Subaru Outback 4-cylinder camper options??

Hey guys,

I need someone to back me off the cliff of buying a truck. I've been perusing the web for days, and I can't get comfortable with the idea of any of the campers (Scamp, Aline, etc) being pulled by an Outback. I think it can work on paved roads and standard campgrounds, but you guys know where we hang (washboard dirt roads, etc).

Does anyone have any last-minute success stories? We really love out Outback, but sleeping in it on long trips is getting old. Two adults, a 60 lb dog, and pads and gear is tight!

Thanks in advance!

If transporting more people than your gf and dog is a requirement you could probably get by with pulling a small light camper. check tow capacity on the outback. Here’s a rough rule in pulling and hauling when it come to vehicles, the lighter the worse off you are. Whether you’re talking about the truck or the trailer. Extra weight, stability, and power makes it so much better to drive while pulling something. I have an outback and pick Up with an 8ft bed. I prefer to drive the pickup almost always, trailer or not. 

Yeah, I'm looking at the lighter campers. The outback has a tow capacity of 2700 lbs, which doesn't give a whole lot of margin for error. Sounds like you're in the truck camp?

Get a truck

evan h wrote: Yeah, I'm looking at the lighter campers. The outback has a tow capacity of 2700 lbs, which doesn't give a whole lot of margin for error. Sounds like you're in the truck camp?

IIRC 2700lb was with electric trailer brakes, I also seem to recall lower limits when towing in mountainous regions at higher temperatures. 

I am going to guess that you will get more informative responses on Subaru forums.

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/outback/outback2019.html
...
Towing
Hitch- the optional Subaru port installed trailer hitch is 1.25".
There is no 'tow package'
2.5L 4 cylinder and 3.6L 6 cylinder
 200 lb tongue weight
2700 pounds with electric trailer brakes.
1000 pounds without trailer brakes.
over 104* F when towing up a long hill max weight should be 1350 pounds. Replace the CVT oil at app 24855 miles if towing.

amarius wrote:

I also seem to recall lower limits when towing in mountainous regions at higher temperatures. 

whether explicitly stated by subaru or not, this is a big consideration. 2700 lbs on the passes around denver is going to strain that car....

4 Cyl. Subaru engines are garbage... dont even... esp if you're going to be doing anything with weight up an incline. The motors still have serious gasket issues and all around garbage engines.

My 6cyl Outback (2002) was pretty strained this summer even without towing.  Up Tioga pass, 3 ppl, + gear for a week she was begging for mercy... and got 15mpg to boot.   A newer V8 4x4 F150 is a better vehicle in almost every way I just can't bring myself to spend 35k on a car...

I own a Chalet, it’s around 2500lbs, I would not tow it with a Subaru. We tow with a Chevy Silverado, and I still think it has sluggish braking (we haven’t installed a brake controller in there yet). 

Which 4cyl outback are you considering? An outback with the new FA24F engine is rated to tow 3500lbs.

I own an Outback and I wouldn't tow with it, not only because of the sustained overworking of the engine, but also because the transmission and the brakes are just not heavy duty enough to work that hard for long. You will definitely warp your rotors really quick (they seem to warp easily compared to other cars IMO), then the brakes will shake badly when you brake under load. At this point ruining your car will be a secondary issue to being potentially dangerous to yourself and other drivers.

I have towed a pretty minimalist tear drop style camper with my 4 cyl Outback. It has a reported weight of 840 lbs. It was definitely noticeable on inclines and dropped MPG significantly. Other driving characteristics were not severely impacted. I would not want to drive it in any serious mountain terrain or over any high passes. I live in southern NM so this is generally not a big deal. It's not optimal though. 

tent

or

roof-top tent - then you can be as cool as the Taco bros

(I believe OP already owns an Outback - otherwise, as noted the new 2.4 XT models are rated for 3500 lb and with a turbo, won't get wheezy at elevations)

https://www.timberleaftrailers.com/

Any teardrop trailer will be in the 1400 - 2000 weight range and can be built out to be pretty rad depending on what you're looking for. My friend tows one of the Timberleaftrailers with his forester xt and it's pretty great.

Have you considered a motorcycle trailer? Haul gear and sleep in it.

every used mini van I have bough with a tow package on it where the previous owner towed something the tranny went after I bought it.. ... just saying

I've been doing road trips out west since 1974, (I live in NH) so along the way I've tried everything I could afford at the time. In the beginning it was just us and a car, then along came a pick up with a cap, then a toyota van, followed by a honda element. Now I have a new Dodge Ram with a 4Wheel Hawk soft side camper. It don't come cheap, but it is deluxe and the Ram is a real truck so it can go anywhere. The new Ram 1500 V6 gets 24 mpg highway, and with the Hawk in the bed I still get 17mpg. Doesn't compare to what a Subaru gets but as you get older you begin to appreciate the face that you've earned your spurs and can relax in style knowing you came up like all of us did in the 70s as true dirtbag climbers.

http://www.fourwh.com/

McGee Creek cowboy camping, High Sierra, CA - Sept 2019

I have a 4 cyl outback and used to tow a scamp. Was a bad idea. Gas mileage tanked, and also wore out the rear rotors really fast. You're much better off with a more purpose built rig.

Wow, thanks everyone! I knew the climbing community would have this sorted. We’re going to spring for a truck and sort it from there. Peter, I really like those 4wheel slide-ins, but you aren’t kidding on the price.

Get a truck, you're not a big ol' wuss are you?

evan h wrote: Hey guys,

I need someone to back me off the cliff of buying a truck. I've been perusing the web for days, and I can't get comfortable with the idea of any of the campers (Scamp, Aline, etc) being pulled by an Outback. I think it can work on paved roads and standard campgrounds, but you guys know where we hang (washboard dirt roads, etc).

Does anyone have any last-minute success stories? We really love out Outback, but sleeping in it on long trips is getting old. Two adults, a 60 lb dog, and pads and gear is tight!

Thanks in advance!

Unless you like blown head gaskets, cracked blocks, thrown rods, excessive knocking, or ringland faliure. Dont tow anything substantial with a subaru 4 cylinder.