Trailer Towing

[Phillip]

I just bought a tent trailer that weighs 1850 pounds and plan to tow it with my 1999 Outback Wagon. My owners manual states towing up to 2000 pounds is acceptable. I'm a little concerned about pulling that much weight. Has anyone here towed this much? Did you have any issues? Any recommendations? Thanks

[porcupine73]

Main recommendations I see typically given:

1. trailer brakes

2. auxiliary transmission fluid cooler (if auto trans) (there is an OEM Subaru kit, or you can get them from places such as SummitRacing.com. They are dead easy to put on Subaru's since the ATF lines are just hose on hose barb connections; no fancy proprietary connectors).

3. make sure vehicle is in good shape, all maintenance done, brakes in good shape, etc.

4. don't tailgate

5. personally if I were doing this I would run a heavier gear lube in the diffs such as 75w110 or 75w140

[idosubaru]

the biggest difference will be driving, drive safe.

the second biggest improvement, if you can get trailer brakes for that trailer, do it. even on trucks that's a huge safety improvement.

get an ATF cooler if you have an auto and will be running during any spring, summer or fall. if it's winter/cold only you could check the temps and see where you're running before you decide. if it doesn't get hot, don't get a cooler. you should check the temps before installing and see if you actually need one, but most people don't have the time or equipment to do it. good excuse for one of those laser thermometer gadget things.

 

i would upgrade the brakes on the car, and actually i am right now. not a bad idea anyway, particularly if you're towing. bigger brakes are not only safer but should handle the additional heat better. you could get a larger size front caliper and rotor rather easily. if you're towing up down mountains like where i live, i'd want them even more. your brakes are fairly decent though so while i would still upgrade you wouldn't be hurting that bad without it.

[johnceggleston]

if you haven't towed a trailer before, you'll need to learn once you start. take it easy.

 

tip #1... to back up, place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and push your hand the direction you want the trailer to go. don't think about it, just do it.

 

2. plan ahead, stop sooner, go slower, and make wider turns. think in advance about where you can park. especially at fast food places, parking is easier at off peak times.

 

3. your vehicle is now twice as long, it takes twice as long to cross over a lane of traffic so you can't dart out of a drive way any more. you'll need more time and distance. when passing it 's going to take a while to know when you can pull back into the right lane.

 

4. no sudden moves or steering corrections. so you have to keep your eyes on the road all the time. no more looking down to adjust the radio, if you look up and you are off course you can't just jerk it back on track. the weight of the trailer makes it act different. it could be dangerous.

 

5. no talking on the cell phone, reading directions, eating or alcohol. you don't need these distractions. since you'll be relaxing on vacation(?) pull over to make the call.

 

i'm sure there are more.

 

your situation may not be as sever as mine, my work trailer weighs 25% more than my truck, ford f-350. yours will weigh about half, but still, take it easy. my work trailer has brakes. i then pulled a 96 legacy wagon on a car dolly, i was very surprised. the load without brakes was about half of the big trailer but it didn't have brakes. my stopping distance was noticeable longer, i wasn't sure i was going to stop before i hit the car in front of me.

 

get trailer brakes and have fun.

[jp98]

You also have to figure that the 1850 pounds that the trailer weighs is proably the dry weight with no gear stored in it. By the time you put in your water, propane, camping gear, food, and cooler it wil weigh a lot more.

As was said it will need some brakes and you might look into a equalizer hitch to go on the car.

I hate to admit it but there are some vehicles that really are not ment to haul a trailer but I see it all the time here on I-70 and some of them are a accident waiting to happen.

 

Jim

[Manarius]

Some vehicles are not meant to tow large trailers...

[PAezb]

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=53745&highlight=trailer+brakes

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=77378

 

Your vehicle will tow the trailer just fine, but trailer brakes are a big plus and how much load you'll have inside your vehicle needs to be in the equation. In addition to the info found in the threads above, pay attention to the hitch-tongue weight, make sure the tow vehicle is in good shape, and drive safely.

[The Dude]

I just bought a tent trailer that weighs 1850 pounds and plan to tow it with my 1999 Outback Wagon. My owners manual states towing up to 2000 pounds is acceptable. I'm a little concerned about pulling that much weight. Has anyone here towed this much? Did you have any issues? Any recommendations? Thanks

 

Your Outback should tow that weight handily. The SAME model Subarus are rated for MUCH higher towing limits in Europe. One concern would be the brakes. Subaru suggests trailer brakes for any load over 1,000 lbs.

Add some gear, a passenger or two, and you might end up 2 1/2 + times over the brake limit. That's a little over the limit for my taste. Rear ending a car always results in a lousy day, and usually a lawsuit.

[mikem]

I keep hearing about how European cars of the same make and model are towing more weight and are capable of doing the same in the US market. I just looked up the British law for towing. If the trailer weighs more than 750kg, about 1500 lbs or weighs more than 50% of the curb weight of the vehicle, then the trailer requires brakes.

So, yes I guess the vehicle is capable of moving the weight but probably not capable of stopping the weight in the same proportional distance for the total weight involved. Twice the weight at the same speed is four times the engery to be dissapated in order to get stopped.

Physics is very similiar worldwide. Be very careful.

[Suzam]

Does anyone know if the reason North American vs. other countries in towing capacity rating difference is most likely from national and federal requirements and mandates? The physical construction of the basic Subaru framework and undercarriage should be the same, I would think, no matter if it's build in the US or Japan. So I'm guessing it's a NHTSA thing as far as how much gross weight with or without trailer braking?

 

I tow a utility trailer rated at 995 lbs. every so often and I know I've had over 1,000 lbs in it and the handling changes greatly with more gross weight.

[The Dude]

Does anyone know if the reason North American vs. other countries in towing capacity rating difference is most likely from national and federal requirements and mandates? The physical construction of the basic Subaru framework and undercarriage should be the same, I would think, no matter if it's build in the US or Japan. So I'm guessing it's a NHTSA thing as far as how much gross weight with or without trailer braking?

 

I tow a utility trailer rated at 995 lbs. every so often and I know I've had over 1,000 lbs in it and the handling changes greatly with more gross weight.

 

 

My understanding is that in Europe, training and a driver's license endorsement is required to tow anything of significant weight. Also, unlike the United States, in Europe, filling lawsuits isn't the national pastime.

In the UK, the losing party in a civil lawsuit pays for the attorney's fees for BOTH sides. It does away with the "pay me and I'll go away" extortion that often appears to be a very large part of civil litigation in the US.

[bulwnkl]

Your first 3 responses were the best ones (along with another further down). I've towed our ~1750 - 1850 lb. boat with our '05 Baja over a thousand miles without issue EXCEPTING that it does want to overheat going up longer grades (we have some REALLY long and steep grades in this part of the country). I didn't have my infrared thermometer with me on the trip with all the mountains, so I don't know what was driving the issue: A/T, motor oil, or engine coolant since they all utilize the same radiator out front for cooling.

 

Before that I towed that boat with our '00 Plymouth Neon. That car wouldn't pull it as fast, obviously, but there were still no issues with towing it so long as you listen to the advice given early in this thread. I have a whole lot of towing experience with things much heavier than these so maybe I have a confidence-from-experience advantage?

[86subaru]

i pull a pop up 1800 lbs just fine with my 97 legacy L wagon , all the above is good , you must put on a convertor real easy , yes trailer brakes is good, i got a custom made hitch for mine, no tranny cooler on mine , with no problems, but i live on flat ground no mountains or hills, and drive 50-55 mph, and all fluids + brakes are all new , backing it can be trickly ,if your not use to it, but i drive a semi for a living , so it it real easy

[firstwagon]

It really depends where you live. I have a 15 ft travel trailer that weighs under 2000 lbs loaded. My Legacy could tow it in theory but I live in White Rock. BC (near Vancouver) and every road out of town involves climbing mountain passes.

 

I tow it with a 95 Grand Cherokee 4.0 and on level roads it tows like it's not even there. Start up an long grade and even the big 4.0 six cylinder struggles.

 

Avoid the big hills and mountains and you'll be fine.