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Old 08-19-2018, 10:52 AM   #1
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Name: Bill
Trailer: Scotsman
Washington
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Hi! We are BillEllin.

8.19.18
Hello! We are new members of this site and look forward to all of the resources and such that appear to be available. We live in Olympia, Washington, and are interested in fiberglass trailers. We currently own a darn cute 12’ vintage trailer - a 1966 Scotsman, but we are thinking we may sell it and look for a lighter trailer, such as many of the fiberglass models that we have seen. Had a quick question for somebody - If we sell our truck and get a more economical Subaru Outback, what trailers do folks recommend we look at that can be towed by such a vehicle? Thanks, all! ......BillEllin
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Old 08-19-2018, 11:36 AM   #2
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Name: Mike
Trailer: Escape 21 & Jeep GC 5.7 (Previous 2012 Casita FD17 & 2010 Audi Q5)
Puget Sound, WA
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Bill,

Welcome to the forum. You can search for any subject under the "Search" button. The "Search Site / Google" option seems to work best.

There have been many lively discussions regarding the Subaru Outback. It is important with any vehicle to distinguish what engine and options are involved as towing capacities for most vehicles vary greatly between models. There's also some lively debate about continuous variable transmissions (CVT) and whether they are suitable for towing.

I linked a search below. Good luck in your journey.

Fiberglass RV - Search Results
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Old 08-19-2018, 05:40 PM   #3
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Name: Jan
Trailer: 2017 Lil Snoozy
South Carolina
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Welcome Bill and enjoy the search for your camper!
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Old 08-19-2018, 06:27 PM   #4
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Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
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Welcome, Bill!

Subaru has some unusual caveats on their tow ratings. I believe the 2.5L is rated to tow 2700 pounds, but tongue weight is limited to 200 pounds. That means you are effectively limited to a 2000 pound travel trailer to maintain the minimum recommended 10% tongue weight. Tow ratings typically assume 1 or 2 people and no cargo in the vehicle. There's also a note in the manual that the tow rating is reduced by 50% when climbing long grades in high ambient temperatures. Finally, trailer brakes are required over 1000 pounds, but there have been some reported issues with wiring newer Outbacks for trailer brakes.

Bottom line is an Outback can really only tow a 13' trailer, and you will need to pay attention to how much stuff you pack.

You can download and read the owner's manual for pretty much any vehicle you might be considering. It's better than relying on incomplete and sometimes inaccurate information from sales people.

A "site search/google" on "Subaru Outback" should turn up some of those "lively" old threads.

Best wishes!
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Old 08-20-2018, 10:56 AM   #5
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Name: Steve
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New York
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Don’t assume a fiberglass trailer, the shorter of which are generally 13’, will be lighter than your 12’ Scotsman.
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Old 08-21-2018, 06:48 AM   #6
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Fair question. Not sure if a 12' Scotsman means a 12' cabin or 12' overall length. What it its typical loaded weight? Just wondering...

A 13' molded trailer can weigh anywhere from around 1300# to well over 2000#, but 1600-1800# is pretty typical for non-bath units.
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