I have a 2008 Subaru Outback 4cyl, automatic, that I used to pull my pop-up, and a Dodge Dakota I use to pull my
Scamp 16 SD. I always wondered if the Subaru would be capable of pulling the
Scamp so I gave it a short 40 mile trial today on local roads, small hills, and Interstate (up to 65 MPH).
In order to meet Subaru's limits for my Subaru (2700 lbs, and 200 lb tongue weight) for this test, I had to temporarily remove the
battery and the two
propane tanks. That dropped the tongue
weight to 200 lbs. Subaru recommends 8% tongue
weight, so that means I can't exceed 2500 lbs on the trailer, or either the tongue
weight goes above 200 lbs, or it drops below 8%.
I'm happy to report that the Subaru exceeded my expectations on this test, so I now know that I can use it as a backup if the need arises, as long as I keep the balance to stay within limits
. I can replace my front
battery with a sealed Optima
battery in the back, and drop down to a single
propane tank in the front to balance the tongue weight at or below 200. I'll also need to minimize what I carry in the
Scamp to keep it under 2500 lbs.
The Subaru surprised me. It seemed to take the small hills better than my V8 Dakota, with less downshifting required, and although the fuel mileage dropped below the normal 28 on the highway without a trailer, the 17.4 I got towing was still better than the 14.5 I recently got with my Dodge.
My Scamp weighs 2460 with a half full water tank, so dropping to 1
propane tank and travelling with empty tanks will still give me a "little" bit of carrying capacity in the Scamp.
I know a lot of people have been asking about Subaru Outback and the Scamp 16 lately, so maybe this will help them decide. If I was ordering a Scamp 16 new and had an Outback, I would just try to keep the options down and keep the Scamp as
light as possible to help you stay within the limits.
I have a transmission cooler on my Outback, and electric brake controllers to help keep things in check, and a 5" lift on my receiver drawbar to keep the Scamp level.