towing

[LarryG via CarKB.com]

has anyone tried towing a trailer behind a subaru outback wagon?
I'm driving from Mass. to Colorado, 2,000 miles and renting a smal 4x8
traiiler.
The trailer weighs about 800lbs. I'm not filling it but need stuff .

 

[Jack Countryman]

I've use a lightweight 4 x 8 trailer that I use to haul garden tillers,
lawn/brush mowers, etc. with...maybe not as heavy a trailer as yours. So
far its worked OK. Towing it does drop the mileage a bit. I drive an 02
Outback LLBeam wagon.

There have been several mentions of using an transmission fluid cooler for
auto trannys if towing a trailer though...especially if you are going far or
hauling much load. As far as you are going, especially with the terrain
involved in Colorado, I'd consider that idea. I usually moderate my driving
a bit when I haul the trailer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[nobody >]

I've use a lightweight 4 x 8 trailer that I use to haul garden tillers,
lawn/brush mowers, etc. with...maybe not as heavy a trailer as yours. So
far its worked OK. Towing it does drop the mileage a bit. I drive an 02
Outback LLBeam wagon.

There have been several mentions of using an transmission fluid cooler for
auto trannys if towing a trailer though...especially if you are going far or
hauling much load. As far as you are going, especially with the terrain
involved in Colorado, I'd consider that idea. I usually moderate my driving
a bit when I haul the trailer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, use "3" instead of "D" when going up any significant hills. Like
almost all overdrive automatic transmissions, it will lug and hunt
(shift back and forth) between D and 3 excessively which also heats up
the fluid. Using 3 or even 2 coming down hills for engine braking is
also a good idea.

 

[hippo]

Also, use "3" instead of "D" when going up any significant hills. Like
almost all overdrive automatic transmissions, it will lug and hunt
(shift back and forth) between D and 3 excessively which also heats up
the fluid. Using 3 or even 2 coming down hills for engine braking is
also a good idea.

All good suggestions. Fitted a trans cooler to my 99 OBW when purchased
2nd hand. Clutch pack failed due to abuse by prev owner (no cost to me -
nice!) but no more probs since. Recommended purchase. Just came down from
Sydney to New South Wales (Oz) south coast via some freeway and lots of
hills - 6x4 cage trailer with a 14 cu ft fridge, ditto freezer and an old
self propelled greenkeepers mower on board, so probably towing close to
half a ton all up. Rubbish fuel figures but no major effect on
performance. Prob worth another 3 - 4psi in your rear wheels too. Cheers

 

[Ralph E Lindberg]

has anyone tried towing a trailer behind a subaru outback wagon?
I'm driving from Mass. to Colorado, 2,000 miles and renting a smal 4x8
traiiler.
The trailer weighs about 800lbs. I'm not filling it but need stuff .

Subaru reccomends the trailer have brakes (which means you have to have
a brake controller), if the trailer weighs over 1000 lbs. BTW you also
need to consider the TOTAL weight, you, everyone else, all the stuff in
the car, plus the trailer and the weight it hauls. Subaru is not a
serious haul vehicle (I've towed a 4x4 light trailer behind mine, for
serious tow I use an F250SD truck)

--

 

[bgd]

Does Oz get different subarus than the rest of the world? I look at that
crankshaft and wonder how the hell it doen't blow gaskets shake the
valvetrain apart blow oil pumps and have engine misfire codes randimly to
every skinny crank block quake it decides to dish out...
and ALL the aforementioned things happen.
I'd haul 1000 lbs behind a 1781cc from 1987 before i attempted it with the
new ones at 30mph on level ground.
I am here to be the pessimistic ahole...
there is a drawback to the newer sube power numbers, the very guts of the
engine getting thrashed around by them (and tranny!).
anyone need to haul something approaching 1000 ought to think of another
vehicle to do it with..
I wouldn't go over 500...

 

[bugalugs]

Does Oz get different subarus than the rest of the world? I look at that
crankshaft and wonder how the hell it doen't blow gaskets shake the
valvetrain apart blow oil pumps and have engine misfire codes randimly to
every skinny crank block quake it decides to dish out...
and ALL the aforementioned things happen.
I'd haul 1000 lbs behind a 1781cc from 1987 before i attempted it with the
new ones at 30mph on level ground.
I am here to be the pessimistic ahole...
there is a drawback to the newer sube power numbers, the very guts of the
engine getting thrashed around by them (and tranny!).
anyone need to haul something approaching 1000 ought to think of another
vehicle to do it with..
I wouldn't go over 500...

I have no problem towing a 6x4 trailer 'packed' with partially dry split
pine firewood. (no idea of the weight) Tow it over a reasonable sized
mountain. (unbraked)

Provided you use common sense, realise the limitations of the extra
weight, and the conditions your driving under, there is no problems.

2002 Legacy GT wagon (manual)

 

[y_p_w]

has anyone tried towing a trailer behind a subaru outback wagon?
I'm driving from Mass. to Colorado, 2,000 miles and renting a smal 4x8
traiiler.
The trailer weighs about 800lbs. I'm not filling it but need stuff .

Subaru typically recommends the use of a heavier weight oil if you're
going to be doing any towing duty. If the ambient temps are going to
be reasonably warm, then a SAE 30 oil or even 15W-40 might do the
trick.

 

[David at Road Runner]

I have a 99 Outback 5 speed manual, and regularly tow a small sailboat,
trailer+boat approx. 1000 lbs, with no real problems. I have never
experienced overheating or braking issues I do have trouble maintaining 70
MPH on the interstate going up slight hills in eastern North Carolina (USA).
Maintaining 60-65 mph is no problem.

I have also pulled a 4x6 and a 4x8 U-Haul trailer 200-300 miles with no
problems. Both were fairly light cargo loads (mattresses and light
furniture).