Who tows what?

silver

silver

Forum Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2008
Messages
1,018
Location
Tathra, Far South Coast, NSW
Car Year
2005
Car Model
Forester
Transmission
Manual
Just wondering who tows what and how much does it weigh and how does the car handle it? This is aimed at those with N/A cars so i can get an ides of how my car will handle the weight.
I checked out a camper trailer today that weighed 500kgs with no jerry cans or gear. It was braked.
It also had a 'treg' hitch. The one with the red urethane block type of set up. I gather they are pretty good. Can i get a suitable coupling for this?
 
i towed a 6'x6' box trailer chocablock with camping and boating gear with the tinnie strapped on top. all up i think it would at least be 400Kilo and the OB pulled it no worries. the only time i really felt it was the hills but slow and stedy got us there and back.
 
I towed a camper trailer Perth to Geraldton while it was pissing down with rain. Started at about 600kg, got there at something like 800kg I reckon.

Anyway, sat on 100km/h all the way up the Brand Hwy, no worries. NA Forester.

If the camper trailer is one of those South African fibreglass thingos....well, they sort of leak a bit in heavy rain.

One thing I would recommend is whacking in some HD springs in the rear. I used my Forester to tow hydraulic gear on tilt trailers for a while. It used to yaw a lot before I put the HD spring in.

Jonbob.
 
If you have an AT, FOR SURE get yourself a cooler.

I've towed up to and a little past the US spec limit of 2,000lbs without a trailer brake. You need to be careful, but it's fine.

I've towed my old 5x8 trailer with everything under the sun on it, including junk for the landfill, dirt bikes, ATVs, street bikes, furniture... You name it. Also had a pop up camper for a bit, but never did like that.

Camper:

IMG_0551-1.jpg



The biggest trailer I ever towed: (awwww, doesn't my Foz look so cute stock? :lol:)

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2-2.jpg
 
I know a bloke who towed an Outback up some seriously steep dirt hills and he needed a turbo diesel and diff locks all round. Sorry, I'm not helping but it was a sight to see.

You might though want to think about brake pads and fluid if towing anything heavy.
 
I'll be doing my best to keep the weight down eg, no full jerry cans or excess water unless i have to.
Hopefully i will have the street series slotted rotors all round with Bendix HD brake pads.
I use Castrol Super Response brake fluid ( the silver container) and it will be fresh before i go.
Is there some other brake fluid you had in mind??
 
I use the Castrol (clear) fluid, it is their better fluid before you get into stuff like SRF. I realy give the brakes a workout and combined with the pads fade on the street has not been an issue. But bleed them annually. You won't need slotted rear rotors. i don't know what pads are available for the 2 piston caliper- I had 4 piston calipers on my Forrie but have yet to find a pad I am totally happy with.
 
Bendix have about 4 different pads for (2 pot) Foresters. 'Ultimates' are their top ones but i have spoken to the tech guy, he rang me after i sent an email to them, great service, and i told him what i intended doing and the Heavy Duty pads are what he suggested.
He told me they are 'low friction' pads and therefore don't stuff up the abs etc but you should always replace the F & R at the same time when going to a new type of pad.
I'm working on the same theory for the rotors. Probably don't 'need' the sloted rotors at all but if i get any i will get them all round.
I'm going to get the springs,pads and rotors done at the same time.
I'll check out the Castrol site as i'm not sure what this 'clear' fluid is.
 
I think the fluid is what you are already getting- I'm just not sure of what they call it. I use it because when the fluid ages, it turns dark. When you put in new fluid, you can see it coming out and know that the fresh fluid has come through.I still run the standard rear rotors on my WRX- they just don't work hard enough. I tend to agree with you on the pads, but I have also run heavy duty front pads with standard rears under exceptionally heavy braking from high speed with numerous such applications and they went well- until I started to run out of front pads anyway.
 
Checked the Castrol website. Reckon it is the same one i use as they only have 3. Response (red bottle), Super Response (silver bottle) and the SRF.
I got some prices on brakes and pads today. What do you think??
DBA Slotted Street Series (Kangaroo Paw) Front...$229pr, Rear Slotted...$299pr (that is not a misprint..rears are dearer than the fronts for some reason but i will check it out)
Bendix HD pads $90 per set.
 
Good prices on the discs. You need to remember with the rears, there is the drum section for the handbrake- 2 machined surfaces. Maybe with the money you saved with those good prices on the discs, you could go for Ultimates? Also, I checked what I had and you are right- it is the silver bottle. With your username, that is a nice fit too!
 
After rechecking the DBA site i've got a feeling the Street Series may not be the 'Kangaroo Paw' design. At least not available in all variants.
I'll ring them tomorrow and find out.
When i was in the parts place i was talking to him about the springs i have bought. I saw the front of the King Springs part book and it says that their raised height springs are 20-30mm higher yet the talk here is that they are a 50mm higher spring which is the main reason i went for the ones that i got as they were only a 20-30mm raise.
As it turns out,there is another difference. According to the parts guy the king springs are a progressive coil whereas i know mine are linear coils.
 
Well it pays to check!!! I was talking to the DBA guy today and according to the VIN No of my car and info supplied by the Subaru guy he rang i have ventilated rear disks fitted.
Of course i don't have them..they are solid rears so i now need to measure the front and rears to get a correct size and thickness.
 
I'm sure I've overloaded the brumby and my L series - I'd also go as far as saying that most people towing trailers overload the vehicle in the process but they drive to the conditions associated with driving with a trailer.

Speed or acceleration is not the key, braking distances is the key to driving safely with a trailer. This is the sort of loads I've towed:

janurarypics453es6.jpg


1005887.jpg


Cheers

Bennie
 
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