Outback towing Scamp 13 w bath

[Jon In Asheville]

Does anyone have experience towing a Scamp 13' with front bath with a 2024 Outback with standard Boxster engine. Rated towing is 2700 lbs. Worried about stress on transmission etc. I am planning some long trips with it an may head west with it.

Jon

[Jon in AZ]

There are quite a few S13 owners towing with Outbacks in the “Scamp Travel Trailers” Facebook group. It’s a very active group, and you’ll likely get a lot more feedback.

No personal experience, but general consensus over there is it will work but it won’t be speedy going up long western mountain grades. Stopping periodically to allow the transmission to cool down would probably help. (Pre-2020 Outbacks used to have a caveat to that effect in the manual.)

The actual loaded weight of your trailer along with the total payload you’ll be carrying in the vehicle- people and gear- make a difference. Tow ratings are based on two adults and nothing else in or on the vehicle.

Elevation is the biggest difference between eastern and western mountains, Gasoline engines lose 3-4% of output for every 1000’ above sea level.

[Maneelu]

Hi,
We tow a 13ft. Scamp deluxe with a 2015 3.6 outback. We just replaced a transmission on the car. I attribute that repair to overload. We weren't climbing mountains with either. We have a 2024 outback wilderness and I did not feel good about towing the scamp with that at all. That was a test run with hardly any weight. The 2015 handle it a lot better. I always say less (weight) is best.
Best of Luck,
Connie

[Jeff in Douglas]

We towed a 13-foot front-bath 2022 Scamp behind our 2019 Outback (model 2.5i Limited) to Florida and back a couple of years ago with no problem. The only surprise was how much our fuel efficiency was reduced. Normally our Outback gets in the low-30’s mpg, but we were lucky to get 16-18 mpg while towing.

[valtangen]

Wondering if a Forester would work better than an Outback?
Also for a 16' Scamp?

[Rd9146]

Subaru’s have CVT transmissions very important to have the fluid changed regularly. See what your owners manual says for sever service. This is also true of Nissans. CVT’s use belts rather than clutches or gears so the correct fluid (use Subaru atf) is very important. Also check what Subaru says about the tongue weight. I tow with a 4Runner and I keep checking the rear view mirror to see if it’s still there (they are very light) my normal mpg is around 20 towing 65/70 mph drops to about 17.

[TeresaT]

[QUOTE=valtangen;869442]Wondering if a Forester would work better than an Outback?
Also for a 16' Scamp?[/QUOTEF

Foresters I’ve seen have less tow rating not more than an Outback

[TeresaT]

I just pasted on a Scamp 13 w front bath(it was advertised as 1400 pounds). The dry weight on CAT scales was 1650. My Trek( Boler type) is1350 loaded to weekend camp and my 2011 and 2015 both don’t like pulling it on steep hills….
If you live in Florida it’s probably fine but I wouldn’t if you’re traveling any mountains at all.

[sunnyh]

No personal experience but I have heard some guys pulling 13-16' Scamp or Casita trailers with 2023 Turbo Outbacks with a 3500lbs tow rating, East West North South. Keep your RPMs around 3000 or less vs focus on speed (pedal shifters in the mountains). Regular Outback (no turbo) will struggle.

[sUNSHINE33]

We have a 2016 Subaru and it tows our Scamp 13 beautifully. We've camped up to Maine, and down to Florida, with no towing problems. We also have the bigger bed and the bath in the front.
Hope to see you at some rallies. You'll meet the nicest people.