Hauling with a Subaru

[Gerry]

To All
We have no plans at all to get anything bigger then the Lady-Bug 13 ft Boler but even at that the dry weight at around 1200# I would be carefull not to go overboard with my packing.
Things add up quick with extra tanks of gas and the battery and screen house and chairs and cookwear and and and...
We are still just in the looking stage and my wife who does the driveing is still not convinced that a Subaru will do the job and as the Toyota needs replaceing also we may get a newer model truck and newer model Subaru and if the Subaru just so happends to have a tow pkg. on it it will be an extra and if we plan trips not going over the White Mts we could take that.
gerry

[Bobbie Mayer]

For all of you who tow a trailer with a Subaru, what is your usual highway mileage and what do you get with the trailer? I wish I could remember what I got pulling the boat, but I know it wasn't under 20 (normal is about 28 highway.)

Bobbie

[Carol H]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this. It easy to find trailers over 13' that come in under the 3000lb weight limit of the Outback but agree it is really had to find something over 13' with a tongue weight less than the 200 lb limit. Just have to convince my better half that a 16' is a bad idea! The problem here is that there are few Scamps around for him to look at in order to realize he could probable live with a 13'.

Bobby I have never towed with the Subaru so can't answer your question re gas milage but I can tell you that my 07 is not getting as good as milage as my previous two Outbacks did. Not a big difference perhaps only a few miles to the gallon less but enough that I have noticed it. Not sure of all the differences between the new one and the old 01 but this one is an LTD with a lot more options......perhaps it weighs a bit more. Regardless I still like the car as a great car for the city, ski hill and hauling the dogs around and hopefull one day very soon it will be pulling a Scamp.

Carol

[Cam A]

For all of you who tow a trailer with a Subaru, what is your usual highway mileage and what do you get with the trailer? I wish I could remember what I got pulling the boat, but I know it wasn't under 20 (normal is about 28 highway.)

Bobbie

Our last big trip ran about 18 mpg - with a heavy load, in the mountains. Speed makes a huge difference. 90 Kph (54 mph) results in noticeably better mileage than 105 (63 mph). I normally get 28 highway.

[jack maloney]

18mpg is about right for us, and we tow at 55-60mph.

[Mary Gessert]

What is the configuration of your Scamp?
I wondered if you had every weighed the tongue once you loaded the trailer up and what it came out at. What is a typical load up for you? I am assuming you do not haul with water in the tanks?

Our 1998 Scamp has a table/bed in the rear and a bathroom/shower on the side, two bunks in the front. The last trip we took in the fall the loaded camper was 2040 lbs. and the tongue weight was 250 lbs. We usually don't fill up the water tank until we arrive at or near our destination.

[Mary Gessert]

For all of you who tow a trailer with a Subaru, what is your usual highway mileage and what do you get with the trailer? I wish I could remember what I got pulling the boat, but I know it wasn't under 20 (normal is about 28 highway.)

Bobbie

I get 29 mpg without and 19 mpg while towing the Scamp (16 ft., 2040 lbs.). I have found that my mileage is best at 55-60 mph. This is with a 4 cyl Subaru. The sixes would probably be a little different.

BTW - My mechanic brother reminds me to tow in 3rd gear, not drive (I have an automatic.), especially on hills. This keeps the transmission from shifting so much and saves wear.

[Mary Gessert]

Our 1998 Scamp has a table/bed in the rear and a bathroom/shower on the side, two bunks in the front. The last trip we took in the fall the loaded camper was 2040 lbs. and the tongue weight was 250 lbs. We usually don't fill up the water tank until we arrive at or near our destination.

I really appreciate the in depth discussions on this list regarding safe towing. For those of you who are concerned about our tongue weight, I want to reassure you that we took corrective measures by moving our dog and her travel crate from the front bunk to the rear bed.

Mary

[Fabienne M.]

Hello all,
I have a Subaru (Forester) and a Trillium 4500 and have just gotten the hitch and brakes, etc. set up. Going to use our trailer for the first time this Summer and am so excited, I actually have dreams about it! A little nervous about going on the road, obviously - a first timer is almost always nervous and I am wondering if I need sway bars or if they even exist for a class II hitch. Does anyone know? Does anyone with a Subaru have sway bars? And if yes, what kind? I've looked all over the internet and can't find anything?

Hope everyone is having a great Summer,
Freedom and friendship to all,

Fabienne

[Cam A]

Hey Fabienne
My Surfside is pretty much a match for your 4500, and I tow with a 98 Forester, no brakes. As long as your suspension isn't sacked (mine was) and your tire pressure is good, you should have no problems. Don't drive too fast, and leave yourself some braking room in traffic. Have a great time and let us know how it went.

[Brian B-P]

... I am wondering if I need sway bars or if they even exist for a class II hitch.

Weight distributing hitch (WDH) systems are only available for hitches with a 2" square receiver box, which means generally not Class II hitch receivers (like mine, most are 1.25" square). That means that if by "sway bar" you mean WDH, they are not available.

Many "sway control" devices are add-ons to WDH systems, so they're out too.

That just leaves friction-type sway control devices. They can be added to any size of hitch (easily to most Class II and Class III hitches)... if for some reason you want one.

[Dennis Kelderman]

We have Lady-bug, a 13 foot Boler, no brakes, and actualy bought it last year with thoughts of hauling with our Subaru Outback. NO TOW PKG.
The Outback has a 4 cylinder and is an automatic with a tow rateing of 2000 lbs which is well above the dry weight of the camper and I would assume under the full weight because with just the wife and I, we travel lite.
On another forum someone said they had a Subaru Outback and they went cross country with simmilar trailer and it with no problems.
I asked this person a few questions but because my questions were a bit off track of the forum's subject I got no response so I ask them here.
Will my Outback, with a properly installed hitch do OK?
Is it an expensive deal to have a transmission cooling system installed in Car?
Gerry

Gerry,
I'm just about ready to start hauling my 13ft u-haul with a 4cyl Dodge stratus, so I look at these threads with a great deal of interest.
. As a mechanic I must inform you that some cars already have coolers on them from the factory. I dont know the Subys well enough to say one way or another, but it is somthing to consider.

[Doug & Anna-Marie P]

We are not really shopping for a new car yet (but I am always looking!! much toi dh chagrin) but I noticed that the subaru really has a low tongue weight.
I think 150 pounds???
With a couple propane tanks and a battery--I know we are over that so that is why I have discounted a subaru for us..
Anyone know any different??