Subaru Outback enough to tow Scamp 13' ft.?

[Lonely Road]

Originally Posted by wbullivant

I have an 07 Rav4 v6 that I use to tow a 4'x8' utility trailer. l recently helped a friend tow the trailer behind his 2015 4 cyl Outback to pick up two scoops of landscaping mulch (around 2klbs total). We were amazed that it was only able to creep up hills at about five mph. I realize this is a poorly documented anecdotal account but it was enough to convince me that I'd look elsewhere for a tow vehicle. Not sure whether the CVT is at fault or simply a lack of power. Or maybe I'm just used to the Rav.
Bill

Oh oh.


M

[Carol H]

Having pulled with an Outback for six years I would like to suggest to the OP that as they have decided to purchase a deluxe 13' with a Front bath they are going to need to look at a different make of tow vehicle due to the tongue weight of the trailer they have picked.

NONE of the Subaru's regardless of the engine size are rated to carry anymore than 200lbs on the tongue!

With all due respect to some here I am going to suggest that we have a few folks who need to actually weigh their trailers. U-Haul 13's and Hunter Compacts are the only trailers that routinely weigh in at under 200lbs on the tongue.

On the Real World Weight Thread there are 5 - 13' Scamps NONE of them have a tongue weight of under 200lbs. 1 weighed (a standard ) 240lbs on the tongue and 3 Weighed in at 230lbs (2 deluxe and 1 standard) and only one came in at 200lbs.

The above really is not a big surprise. Most 13' Casita's, Bolers and Escapes that have been weighed correctly once loaded for camping more often than not weight in at over 200lbs on the tongue. That is assuming they have been loaded correctly for the most stable tow experience and they have propane and battery on tongue.

To see the most current xl sheet From the thread Trailer Weights in the Real World go to Lakeshoreimages.com/spreadsheets/weight.xls.

[rainjer]

I have a 2014 Outback 2.5L CVT. I used it tow my Compact Jr home when I bought it. It was a 300+ mile trip from Spokane WA to Marysville WA (North of Seattle). It was all highway driving over both flat land and a mountain pass. The trailer was empty except for a few item we brought that i put inside the trailer to increase the tongue weight. I weighed the trailer before we left Spokane and it was about 1100#. The Outback had not problem towing even over the mountains. That being said the gas mileage sucked.... Going over we averaged 30+ MPG. Coming home with the trailer we averaged 18.2 MPG. It was not the weight of the trailer, it was the wind resistance from the trailer was the issue. I could coast down a steep hill and the trailer would slow me down like I was dragging an anchor...

Since then I bought a 2015 Tacoma and found it tows much better. I get 17+MPG towing the trailer (18.5 MPG without).

If we were going on a local camping trip I would still use the Outback but most trip we will use the Tacoma.

Jeremy

[Darwin Maring]

Trailer brakes make all the difference.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Trailer brakes make all the difference.

Yup they do which is why the Subaru's max tow ratings only applies to trailers with brakes!

If a trailer has no brakes then the Subaru is only rated to tow 1000lbs.

[bpfick]

Originally Posted by rainjer

Coming home with the trailer we averaged 18.2 MPG. It was not the weight of the trailer, it was the wind resistance from the trailer was the issue. I could coast down a steep hill and the trailer would slow me down like I was dragging an anchor...


Jeremy

Yup. Folks everywhere in social media love the Subaru and small Scamp and Scamp-like trailers and about all that ever gets mentioned is trailering capacity. Tongue weights are largely ignored and even rarer is the discussion about how many frontal square feet of trailer does the auto maker recommend on any vehicle.

I know the front of the Scamp is round and smooth, but I agree with the anchor analogy. Get into a head wind at all and even the little 13 will indeed act as an anchor. I too have never quite understood those who gleefully exclaim that they "don't even know they're towing anything". I sometimes wonder if the TV is Peterbuilt.

[redbarron55]

Standard ratings are for weight and 30 sq ft frontal area.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by bpfick

I know the front of the Scamp is round and smooth, but I agree with the anchor analogy. Get into a head wind at all and even the little 13 will indeed act as an anchor. I too have never quite understood those who gleefully exclaim that they "don't even know they're towing anything". I sometimes wonder if the TV is Peterbuilt.

Here is a news flash. In headwinds the same thing will happen regardless of what you are pulling it with. EVEN a truck

I have pulled my 16' Scamp with an Outback, a mid size V6 truck and a full sized V8 truck and I have with all 3 combos had occasion to have to use the gas while driving down a steep hill in a head wind. ;-) Have also seen the MPG's go south to the 6-7 mpg range while towing on the flats in a head wind with all 3 vehicles.

The funny thing is that some assume the Outback does not weigh much and as such the Scamp would be an anchor to the Outback. The Outback is not as light as some might think and in fact some years the Outback has out weighed the ever popular Toyota Tacoma!

I actually wish I could have a truck that provided as rock solid a tow in side winds as the Subaru did/does. I think it might surprise a few people as to how solidly some of the smaller SUV or Station Wagon vehicles can tow compared to a truck. Take a look at some of Can-Am's Youtube videos to see how well some of the set ups do.

If one has only ever pulled with a truck then I can see why they might not have ever had the feeling that they are not towing anything - even if only for a fleeting moment. Honestly I have never had that feeling while pulling with a truck either.

If I only owned a 13' Scamp standard & only travel with myself and another party in the car, I would not hesitate to tow it with an Outback taking care as to how I stowed it to keep the tongue weight down to 200lbs or less. Especially if I was only going to be towing with the Outback a few times a year.

[Balou]

I have a Trillium of 2200 ponds towed by a Subaru Outback 2,5l for thé last 3 year s and i expérienced no problems.

[Ttocs M]

It's all in the packing...heavy stuff in the back of the Subaru. From these discussions, I guess it is a moot point to consider adding a second propane tank to my Scamp's tongue...maybe that's why Subaru never responds to my online inquiries???

[Lonely Road]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

Trailer brakes make all the difference.

What kind of brakes does the Scamp 13 deluxe have, or do you know?

Margaret

[Lonely Road]

I saw some enthusiastic reviews on this site regarding the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2 t. I believe it has a towing capacity of 3500. The drawbacks are that it isn't 4 wh drive or AWD, and it doesn't have a huge amount of cargo space. I'll probably be packing quite a bit, and the dogs will be in the back seat.

I just talked to the sales person, and I found a good deal on a used 2013 that only has 30k miles.

Here's the link, if it posts:

http://www.hyundaitn.com/used/Hyunda...2038e13472.htm

Thoughts?

Margaret

[sokhapkin]

Look at Ford Escape 2013+ with ecoboost 2.0 engine. Same 3500 towing capacity, but much cheaper with a lot of offers. Expect 2015 model with 20K miles for about $19K.

AWD is available too.

[Triker]

I'm also thinking about a new/used tow vehicle, but I won't consider ANY 4 cylinder. If you're changing vehicles, why get something that may be a compromise. I'm starting my looking with 6 cylinders, and then checking the tow package, etc. Just saying...

[Lonely Road]

Originally Posted by sokhapkin

Look at Ford Escape 2013+ with ecoboost 2.0 engine. Same 3500 towing capacity, but much cheaper with a lot of offers. Expect 2015 model with 20K miles for about $19K.

AWD is available too.

Hmmmmmm

Margaret

[Lonely Road]

Originally Posted by Triker

I'm also thinking about a new/used tow vehicle, but I won't consider ANY 4 cylinder. If you're changing vehicles, why get something that may be a compromise. I'm starting my looking with 6 cylinders, and then checking the tow package, etc. Just saying...

Hi Triker,

I'm not changing vehicles; getting a new one. I'm just starting out in the Fiberglass camper world.

So, 6 cylinders, heh?

Margaret

[Lonely Road]

I'm frustrated. I finally found a camper after tons of searching, but it seems like I'll never find the right towing vehicle!

M

[Triker]

In addition to the 'real' weight of a trailer, the tongue weight (which is also commonly under estimated ) needs to be considered. I'm leaving the 4 cylinders behind, as I want to concentrate on safe and happy camping! Not whether I'm within towing capabilities.

[sokhapkin]

Originally Posted by Lonely Road

I'm frustrated. I finally found a camper after tons of searching, but it seems like I'll never find the right towing vehicle!

M

In most cases F150 is the right towing vehicle. But it could be overkill for 13' camper :-)

I tow Scamp 16 with F150. Ford escape is my shopping cart and a tow for a small boat/utility trailer.

[Lonely Road]

Originally Posted by Triker

In addition to the 'real' weight of a trailer, the tongue weight (which is also commonly under estimated ) needs to be considered. I'm leaving the 4 cylinders behind, as I want to concentrate on safe and happy camping! Not whether I'm within towing capabilities.

Ok, so I was looking at the Ford Escapes on Autotrader, and I ran into the same trouble I've been running into with all these vehicles, except for the Dodge Durango: It depends on the TRIM. A number of Ford Escapes are 2wd and only two 2000.



Sorry, I'm having a hard time finding the right vehicle, and I wish there were an easy fix.

M