Subaru ascent

[campersam9]

Anyone pull with a Subaru ascent? We pull 3000 lbs and three English Setters. They need room and lick all of the windows.

[campersam9]

It seems this is not a good idea. Now looking at a ford. Explorer.

[JFlightRisk]

Apparently no one tows with an Ascent, or they probably would've chimed in for you. By the way, big or small vehicle, they'll STILL lick the windows. Our Corgi isn't sure where the end of his nose is, and slimes both back windows of the truck all the time.

Happy shopping for the Ford!

[poohbear]

Originally Posted by campersam9

It seems this is not a good idea. Now looking at a ford. Explorer.

We have a 20 Asent we bought last Dec. I honestly don't even know the tow specs but if your rv is in the specified weight limits , why not ?
Great car and maybe in another 6 months I'll know what & how all the safety features work

[poohbear]

I looked the spec up & its 5000 lbs .

[RogerR]

You didn't post which RV you tow. If it is a popup you have minimal wind drag compared to an upright trailer. We pulled a popup behind a Dodge minivan and had no problems. But I would never pull my upright/conventional 195RB with one.
Look up the the various factors. Max GVW, tow weight, tongue weight, etc. and there is a good chance you will find yourself overloaded in at least one category. Per internet it varies between 2,000 and 5,000, probably based on model, engine, towing equipment, etc.

[SkyBound]

We have an Explorer with the 3.5 EcoBoost and it has great power and rides beautifully. I would consider pulling a pop-up or a small travel trailer with it, but that's it. I've pulled our enclosed cargo trailer (13') with it a few times and it does well. Suspension is too soft for anything with a significant tongue weight.

[Screwby]

I think there’s a lot to be said as others mentioned about the height of the trailer. Once you start pulling anything that sits above the roofline of your vehicle you get wind drag. I’d never just take the tow rating of a vehicle into account. Does it have the power to pull the trailer when it acts like a parachute going down the road? Does it have the wheelbase and curb weight to handle the trailer pulling the vehicle around in crosswinds, on uneven roads, and during the strong drafts created by larger vehicles around you? Is the drivetrain robust enough to continually handle pulling around the weight of the trailer in all conditions? I see so many posts about the sticker saying a vehicles chassis and suspension can handle “X” amount of weight but that’s just one of the factors that will make or break a towing experience.
I see a lot of SUVs and Trucks who’s stickers probably say they can handle the weight of the trailer they are towing but look like they are struggling in the real world. Get more than “just enough” vehicle to pull whatever your pulling. Don’t be the poor person white knuckled and terrified just praying you don’t end up in a ditch or broken down during what should be a fun adventure.

[KeizerTrailer]

Well, as for speaking on the ability for a Subaru to tow something. My 2000 Qwest is easily pulled by my 1997 Subaru Legacy with the 2.2L. So I am sure your Ascent should be able to pull any smaller pop-up or TT.

[JFlightRisk]

The issue I see with the tow ratings, they don't distinguish between the possibilities of what type of trailer you're towing. Pulling a travel trailer, horse trailer, or enclosed utility style adds the wind resistance factor. Not disputing the weight aspect of the ratings, but the horsepower needed to pull that barn door behind you, especially up long grades at highway speeds. I'm sure those ratings are based on suspension and brake specs, but if you're underpowered, and regularly tow up long stretches of highway, you become the slow one in the bunch. Just an off the cuff thought.

[KeizerTrailer]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

The issue I see with the tow ratings, they don't distinguish between the possibilities of what type of trailer you're towing. Pulling a travel trailer, horse trailer, or enclosed utility style adds the wind resistance factor. Not disputing the weight aspect of the ratings, but the horsepower needed to pull that barn door behind you, especially up long grades at highway speeds. I'm sure those ratings are based on suspension and brake specs, but if you're underpowered, and regularly tow up long stretches of highway, you become the slow one in the bunch. Just an off the cuff thought.

That is true! My tow rigs aren't race cars up the grades, but definitely make it up without issue.

[JFlightRisk]

We had a 2004 Tundra with the 4.7 liter V8. It towed our 4000 lb pop up flawlessly. The first trip with our TT down the NYS Thruway proved to us we had to make a change. Enter a 2010 Tundra with the 5.7 liter V8. MUCH better. Now we've changed to an F150 3.5 turbo. Better than the Toyota. Good thing, because it's probably the last truck I'll get.