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Old 01-28-2013, 02:55 PM   #1
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Name: Dylan
Trailer: 2001 Scamp 13'
British Columbia
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Delica or Outback???

So, while I love my 13' Scamp and manage to full time in it just fine I may want a bigger trailer before long and I want something I can tow with that won't give me the white knuckles I get with my current small TV. So I want something that could tow a 16' or even a bit larger egg type unit. Perhaps 2500 or 2800lbs capacity.

Been thinking a 03-09 OUtback would do the trick nicely. But lament the medicre mileage when not towing, really fear the mileage while towing. I get 15-18mpg (premium required) on my current TV while towing.

Subaru Legacy (fourth generation) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BUT.... I saw a lot of these down under and just love the idea. Now seen them all over up here in Canada. Well, at least I've seen several of them. Seems they are a popular import. With the diesel option I might get similar mileage to the Subaru, but gain a much larger vehicle. Too bad there's no direct injection option! I am curious about towing with a RHD vehicle, that may be a big disadvantage. Also, sounds like importing into the US would be challenging at best, not something I could count on doing if I don't end up spending the rest of my life up here in lovely Canada.



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Old 01-28-2013, 04:02 PM   #2
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While I tow an 16' side bath Scamp with an Outback I would not recommend towing anything more than a 13' with it. Only due to the low tongue weight limit of 200lbs - although I pack light the trailer tows much more solidly at freeway speeds with more on the tongue than Subaru permits. They also doesn't want you putting a WDH on it either. I actually get pretty good mileage pulling a 2500lb total weight trailer with it - freeways in the 17-18 range - back roads and mountains it does drop but down to about 16 mpg on average. Yes those are US mpgs - its a US car. Pretty well the same type of mileage you are going to get from it driving in the city.

Love the Subaru and never had any problems pulling thousands of miles over various terrain but the 200lb tongue weight limit will have me looking for a different tug when the time comes to replace this one. Great choose for a 13' trailer though!

BTW how are you making out with all the wet sunshine at your new home???
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Old 01-28-2013, 04:37 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
While I tow an 16' side bath Scamp with an Outback I would not recommend towing anything more than a 13' with it. Only due to the low tongue weight limit of 200lbs - although I pack light the trailer tows much more solidly at freeway speeds with more on the tongue than Subaru permits. They also doesn't want you putting a WDH on it either. I actually get pretty good mileage pulling a 2500lb total weight trailer with it - freeways in the 17-18 range - back roads and mountains it does drop but down to about 16 mpg on average. Yes those are US mpgs - its a US car. Pretty well the same type of mileage you are going to get from it driving in the city.

Love the Subaru and never had any problems pulling thousands of miles over various terrain but the 200lb tongue weight limit will have me looking for a different tug when the time comes to replace this one. Great choose for a 13' trailer though!

BTW how are you making out with all the wet sunshine at your new home???
So all Outbacks of that era have a 200lb tongue weight limit? I can't imagine it not being a huge improvement over my current tv and it's often around the 200lb mark (2000lbs ish total!! yikes! One portly 13'!). But good to hear that you'd prefer a better rated tv for your 16' Scamp. I get the impression those are about as light an egg I'm going to find in that class. Less than Casitas, 17+ footers, etc. Seem only an Oxygen might be bigger for the same weight.

A lot more wet than sunshine! But it's staying mostly dry even with a shower in the AM most work days. It was getting too damp for comfort before getting two small Eva-Dry dehumidifiers. They didn't seem to make a huge difference at first, then I left them going a week or so while away from the trailer and that seems to let them catch up. Since then I've had little excess moisture. No drips of condensation from the escape hatch etc. So those Eva-Drys seem to be great for keeping things dry, not the best for drying an already soggy trailer though. Keeping the trailer at least a bit warmer than ambient temps at all times with a thermostat I think is also key. If you let it get really cold, you find condensation all over. So not sure I'd want to full time in this climate without shore power! Constant heat, dehumidifiers are the key for me.

Love the location! I can take a hike up the river, walk along the waterside along the inlet, or walk to the mall for shopping or get into the city really quick! Never thought I'd be full timing in a city this well!
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Old 01-28-2013, 09:22 PM   #4
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Yes the tongue limit of 200lbs is pretty standard - check as I seem to think that some where even a bit less. If you are looking at older Outbacks you need to also watch the total tow cap as well. Not sure what year they moved up to 2700lbs and 3000lbs depending on the model. I know a couple of my previous ones had lower total caps. But as you say you would notice a real *big* improvement in towing (no white knuckles) your 13'. As I said it handles the 16' just fine and will stop it well, even on a panic stop on the big hills we have. Have not had any white knuckle situations so far but I just know from having hauled the trailer many miles in lots of different weather and terrain it just feels like an even better tow with more weight on the tongue than there is suppose to be.

Be warned the Oxygen isnt a light weight either. One was weighed at the Oregon meet and it came in at 2740lbs total of which 320lbs was on the tongue. It was a single traveler using the trailer and it didnt appear to have a whole lot of stuff in it. So not sure the Outback would be a great choose for it either - you may also have a tough time finding one. We have 2 or 3 appear on the market either in BC or Washington in the last 12 months or so which is pretty rare happening.... so it wouldnt be to surprising if we dont see any more for sale again for a long while.

Yes well the wet is just the way it is on the Wet Coast. Hope you havent been to disappointed in the lack of white stuff in the mythological Great White North. although you did get to see a little bit of it one or two days. Looking like that may well have been the quota for the year, which is how it goes most years. You are in a great location as you say though, I lived years ago just up the river from where your at and loved the location.
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Old 01-28-2013, 10:11 PM   #5
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Name: kootenai girl
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Isn't anyone going to talk about the Delica's - I love the look of them and have been seeing quite a few lately. Don't know anything about their towing capacity etc though?
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Old 01-28-2013, 11:06 PM   #6
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Rhd,,, presents new challenges to an already charged situation,,,,,
Parts,repair and their accessibility are always a major consideration to me when Buying a used vehicle.
You could probably step up to a small truck for very little difference.
Just a thought
Fred
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Old 01-29-2013, 06:10 AM   #7
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Name: Rebecca
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Delica discussion group

I was curious and found this forum for Delica fans-

| Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

That being said, I am at this time about 99% sure I will be purchasing an Outback soon, with a RAV4 a distant second. I currently have a fully contained camper van that I love. It is giving me so many problems that I am about to give up on it.

I know that IF I make a change I will go with a TV and a Scamp.

The specs for the 2013 4 cylinder are 200 # tongue and 2700 tow. A 6 cylinder costs another $4K and goes 3000 tow. Wondering if the price difference is worth it.

I can get by with a 13 ft, but would like a 16 ft. Looking for comments and suggestions here. I saw that Carol H uses an Outback to pull a 16 ft - 4 or 6 cylinder?

I have some other questions about Scamp that I will post elsewhere.

Thanks
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Old 01-29-2013, 06:27 AM   #8
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Hi Rebecca, welcome to FiberglassRV

As Carol mentioned, watch the tongue weight on the Outback! And, don't believe the published weights from the manufacturers. See this thread for more information: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html It can be a real eye opener.

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Old 01-29-2013, 08:27 AM   #9
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Name: Rebecca
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Tongue weights

WOW, that is interesting! Very much something I wondered about - what is it really? How much do the factory options affect the "basic" spec?

I do have stuff to carry and am trying to figure out how to make sure I have power (a ginny) for primitive areas I like to go. The areas are primitive, but I do want some creature comforts!

I know I cannot put a ginny on the tongue and am wondering about mounting at the back of camper and how that would affect the weight dynamics.

Any thoughts??
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Old 01-29-2013, 10:15 AM   #10
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Re the RH drive Delcia - The Insurance Corp of BC did a study on RH drive vehicles due to their ever increasing numbers in the province. The ICBC study found they have a 40% higher accident rate.

You will also need to look for an Outback that is 06 or newer to get the higher tow rate - prior to that they were only rated at 2000lbs. Regardless what ever you tow will need brakes if over 1000lbs.

A lot of us Canucks head south for our used cars as the cost differences can be big. Even if you dont still have a US mailing address the process is pretty simple on a used car to import providing its on the list of allowed vehicles. There was a big price difference on new Outbacks in Canada vs the US up until about 3-4 years ago - difference in 07 was about $9,000. So the used ones in the US should be cheaper.

Rebecca add 600-700lbs to any manufactures dry weight to come up with a realistic weight. Although Subaru says its ok to tow with a 8%-11% tongue weight the reality is that you are much better off/safer under all tow conditions with a tongue weight of at least 10% of the trailers total weight- which in my trailers situation would be 250lbs - which is over Subaru's tongue specs. I work hard at keeping my trailers total weight down - in order to keep it remotely close to Subaru's specs. You can add weight to the rear to get the tongue weight down but the more you go below 10% the higher your chances of having yourself a big scary sway problem. I personally would not go there! You would be as heading for a *Big* white knuckle tow experience that the OP has experienced with his current tow and why they are looking to upgrade their tow for their 13' trailer.

As mentioned if I was starting out from scratch and needed to buy a tug and a trailer and knew ahead of time I wanted a 16' I would not choose the Outback despite how much I love them. Great tug for a 13' not so great for a 16' regardless of it being a 4 cyl or a 6 cyl as they both only have a 200lb tongue rating.
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Old 01-29-2013, 10:23 AM   #11
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Many FGRV rear bumpers/frames won't support as much as a bicycle rack much less the weight of a generator, without a lot of reinforcement, and even then it can still be a bad idea. If your TV is a pick-up it's best to put it in the truck.



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Old 01-29-2013, 11:11 AM   #12
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I'm thinking about looking at the
Dodge Sprinter 2500
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Old 01-29-2013, 12:39 PM   #13
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Name: Dylan
Trailer: 2001 Scamp 13'
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Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
Yes the tongue limit of 200lbs is pretty standard - check as I seem to think that some where even a bit less. If you are looking at older Outbacks you need to also watch the total tow cap as well. Not sure what year they moved up to 2700lbs and 3000lbs depending on the model. I know a couple of my previous ones had lower total caps. But as you say you would notice a real *big* improvement in towing (no white knuckles) your 13'. As I said it handles the 16' just fine and will stop it well, even on a panic stop on the big hills we have. Have not had any white knuckle situations so far but I just know from having hauled the trailer many miles in lots of different weather and terrain it just feels like an even better tow with more weight on the tongue than there is suppose to be.
I certainly always try to hit my tongue limit on my current rig, just feel more stable that way. The only distinctly unsettling moment (slight wag at highway speed) I've had in my current rig was when it was tongue light and tail heavy. I'll have to look at that with the Outback. Does anyone make a receiver that's rated for more than 200lbs? Is that the Subaru tow package? I wonder if stiffer springs would help, I know I would not want to tow my current rig without the very stiff (not particularly comfortable!) springs. But may be a structural issue as much as a control one. I assume the Outback is a full unibody chassis.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
Be warned the Oxygen isnt a light weight either. One was weighed at the Oregon meet and it came in at 2740lbs total of which 320lbs was on the tongue. It was a single traveler using the trailer and it didnt appear to have a whole lot of stuff in it. So not sure the Outback would be a great choose for it either - you may also have a tough time finding one. We have 2 or 3 appear on the market either in BC or Washington in the last 12 months or so which is pretty rare happening.... so it wouldnt be to surprising if we dont see any more for sale again for a long while.
Understood, the rarity is part of the appeal! I knew it was a low number, but I think one of the for sale listing says 1650lbs dry weight or something? I figured that was perhaps no appliances, bare trailer. Figured a realistic dry number was more like 2000lbs, but from that 2740, it's probably more like 2200+ unless that person traveled really heavy. I wonder if that one had a full shower?

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Yes well the wet is just the way it is on the Wet Coast. Hope you havent been to disappointed in the lack of white stuff in the mythological Great White North. although you did get to see a little bit of it one or two days. Looking like that may well have been the quota for the year, which is how it goes most years. You are in a great location as you say though, I lived years ago just up the river from where your at and loved the location.
Ah, living in the Bay area of California, and a year in very wet Wellington NZ have given me some tolerance of cold, wet and gray winters. And I can see snow on the lovely mountains that look close enough to touch! I'm not much of a skiier, but many coworkers go ski on weeknights after work. The mountains are SO close! So no shortage of snow if I want it. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about frozen plumbing that much. There's some freezing, but a lot less than New Mexico at 7000 feet!
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Old 01-29-2013, 12:47 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by kootenaigirl View Post
Isn't anyone going to talk about the Delica's - I love the look of them and have been seeing quite a few lately. Don't know anything about their towing capacity etc though?
Yeah, the Delica was the main thing I wanted to talk about!!! They are SO nifty! Saw a nice one on the way to work this morning. They are all over around Vancouver!

There are many reports of towing on the Delica.ca forums. Some claiming to have towed 5000lbs. So seems possible, but more research is needed. They are built on the Montero running gear apparently, but have a semi-unibody whereas the the Montero has a full ladder type chassis like most trucks. But the subframes on the unibody are apparently pretty tough, have good mount points for a hefty receiver. The large 2.8L turbo diesel has tons of torque, decent power, but can reportedly get hot towing heavy loads on grades, so using an exhaust temp gauge (as well as more traditional oil and water temp gauges) sounds like a good idea.
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Old 01-29-2013, 12:53 PM   #15
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I'm in Cabo,Mexico till the end of Feb. but when in North Vancouver I go to Park Royal for coffee every day.
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Old 01-29-2013, 12:55 PM   #16
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Many FGRV rear bumpers/frames won't support as much as a bicycle rack much less the weight of a generator, without a lot of reinforcement, and even then it can still be a bad idea. If your TV is a pick-up it's best to put it in the truck.
Yep, and even if you can make it work structurally, the back is the last place you want to put weight for stability. I really wanted to put a bike rack on the rear of mine, so sick of putting the bike in the trailer and then taking it out every night on the road. I bought a hitch bike rack and all. But then thought about it long and hard and decided dealing with the annoyance of moving my bike in and out of the trailer was preferable to risking a tail wagging situation. That feeling of the tail wagging, and I've only felt it a bit briefly, was NOT a comforting feeling! Unless you have a tiny, tiny TV, better put the gen in the TV, or perhaps secured on the floor over the axil.
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Old 01-29-2013, 01:04 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES View Post
Rhd,,, presents new challenges to an already charged situation,,,,,
Parts,repair and their accessibility are always a major consideration to me when Buying a used vehicle.
You could probably step up to a small truck for very little difference.
Just a thought
Fred
Oh, if you knew me, you know I never make things easy on myself!

Apparently the engine and running gear is mostly interchangeable with the Montero which was sold in decent numbers in North America, so many parts should be available. Though, not sure they ever sold the Montero with the diesel option here, so those parts may be harder to find.

I really like the idea of a full cabin. A station wagon or small van. If it's not going to be low to the ground (relatively) like an outback, I'd prefer not to have a separate bed, cap. Perhaps I have a mental block over owning a "pick up". May just be wanting to be able to sleep in the van/wagon, get up in the morning crawl to the front and start the engine for heat, crank up the stereo etc. I want something fun to camp in if I don't want to tow anything. Something I can take on the back roads I wouldn't want to tow over.
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Old 01-29-2013, 01:08 PM   #18
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Name: Rebecca
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ginny on the bumper

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Miller View Post
Many FGRV rear bumpers/frames won't support as much as a bicycle rack much less the weight of a generator, without a lot of reinforcement, and even then it can still be a bad idea. If your TV is a pick-up it's best to put it in the truck.
I am seriously looking at an Outback, need a real back seat for g-children. Rear location of camper was the only place I could even imagine a generator sitting.

A truck would be great otherwise.
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Old 01-29-2013, 01:12 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Shawneegyrl View Post
I was curious and found this forum for Delica fans-

| Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club
You must have missed my link to those forums in my OP. Definitely spent some time in there. But still coming up with more questions than finding answers at this point.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawneegyrl View Post
That being said, I am at this time about 99% sure I will be purchasing an Outback soon, with a RAV4 a distant second. I currently have a fully contained camper van that I love. It is giving me so many problems that I am about to give up on it.
VW? Air cooled? Water cooled? Problems with the running gear, or just camper related things? Both?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawneegyrl View Post
I know that IF I make a change I will go with a TV and a Scamp.

The specs for the 2013 4 cylinder are 200 # tongue and 2700 tow. A 6 cylinder costs another $4K and goes 3000 tow. Wondering if the price difference is worth it.

I can get by with a 13 ft, but would like a 16 ft. Looking for comments and suggestions here. I saw that Carol H uses an Outback to pull a 16 ft - 4 or 6 cylinder?

I have some other questions about Scamp that I will post elsewhere.

Thanks
I love my 13', but if you full time at all, yep a 16' seems like the ticket. Those 3 feet and 500-600lbs extra make for a much more practical home I think.
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Old 01-29-2013, 01:18 PM   #20
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Trailer: 2001 Scamp 13'
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Originally Posted by Daniel A. View Post
I'm in Cabo,Mexico till the end of Feb. but when in North Vancouver I go to Park Royal for coffee every day.
Small world! Do you stay in the campground? Or you have a "real" home in the area?

I'll buy you one at Cafe Artigiano! They make one amazing mocha! Look me up when you get back in town.

I keep a Nespresso in the Scamp, I make a darn good mocha myself. But I don't have room in there for even one coffee guest! I need a 16 footer to be able to be social!
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