I will check my tongue weight also, forgot to mention that. Will be easier than getting the whole rig on a scale! Also forgot to mention that of course towing kicked my MPG in the head. Got about 18.5 mpg on the one full tank used along the way. Compared to ~26 without the trailer. Not bad actually considering the load. Yes, definitely more about stopping. Shifting down will get up most any hill. I did not experience any major concern with stopping. My stopping distance was increased, obviously, but still felt adequate. I drive on the cautious side anyhow so I often have more of a safety margin than what seems average. Also that I could downshift for some of the braking effect. Going down interstate grades (6% or less) I didn't need to touch the brakes, coasting speed in fifth gear was the same 55-60 mph I was cruising at. The overload rear springs keep my rear end sag from tongue weight (or any heavy loads in the cargo area) to a minimum and when braking the trailer felt like it was pushing straight, not down. In other words, not pushing the stern of the car down, so it's still my front brakes that do most of the work. Subaru owners note that 2001 and later saw a significant improvement in braking power. 2000 year models had smaller front brakes, which some consider inadequate just for the car if heavily loaded, never mind towing. cheers, John S. On 09/18/2015 05:55 AM, Mike Graf wrote:
As I understand it, the real safety issue is about stopping more than pulling. And extra weight at the tongue lessens the weight of the front wheels where the majority of stopping power is.
Consider putting brakes on the trailer.
Regards, Mike G. Montgomery 15 ComPac Sun Cat
On Sep 17, 2015, at 7:19 PM, John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net> wrote:
Hi all,
As promised a while back, a report on towing. In particular for those wondering about what a "small" car can do with an M17.
Yesterday I drove from Maple Valley, WA to Ashland, OR, 450 miles, mostly on I-5, towing my recently purchased 1974 M17 "Pajarita" with my 2001 Subaru Outback wagon.
Basically, it works just fine. I had to shift down for some of the steeper uphill grades on I-5 in southern Oregon. I cruised at around 60 mph on the freeway, except for a few slower uphills. Nothing I wasn't used to from owning a 71 VW van for many years a while back :-). I can definitely tell there's something wagging my tail a bit, but got used to it eventually. Just needs thoughtful driving, taking a bit more care than without the tow.
So now outings to various nearby lakes or Pacific coast won't seem like much of a long tow! ;-)
Specs of tow vehicle: base model Outback wagon, 2.5L engine, 165 HP rated, 5 speed manual transmission. Official tow rating is max 2000 lbs. load, max 200 lbs. tongue weight.
Has overload rear springs (std. height) from RalliTek: http://www.rallitek.com/lifted-springs-kits/5634-rallitek-rear-overload-spri...
Front brakes are high carbon disks and ceramic pads (in plain English, a small upgrade from original equipment).
Hitch rig is this one: http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Subaru/Outback+Wagon/2001/90176.html?v...
...which I installed myself some time ago, easy-peasy.
Along with electrical rig identified on etrailer.com - the car has a plug and play plug, no splicing or manual wiring required.
Sometime fairly soon I will try and get the boat & trailer on a scale and see what it actually weighs.
Also sometime soon I will be doing the boat ramp shuffle, so will see how it handles that part.
cheers, John S.
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com