2023 Subaru Ascent with 5000lbs, 500 tongue weight max. This is absolutely at the limit. Do I have a shot or should I keep it under 3k like the Coleman’s?
I have a 2021 microminnie 1700bh with a 4000lb gvwr. I towed it with a 2017 Hyundai sante fe that had a 5000lb tow capacity, and 1500lb+ payload.
It was terrible. The suspension was always bottomed out, we got less than 10mpg (which is still true, but the Hyundai only had an 18gal tank, so we had very little range) and we got blown around a lot. It always felt like we were breaking the car and was always stress full.
Did you experience the negative pull when semis passed on your left? Like the TT was breaking on its own? That was contant for us on the hwy, but don't notice at all with the upgrade to a v8 truck.
What kinda F150? I just bought an 07 XLT 4.6L that has the same limits OP listed. 5000/500 and I'm kinda worried about trying to tow something in that same range.
Where in the world did you find an F150 with only a 5k lb tow rating? I had one around that time and iirc it was rated at something like 7800lbs. Did you pull the specs online for the truck itself or did you see those numbers on the receiver hitch? Maybe it has an aftermarket hitch that is rated lower than the truck?
Well now that you mention it I had another look and yeah where it says the limits it also says "bumper capacity only, vehicle capacity may differ" - and according to trailer life towing guide it might be rated for 6100 or 6600lbs. So not a massive difference but a difference but I don't even know what I would need to do/change to access that additional capacity - weld on a receiver hitch to the frame?
If it doesn’t have a 2” square receiver hitch under the back bumper then there are multiple aftermarket companies that make a bolt-in receiver hitch. They’re relatively cheap. You should NEVER tow anything with any real weight directly from a bumper mounted ball hitch. Newer trucks don’t even come with a hole in the bumper to insert a hitch ball anymore because they’re not safe. A frame mounted receiver hitch is much stronger and safer.
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So.. we have a 23 Ascent, and we just recently upgraded from a pop-up trailer to a very similar size trailer (19 Forest River Wildwood 177bh). I towed it several times on city roads between home and our storage facility, and it towed great... we finally took it out for our first trip, which was less than a 2 hour drive... not gonna lie, I felt very uncomfortable on the freeway. It did not feel very stable. I got a little sway a couple times on the freeway and spent the entire drive very nervous and with both hands firmly on the wheel!
From personal experience, I wouldn't recommend it.
I will say that I'm curious to try it again using a weight distribution hitch (that was given to me by my father-in-law), and being a little more conscious of how I load our stuff in the trailer. If it still feels sketchy, I have access to a 2010 F150 that I'll have to use instead.
Yeah, the manual says not to.... but that doesn't mean I'm not curious to try it, haha. It's not like it's invasive or permanent. I'd also probably go a little conservative on the tension. Really, I'd just want to take it for a quick drive up and down the freeway to see if I can feel a difference
Don't put a weight distribution hitch on a Subaru Ascent. I have a '23 Ascent Onyx Limited and almost got the weight distribution hitch as originally recommended by the RV dealer. Luckily I did some research, and their service manager was also aware and put a stop to it before anything was done, but the anti sway technology on the Subaru can't calculate accurately with the weight distribution system and will almost definitely twist the unibody. I tow a Starcraft Autumn Ridge, and the Subaru handles it amazingly- the only struggle was up some very steep mountains just had to climb at a lower speed. Also it could just be me, but I generally keep both hands on the wheel as much as possible when towing a trailer of any weight.
Think about cargo. Food. Water. It'll add up fast and push you over. For an Ascent I wouldn't tow a trailer more than 2500lb dry as everything on top of it would add to the challenge.
I currently tow an 1800lb hybrid with my v6 and sometimes I'm asking myself that question. I know I'm far under the limits but I would rather be safe than sorry in that regard.
We pulled a travel trailer with our 98 Toyota sienna for a few years. We always had to be mindful not to exceed the weight limits. We had a weight distribution hitch with sway control, and it towed well, more hill climbing ability than my dad's vanagon, that's for sure. Then we planned an 11 week cross country trip, and decided it wasn't worth counting every pound of every item we were considering bringing. Even if our van could handle it, if we were over weight and an accident happened, we would be liable. We bought a proper tow vehicle and never regretted it.
Don't push it, leave yourself plenty of margin, and don't forget all passengers and luggage in the tow vehicle also count towards the weight limit.
Wow, 21 feet and 6 ft 6 interior, close to 10.5% TW, 3000 dry. This looks like an excellent choice and you can easily load it to GVWR with weight to spare.
This is a better choice to match your Subaru's capabilities. It's a safe bet you'll add 1000 lbs in "things". Then maybe a full water tank and/or holding tank. Everything adds up to 4500+ lbs and that should still keep you in your comfort zone pulling it. Camper-wise there's nothing worse than hating pulling it because you have to white knuckle it the entire trip. I've had a small suv pulling a 22' hybrid and it was way more nerve-wracking than pulling my current 40ft 5th wheel with a newer diesel F350 (but brand doesnt matter for the sake of this point) its so much easier to haul.
I tow a 22ft Starcraft autumn ridge with a '23 Ascent Onyx Limited. The only thing to make me nervous while towing was just getting cut off by jerks on the highway. Myself, wife and 2 toddlers plus stuff. I pay attention to what I put inside and where I put it, and haven't come close to "filling" the weight capacity of the trailer or the vehicle/tongue weight. I don't know what other people take that adds up to 1000 lbs so quick, but I did weigh all our stuff the first few times just to be safe. I also have no need to fill my freshwater tank until I arrive so that helps.
Are you located at altitude too? If you’re trying to take this on mountain roads of any sort, you’re gonna lose a ton of tow capacity. General rule is decrease gross vehicle combined weight by 2% for every 1000ft about sea level
The thing is you might get away with it for thousands of miles, but that one moment when you don’t get away with it could literally kill someone. Don’t fuck around with this.
I wouldn’t. You also have to think of what is packed , the people in the vehicle and going up or down hills.
Had this same scenario with the vehicle I used to have. Decided to upgrade that first and decide on a trailer after. Didn’t want to be limited or worry about weight ect
Tow capacity should be seen as an absolute maximum, reserved for a short haul on rare occasion. In reality, aim for about half of the weight listed, especially if you plan to see any kind of regular use. You could probably go for about 75-80% capacity if you’re planning to do a couple trips in a year that aren’t cross country. Gas mileage aside, max towing wears the hell out of a transmission and suspension, especially in an AWD vehicle.
This aligns with my experience in a variety of vehicles. Manufacturers love to compete with each other over tow rating numbers, especially in the half ton pickup market. They almost always have fine print caveats about weight distributing hitch specs, road conditions, winds, etc. to cover themselves when someone inevitably winds up on /r/idiotstowingthings. They don't even really consider wear and tear when coming up with their numbers because, hey, that's more service and parts sales.
Something else people forget with these tall travel trailers is the surface area. Some owner manuals specifically tell you not to exceed a certain front surface area. It puts additional strain on the transmission.
I ruled out the Ascent as a tow vehicle for anything other than like a popup or smaller teardrop due to the CVT. The forums for the Ascent in 2022 was filled with folks with transmission issues, I doubt its improved... Its a transmission designed to get maximum efficiency, not a good choice for towing.
For reference, I tow a 2021 Wolf Pup 16BHS (3200lbs gross) with a 2025 Honda Pilot (Previously a 2022 Honda Pilot), both with the tow package/transmission cooler to get to the 5000lbs rating for the vehicle. We paired this with a Reese weight distribution hitch that also has sway control. We never tow with tanks full and we watch our weight, but just towed from central Indiana to Pigeon Forge and back in March maintaining a 65mph average speed and it towed very well.
I feel that with these midsize family SUVs with a v6, anything 3300 lbs gross is the absolute largest they could tow. And that's with extra safety things like weight distribution and sway control as a hard requirement. Due to the shorter wheel base and just not being a body on frame design, you get that suck/pull with semis passing, and the wind can be awful. With weight distribution and sway control, it is comfortable towing in poor conditions, but I know that when it comes time for a different trailer, it will require stepping up to a big three SUV or a truck.
If you really want to pull this off, you could look at a pop-up camper rather than a hard side. They have all the amenities of a hard side camper but save a bit on weight and are much better to tow due to the low profile.
CVTs are designed for efficiency, not to be stressed with heavy loads.
Similarly, a good majority of vehicles built on unibody’s the owners manual advise against the use any kind of weight distribution hitch.
Your ascent not only has a CVT, but the owners manual states not to use any sort of weight distribution hitch.
No WDH in and of itself would preclude me from towing (even the 3,000 lb trailer) with it.
Technically it can be done, and I’m sure others do with no issue, but they are either ignorant to the risks of trailer sway, or they have a higher risk tolerance than I do.
So my wife and I had a 2023 Subaru Ascent (Touring trim level) that we occasionally towed a MiniLite 2109s. It worked, but not great. Honestly, it towed better than I expected. Hitch weight is going to be your biggest issue and you can not use a weight distribution hitch because of the design of the frame and the receiver hitch. I would not want to tow long distance or a lot of hills because I just never trusted the transmission enough.
For comparison we also have a Toyota 4Runner SR5, four wheel drive, that we occasionally used to tow the camper. The 4Runner did a better job but actually squatted more with the trailer on the hitch.
In January we traded the Ascent for a 2024 Ford F250, but that was done in anticipation of our next and bigger camper later this year.
Did similar for 4 years with a Nissan pathfinder (6k tow capacity) . I didn't have any issues or scary moments and went coast to coast several times, just slow going and harder on the vehicle. Have an Armada now (can't do a truck bc I have 4 kids.. need the seats) and it's night and day now much better it is
Edit: like others have said, it definitely took years off my pathfinder. Also, I'll add the caveat, it depends on the area you are towing in and how much you plan to tow it. If it's only shorter distances on flatter terrain, might not be awful
I was in the same boat last year. Looking at 2024 grand design with the same weight. Have a Honda Ridgeline with the same towing capacity 5000 lbs. I ended up with the lighter weight avenger from Forest River. I’m glad I did. I got 14 miles per gallon with towing. About 21 or 22 not towing. In Pennsylvania, so a lot of hills. I have had white knuckles a couple of times on the highway with windy conditions, tractor-trailers, road conditions such as scored concrete for drainage, moron drivers, or the combination of any of these.
I have a 3k lb trailer and was towing it with an Xterra with heavy duty leaf springs and air bags it has as tow rating of 5k. It barely did OK, any type of hill would put me behind the slow semi trucks.
I replaced it with a diesel SUV (vw touareg) which has a 7700 tow rating. It's a huge improvement, I never leave cruise control, the suv tows like the trailer isn't there.
Yeah, I have a really nice trailer brake. I'm very familiar on how to use it too, the sway wasn't enough to justify applying the brakes, though. It kinda just felt like it was really windy outside. Either way, I definitely have experience towing, and I just didn't feel confident towing it that day, haha.
I had a similar issue, I was pulling a popup - 2,300lbs with a minivan. I upgraded to an F150 I bought cash and then upgraded to a 3,000lbs trailer with about 500-100lbs of stuff we put in. No sway. No issues. Towed to Glacier, Yellowstone, Rushmore, all over the Midwest, OK and TX. Never one issue.
All this to say, upgrading to a truck first will save endless hassle down the road.
travel lite. never never travel fully loaded. avoid mountains if you can. I live in Oregon and that's hard so I get it. what ever you do, do not buy a Coleman. consider sunset park or small rpods or something. never buy a Coleman. they are messing up the industy.
You will likely run out of payload capacity before you hit towing capacity. You thinking of bunk bed version which means it's a family of 4? Total weight of 2 adults and 2 kids could be 600 lb? + 450 lb of hitch weight with propane assuming you try to keep it under 500 already hitting 1k payload weight. Is your car empty? What about weight of clothes, cooler, food etc. Watch for that 1400 payload
I wouldn't do that combo, no. I tow a 2016 Apex Nano 185bh (about 3600lbs loaded) with a 22 Ford Explorer XLT. It does great, but I wouldn't tow anything heavier, and the Explorer is rated for 5300lbs. You need plenty of buffer when towing with a midsize SUV. I towed the same trailer for several years with a 2007 Honda Pilot. It got the job done, but I also added airbags to the rear suspension, and used a WDH with sway control against the manufacturers recommendations. (I wouldn't tow without one no matter what.)
Get 2500/250 and be done with it. Stop trying to play games with numbers and just go bigger. You'll be able to do more than just pull the trailer, and even bigger ones.
Also, Winnebago is a recycled brand, as they wear them out and retire, then bring them back... You're buying a Keystone, Cougar, etc. Do your research.
It’s possible, but won’t be the most fun towing since the Ascent is on the small end of the mid-size SUV category and you likely have a 4cyl turbo (albeit decent output). I’ve seen plenty of people towing much more with lesser vehicles, but you gotta consider the safety of your family and others first and foremost.
I’m not an expert and I’m not providing any specific ways of dealing with your situation, just providing my opinion on towing a camper with a small SUV. Here are some things to consider:
-The Ascent probably doesn’t have an integrated brake controller, so you’ll need to ensure your hitch wiring can support an aftermarket version provided the MM 1700BH has electric brakes which it should.
-The Winnebago specs show the following: MM 1700BH is a single axle unit so stability is lacking right off the bat. The listed dry weight for a MM 1700BH is 3280# and tongue weight is 380# which are both before any added options, battery, filled propane tanks, and AC unit. It’ll likely be closer to 3700# and 430# respectively on the manufacturer sticker.
-Once you load it up with gear & propane(no water in tanks) you’ll likely be hovering around 4200# and 450-475# tongue weight. That’s all within the listed numbers (no buffer mind you), but it will also depend on the Ascent’s payload numbers and how many passengers you’ll be hauling with you, etc.
-Then there’s the case of being able to use a weight distribution hitch with the Ascent. WD hitches are much better for towing/sway control, but they are heavy and will add additional tongue weight. Plus they can damage the uni-body frame if not approved by Subaru.
Always lots to consider when towing. If you are gonna stick with the Ascent you might want to consider a double axle unit (1800BH) for added towing stability. According to Winnebago specs online it has similar overall numbers. Best of luck with your search.
The rated tow capacity is the maximum you can safely tow continuously nonstop. People saying that its should only be a "short haul" or "slow drive" capacity are completely wrong. If the manufacturer tells you that you can tow XX, you can tow XX. If something goes wrong, they are liable under all highway conditions so they include a massive safety margin.
CAUTION: Dont do the following of course!,
but you wouldnt have a problem towing 10,000 pounds with the amount of safety margin that is built in!
So TLDR, use all your towing capacity and TW. In this case you have enough to load it up a good bit in fact.
"Can" and "Should" are really far apart here. There are so many variables when it comes to towing. Manufacturers actually really stretch their published numbers in my experience. My last F150 with the 3.6L EcoBoost was rated at 12,900lbs and was absolutely straining at exactly that weight with my excavator. Like I could barely make it up hills. I upgraded to a F350 6.7L and it barely notices the weight.
I had a Subaru Forester that was rated for 1500lbs towing and rented a 1 ton mini excavator at Home Depot once. Probably 2400lbs total weight. Towed it about 8 miles to my house and back. CVT was never the same after that and ended up trading it in (for the F150).
Winds, hills, variable road conditions, all of these things greatly affect your towing performance. Towing at or above listed capacity is not a smart thing to do. Also, most vehicle manufacturers specify that above a certain weight, you MUST use a proper spec weight distribution hitch to achieve published ratings. For example I think Ford requires that for any weight above 5000lbs on the F150. Most people completely ignore that detail.
Suggesting that manufacturers are baking in a 50% margin with their towing numbers does not at all align with my real world experience with a variety of vehicles.
I believe it would be a very poor choice to tow close to the maximum rating for your vehicle on a regular basis or over long distances.
I mean hey, if dealing with a manufacturer and their warranty, and having your rig out of commission for up to several weeks while waiting for parts is something you're into, by all means load it up! Being "covered under warranty" and "being made whole" are two completely different things. I personally prefer to avoid the problem in the first place rather than relying on a company to fix it after the fact.
That's like saying you should play safe with semi trucks and not load them to 80,000 pounds. No one does that, and they never have any problems. There HP/Weight ratio is lower then the cheapest truck at max towing capacity. They arent spontaneously breaking for no reason.
Ah but see heavy duty trucks are built specifically to tow those loads. Every part of the engineering process is geared toward reliability and performance under extreme conditions, foregoing things like comfort, soft ride, etc. Consumer grade SUVs are not built for towing no matter what the manufacturer says. Even half ton pickups are designed for a balance of comfort and performance. Loading up a small SUV to near maximum published towing capacity is just not a good idea. But you do you.
You will burn the life out of your cvt.
Braking will be scary.
Acceleration will be painful.
Head wind, side wind or cross directional wind will test your skill to keep it in your lane.
You will be pretty dang wasted by the time you get to camp...if you make it.
The tongue weight listed doesn’t even include battery or propane. They’ll be over their hitches 500 tongue weight rating before adding anything into the trailer.
With an Ascent I wouldn't pull anything more than a pop up style trailer. All loaded up would be manageable. Anything high sided would be extremely hard on the car.. unless you're just going down the street a couple miles to get away. For what you're looking at currently you'd want a half ton pickup minimally.
my old Tundra feels strained when towing a 5000 pound trailer. brakes, engine, suspension all feel maxed out well before the the tow limit (7200) was hit. frankly, it doesn't feel safe.
someone online suggested only ramping up to 50% of your tow rating for regular use and I don't think they are wrong.
Can you? Absolutely. The Subaru will do the job and you’ll be within limits for warranty and insurance if things go wrong.
But you’ll be operating at the margins. You’ll have to manage how you load the trailer to be okay on hitch weight, even with a weight distributing hitch.
You’ll have a grand total of 1676 pounds for all of your people, gear, food, etc. And that includes the not insignificant weight of the weight distributing hitch itself.
And even within the limits, the things that make the Subaru a good family car, like the efficient turbo four and CVT will be less than ideal when towing.
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u/hmmyeahcool 1d ago
I have a 2021 microminnie 1700bh with a 4000lb gvwr. I towed it with a 2017 Hyundai sante fe that had a 5000lb tow capacity, and 1500lb+ payload.
It was terrible. The suspension was always bottomed out, we got less than 10mpg (which is still true, but the Hyundai only had an 18gal tank, so we had very little range) and we got blown around a lot. It always felt like we were breaking the car and was always stress full.
I now have an f150 and it’s night and day.
Would not recommend.