Subaru Outback (or similar) towing an expo trailer? Warning - philosophical rambling

[djsixbillion]

I thought about posting in this thread, as my situation pretty much mirror's the OP's there, but I think I have come to about the same conclusion.

I've got an awesome FZJ80 Land Cruiser that's lifted, locked, armored, etc., and gets about 10-12 mpg pulling our little M416-based expedition trailer. That's not a deal-breaker on trips through the Western US (i.e. somewhat close to home), and even though most of the time the truck is overkill for the conditions, I love having the capability to explore just about any trail without fear of breakage or getting inextricably stuck.

Like the OP in that post I cited above, I've waffled back and forth on selling my Cruiser in order to get something more efficient, practical for the family (wife and a 6-month old boy), less ostentatious, etc.. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I should keep the truck as I really love driving it, it's paid off and I'd never be able to recoup what I have into it.

Within the next two years we're planning a few longer-range trips that won't involve much heavy off-road driving, probably just fire-road type trails, perhaps snow, but LOTS of highway miles (Alaska and Baja are the destination goals). We're thinking of replacing my wife's daily driver (currently a 4th gen V8 4Runner) with something slightly smaller for ease of parking and increased economy, and I'm thinking maybe it can serve a dual purpose as well. Some of the vehicles under consideration are:

*Subaru Outback 2010+
*Toyota Rav4 AWD 2006+
*Lexus RX330/350
*Volvo XC70/XC90, Audi Allroad?
*Possibly more options coming out in 2013 (AWD VW Jetta TDI, etc.)

Which brings us to the question: how crazy would it be to tow our M416 (pic of the Cruiser and trailer below) for, say, 4,000 miles over mountain passes and such with one of these vehicles? Any that should be crossed off or added to the list? The goal (and I know this might be pie-in-the sky) would be to achieve 20+ mpg while towing and be able to get to some reasonably out of the way camp spots, while also having the vehicle be a comfortable and reliable daily driver and kid hauler when back at home. I haven't actually put the trailer on a scale, but I'm guessing it weighs in around 2,000 lbs fully loaded with water and gear. Obviously the wheels would be swapped out to better match whatever tow vehicle is employed, and I'd probably add electric brakes to the axle if I had to mess around with changing hubs, etc.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. Comments welcome!

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[4lowdean]

Once saw a slightly lifted Outback with an Adventure Trailer's "Chaser" behind it with an RTT. Guy even went so far as to put matching wheels/tires on the trailer to match what was on the Subi. I see no reason why any of those rigs couldn't to an M416 trailer assuming the tongue weight, trailer weight, and trailer level was all set right.

[98roamer]

I can guarantee you are not alone. We are keeping the 98 4Runner but looking at replacing the wife's car with a 05+ 4Runner or an 10+ Outback. (The 2013 fixed the light duty rear end swag.) The 4Runner is overkill for her but she loves driving them. The Outback would fit our needs just fine plus better MPG and it can pull our Coachmen Clipper Popup trailer.

[Prjktjho]

I would think a 3.6r could pull it without much issue. I wonder how the cvt trannys would hold up?? I haven't read to much into their reliability but foslack I know they could be bulletproof haha. My parents have a 2.5 legacy with the cvt and aside from towing (which I am not sure) they are extremely comfortable and nice. I Would love to see where the thread goes as an outback is a major contender for my next vehicle!

[djsixbillion]

I can guarantee you are not alone. We are keeping the 98 4Runner but looking at replacing the wife's car with a 05+ 4Runner or an 10+ Outback. (The 2013 fixed the light duty rear end swag.) The 4Runner is overkill for her but she loves driving them. The Outback would fit our needs just fine plus better MPG and it can pull our Coachmen Clipper Popup trailer.

Same story here, my wife really likes her 4Runner, but the mpg with the V8 isn't that much better than my 80; she seems to average about 17 with mostly freeway driving.

I would think a 3.6r could pull it without much issue. I wonder how the cvt trannys would hold up?? I haven't read to much into their reliability but foslack I know they could be bulletproof haha. My parents have a 2.5 legacy with the cvt and aside from towing (which I am not sure) they are extremely comfortable and nice. I Would love to see where the thread goes as an outback is a major contender for my next vehicle!

The CVT was my main concern with the Outback as well. I guess it's too early to tell about long-term reliability, but I do like the concept.

[Jiggity]

Go with the 3.6. It has a tow rating of 3500 lbs. The 2.5 w cvt says 2000, but I asked my dealer and they don't recommend anything over 1000/1500.

Subi lover here, on our third, but wish they could tow more.

[Prjktjho]

The 3.6 has the 5 speed auto not the cvt. I was mistaken!

[Philagony04WJ]

^^^ Correct, the 3.6 in the Outback and Legacy use the 5speed tranny and not the CVT.

[96discoXD]

This was my setup for deer camp last fall. The camper is a custom camper I built, it weighs 1360 with the propane tanks and rv battery on board. I stowed my gear in the back of the subaru so there wasn't so much weight behind me since the camper doesn't have brakes on the axle.

I had a 2" receiver hidden hitch installed that exceeds the rating of the vehicle, but I'm still well below the tow rating and tongue weight of the fozzie trailer brakes notwithstanding.

It towed great on the road and I just put it in 1st gear when it was time to drive back down the trail into the woods. It did great with the snow tires zipping right through the little bit of mud I encountered.

I did miss having the torque of the turbo off the line however. The 3.6 outback would probably be a great tow vehicle!

[Containerized]

We keep a 2002 Allroad at our house in Chicago that we've had since it was new. Wonderful vehicle, can cruise for hours at autobahn speeds and (with the air suspension set to the higher settings) can get to trailheads, etc. It has wonderful capacity, including wtih the rear seats up. I've picked up clients in it from the airport and used it to carry the bicycles out to the trail later that day. But it is, in my opinion, simply too complex for expedition use. Ours is in fantastic shape and no one believes me when I tell them it's a ten-year-old car (it only has about 30,000 miles, always garaged unless we're driving somewhere, etc.). But it just has too much technology for me to be comfortable shipping it or driving to Mexico or whatever... not to mention: what would you do if you had a failure of the air suspension in rural Mexico or Morocco or Turkey? It would be hard to get those parts, I guarantee it.