Towing for a 2003 Forester

Asked by jyewell Jul 08, 2021 at 11:57 AM about the 2003 Subaru Forester XS

Question type: General

Why does the tow rating for my 2003 Forester go down from 2400 pounds to
1000 pounds for trailers without brakes? The smallest cargo trailers (5x8)
weigh about 1000 pounds unloaded, and NONE of them come with brakes. So
you can pull the trailer as long as you don't put any actual cargo in it. Even if
you could retrofit it (you can't) with brakes, Subaru only provides a four-pin
connection, not the seven-pin connection you need for a trailer with brakes. In
other words, the Forester has towing capacity in name only. Functionally
speaking, the Forester has ZERO towing capacity.

4 Answers

You need trailer brakes if you care about stopping safely. Imagine having over a ton of stuff traveling at 60 mph suddenly pushing on your rear bumper when you want to stop.

Small utility trailers do not weigh 1,000 pounds. They run around 500 to 700 lbs. If you want an enclosed trailer I suppose it might weigh that much.

Your Answer:

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