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Old 02-20-2015, 11:19 PM   #1
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Name: Alan
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Towing with a Subaru Forester

I am asking on behalf of a friend, is there any trailer that can be safely towed by a Subaru Forester. Please be blunt and truthful in your assessments.
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Old 02-21-2015, 06:18 AM   #2
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Al, what year is the Forester? thnxs
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Old 02-21-2015, 06:56 AM   #3
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With factory limits I believe a Outback can do a 200 # limit tongue weight, 2700 lb trailer. The Forester is #1500 lbs limit which eliminates most FG trailers.
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Old 02-21-2015, 07:42 AM   #4
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The Forester tow limit was reduced from 2400 lbs to 1500 lbs in I believe 2014. I set my 2012 up to tow my 1700 lb Trillium. The lights are easy. The charge line is also strait forward. The brake controller is a hassle.

The 2012 came with a 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic. I have the manual. While the vehicle had adequate power to tow my Trillium, the hill holder clutch made hill starts almost impossible as the brakes will not release until the clutch pedal is completely released. Feathering the clutch with the brakes on leads to premature clutch wear. I live in the mountains. After two outings I went back to my truck. Raz
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Old 02-21-2015, 08:54 AM   #5
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When the new SAE towing standards came into the picture Subaru derated their vehicle tow ratings across their whole line of vehicles . In many cases as RAZ pointed out ,the tow rating dropped around 40%. Without knowing the year of the vehicle , it is impossible to know the tow rating . The one thing that I question with all vehicles is were the vehicle's tow ratings overstated before the new SAE standards or did the new standards lead to them being underrated.
How does a vehicle go from 2400 lbs one year to 1500 Lbs the next year without major changes in the vehicle.? Something does not compute IMHO
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Old 02-21-2015, 09:11 AM   #6
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Based on a 1500/200 lb. tow limit, one could, if careful, tow a bare bones 13' Egg trailer with a Subaru, but they would have to stay completely honest and monitor actual trailer and tongue weights.


Another option for the more adventurous might be one of the earlier (notice that I didn't say "Older") pop-up trailers such as the Hunters & Campsters and a few others that are out there. They seem to come in about 300 lbs lighter than comparable eggs. The ultimate for light weight might be a Eriba Puck, but they are sorta a cult item with VW peeps and aren't all that easy to come by.


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Old 02-21-2015, 10:37 AM   #7
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Thank you all for your informative responses. Our friends have a 2012 Forester, according to Motortrends web site it could pull a 3,300 lb. trailer (braked}. This would make sense considering the European rating.
As an aside when we were in the UK. we saw a Smart pulling a small teardrop trailer.
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Old 02-21-2015, 10:42 AM   #8
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A good compromise would be a Teardrop trailer, there are several FG versions on the market that would tow very nicely with the Forester. I towed one with a Honda CRV and it worked out great. The only down side you do not have a toilet and you most likely will be limited to fair weather camping. I also had a screen room that I set up and that made camping more comfortable.
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Old 02-21-2015, 10:56 AM   #9
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Subaru Towing Limits Redux

Quote:
Originally Posted by Not so Big Al View Post
Thank you all for your informative responses. Our friends have a 2012 Forester, according to Motortrends web site it could pull a 3,300 lb. trailer (braked}. This would make sense considering the European rating.
As an aside when we were in the UK. we saw a Smart pulling a small teardrop trailer.
North American vs. European towing specifications are an oft beaten horse.... that have no bearing on what to do in North America. See last sentence...

In a quick search on-line the best I can find for that vehicle is 2400 lbs. , without mention of maximum tongue weight. which is the real Achilles heal of Subaru's, it's often to low to allow for a full 10+% of trailer weight on the hitch as is general practice, especially for newbies.

BUT...whatever some one else prints or sez, it's all about what it states in the owners manual for that particular vehicle.

Soooo.... Look in the owners manual for your friends vehicle and tell us exactly what that indicates.....



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Old 02-21-2015, 10:59 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Not so Big Al View Post
I am asking on behalf of a friend, is there any trailer that can be safely towed by a Subaru Forester. Please be blunt and truthful in your assessments.
I have been towing a Scamp16 with two Sube Outbacks and now a Forester for a number of years with ease. Sometimes I forget that I have a trailer behind. I don't have the weight of AC or shower though.

The forester is a great car!

Hoboy
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Old 02-21-2015, 11:20 AM   #11
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I have been towing a 13' Scamp with a 2010 Forester and have had no issues. However, I have not towed in the mountains.
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Old 02-21-2015, 12:19 PM   #12
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Alan,
We tow a 13' Scamp front bunk with electric brakes with our 2012 Forester with automatic transmission and I can't imagine a better set up for our needs. We are well within the 2012 Forester towing guidelines and are mindful of maintaining the proper tongue weight when packing the trailer. I got everything needed for hitching from etrailer and had no problem installing it. I think Subaru changed transmissions in their new Foresters for better gas mileage and it resulted in lower towing capacities. This is our 4th Subaru and I was disappointed to learn when it is time to replace it, the new ones may not be up to the task.
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Old 02-21-2015, 01:39 PM   #13
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Torque

We use either our 2010 Forester w/ automatic or our 2009 Tacoma 4 cylinder manual with our Compact 2. Either are fine, except in mountains where the Forester tires me out because its working so hard, while the Tacoma just grunts along happily.
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Old 02-21-2015, 01:53 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steve dunham View Post
When the new SAE towing standards came into the picture Subaru derated their vehicle tow ratings across their whole line of vehicles . In many cases as RAZ pointed out ,the tow rating dropped around 40%. Without knowing the year of the vehicle , it is impossible to know the tow rating . The one thing that I question with all vehicles is were the vehicle's tow ratings overstated before the new SAE standards or did the new standards lead to them being underrated.
How does a vehicle go from 2400 lbs one year to 1500 Lbs the next year without major changes in the vehicle.? Something does not compute IMHO
By the way Steve, in the UK the Forester is rated for 1800 kgs/3960 pounds, and that's with a smaller engine in the UK (2L compared to 2.5L)
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Old 02-21-2015, 02:15 PM   #15
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SAE STANDARDS

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Originally Posted by honda03842 View Post
By the way Steve, in the UK the Forester is rated for 1800 kgs/3960 pounds, and that's with a smaller engine in the UK (2L compared to 2.5L)
It would be helpful if the SAE towing test results for each vehicle were published and public knowledge. If one knew which of the test criteria affected the tow rating of a vehicle it might be easier to make an intelligent decision . The acceleration portion of the test seems to favor vehicles with larger engines with a higher torque rating. I am not an automotive engineer and can not judge the validity of the test but there must be a reason that so many vehicles have lower tow ratings following the implementation of the new standards. Blaming the insurance industry ,lawyers or the vehicle manufacturers does not answer the question . IMHO
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Old 02-21-2015, 02:28 PM   #16
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I would like to put my $0.02 in here. Our Suraru Forester SCREAMS in the mountains with our Compact II. The weight on the trailer is only 1300 lbs, which is way lighter than the majority of eggs. And that is despite slowing down to 20-something mph. Sure, you can do it. But is it optimal?
We made one trip over the Rockies with that set up and switched over to the pick up to tow. Little 4 cylinder Toyota just slopes along and happily carries all the extra gear for boondocking.
We still could use the Subaru for less taxing trips. But the truth is we don't.

YMMV


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Old 02-21-2015, 02:29 PM   #17
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Subaru will not honor a warranty if used as a tow vehicle. Lots of people use them if they travel light, rv less than 2,000. Also lots of people travel at 60mph or less, if on back roads.
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Old 02-21-2015, 03:15 PM   #18
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I agree that when towing on long mountain runs the RPM increases however most 4 cylinders engines are designed for high RPM, that does not mean driving at 20 mph, at least for our CRV.

The percentage of time one is climbing significant mountain passes is limited. We made at least 14 crossings of the Rockies and crossed many times that number of passes and their was never an issue. We've traveled for 13 years, 7.5 months a year and might have saved a couple of hours if we had a V-6/8.

As to the warranty, I bet Subaru has to honor a warranty if it's used to tow, after all Subaru sells it with a tow rating. (I'm sure this will not effect anyone, but our last 8 Hondas have never had a warranty issue.)

Does anyone have a reference that Subaru tests to SAE standards?

Certainly if you want to charge up mountain passes at 60 mph definitely get a large engine. If you're looking for economy get something smaller.
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Old 02-21-2015, 04:30 PM   #19
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First-gen Forester automatic and basic Scamp 13 here. Happy with the combination, many tens of thousands of miles, many years. Some caveats and opinions: It suffers at high altitudes. Keep some tongue weight on (propane and/or battery) or it yanks disconcertingly. Trans hunts between 3rd and 4th; best to manually control it and constantly anticipate what's best. On big uphills, hold right at 4000rpm in whatever gear you can and don't worry about speed. Can't use cruise control when towing. We've had no problems with sway. Trailer brakes are always great, but we've done well without them. Use a full-width, proper hitch. Keep cargo to a reasonable minimum. MPG drops from ~27hwy to ~16-17 when towing. I wouldn't tow more than a basic Scamp 13 with a Forester. If your friend's car is a CVT transmission, that's way different and I have no idea what to recommend. I would much prefer the Outback 3.6R/5-speed automatic combination to what we have, but plan on staying with the ol' Forester most of the time.
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Old 02-21-2015, 05:25 PM   #20
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I have just purchased my 3rd Subaru, 2014 Outback. I purchased the extended warranty and read it. It is stated that the warranty is not in effect if the Subaru is used as a tow vehicle. I used my 2005, 4 cyl. as a TV for a Casita that weighed 1780 pounds. It seemed to work fine for me, but I didn't drive in the mountains. So...there you have it. Just sharing; if you tow, read the fine print or don't buy an extended warranty.
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