2018 Subaru outback towing a 1972 Shasta

Asked by 72ShastaJolene Dec 01, 2019 at 08:41 PM about the 2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i AWD

Question type: General

Hi,  I have a 2018 Subaru Outback.  Last summer I bought a 72' Shasta.  
Weight is 1600lbs and the Hitch weight is 245.  I am very new at the camper
thing and have read mixed reviews about towing it.  I do not know if it has
brakes.  I know it has emergency breakaway brakes but don't know if that
makes a different.  I would love some advice on what to do to make it road
worth.  I have only driven it a couple hrs and it felt fine but want to make sure I
am not doing anything I shouldn't.  Thanks!

4 Answers

I think the tongue weight is too much. If you can rebalance the trailer you might be OK. Trailer brakes will make it a lot safer to tow so have someone that knows trailers take a look at it.

1 people found this helpful.
48,760

I agree. The OB's rear springs and struts are WAY too soft for a tongue weight above 100lbs. I automatically replace the wimpy 16mm rear anti-swaybar on all my OBs with Subaru's much beefier 20mm Sti version to improve handling and reduce body roll, but even that won't reduce much the effects of a symmetrical "sag" from the equivalent of two people sitting on the bumper! I'm not currently aware of good aftermarket stiffer springsets and mating struts that would be cost-effective, but make sure that you treat all 4 corners as a system, and not just stiffen the rear, or you may engineer a lot of unintended oversteer when NOT towing your behemoth. Is there any way to rebalance the camper to reduce tongue weight in half or more? And do you really mean 72' long?

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Outback

Looking for a Used Outback in your area?

CarGurus has 960 nationwide Outback listings starting at $1,795.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Mark Weiner
    Reputation
    33,540
  • #2
    TheSubaruGuruBoston
    Reputation
    28,700
  • #3
    Keith Cahalan
    Reputation
    3,390
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Subaru Forester
36 Great Deals out of 1,336 listings starting at $2,295
Used Subaru Crosstrek
29 Great Deals out of 1,029 listings starting at $5,995
Used Toyota RAV4
96 Great Deals out of 2,713 listings starting at $2,500
Used Honda CR-V
88 Great Deals out of 4,543 listings starting at $440
Used Toyota 4Runner
15 Great Deals out of 301 listings starting at $9,995
Used Subaru Ascent
17 Great Deals out of 382 listings starting at $14,900
Used Subaru Legacy
11 Great Deals out of 186 listings starting at $3,990
Used Honda Pilot
38 Great Deals out of 1,298 listings starting at $2,995
Used Toyota Highlander
31 Great Deals out of 784 listings starting at $6,500
Used Toyota Tacoma
45 Great Deals out of 1,079 listings starting at $9,399
Used Subaru Impreza
30 Great Deals out of 508 listings starting at $3,444
Used Mazda CX-5
65 Great Deals out of 2,839 listings starting at $5,495
Used Toyota Camry
62 Great Deals out of 1,074 listings starting at $3,500
Used Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
21 Great Deals out of 965 listings starting at $17,480
Used Subaru WRX
17 Great Deals out of 537 listings starting at $8,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.