I have a little 16' sailboat. It doesnt weigh much more than 600 lbs or so. I hardly notice it's there when i tow it with my 4.0 grand cherokee. I am wondering what it would be like towing it behind a brat or other subaru. I have no doubt that it will get down the road alright, but i am wondering about times when the boat has a lot of water in it and it has to come up a steep ramp. How does this work out with the unibody etc..

Also, I thought I had heard somewhere that some subaru trailer hitches basicaly bolt into sheet metal rather than into a frame. This may have just been on my 86 wagon.

Let me know.

-Jack:cornfuzz:

BRAT hitches bolt to the unibody. You could always custom fab a bumper to allow for a larger hitch and a stronger bumper. I don't think you would have a problem with a small boat even full of water. The BRATs have great low end torque. If you did have a problem, throw that bad boy in 4 low and be done with it. I don't see any problem with that. This subject came up about two or three years ago. Same scenario. Boz

I tow a 12 ft john boat and a utility trailer with my 88 hatchback regularly. I pulled the hitch off of another hatchback at a junkyard. It actually bolts to the floor of the cargo area in the rear of the hatchback with 6 bolts. The bolt holes are spaced far apart, so the force from the hitch is spread over most of the back of the car. When I pull the boat/trailer up the ramp, I put it in 4 Low and have never had a problem.

 

scott

Hey wagon78, Was it you that I am thinking of? Were you around back then? And did you post a question regarding this?

I beach lanch my Hobie all the time with my Hatch. Never been a problem. Just like everyone else, I use low range too.

 

My hitch bolted to the cargo area too and I reinforced my bumper just for peace of mind.

 

You shouldn't have any problems towing a small boat.

 

For what it's worth,

Glenn

82 Hatch, transforming....:temper:

01 Forester, Jealous...:boohoo:

I've towed 14 and 15 foot aluminum boats full of fishing gear many times with my wagon, often launching on steep ramps or where there was no ramp. No problems so far.

i t0wed a 2 axle trailer with a dead soob and no brakes! tow dolly with a soob. both with ea81 power 2wd 5spd, used 4th gear a lot.

 

i tore a hitch off a wagon, bolts to the floor and the bumper. towing a small boat should be no problem.

 

actually, its the # of axles you are towing is what will drag you down.

 

tow another soob with a rope with no problems too

1000 lb el. golf cart on a 300 lb trailer.

Keep the tongue weight right and Snow Worries

 

bumper frame mounts and cross frame mount attachment points