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Old 06-25-2013, 11:27 AM   #81
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Name: McKenna Lynn
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I am planning on retiring in a few years and traveling full-time in the U.S./Canada for 2 years (just myself and cats). I have never towed and am trying to educate myself ahead of time. I liked the Chalet XL 1935 but now am leaning towards the Escape 17B, mainly because of the cats. I have a 2011 Subaru Outback 3.6R which can tow 3000lbs, and just realized I may need a different vehicle to tow the Escape with dry weight 2100. I travel and camp alot, but this is new to me. Any advice would be appreciated....McKenna in Colorado
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Old 06-25-2013, 12:01 PM   #82
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Welcome Lynn,
To FRV and our family. You may want to start your own thread over here
Escape Trailer Owners Community for some answers.
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Old 06-25-2013, 12:30 PM   #83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by McKenna Lynn View Post
I am planning on retiring in a few years and traveling full-time in the U.S./Canada for 2 years (just myself and cats). I have never towed and am trying to educate myself ahead of time. I liked the Chalet XL 1935 but now am leaning towards the Escape 17B, mainly because of the cats. I have a 2011 Subaru Outback 3.6R which can tow 3000lbs, and just realized I may need a different vehicle to tow the Escape with dry weight 2100. I travel and camp alot, but this is new to me. Any advice would be appreciated....McKenna in Colorado
Hello! I agree with Jim; you will get plenty of information and advice if you post on the Escape Forum. However, I don't think you can go wrong with an Escape trailer (we have a 19ft. but also owned two 17ft. Escapes)! There are lots of happy owners and a wealth of information about tow vehicles on the forum. I think a larger tow vehicle would be good. You might want to look at a few Escape trailers and compare to other brands; we have not found many that compare in quality, but everyone has different needs so it pays to look around and see them in person.
Good luck in your adventure!
Happy Trails,
Linda
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Old 06-25-2013, 01:08 PM   #84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by McKenna Lynn View Post
I am planning on retiring in a few years and traveling full-time in the U.S./Canada for 2 years (just myself and cats). I have never towed and am trying to educate myself ahead of time. I liked the Chalet XL 1935 but now am leaning towards the Escape 17B, mainly because of the cats. I have a 2011 Subaru Outback 3.6R which can tow 3000lbs, and just realized I may need a different vehicle to tow the Escape with dry weight 2100. I travel and camp alot, but this is new to me. Any advice would be appreciated....McKenna in Colorado
Since the main part of your question has to do with the tow vehicle, I think you'd do better to ask it in a Subaru forum...

But as a starting point, I advise a careful perusal of your vehicle owner's manual. I took a quick look at one online. It's true that your vehicle has a "tow limit" of 3,000 pounds, but there's more to be considered than just that number. There's language there as to limits on long uphill stretches, but perhaps more important and really the limiting factor for you is that the trailer tongue weight can't exceed 200 pounds.
Period.
(There are no modifications one can make to increase that number, by the way.)

Since for purposes of towing stability, most non-European camptrailers must be towed with a minimum tongue weight of 10% of loaded trailer weight, the Escape 17 clearly will exceed this limit by at least a hundred pounds once loaded.

The evident disconnect between the stated tow limit and the low allowable tongue weight is easily explainable and very common in vehicles of this size/class. Boats are the most commonly towed units by vehicles of this type, and since due to differences in design they can be safely towed with a lower tongue-to-total ratio, a 200 pound tongue weight with a 3000 pound boat would be perfectly stable. ( In all cases, trailer weights over 1,000 pounds do require trailer brakes.)

I frankly agree with your hunch that you'll need to consider more tow vehicle (or less trailer).

Good luck!

Francesca


P.S.
It's agonizingly slow to load, but here's a link to the online 2011 Outback Owner's Manual
It covers all models including your 3.6, and trailer towing info starts at page "8-19".

F.
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Old 06-25-2013, 01:22 PM   #85
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I frankly agree with your hunch that you'll need to consider more tow vehicle (or less trailer).
Shoot me now, but I am going to have to agree with Francesca.

After loading the trailer you will be probably at the towing capacity, and if you are towing in any mountainous terrain, your performance will suffer, and the wear on the car increased. Not to mention your towing confidence......
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Old 06-25-2013, 01:27 PM   #86
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Welcome Lynn wish I was off to travel for a few years of travel!

I tow with an Outback and its a great little tow vehicle - much better than many here realize but there is one *BIG* downside to towing with it. Although the car has a 3000lb tow capacity specification it also only has a 200lb tongue weight capacity specification and Subaru states in their manuals that no Weight distribution hitch is to be used on their vehicles. Although some here will argue the reasons for the no weight distribution hitch (WDH) rule I have been advised by Subaru that its a handling issue connected to the all wheel drive system they use and the WDH can negatively impact the vehicle's handling. You will be very hard pressed to find a Travel trailer over 13' with an total weight of 2000lbs loaded up in order to keep the tongue weight at 10% (200lbs) which I have found is necessary with the Subaru to keep the tow solid and avoid any sway issues at speeds of 55 mph or over on rough freeways. Have tried to tow with it at a lower rating such as the 8% Subaru suggests is ok but trust me its not a good solid feeling. It might be ok towing a boat at 8% tongue weight but from personal experience its not so good with a TT trailer.

Yes I tow a 16' with my Outback but its a real light side bath 16' and I cheat a bit more than I would like on the tongue weight specifications and I dont think its in the best long term interest of the car maintenance wise to do so. I also have to work very hard at keeping my total trailer weight down - it gets totally cleaned out of stuff at least twice a year and only the real necessary goes back into it. I dont carry much other than golf clubs and a *light* bike or two in the car. I also weigh the trailer as often as I can to be sure its not in need of starvation diet sooner than planned. I am looking at a vehicle change as a result of the head ache of needing to be so diligent with the trailers weight and stowage and I am looking at something with a 5000lb tow weight specification.

My recommendation based on 6 years of towing with an Outback thousands of miles over lots of various terrains is stick to a 13' trailer and you will be a very happy & safe camper.
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Old 06-25-2013, 01:36 PM   #87
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Shoot me now, but I am going to have to agree with Francesca.
.
not sure I would have bet a Loonie on that!

You two should toast to it!
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Old 06-25-2013, 01:58 PM   #88
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Just noticed that same questions were posted by Lynn on another thread title .." New member....not sure what will work for me".

Perhaps a moderator could consolidate the responses to one thread.
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