New member and looking at a 13' or 16'. The Subaru manual says max towing weight 3,000 lbs with electric brakes and a TW of 200 lbs. The dealer hitch looks exactly like a Class 2, the dealer says it is a Class 1. I was also told the Subaru limit is based on the OEM hitch, not the suspension. WD hitch is also not recommended by Subaru. (For an outdoor focused car, it really has very limited tow capacity, unless one wants teardrop type.) Anyone have real experience with towing a 16' Scamp with Outback with Class 3 hitch?
Fri, 10/02/2015 - 14:46
#1
Towing with a 2012 6cyl Outback
The tongue weight is the killer. People install 2" class three hitches on OB's because most accessories and bike racks are set up for 2". When installing an aftermarket hitch on an Outback there is not a lot of metal back there in the frame to be tugging on. It is also hard to get a S-16 to 200 lb. tongue weight but it can be done. But even the people towing the S-16's don't recommend it. The S-13 is a pretty good fit for the OB but you will need to install electric brakes.
Even the 4 Cyl. OB has plenty of power but the 200 lb tongue weight limit is the issue. I fully agree about how they promote the car, and when you read the fine print it can't safely pull what they advertise. Bottom line I won't be buying another OB because of it's towing limitation.
I have towed a stripped out S-16 with a 2011 OB. My recommendation is to stick with a S-13.
Eddie
I have owned my 2008 13' Scamp for 2 months. It has toilet, shower and AC. I traveled with the tanks fully loaded. I just did a 19 day road trip to the Olympic National Park in Washington State. I towed it with a 2007 Subaru Tribeca. The Tribeca is a V6 with full towing package. It is rated to pull 3500lbs. I had brakes put on the trailer and synced with the SUV. The trip was 2600 miles. I went over narrow, windy mountain passes and the Tribeca did a great job.
I guess the investment made in the brakes was worth the peace of mind it gave me. I really wanted to be safe.
Penny
Penny
Kalispell MT/Lake Havasu AZ
My father owns a 2010 4cyl Outback with an aftermarket Class III hitch and a 1999 Scamp 16 fully loaded with almost every available option. I have also owned an identical Outback and used it for general towing (small boat, utility trailer). With empty tanks, but otherwise ready to camp, the weight of the trailer is on the order of 2400 lbs with a 300 lb. TW. This is layout 6 side dinette with front bath and twin propane tanks and battery on the tongue. I agree with Eddie that the limiting factor with the 16 becomes the tongue weight. The 4 cylinder Outback can tow 2700 lbs by the book (6cyl 3000 lbs) but it is best to not exceed the tongue weight limit of 200 lbs. Based on typically wanting 10-15% of overall trailer weight on the tongue you can see the math doesn't work. The trailer was towed from Florida to NJ with this setup when purchased but it is mostly flat coming up the coast. Bottom line: The Outback is exactly what was said in the original post...a car. It will be at its limit with a loaded 16. If you are doing long hauls, especially any climbs, you will definitely want a more substantial tow vehicle. If it is a stripped down 16 within the limits of the tow vehicle and only short, flat hauls you could probably get away with it. Depends on the specific situation. Others may be able to comment further on the comfort level towing a 13, but it is obvious that this is a much better pairing.
Primary tow vehicle is now a 2007 Toyota 4Runner with 5000 lb tow capacity and 500 lb TW limit. Outback reserved for only local trips.
Hope this helps.
Dave VC
Burlington Twp., NJ
1999 Scamp 16
Also see "Scamp Trailer Weights" post. I noticed there is some discussion on towing a 13' with an Outback.
Dave VC
Burlington Twp., NJ
1999 Scamp 16
My 4 cylinder does well with the 13' Scamp with front bathroom BUT we're mainly in flat country, I load all food, bottled water, and the tote with chocks, outdoor rug, lawn chairs, etc, in the back of the Subaru. I can maintain 60mph except in hilly country, where I have to back down to 50-55mph. Although most people think that the Subaru 4 cylinder can pull 2,700#, the fine print in Edmonds.com says ** When adequately equipped, which may require engine and/or other drivetrain upgrades**. My dealership tells me that my Subaru doesn't have the required upgrades. I also think that most of us load our campers more than we realize. For example, my Scamp has added solar panels the full length of both sides of the roof.
If/when I win the big lottery, I'll upgrade to the 16' with side dinette and a monster truck to pull it, but in the meantime, I puddle along with my cute little 13'.
MarilynB
I tow once in awhile with our 2008 Outback with the 4 cyl engine. It tows well, but the 200 lb tongue weight has been difficult to achieve, and if you do achieve it, then the tongue weight percentage can get pretty low, around 8% or lower, which is not good if trying to avoid sway.
We love our Outback and it towed our old 1720lb GVWR popup fine, but the 16' Scamp is pushing it. 13' Scamp is probably ideal.
Just got back from a rally in Montgomery, AL and since we were loaded like we would be for our long term (heavy) trips, decided to get our rig weighed on a CAT scale again. With fresh water full, plus two propane tanks on the tongue, our Scamp came in at 2600 lbs on the axle and 230 tongue weight for a total Scamp weight of 2830 lbs. This surprised me since it was about 230 lbs heavier than the last time I weighed it (although that time didn't have food in the fridge and I've added a couple of mods since then like 14" tires, solar on roof, and shelves). Guess my days of using the Outback to tow are over :-(
At least we were using our Dodge Dakota for this trip since we prefer that when loaded heavily.
John/Dave and Marilyn Haggerty
2005 Scamp 16 standard side dinette
04 Dodge Dakota Quad cab 4.7
17 Dodge Durango 3.6
19 Ford Ranger Supercrew Ecoboost
John,
How did you go about weighing your tongue on the Cat Scales?
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
It was pretty easy. There are three segments on the local CAT scale. One for Steer axle, one for drive axle, and one for trailer axle. My quad cab Dodge Dakota had a wheelbase long enough to allow me to get the front wheels on the first segment, back wheels on the second segment, and trailer wheels on the third segment. If you have a short wheelbase vehicle like a 2 door Jeep Wrangler you may not be able to get the front wheels on the 1st segment if your trailer wheels are on the 3rd segment. Here is a link showing how to park your rig for a weighing. CAT scale how to.
Once I had the truck parked on the scales, I pushed the call button and then they weighed it and told me to come on in. Parked the truck, walked in, paid the $10.50 and it was done. You can reweigh for another $2 fee in case you want an empty weight and then a loaded weight.
My tongue weight is low enough that I can weigh that on a bathroom scale at home, which I did (make sure the trailer is level when weighing the tongue for accuracy).
There is also an app you can use so you don't even have to go in the office, just get a digital copy sent to your email.
John/Dave and Marilyn Haggerty
2005 Scamp 16 standard side dinette
04 Dodge Dakota Quad cab 4.7
17 Dodge Durango 3.6
19 Ford Ranger Supercrew Ecoboost
Just realized that you were asking about the tongue weight. If your tongue weight is expected to be higher than your bathroom scale and you don't want to mess around with the bathroom scale conversion trick, then you would have to unhitch and place the tongue on the drive wheel segment and move the truck up, and then re-hitch when done.
John/Dave and Marilyn Haggerty
2005 Scamp 16 standard side dinette
04 Dodge Dakota Quad cab 4.7
17 Dodge Durango 3.6
19 Ford Ranger Supercrew Ecoboost