towing

I've use a lightweight 4 x 8 trailer that I use to haul garden tillers, lawn/brush mowers, etc. with...maybe not as heavy a trailer as yours. So far its worked OK. Towing it does drop the mileage a bit. I drive an 02 Outback LLBeam wagon.

There have been several menti> has anyone tried towing a trailer behind a subaru outback wagon?

Also, use "3" instead of "D" when going up any significant hills. Like almost all overdrive automatic transmissions, it will lug and hunt (shift back and forth) between D and 3 excessively which also heats up the fluid. Using 3 or even 2 coming down hills for engine braking is also a good idea.

tillers,

CarKB.com"

All good suggestions. Fitted a trans cooler to my 99 OBW when purchased

2nd hand. Clutch pack failed due to abuse by prev owner (no cost to me - nice!) but no more probs since. Recommended purchase. Just came down from Sydney to New South Wales (Oz) south coast via some freeway and lots of hills - 6x4 cage trailer with a 14 cu ft fridge, ditto freezer and an old self propelled greenkeepers mower on board, so probably towing close to half a ton all up. Rubbish fuel figures but no major effect on performance. Prob worth another 3 - 4psi in your rear wheels too. Cheers

Subaru reccomends the trailer have brakes (which means you have to have a brake controller), if the trailer weighs over 1000 lbs. BTW you also need to consider the TOTAL weight, you, everyone else, all the stuff in the car, plus the trailer and the weight it hauls. Subaru is not a serious haul vehicle (I've towed a 4x4 light trailer behind mine, for serious tow I use an F250SD truck)

Does Oz get different subarus than the rest of the world? I look at that crankshaft and wonder how the hell it doen't blow gaskets shake the valvetrain apart blow oil pumps and have engine misfire codes randimly to every skinny crank block quake it decides to dish out... and ALL the aforementioned things happen. I'd haul 1000 lbs behind a 1781cc from 1987 before i attempted it with the new ones at 30mph on level ground. I am here to be the pessimistic ahole... there is a drawback to the newer sube power numbers, the very guts of the engine getting thrashed around by them (and tranny!). anyone need to haul something approaching 1000 ought to think of another vehicle to do it with.. I wouldn't go over 500...

I have no problem towing a 6x4 trailer 'packed' with partially dry split pine firewood. (no idea of the weight) Tow it over a reasonable sized mountain. (unbraked)

Provided you use common sense, realise the limitations of the extra weight, and the conditions your driving under, there is no problems.

2002 Legacy GT wagon (manual)

CarKB.comhttp://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/subaru/200704/1 Subaru typically recommends the use of a heavier weight oil if you're going to be doing any towing duty. If the ambient temps are going to be reasonably warm, then a SAE 30 oil or even 15W-40 might do the trick.

I have a 99 Outback 5 speed manual, and regularly tow a small sailboat, trailer+boat approx. 1000 lbs, with no real problems. I have never experienced overheating or braking issues I do have trouble maintaining 70 MPH on the interstate going up slight hills in eastern North Carolina (USA). Maintaining 60-65 mph is no problem.

I have also pulled a 4x6 and a 4x8 U-Haul trailer 200-300 miles with no problems. Both were fairly light cargo loads (mattresses and light furniture).