# Towing a trailer w/ a 4cyl Outback



## RyanOBrian (Aug 16, 2016)

Hey All! So I know my 2016 CVT Outback has a tow rating of #2700... I'm looking at getting a small light trailer to tow my 14' Hyside w/ frame, cooler, oars, etc.

Living in Denver front range my biggest concern, is towing it up in the mountains. As long as I keep it slow, does anyone think this would be an issue? I've seen a similar post on here, where there were mixed opinions.

I'm looking at the All American Trailer 7x10' steel weighing in at around 800#
and the SportTrail 7x12' galvanized steel weighing in at around #620

Would the #200 make that much of a difference? Thoughts on which one to go with?

Much Appreciated!


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## jberg421 (Jul 19, 2020)

RyanOBrian said:


> Hey All! So I know my 2016 CVT Outback has a tow rating of #2700... I'm looking at getting a small light trailer to tow my 14' Hyside w/ frame, cooler, oars, etc.
> 
> Living in Denver front range my biggest concern, is towing it up in the mountains. As long as I keep it slow, does anyone think this would be an issue? I've seen a similar post on here, where there were mixed opinions.
> 
> ...


Been there. I towed a harbor freight trailer with scadden 3 man cat on it. I can't imagine it weighed more than 500 lbs all together.

It was kindaaaaa brutal. Between golden and floyd hill i pretty much had it on the floor in the right lane. This is with one other guy in the car and typical like weekend gear. Going out of georgetown I would have it on the floor even just me in the car. _2017 Subaru Outback CVT 4cy pzev_

Coming downhill the hill was a little interesting. I never went over 60-65. I could feel the trailer kinda pull on the car in turns through Idaho Springs to the highway 6 turn off for Clear Creek Canyon.

At the time I was a college kid and made it work. Since then, I bought a chevy colorado v6 gas, and it's night and day. Now I tow a real trailer, wheels same size as my truck, and a loaded up 14' RMR for fishing. Thing tows like a dream at 80. Granted now I'm in Montana and not climbing 11k ft passes to get to the river. All highways here seem to be in a straight line as well.

Can you do it... Yes. Is it enjoyable... Not really. I don't know cars well enough to say it may be detrimental to your car, but I can imagine that after years of doing it you're gonna wear out that CVT. _Edit - coming from an engineering background and being cognizant of Factor of Safety, I would keep it under 900 lbs. FS=3_


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Towing with a 4cyl Outback doesn't sound like a long-term solution to me. You're going to stop doing it because it sucks or upgrade to a 6cyl Outback.


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## jberg421 (Jul 19, 2020)

MT4Runner said:


> Towing with a 4cyl Outback doesn't sound like a long-term solution to me. You're going to stop doing it because it sucks or upgrade to a 6cyl Outback.


This.


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## jberg421 (Jul 19, 2020)

I feel like your time and piece of mind would be better spent rolling the raft, strapping the frame to the roof, and having your assembly/disassembly dialed.


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## RyanOBrian (Aug 16, 2016)

jberg421 said:


> I feel like your time and piece of mind would be better spent rolling the raft, strapping the frame to the roof, and having your assembly/disassembly dialed.


Thanks for the suggestions... unfortunately not what I wanted to hear. I've been wanting a trailer so I don't have to mess with the rolling unrolling etc. Been doing that for 3 years and I'm over it 😂 I do have a supercharged Tacoma... was thinking of selling. Buttt might need to keep it and use it for raft towing.


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## richp (Feb 27, 2005)

Despite what Subaru literature states, prolonged towing (even somewhat below stated weight limits) will eventually take a toll on the drivetrain. 

And Subaru constant velocity trannies are not cheap to replace. Do some research and scale those numbers against your labor loading and unloading.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

RyanOBrian said:


> Thanks for the suggestions... unfortunately not what I wanted to hear. I've been wanting a trailer so I don't have to mess with the rolling unrolling etc. Been doing that for 3 years and I'm over it 😂 I do have a supercharged Tacoma... was thinking of selling. Buttt might need to keep it and use it for raft towing.


vehicles are high right now. Sell the SC'ed Taco and downsize to a NA Taco, even if it's got more miles on it.


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## showme44 (May 13, 2013)

My Subaru Outback 4cyl has just started having transmission problems at 140,000. 
and I don’t tow anything with it. 
oh, and it’s gutless at sea level w/o a trailer.


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## kengore (May 29, 2008)

Keep in mind that your towing capacity is limited by both how much you can pull AND how long it takes to safely stop.
In my experience with a Subaru Forester, the brakes were over loaded before the drive train was. Getting pushed down a hill by a trailer loaded with gravel and almost no brakes is not anything I wish to experience again. 

My math put the trailer and gravel almost 200 lbs under the max. tow weight in the owners manual.


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## paor (Apr 21, 2008)

Like others have said, towing with the Subaru isn't a great idea. I was told to avoid towing with the CVT transmission.


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## jbLaramie (Feb 1, 2021)

If you travel through Wyoming the wind may blow hard enough to push you backwards


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## villagelightsmith (Feb 17, 2016)

Before adding any more questionable weight, question it. Go over the pieces of your prospective outfit and weigh them. Then look for lighter weight alternatives. Lighter weight is not always accomplished by switching to aluminum, carbon fiber, or titanium metals; sometimes it requires differences in form or frame. But aluminum really helps. Find someone who's already tried an aluminum trailer and wants to get rid of the thing. By the time you've accomplished this, and pitched all the unnecessaries from your outfit, your 4 cylinder Outback won't know you're towing anything.
To lighten my own load I just need to peel about 60 lbs of lard from around my middle, get a new set of discs in my spine, and shed about 50 years of accumulated risk aversion (good sense) that stops me from once again reaching Peak Performance. That would be the equivalent of putting a nitrous bottle under the hood. Decisions ... decisions!

The nitrous bottle is quicker, simpler, and cheaper. But downshifting is free. Look up ultimatesubaru.org
Or, you can keep your Subaru engine and stick it in a SuperBeetle.


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## phillip (Jun 26, 2007)

This was my set for years. The raft is a 13' hyside with a heavy frame. I first pulled it with a 2001 6 cylinder outback. That car had 270,000 miles on it when I sold it, and I had never had any major mechanicals. The car in the picture is a 2011 4 cylinder outback. It had no problems going highway speed and had 170,000 when I sold it. Again, no major mechanicals. I pulled it all over the country, including the mountains of colorado. It lived most of its life in Gunnison. In my experience, the brakes on the Subaru have the stopping power for a light trailer and a raft.


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## NoCo (Jul 21, 2009)

I towed a small steel raft trailer with a 09 forester for years. It did ok. Dont plan on dusting anyone up 285 or nothing. It had a 4sp. Not a cvt. So my experience may not be applicable. I found that sometimes it would start jumping between 3 and 4th, so id just manually keep it in 3rd. Dont let all the truck people scare you off the little car little trailer. Honestly all those trailers you mentioned are not all that heavy.


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## TJP (Nov 20, 2020)

I'd rent a trailer, load it up, and give it a try. You'll know what to do by the time you hit the tunnel.


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## jeffro (Oct 13, 2003)

I believe @Andy H. tows with a subbie.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

jeffro said:


> I believe @Andy H. tows with a subbie.


Yeah, towed with a 1994 2.2L Legacy from about 2003 - 2010, then with a 2006 2.5L Outback from 2010 - 2018, now towing with a 2013 2.5L Outback. No problems. I've got a modified aluminum Sled Bed that weighs about 300 lbs, I've towed the raft through the mountains fully loaded with a car full of people + overnight/multi-day gear with second raft (rolled). My vehicles have all been manual trannys and I don't know what I'll do when I need to get a new car since stick shifts (aka "milennial theft-prevention devices") seem to be a thing of the past. It's getting harder to find folks to drive shuttle...

All this stuff's been hashed out in other threads ad nauseum. Lots of folks are hauling trailers with Subies. My philosophy is to start with a light weight trailer, and don't let a heavy trailer force you into a 6- or 8-cylinder vehicle that you don't need for the other 95% of the driving you'll do. If you're a contractor or farmer and already have a big truck because of your work, sure, get a heavy steel trailer and haul a stack of inflated boats everywhere. If you're a weekend warrior with a modest SUV or Outback, then spend a few bucks extra on a light-weight trailer setup.

Here are a couple of threads, just search "towing Subaru"









What are your favorite vehicles for towing?


Door post isn't always correct. Back in the late 90s, I had an Eagle Talon that listed 26 or 28 PSI on the door post and in the owner's manual. I had never owned a vehicle with low profile tires before, so it never occurred to me that running such low pressure in tires with a 50% height ratio...




www.mountainbuzz.com













Towing Whitewater Raft with Subaru Outback


I have a 2012 Subaru Outback with a towing package, I am looking to tow 16' raft with 2 coolers, dry box and a frame with trailer mostly from the front range to the mountains in Colorado. Says towing capacity on Subaru Outback is 2700 lbs. Can this be done easily of will I have trouble stalling...




www.mountainbuzz.com





Hauling with a second boat inflated is like having a drogue chute deployed and I don't recommend it for long distances. I've towed a stack on short trips back up to the put-in.










Don't let the tail wag the dog.

-AH


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## suburbs (Feb 12, 2015)

Next time you pass somebody maxed out going 40 in the right lane, ask yourself "is that what 12 year old me wanted to be when they grew up?"

Don't be a safety issue on the freeway because you are underpowered for uphill and stopping.


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## NoCo (Jul 21, 2009)

suburbs said:


> Next time you pass somebody maxed out going 40 in the right lane, ask yourself "is that what 12 year old me wanted to be when they grew up?"
> 
> Don't be a safety issue on the freeway because you are underpowered for uphill and stopping.


I was never the safety issue with my subaru, a raft trailer weighs shit. You wont dust people like a diesel truck but you still are going 80mph up I70.


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## Bishdog (May 11, 2015)

RyanOBrian said:


> Hey All! So I know my 2016 CVT Outback has a tow rating of #2700... I'm looking at getting a small light trailer to tow my 14' Hyside w/ frame, cooler, oars, etc.
> 
> Living in Denver front range my biggest concern, is towing it up in the mountains. As long as I keep it slow, does anyone think this would be an issue? I've seen a similar post on here, where there were mixed opinions.
> 
> ...


Your towing capacity is reduced 10% by altitude, so take that into account.


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## pyropinup (Apr 24, 2021)

I bought a complete set up (trailer, 14 ft cataraft and accessories) in Durango in April (estimate the trailer weighs about 800#) and towed it back to MT in my 4 cyl 2015 Subaru Outback. The 30 mph head winds were the worst bit, honestly. I'm heading to Gates of Lodore in a couple of weeks and I'm going to roll up the boat and make it more streamlined. I towed the boat inflated up and over Bannock Pass to Salmon and had no problem on gravel roads. I think if you rent a trailer and give it a try, you'll know if you can deal with it. Just don't expect to be going like you used to.


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## RyanOBrian (Aug 16, 2016)

Thanks for the help everyone. I think I'm going to keep the truck and use that primarily for towing. I'll sell the four wheel camper off the back to to make it a little easier (reach out if your interested!)


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