Subaru OB 3.6 pull a Casita 13 ft Dlx ???

[McKenna Lynn]

I was interested in an Escape, but circumstances have changed, and I am now looking at the smaller Casita 13 ft Deluxe. I see differing specs on this Casita. In the real world, is this do-able if I am frugal with added weight ?
Thanks for your advice.....McKenna

[Cam A]

Yes

[Mike Magee]

That should work fine for overall weight and for towability. One thing to watch is that you do not get too much stuff loaded at the front of the trailer, making the tongue too heavy. A bathroom scale can used to check the tongue weight when you're loaded for camping. It should be a good rig... plenty of folks here tow with Subies.

[Bob Miller]

You didn't mention what year but, according to the real world weights chart , a 13' Casita can be a little heavy for some Suburu's. Check you own owners manual for an exact fugure

Here are some Suburu towing capacities from >>>cars101.com



Suburu Outback
2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005:
4 cylinder 2.5i, XT- 2700 pounds with trailer brakes, 1000 w/o brakes,
Hard towing 1350lbs
CVT transmission- if towing replace the CVT oil 24855 miles
6 cylinder 3.6L, 3.0L: 3000lbs with trailer brakes, 1000 w/o brakes, hard towing 1500lbs
2004, 2003: Outback 4 cyl and all sedans 2000#, 6 cylinder wagons 2400lbs
2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 Outbacks: 2000lbs

[honda03842]

McKenna has a 3.6L Outback and should be able to tow any 13 foot fiberglass trailer and many 16 footers. One must just be careful not to over do the tongue loading.

[Mike Magee]

She did say it was the 3.6L, so that would seem to point toward the 3000 lb limit (with trailer brakes). A lightly loaded Casita Patriot 13 should be about 2100-2400 lbs. I just now searched for the Outback's hitch weight limit, and some folks on the Outback forum have posted that it is only 200 lbs. If this is accurate, I guess I would be wrong about the Outback being able to tow a 13' Casita with the front bath, which currently has a posted dry weight of 245 lbs. By the time you added propane and a few items, it would seem likely that even by loading most stuff to the rear of the trailer it would be too heavy. Those front bathrooms add a lot of weight to the hitch. While your hitch should be strong enough, the places where the hitch attaches to the car may not be. Or maybe the rear suspension will become damaged by the excess weight.

An older Patriot without bath might work, or a Scamp with front bunks (no bath). Or if you really want the bathroom, you could look at the Weiscraft Ponderosa (180 lb hitch weight). Or look into having a custom hitch receiver fabricated with stronger attachments, and modifications to the rear suspension.

[edit]: Another possibility is the Scamp 16 with side bath. With the bathroom off to the side and with careful loading, it might be kept under 200 lbs. But that would mean a hitch weight that's less than 10% of the total trailer weight, and the trailer might sway under the wrong circumstances.

[Bob Miller]

Thank You for the levity Mike

All to often we see answers like "Yes" to a complex question, as well as those that seem to feel that towing limits are "suggestive".

For the 10% of us that don't think that we are "Above Average" drivers, a little caution is worth a ton of stopping power.

And, as always, for actual towing limits I defer to the owners manual for the specific vehicle, rather than using secondary sources as being gospel.

[Carol H]

I pull with an Subaru Outback for 6 years and yes Mike is correct the tongue weight spec limit set by Subaru is only 200 lbs regardless of the model which presents a problem towing 16' trailers or heavy weighted front end 13's.

If I was starting from scratch with buying a trailer to tow with the Outback I would not consider towing any 16' with it due to the ongoing struggle with my lightly loaded 16' sidebath I have had at attempting to keep my tongue weight and axle ratio correct and somewhat close to what Subaru specs are & avoid sway at the same time. Havent been able to do it without putting between 20 to 40 more pounds on the tongue than Subaru's specs to avoid sway issues. To compensate for that I dont carry much in the rear or back seats of the car. Subaru also does not recommend the use of a weight distribution hitch to get around the problem. For whats its worth I would stick pulling a standard 13' trailer with the Outback regardless of which model it is.

[honda03842]

We tow a Scamp 16 with a 2.4L Honda CRV and limit our tongue weight to 220 lbs or less, typically 200 lbs, and have towed without any issues all over the USA and Canada.

Just to let you know our Honda CRV is not rated by Honda to tow this weight in the USA but it is in Europe.

We have also towed a Casita 16. It had a measured tongue weight of 230 lbs and had a front bath. If we had owned the Casita we would have reduced the tongue weight a little further but were just using it for a year.

Personally, properly loaded in my opinion you should be able tow any 13 and some 16s. If I were towing a 13 I would look for one with brakes.

From looking at the table of Trailer Weights, it is possible to load a trailer to a thru a wide range. Our Scamp 16 weighs about 2400 lbs. Our son's Scamp 13 weighs 1750 lbs, no bath. Our Scamp 16 has a side bath and we travel extensively with a full complement of stuff averaging 7.5 months a year on the road.

[Mike Magee]

Honda CRVs may be sturdier in the rear than Subaru Outbacks... or not. I'm no engineer. No doubt the Subaru drive train could handle the 13'er and most 16's as well.

Geez, I'm starting to get downright conservative... what's happened to me over the years?

[Perry J]

Originally Posted by Cam A

Yes

I've been a member for several years and often wonder how many new to RVs people go away confused, with more worries and less enjoyment from long answers to a simple question.

More answers should be as succinct as yours as yours Cam.

John

[Byron Kinnaman]

I looked at tongue weights in Fredrick's post trailer-weights-in-the-real-world

Of all the 13' trailers weighed the Casita seems to be the most heavy. I would be a bit concerned about tongue weights. One member that used to participate purchased a Casita 13' with a front bathroom, the front wheels of her Subaru were almost off the ground.

I suggest you look at what your Subaru is rated for then look at the Fredrick's lists of weights per the link above. Then make a decision.

[McKenna Lynn]

After looking at the list, it seems my Outback can't tow practically a thing. And once loaded tongue weight would be well over the max of 200 for the Outback. I was very ignorant buying the Subaru, thinking I was getting a hefty vehicle. I really wanted an Escape 15', Casita, or Scamp, but doesn't look like it will work once loaded with gear. Thanks......

[McKenna Lynn]

The Little Guy T@b Trailer has a tongue weight of 180lbs. I assume once loaded, that weight would also exceed the Outback max of 200 lbs ??

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Perry J

I've been a member for several years and often wonder how many new to RVs people go away confused, with more worries and less enjoyment from long answers to a simple question.

More answers should be as succinct as yours as yours Cam.

John

---------------------------------------------

Even when they are incorrect?

IMHO: After reviewing the posts in this thread it appears that the o.p. has been saved a lot of possible problems by reading the range of correct and not so correct answers. McKenna's comment in post #14 tells the story.

In as much as posts, including mine, are generally limited to opinions and experiences, it behoves the reader to do due diligence with replies.

Or, one could ask the "Professionals" at the local RV shop, most of which have never seen an FGRV, and run the risk of getting the (often) wrong answers from that source and not recognizing the difference.

The question was very complex and the range of answers addressed just that complexity.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by McKenna Lynn

The Little Guy T@b Trailer has a tongue weight of 180lbs. I assume once loaded, that weight would also exceed the Outback max of 200 lbs ??

-------------------------------------------------------------------
As mentioned, there ar a lot of list members happily towing with Suburu's, you just have to be careful in what you select.

At the lowest FGRV weight end are the Hunters/Campsters and a restored one of these might be of interest. We even stayed well withing the towing limit's of your vehicle with our 13' Lil' Bigfoot, but our 13' front bath Scamp would be a bit tongue heavy.

Again, there are a lot of opportunitites out there and you now have better knowledge to help you make a selection that is appropriate and safe for your vehicle.

Above all, keep asking questions.....

[Eddie Longest]

Lynn
I could just make the 2011 Outback towing specs. with a Scamp 13 front bath with brakes. It towed great and I got 22 mpg. Towing anything any larger I doubt will meet their specs.
You are right, Subaru and the dealers push the 2700lb towing capability but with the 200lb. tongue weight limit you can't safely tow that much.
Eddie

[Mike Magee]

McKenna, you can still have your dream. Just be cautiously selective about which trailer you choose. As mentioned, a Scamp 13 has a lighter hitch weight than a Casita 13, and a no-bath 13 also has a lighter hitch weight than a front bath 13.

Thomas, truth and reality can be frightening sometimes. Better to face the truth and reality early in the process, though. At least no one came on here and simply posted, "no!" as the answer. Really the better answer is a qualified "maybe, it depends".

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

................... Really the better answer is a qualified "maybe, it depends".

Of course, but it is much easier to tell people that they need to just buy a much bigger tow vehicle rather than to optimize an existing vehicle. As long as the individual axle and combined vehicle ratings are adhered to, there is no reason that a vehicle designed as a soccer mom shuttle can't be upgraded to tow safely.

I spent a whole career as an automotive engineer and I know how the sausage is made. Someone complains about a harsh ride and the choice is to make the rear springs extra soft to please the 95% who do not tow, at the expense of the 5% who do tow. That is how you end up with a 200 pound tongue weight limit. Sure they could offer a rear spring upgrade, but that would cost money to please relatively few. Thus, it is up to the owner to optimize towing performance or buy a pickup truck, where competitive forces drive towing optimization by the manufacturers.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by McKenna Lynn

After looking at the list, it seems my Outback can't tow practically a thing. And once loaded tongue weight would be well over the max of 200 for the Outback. I was very ignorant buying the Subaru, thinking I was getting a hefty vehicle. I really wanted an Escape 15', Casita, or Scamp, but doesn't look like it will work once loaded with gear. Thanks......

My Scamp 13' weighs about 1500 lbs on the axle and 165 lbs tongue weight. For a grand total of 1665 lbs. However that's without A/C, shower, and toilet.

It was weighed on the way out on a camping trip so it was loaded for camping.

FYI I believe that most of Fredrick's list is fully loaded trailers.