2013 or 14 Subaru Outback 2.5L CVT

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by MC1

Yes..... but raises the question. Is the WDH not recommended because the factory receiver is to weak to support the WDH action or is it something else???


]

LOL Well thats why I called Subaru USA and Canada to ask! and as I indicated no one said anything at all about the receiver being to weak...... in fact they didn't even start offering a factory hitch of their own until sometime after 2008..... each party asked came back with the same answer... the redistribution of weight created by the WDH may result in handling issues with the all wheel drive system they use.....

[The Minimalist]

As the OP I'd like to post a comment.

If you reference Post #93, you will see that I have purchased a 2014 Outback and have made the initial trip. We went to the Smokies, about 1600 miles round trip with some mountain driving. The Outback towed the Little Joe just fine.

I appreciate all the useful information I received in the responses, but this thread has gotten off track more than once, and now seems to have degenerated into a p-----g contest, where no one wins, but everyone gets wet.

May I suggest that when an OP asks a specific question about a particular make and model of TV or TT, such as:

"2013 or 14 Subaru Outback 2.5L CVT Anyone towing with one of these? I'm looking for a new tow vehicle for my Little Joe. Loaded it's a bit over 1800#. " (Actually, you may have seen that the Little Joe weighed in at 1760.)

Most of the replies I got contained very useful information and were, I'm sure, well intentioned. However, much of it didn't apply to the question asked.

Please, let's stay on topic, and above all let's be civil.

My 2 pesos.

Thanks.
Clif

ps. My manual clearly states, "Do not use with any type of weight distributing hitch."

[Mary F]

For those who have not been paying attention, numerous argumentative posts have been removed from this thread. Please remember:

Arguments do not gain strength from repetition nor from increased rhetoric. If anything they are weakened by drawing attention to the personality rather than the point.

Please give us credit for getting your point the first time and being able to sift through competing and conflicting advice.

When the tone of posts becomes overly personal, sarcastic, or defensive, it is very off-putting to others, especially new, and potential new, members.

[Balou]

I have a 2014 Subaru Outback 2.5 and i tow a 2014 Sidekick of 1700 pounds (empty) or 2220 with stock. No problemo!

[venicetrioLA]

I am not sure where i should reply as this post just seems to go on and on. So many outbacks out there towing trailers and so many questions. I am thankful for everyone's input and advice. As a reminder I drive a 2011 2.6 Subaru Outback CVT. The Subie did great! We hit temps of 100F but there was no problem in the inclines. I was very aware and used the manual shifting when necessary. Otherwise the trailer towed great.

LA to Vancouver trip (with longer stops in Monterey and Cannon Beach) was about 1600 miles. My tongue weight was around 190 lbs, the trailer about 1800 lbs, now the car weight (GVW) was under the recommended amount by a good amount but honestly I don't remember what it was. Bottom line - successful trip with no causalities of any kind. I made a few adjustments in the loading of the trailer at the start of the trip to have it tow smoother (taking in consideration what was behind the trailer wheels, and also left and right sides). I kept speeds of around 65 or less. Mileage was about 19 mpg. I DID NOT put the bikes on the back of the trailer. Instead I put 2 bikes (about 50 lbs inside the trailer). Not my favorite choice but we wanted at least one adult bike to ride with the kid. On the way back we did the straight trip down I5 and we drove 1300 miles. I am considering bike racks for the roof of my car for the future.

First MAJOR trip in our 1975 13 foot Trillium was a wonderful success. We loved it! I am again thankful to the forum for helping me prepare immensely for being a new Trillium owner.

[HectorSeaSlug]

Haven't read the whole thread but thought I'd drop my 2 cents. Last Christmas I towed a 15 ft rPod with my 2013 2.5 Outback from Dallas to Roosevelt National Forest west of Fort Collins. http://www.enjoygram.com/m/616308934785145648_30844389 here's a link to my Instagram where you can see the frozen hell we went through. The Outback performed beautifully and gave us great peace of mind, but I highly suggest to try to tow something with a lower profile in mind. We only really experienced problems South of Pueblo where there's a long (like 20 miles) incline up a hill. The temperature was warmer and the wind was blowing against us, and the Outback suddenly started throttling our speed. It felt like the transmission had started to go out on us so we stopped it for a bit and took it all the way back down hill to the local Subaru dealership where they told us that they couldn't find anything wrong but that it may be a fail-safe feature that Subaru had put on the vehicle to prevent damage to the vehicle when it's transmission started to overheat. We took it slow and made our way back up the hill with only a slight issue towards the peak. Subaru later told us that the outback can tow but it isn't designed to tow for long distances. I'm sure it didn't help that the rPod is quite a bit taller than the Outback and acted like a sail pulling in the opposite direction.

Aside from that, I briefly looked at you profile, did you purchase that little Joe? How much was it? How far have you towed it, how's your Outback done towing it? I know we were a bit on edge seeing we only got 8mpg, especially when on those long empty rural roads where a full tank only takes you about 140 miles and gas stations are spread for 16 to 30 mpg vehicles.

I meant to reply to OP, but oops. I'm still new here.