are very good at highway speeds. The Michelins do have that snow tire whine (more like a howl at 65 if it's only rain-wet). Remember, the weather you'll see out here is nothing like you're used to in the winter. When you have to face the daily grind of freeway with snow tires, and it isn't snowing or remotely icy, you will grow to hate the sound - fast. They're also squirrelly on dry pavement if you hit an oil slick. The Goodrich are very good on dry, hot pavement. I can stop on a dime here, and it's nearly 100 degrees already. Yet, before I bought my snows, I was running them in the heavy snow storms Seattle had in January - with no problem at all (and no chains). Many cars were in the ditches, but I sailed right on down the road. I know nothing about the VDC, so can't comment. As far as tire codes and dates, if you have a Costco card, go to the nearest one and chat up the tire people. They will gladly show you where the dates are, the codes, and even tell you what they all mean. Basically, the Temperature/Traction/Speed codes are indicators of how tough/sturdy/reliable the tires are. An A/A/B may cost less than a A/A/A, but if you're a speed demon you might not like them. I wouldn't buy a B/B/B if you paid me, and if the tire has a C in there, forget it. I do NOT recommend Wal-Mart for that reason (or for any car reason other than bug juice and other fluids - their tire people are somewhat clueless, in my experience); not only do they cost more than Costco, they have A/A/B tires which cost MORE money than 3As at Costco. Get a tire with a B only if you must. If you don't have a Costco card, I suggest getting one. The reason I got mine, years ago, was for buying tires. For that alone I get my money's worth every year. Their tires come with free flat repair, rotations, and balancing for life, road hazard coverage, and the tires are good. They're also along every highway in the West, so they're easy to find in California. If you have a good, reputable tire store back where you are, it would be worth a trip in to talk to someone about what to look for on a tire. There are handouts they will gladly give you. Still, no matter how cheap chains are back East on end-of-season-clearance, wait until you are here on the West Coast and get those Les Schwab chains. They're really good and worth every penny. They grip like nobody's business. Go HERE for Les Schwab! Their site gives good advice on how to shop for a tire, what to look for in a tire, and lots of other info. Worth a read, if you don't have a local tire shop handy.

Two simple checks: did you check they ran the correct wire to the correct plug, and that they are all tight? Are all your plugs in tight? Don't crank them down, just 'feel' for wiggles. And, I blush to suggest this, but did you install the fuel filter in the correct direction? It's easy to swap the lines and do it backwards. You should do the front O2 sensor anyway; it's a cheap fix, and it's probably the cause of the code, NOT the Cat. If you keep driving on it, though, it can cause more damage, so get it done as soon as you're able. Search O2 sensor on here, you'll read lots of stories about how a stealer said the Cat was needed and it really wasn't - just the sensor. Just because a dealer did the wires doesn't mean they did it right! Every mechanic has to learn on someone's car... maybe yours! (and if you did it yourself, sorry - my bad)

+100 for Les Schwab's chains. I've owned NOTHING but LS chains for 17 years. No complaints! Stay away from the Bridgestones. I've heard nothing but complaints from people at dog shows = they wear fast and the sound will annoy you. Makes a lot of dogs howl. I have Michelin snows for my Imp right now, and I'm happy with them. Really, this isn't like the East, where tires Really Matter. You want Temp A tires, Traction A tires, and Speed - well, if you stay legal who cares? (Don't go below a B, shoot for A). My Michelins and my Goodrich non-snows hit all 3 with A's and I've been out in white-knuckle weather with no worries save for 'is that idiot going to hit me?' FWIW, they're from Costco, the cheapest Goodrich they had in 205/60/15 - and they're just fine. $319.00 for all 4 out the door (ok, they were on sale for $60 off for 4). My bad, though, since I went with the largest tire for my car WITHOUT checking to see if they were good for chains. They're not; 195's were the largest chainable-size for my car. That meant I had to spring for snows and 4 rims. Funny thing is, the Goodrich tires are so good I never needed to put the snows on! Pulled them off in March. You need to buy tires for your everyday driving, not the weekend ski trip. Don't overbuy! Your main worries should be Temp and Traction, in that order. Buying sticky tires means you'll wear through them in a hurry, or be in the tire shop getting them fixed from all the trash you'll see on those California highways. Just make sure you buy the tire size which goes WITH chains for your new car and you can't go wrong. Get your chains from Les Schwab, save the receipt in a findable place, and go get your skis and goggles ready when the time comes! (FYI: chaining up in your summer driveway is sooo much nicer than waiting until you're ready to go skiing, by the way. Practice a few times until you can do it fast and bloodless in the comfort of home - you'd be surprised how many people DON'T) Goodyears were my 3rd choice. They're ok, but I note the Michelins/Goodriches have a greater turnover in the Northwest, which means the tires are fresher. If you don't know how to read date-of-manufacturer codes on tires, find out before you go tire shopping. Not to point fingers at any one store, but those who don't check often get the oldest stock. Since Subarus need four tires at once, that can get costly if you get a 4-year-old shelf-stored tire with 3 2-month-old ones. If that one tire wears out fast, you either have to find one with the exact wear OR have one cut down to fit OR buy 4 new tires, since you're dealing with a car sensitive to that issue. Most buy 4 new ones, since the other two are difficult at best.

Result! Hoping you also get back the money for the other 2 - let us know how that works out! Don't give up. (did the rear bearing bit on my car, too... boo)

Women have an advantage here - we can hide a key in our wallets, our purses, and in *some* other places. I can't advocate hiding a key on the car, though, as most car thieves know where to look. One suggestion I use myself: get an airline lanyard or one similar. You can get them on eBay - search 'airline lanyard' and look for your favorite carrier. Or your favorite manufacturer - I've seen Boeing and Airbus. The proper kind have sturdy metal snap closures and safety clasps on the back of the neck so the lanyard will break away if you snag yourself on something. Nearly all airline ones have these features. If I'm at a gas station my keys are literally around my neck. If I'm getting out of the car, ditto. They go around my neck as soon as they are removed from the ignition. Until I am inside the store or house, they STAY THERE. I've gotten a few funny looks for my bright red Virgin Atlantic lanyard, when I forget to stow it in my pocket after entering a store, but who cares? A key call is expensive, either for the locksmith or the repairs if the opening is bungled. I suggest a bright color - if it's missing from your neck, you'll notice it at once. Let them stare! It's better than that sinking 'oh, no' feeling.

Re your snows coming off when you aren't in the mountains: Do you have room for a second set of wheels? The only way you'd be able to do a swap that often is if you bought a second set of rims and put your snows on them. Even then, it's a hassle to swap all 4 unless you have an air (and torque) wrench. Drive them in town on non-ski days and the sound will drive you batty, and as aircraft-engineer said, they wear quickly. For the cost of the tires it's not worth wearing them out like that. Storing them's a PITA, too. Do it wrong and your tires aren't any good the next year. I'd find a good set of all-weather tires which will get you good traction in the rain AND which have good wear ratings. Remember, if you're going to Tahoe the main roads (the passes) are plowed, and it's only into the ski area itself that you will really need to worry about. If it's so bad you NEED real snow tires + chains to get there (not just chains on your all-weathers), I'd reconsider going. Don't get the largest tire you can get; read your new car's manual before you go tire shopping. Somewhere in it, the largest tire which can be used with chains is listed. PAY ATTENTION to that max size! If you get the wrong one you won't be able to chain up at all. Don't want to chain up? Learn to like it. After all, the most expensive chains are much cheaper than a new set of four rims and four snow tires (even on Craigslist it's not cheap), and they're a heck of a lot easier to store. Just pack a set of clean clothes to change into, some tarps to lay on, and a flashing magnetic light for your car so others can see you. Have a snowmobile suit? Works great for chaining up. Don't use your good ski gear. If you have the rest of your snow gear along (shovel, sand, kitty litter, that kind of stuff) you're all set. Good Luck on your Subaru hunt! You'll just know when you find the right one. It's just a feeling you get. Don't worry, there's one out there for you.

If you bought the bearings at a dealer, even if you installed them yourself (or the future OH did it), I'd go talk to the dealership's General Manager. The bearing problem's a known issue, and I'd push from some reimbursement. The mileage shouldn't matter, since the issue's known and should have been addressed while your car was still under warranty. If you can't find the actual receipts, if you paid with a credit card your issuer should have copies on file - hopefully, all from the same dealer, which will expedite the search. It might take some time to get them. Good luck!

First off, I second the 'get your codes read.' You know about the knock sensor; you need to see if there's a new code. Can't find a shop (like AutoZone) with free checks? I've heard Aamco is doing free OBD checks for a limited time, not just tranny checks. You might give them a call and see if they're still doing them. Just make sure you write down all the codes, and not just listen to them tell you what they mean - there are several things to look at under each code. Knock sensors are pretty easy to do, do a search on this site and you'll get pix and detailed instructions. As far as the problem goes, now we know it isn't a belt or fluid issue for sure. You'd have seen that. I'd test the starter at this point, and check the contacts as previously mentioned. Starter good? Get the system tested, one piece at a time, until you find the culprit. If you can get your hands on a manual, and a tester, you can do some of it yourself. I'd also recommend checking out all your battery cables, clamps, and bolts. If one's cracked inside the cable, that would account for the hot=no-start, cold=start bit as well, since a hot cable can stretch enough to cause an intermittent break. Once it cooled it would be short enough to connect across the break (I'm talking hairline crack here). If you've ever gone over a rough road and had trouble immediately after, that's a possibility. If so, the problem will eventually get bad enough to not start at all. But this is a longshot because you said you've never stalled. I'd rule out the fuel system now, as well, since you stated you've never gone dead on the road while driving, and your starts haven't needed extra pumping of the gas pedal - it sounds like that doesn't make a difference. (Bad pumps can give you trouble coasting into parking spots unless you stay on the gas until you are practically parked - personal experience here.) I also presume no rough idle, since you didn't mention one. However, if you haven't changed the fuel filter lately (your manual will tell you the mileage it's recommended at), you might consider doing it as an item with whatever spring maintenance you do. We're all filling up less often, sometimes with cheaper gas. Whatever you do, don't ignore that CEL! Just because it WAS the knock sensor last time doesn't mean that's all it is NOW. Let us know what you find out.

If your car's died on you WHILE MOVING and would not restart until it has cooled down: First time I had to deal with this (on a 76 Buick) it was vapor lock. Car would stop dead on me without warning and would not start up again until it had cooled off, then it started up without any problem. I don't know if Subies get that, so I doubt that's what this is. I do know the fix was to increase the cooling on one of the lines with some fins (or the cheap version: aluminum foil). Don't ask me how it was done; I can't remember. Maybe someone else old enough and without a brain hiccup might remember. Here's something to think about. Do you have a habit of coasting into your parking spot, or do you use the gas to get in? When you start up, do you give your gas pedal a tap before turning the key, or do you just keep your foot on the brake? If it's not the starter (and the battery sounds fine if you're clicking, it's not dead yet), I wonder if your fuel filter's clogged and you're not getting gas. Or your pump might be marginal. Just before my 91 Chevy truck died and would not resurrect in a grocery lot, she had a tendency to not start up the first or second time I cranked when I left the store. She'd always crank right up leaving the house, which puzzled me. I thought it was the ignition switch, the starter, the battery, or the alternator, until the day the pump died and HAD to be replaced. No more problems after it was. Of course, that's why all the other things always tested out in perfect order... :-\ Before we go all out with suggestions, here's one even a car-challenged person can do: get under the hood and check the following. Are your belts okay? Are your fluids all full? Any funny smells or spots underneath that weren't there before this problem started? Anything inside not working (defroster not clearing the glass, a swamp in the passenger footwell, no interior lights, no radio, that sort of thing)? The craziest thing going wrong might click in someone's head and help them come up with a likely suspect. One last thing: does this happen more often on a less-than-half tank? Never on a full one? That was the final clue that led me to the fuel pump.

Yow. Glad your wife's okay. Shows how a Subaru's built, though, any other car a 1-ton GMC hit would have a lot more damage. Fix it, please! (If you don't, I'm going to be one of the circling vultures, I need a couple oddball interior parts ) My entire family nags me about how fanatical I am about checking my rear view. I've noticed the tendency for drivers to tailgate is getting much worse, but the problem is that Subarus stop on a dime, no matter the weather. Add in orange-light runners (it's yellow, going red, go very, very fast now!) and you get lots of gray hair. I stop, they're NOT. I've actually had to stomp my car's gas pedal and jerk her into the right turn lane to avoid a collision in Arizona - 3 times now and it's only been 5 weeks! May your ride soon be fixed, and think about getting a patent on a car-mounted rear-deck flamethrower for those careless buffoons who tailgate... (alas, my kingdom for a turret-mounted laser or phaser or dragonbreath of choice)

Oh, my. Here I was, thinking I was making it up, and it was my imagination. Nobody else could hear it! The person who knows the answer gets this: {{virtual doggie bone}} and my fervent thanks! (Maybe it's a cat whistle. Every cat loves my car. I have a cat rump print on my hood every morning!)

I've had some marginal tests on past vehicles, and here's my 2 cents'. Make sure your car is warmed up! Give it a good drive on the freeway (at least 10 miles if over 60 degrees, better double that if it's colder). Cross-town is not as good, you need to get it out on a cruise. Don't turn it off for any reason once you're at the station. Pick a line without a huge backup - the longer you idle, the more chance you'll have to fail. If you have a locking gas cap, take the key for it off your keyring so you can hand the tester the key without stopping your car. The liquid 'pass your emissions' stuff really does work on a marginal vehicle, but also check your plugs and wires (change them if you like), toss on a new air filter and PCV whether you do the plugs and wires or not. Note the liquid stuff usually takes a half tank of gas to work, or more, depending on brand. Buy it ASAP if you intend to use it, it's not for day-of-test addition. Read the bottle and follow the instructions. Note: if you normally keep a low fuel tank, or buy cheap gas, it might mean you'll need a fuel filter in a little while, as it will move crud about - better out of your car than in, IMHO.

You know, the OP was using an Impreza. I'm not against the Baja or any OBW towing a teardrop or conventional hardshell, just an Imp! Even the Impreza OBS didn't have quite the tow package as the full Outback wagon. Heck, I've been in Outbacks aplenty pulling stuff around horse/dog shows as a 'hold'em there, please' while someone moved campsites. I get the impression some may think I'm anti-tow. I actually like pop-ups. I'd like to get Dragon one. I'll just have to get a light one! Back a few posts someone mentioned they had an 800#er. That's more my style than a 1450-empty one. I'd just hate to see the OP wear out his shiny Imp with a too-heavy load.

I'd fix your corrent car, if I had it. Think about it; you've already stated your engine is good. The EJ22 is much more trouble-free than the newer engines. Parts abound in junkyards. You don't have to pay stealer prices for new parts if you don't want to. On a new car you have no choice. The repairs you're needing are typical ones for your mileage, not catastrophic failures. Get a new Subaru and you're staring a HG in the face down the road. If it happens under warranty, not so bad; if not, that's a significant expense you'd better put away for. Most of the newer cars aren't getting the mileage of the older ones, a point made clearly if you read the 'mileage' post a few lines down. Therefore, your new car will co$t you more in payments (or up-front cash), higher insurance premiums, higher license tab fees, and more ga$ money! If you have cash to burn, please ignore me and go get that new car. I'm sure it will be real pretty. Otherwise, fix up the one you have! Subarus can go l-o-n-g miles with proper care and maintenance. Any vehicle can! If you're not sold on the 'new-car' smell, keep yours awhile longer. Stash the amount of those payments away, if you want, and when you have a nice nest egg, go pay cash for your future new Subaru. You'll get interest on your money. Failing that, if things get tight, you'll be glad you're only stashing it away and not having to pay it to the car loan... whew! (edit: you posted while I was typing. A realtor? I'd think twice about that new car! Sure, you want to present a good impression to your clients, but you don't need a new car to do that IMHO. But maybe I'm strange.)

Another vote for Smart Service. You may call them and find they're a few dollars more than some shops, but the work they do is good and they stand by what they do! Worth the money for the warranty on their work alone. If aircraft-engineer hadn't been able to do the work I needed, I'd have taken Dragon there in a heartbeat, no qualms. His Imp's already been there - when he found out they'd done the presale, he bought the car immediately.

Sorry to say it, but the 1.8 FWD automatics are gutless in the mountains with any kind of load. It's not the greatest engine, then add the FWD and the auto, and it's not going to happen. Drove in one to San Diego from Phoenix a long while back. The pax made jokes all the way - and the worst one was this: 'Oh, look, that sidewinder's getting to San Diego faster than we are!' Honestly, I had it to the floor on the pass and we were getting passed by everything. No a/c, only one 20 lb. duffel bag apiece, 2 people, and one small cooler with water and soda cans (a 10-lb bag of ice was too big). Mountain Climbing isn't what that car will do. BT, DT. Unfortunately. (edit: the manual probably won't make that much of a difference, sorry again; only makes a difference on accelerating up sloped on-ramps and getting back up to ha-ha speed after braking for something slower in your path)

If your brakes are fine and don't need pads or service, I think you should find a manual and learn to do the brake bleed yourself. I haven't had the greatest experiences asking a brake shop to do a simple bleed; most shops either refuse to do a brake fluid change/bleed altogether ('if you need a change and bleed something's wrong' was the most commom retort, or 'brake fluid doesn't need replaced unless something's broken') or tell you your brakes need some service, often unnecessary. CYA is alive and well at brake shops. It's really easy to do; the hardest part will be finding a turkey baster! If you do have one in the kitchen, here's the time to make the cooking person in your household happy beyond belief. Buy a new one (FIRST - afterwards at your peril) and give the cook that one, then snitch the used one. Be sure you mark up the bulb on the brake baster, though - give it a really big 'brakes' or skull/crossbones - you really don't want someone thinking it needs to be washed in the sink for cooking duties (like Mom did - don't ask).

He's quite right - if Harbor Freight had apartments above, he'd own two - one for him, one for his tools. If he wants them to go with him when he shuffles off, we'll need two BIG D-4 Cats to make the hole, let alone shove the tools in, which should wake him up, the sacrilege of that tool wastage I do wish *some* people knew when to say when, since I've seen the aftermath of 'I can do that, you know, cheaper, move aside' more than I want to admit (and I won't say who was doing the work, but I think you can guess - I do believe twice it was replacing a set of S-10 plug wires and *gasp* wrong 'bout what went where both times) Yes, siree, women are sometimes right about things mechanical: if we can't do it, WE PAY or READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! (ducks and runs)

One thing different between us: I have a 97 Imp, you have a 2005 Baja. I'm not disagreeing with you; I'm sure your Baja can handle it. But... Subaru, NOW, may have that towing info in the manual. 11 years ago it was rather sketchy (I don't even see a mention of my Gross Axle ratings). Since many on this board don't have the newest vehicles, I took the rather cautious approach. 900 lbs in my Imp (packed and balanced) and I was rather low in the back. I'm still running factory spec equipment (although in perfect shape). I'd have never hitched a trailer up to her! I'm not that cruel. I'll bet you wouldn't even notice 900 cargo and a 1500 trailer loaded with goodies going up the Continental Divide. The only way I'd do it is by tow truck. Dragon would need one. I still maintain, even with the newer vehicles, that loading to max both on tow capacity AND vehicle capacity is asking for trouble. Every weekend I'm on the road I see overloaded vehicles. Aircraft-engineer and I saw the aftermath of a wake-slapped full-size truck and big 5th wheel in the Siskiyous. They were fully loaded and were still overturned. We didn't stop; there was a lot of help already. But I've always wondered if they'd have kept control of their rig if they hadn't been loaded to the gills (it was spread across all the S/B lanes of I-5 - a whole LOT of 'it'). Remember, the true test of whether you're overloaded or not is not whether it goes down the road, it's when trouble hits, can you survive it in one piece? I'm not talking airbags here. Will your brakes handle it? Can you depend on your suspension and steering to get you out of trouble? Do YOU have the knowledge to stop and/or steer safely with all that weight? Can your vehicle go 200k miles or more without a heart transplant from overwork? Not everyone's vehicle can. I've always felt that no 'of course one bag or box more will fit, honey' is worth anyone's life. I'd rather no fellow poster put it to the test. Driving a loaded-down vehicle is vastly different than an empty one you drive around town. We're talking new trailer owners here, remember? It takes time to learn how to pull 'that thing in the rear view mirror' safely. I wish clubs and dealerships still offered driving classes to new trailer owners. I think they stopped that before the '70's. You can find RV classes - but AFAIK, only for Class A's, and there's a mile-long waiting list to get in. A plea to all trailer owners: if you know of a company or club offering driving classes to new RV owners, please post it here! The life you save may be a fellow member's. As far as trailers go, new or old hand, I wouldn't recommend driving ANY trailer without trailer brakes - and anyone even considering doing so must live in the Flatlands, Subaru tow vehicle or not. Good thing to see SOA requires it. Happy Camping!

Something else most new campers do not realize: Everyone looks at the manufacturer's tow ratings and thinks 'goody, I can buy this or that trailer' and buys one close to the rated limit. No! No! No! That limit is golden if you want your car/engine/transmission to survive. Let's use some fake numbers. Imagine my Impreza has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 4000 (really, it doesn't, I said fake!. Let's say the actual vehicle weight (the Actual Curb Weight Rating) is 3100 with a full tank of gas but no passengers, no seat covers, no box of Kleenex, nada else but what the factory put in, which does not include the rubber matting, the cargo mat, and the roof rack (or any other standard accessories) if it wasn't put on WHEN THE BASE CAR WAS ASSEMBLED. (Check your manual for the Curb Weight Rating, it's not on my Imp door panel but it will be somewhere in your vehicle or in the manual. Trust me, it's there somewhere.) That leaves you: 900 lbs. (please remember this is a fake number!) of cargo capacity MAX. That's it! No more safely. That GVWR limit, which is on your door pillar, is something to obey. Add up your weight, and the weight of your passengers. Then add the weight of any aftermarket (even dealer) additions your vehicle has. You added spoilers and a massive tow hitch? Add those into your payload figures. Add up EVERYTHING. Be anal. A new car is expen$ive... Hmm. Maybe 400 lbs left? (Or less? Lay off the Super Sizes and...) That's your realistic cargo for food, camping supplies, water (rough estimate 8.25 lbs. per gallon, make sure you add a pound or two for the empty jug weights themselves, or even weigh them). Add up the stuff you'll use on the road and the stuff you may buy, and take a hard look at it. Now, you may be thinking 'goody, I'm glad I'm pulling that trailer.' No again. You can't put a trailer behind that loaded car and expect your car to survive! You can pack up the car, or pull a trailer under the limit, but not both. Do NOT listen to the trailer salesman telling you I'm wrong. I wish I was. All he/she wants to do is sell you that trailer. I'm trying to save your car! Even with a trans cooler (and Rule #1 of towing: get one if you don't have one. Rule #2: beef your brakes (and your trailer brakes!) up with the best pads you can afford. Rule #3: take nothing you don't need, it isn't weightless) you'll be straining your trans pulling a trailer up, around, and along in the heat of summer. If you're (over)loaded so your engine's lugging, you can guarantee repairs will be in your future. If you're so loaded your suspension's maxed out, you'll be repairing it. Or finding a new axle or two. Or worse. Every spring dog show I see a new exhibitor with an overloaded vehicle. By fall they're not showing, or at least not in THAT vehicle. Everyone underestimates the weight of the gear one loads in a trailer, as well. A trailer weighing 1000 lbs. can and often does have much more than 500 lbs. in it once it's packed. Sleeping bags, clothes, food, water, ice or big propane bottles, maybe bags of charcoal, ewven the weights of the four corner jacks you'll need to stabilize the trailer must be factored in. If your max tow is 1500 STOP and think. If the trailer weighs 1000 empty you must not pack it full, and you need to watch the weight in the car too. If that's a real lightweight trailer, it's often flimsy enough to start falling apart after one season (pressboard, the usual cabinet material, literally comes apart at the staples if you travel on Forest Service roads). If it's that light, you need to worry about semi wakes, as well. Light trailers flip when you get buzzed by some of the loaded doubles doing w-a-a-y over the legal limit (or, forfend, triples in Oregon). I actually read the mentioned trailer links. Most of the trailers mentioned, in the 13' size, were 1200-1475 OR MORE in weight. If you had the 13' Scamp, without the bath (the 1475), you'd have 25 lbs. for cargo. That's it. If you got the bath upgrade, not only would you be overweight, but think on this: multiply 28 gallons of fresh water by 8.25 and wowee, are you LOADED. That doesn't even cover the gray/black tanks, or what you ate and drank that's now added to the tanks as well. Are you a breathtarian????? Forget the Beanie-Weenies, let alone the Pork and Beans, you won't even be able to pack the cookpot. Better be going to a nudist camp, too: no clothes or blankets can go along. I may sound a little dictatorial about this, but I have seen or learned all of this the hard way. Breaking an overladen rear axle is not fun. Blowing tires on a steep downhill (while you vainly try to brake that heavy #%$&*$% on your tail) can be deadly. Small trailers, pulled by small cars, really don't mix. I don't recommend it. I'd really advise going another way than in a hardshell trailer. Camping in the rain, in a tent, isn't always fun, but being broken down (or in a hospital) is much worse. You'll never see a teardrop or other hardshell camping trailer behind my Dragon, and I've been camping since Kennedy was Prez. 'Nuff said.

OK, a bit of background here. I'm from a road-traveling military family. We traveled in everything from car/trailer, 3/4 ton truck and 13 1/2' cabover camper, Class C, Class B, neighbor's Class A, tents, you name it. I used to average about 45 weekends on the road a year, everything from horse shows to dog shows to Highland Games to SCA events to 'the road goes there or mostly there' camping. And I can equivocally state you won't like this little trailer. Oh, Dad wanted one and got one. We quickly found out there wasn't room for one person and a small dog, let alone 2 other people. Porta-pottis and miniscule water tanks meant we did a lot of time in campground bathrooms or truck stops. They get hotter than Death Valley in August due to all that metal, the big window, and that mini vent on the roof. In rain you'll be humid and uncomfortable; in the heat you'll cook; in the cold you'll wonder why you ever thought this kind of travel was fun. You'll listen to the galley slave moan about having to cook outside to avoid spilling the dinner in the bed, and from the lazy-half, moaning they have to get up so someone can eat. Storage from hell - as in NONE. Nonexistent ventilation. D'you see any lower air vents? If it's pouring outside, that roof vent is useless unless you popped for the vent cap cover... and vents lower down cost money, so manufacturers don't add them for entry-level units. Real toilet in your proposed trailer? Either it has the black-water capacity of a six-year-old, or that thing will weigh a ton more than your car's rated to pull! After the frame and interior, the fresh/gray/black water tanks are the heaviest things in most small RVs. There is NOTHING worse than flushing or brushing and having water back up when you're miles from a dump station. Trust me on this. Dribble your gray on the ground, you say? How'd you like a ticket from Smokey Bear's best buds? It won't be cheap. A trailer this small will end up making you think of the old Volkswagen and all those college students crammed in everywhichway... you'll end up resenting your OWN rump every time you turn about. Besides, when you look at the trailers, remember all those amenities just add weight, cost, and something which will fail in the wild. Yes, WILL. Simple is better. These little trailers are cute, but you do not see them at campgrounds unless they're behind novice campers! Since your car won't pull one of the bigger trailers, maybe you need to consider other options. If you can stand the thought of a tent, you'll get more room in the tent than this trailer will ever give you. You will also be able to choose your amenities piecemeal rather than take what the manufacturer gives you. Want a thick mattress? Longer bed? (If you're taller than 6', you may find your feet won't fit in that trailer except hanging off the bed box - a very miserable way to sleep) 3-burner stove? Big honkin' cooler for a whole boat load of fish on stringers? You can have them all - if it fits in your car, that is. A nice tent will cost a fraction of this trailer, also. Not a tent, you say? Maybe a pop-up trailer, then. A little more room, a little bit more civilized, and still low-profile going down the road. Yes, you'll have the fabric pop-up part, but as long as you set it up in the garage or under cover after having it out in the rain you can postpone the mildew-mold fears for quite a while. And, also, the fabric can be replaced, giving your trailer a long life. Many new campers like them, so you can usually find a family willing to buy yours if you get a good one, keep it in good shape, and take care of it (wash the bugs off, keep the wheels in good shape, don't let the mice live in it over the winter, that kind of thing). You gas MPG will go down no matter what you do; even if you pack a tent on the roof it will go down. If you want to go camping, that's the way it is. Unless you're camping with the latest and most expen$ive gear, it weighs a car down when it's all in (plus water, food, and people, not to mention pets). Unless you're strictly staying in places catering to Highway Yachts, you'll have to go up or down into the campgrounds in many locations. The more weight you're pulling, the more ga$ you'll be buying. Want some serious unbiased advice? See if there's a local hunting club in your area. I can guarantee every weekend hunter knows what not to buy if they don't bivy up in a hotel when they're done for the day. They've probably learned the way my family did: bought it, used it, cursed it, sold it, bought what seemed right until we found something better. Oh, yes, the final warning: once you start down the slippery slope of camping equipment acquisition, get used to slobbering over the new gear every year, or in the next shady campsite over! I suggest you start budgeting NOW.

I actually have a copy of the actual installation instructions (which aircraft-engineer well knows, but I think he needs to read it again!). The booklet was mistakenly left in my manual; it's pub# INS0757, Rev. A, printed 5/96. I have a '97 Imp. 11 small-print pages with some diagrams. It's for Remote Keyless Entry System, Impreza, H7110FS000. It doesn't quite match the # on what you have; if you want to take a chance it might still work, PM me and I can copy it and send it off to you. NOTE: Unless you actually got the power actuator out of the driver's door (maybe also pax in OBW - anyone know?) you still can't make it work! The actuators are not the same ones the driver's door lock works with a key, they're different. If your car NEVER had a RKES installed, it does not have the remote version. RUN back to the j/y and get it/them - it's the piece which has a latch mechanism like your current one on top but it includes the funny-lookin' thang screwed on by 2 screws below it - with a (usually) black cable wired into the bottom of it. (That's the power part of the door latch you're seeing.)The cable crosses the door and wires into the mirror cabling junction. YOU NEED THAT CROSS-DOOR CABLE as well; don't cut it, undo the wire bundle ties (should be a tie wrap at the lower hole where it comes out of the door), trace it back to the junctions and get all of it. On the driver's side it comes out of the lower door hole and crosses up to the mirror power cable. Make sure you have a notebook; draw exactly where those wires (and their colors!) went into the mirror harness! It's too late, I think, to warn you to get a drawing of what wire went where under the dash. If the OBW isn't the same as the Imp, my harness diagrams won't help you at all (and may toast something you'll miss). Make very sure the j/y car doors are open or the windows down when you do the cable removal; often, if there's a battery in the junker, it will automatically lock the doors. If your junker has no key, or you left tools inside... oops..... Aftermarket key fobs are on eBay; I've never found one at a j/y save tossed in the trunks of the cars as trash. (If they say Subaru they should work though.) You will need them before you start the installation. You could also try online Subaru parts dealers. Honestly, as much as I hate to say it, for all the trouble I went through finding/pulling all the parts/harness/fobs, it would have been cheaper to have the stealer do it for me. You will waste a lot of gas doing this. Trust me. I just spent 3 months doing the exact same thing! And I only have one fob.

(edit: too little sleep and exhaustion made me stooopid - I missed this was a front seat and kindly deleted my rear-seat-info post. My bad!) Sorry about that. Wish I could help, but I know absolutely NOTHING about front seats...

Arizona... well, that's part of the problem. No matter what vehicle I've ever driven in the state of Arizona, the crappy gas with all those additives, sold in the state (by law) kills my mileage. As soon as I start pumping gas in in CA or NV my mileage goes up at least 2 MPG. By Oregon I can watch every tank improve as all the AZ gas is finally gone. If you haven't done it yet, change your fuel filter! Every trip to Mom's in Phoenix has necessitated a filter on the WA end when I get home. Put in a new air filter too - the dust and smog clogs it up pretty fast. Forget the manual's stated interval - Arizona is murder on filters. And on wipers. And on door seals... whoops, it's just bad for everything... As I speak, my Imp was getting 26+ in WA but is now getting 24-25 on flat runs on the 101, and cross-town on surface streets (Dunlap, Lincoln, Scottsdale Road) about 24. If it's a hot day, I can get 26 when my tires go up. You can change everything you want under the hood, but as long as you have to put in the mandated Arizona gas, you won't see great mileage. I speak from over 30 years' experience in driving in the West... yuck...

Well, let me be the first to tell you that there are a LOT of Subaru drivers in the NW. You will have to remember where you parked, not just look for your Subie, because there will be many, many Subarus on the road wherever you go. If there isn't one to your liking in Klamath Falls, just ask around at the nearest Fred Meyers/Safeway/gas station of your choice and you'll find one FAST. Matter of fact, you'll find which ones not to go to even faster. Yep, Northwest United States=Subaru Land and no salted-road rust! But yeah, we gots lotsa rain. Impress your new neighbors. Don't mention the rain. Really. Real Northwesterners don't notice the rain; we notice the absence of it. Really. That's why Seattle's the sunglass-buying capital of the US. In the winter, when the sun does come out, it's been so long since we last saw it we forgot where we stashed the shades.... :cool: