And finally, I would not recommend doing this type of trip regularly.

+1 the OB isn't a great fit for heavy, regular loads. Can do it, but it's the lower end of suitability.

I would have expected higher mpg than 12, I get 15mpg with well over 2,000 pound boat, through steeper grades of WV in an older H6.

 

My guess is that the H6 maintains overall lower rpms?

 

And I meant to add, I was also running A/C for almost the entire drive.

 

engine would be a little less taxed overall. power and mileage both very roughly 25% less. But I wouldn't have guessed that big of a difference with the newer vehicle and CVT though.

 

the boat/trailer is also a large cross sectional area, it sits above the car, maybe not quite as high as that camper but less aerodynamic, i usually describe it as pulling like a parachute.

did you notice any mileage difference when in mountainous areas verses flat? i never have in mine.

although i guess i haven't done much flat land towing for extended distances.

 

The Basics:

• 2014 Outback with the 2.5 CVT
• 2010 r-Pod 171 which weighs in at 2,100lbs with a 200lb hitch weight.

The Equipment

• Tekonsha P2 brake controller
• Curt class III hitch
• Curt anti-sway bar
• WAZE app (mapping on your phone)

Trip Details

• We traveled from Maine to Tennessee with 2 adults, 1 child and a dog with enough clothing/crap to last a week.
• We drove through temps ranging from 65 to 88 degrees and weather including major thunderstorms.
• We drove through hilly mountainous areas (Virginia, Tennessee, New York) which included several longer low grade climbs.
• We averaged 60mph with 12mpg
• We traveled 2500 miles in total

What I learned

• It's not a race - towing a larger camper, your average speed will be 55-60mph. I kept an eye on rpm's more than speed. Going up grades it was not uncommon for my speed to drop to 50mph, keeping my rpm's below 3400.
• When google maps says a trip will take x number of hours, add another 1/2 hour for every hour estimated. Example: if google maps says 10 hours, plan on 15. This includes the reduced speed and stops.
• Averaging 12mpg, a tank of gas is equal to roughly 4 hours of driving.
• Use the WAZE app. Using information from it's users, it will determine the fastest route dynamically. Meaning, if there is a traffic jam on your route, it will find a way around for you if one exists. It saved me from 2 major traffic jams, saving me hours in time.
• Electric brakes are a must.
• Anti-sway bar is a must. Because a heavier camper will have more influence on the OB's driving, the anti-sway bar helps keep everything traveling true. I found that adjusting the anti-sway bar to increase the resistance was helped significantly with poor roads, tractor trailers, etc.
• Distribution of gear weight has a big effect. During the first day, I had our clothing and other heavier bags in the back of the OB and other gear in the camper. This was a lot of weight on the rear of the OB with the camper & gear putting more weight behind the rear axle causing 'porpoising'. I found that putting the heavier gear in the camper and only putting light items in the rear of the OB helped with overall handling.
• Dramamine is a must. A heavier camper bounces you around more, and can put you off. Dramamine helped 'smooth' out the overall internal feeling when towing.

Overall
The OB did great and I didn't experience any issues. I towed in high temps and over hilly terrain without issue. I spent long days towing, dividing the two day drive into 11 hour/16 hour stretches. That said, I was also very careful. I kept my rpm's under 3400 and most of the time under 3000. I took my time and did not push the OB beyond it's limits.

And finally, I would not recommend doing this type of trip regularly. The OB is great, but towing heavy over long distances regularly is probably not healthy over the long term. I will be towing regularly (every 2-4 weeks except winter), but will be keeping my distances shorter (2-8 hours drive time).

I also was on the highway most of the time. I felt the OB actually did better at the 30-45mph range on smaller byways, etc. than it did on the highway. At 30-45mph, the OB felt 'dialed in' and in the future, I will stick to these types of roads when possible.

Very nice feedback Movemaine! Like-it!

Have you take time to stop on a truck scale? My quick search on the R-Pod 171 shown that the DRY weight are 2121 lb GVW with 181 lb TW. The GVWR are 3181 lb so... Maby you real weight loaded is between these two numbers?

 

I should get it weighed at some point.

The numbers are ballpark, but I don't have a few of the interior features that some of the r-pod's have (microwave & convection oven), so I estimate I'm around 100lbs lighter.

Additionally, I traveled without fluids (no water, grey & black water emptied every overnight stop).

 

Correction: I double checked, and the OB averaged 13.8mpg.

I felt like it had been 12, as that was the number it seemed to stay at when my foot was on the gas.

 

Interesting read...great info to have...even though I don't think I will ever tow something like that. Nice trailer too...I like it.

 

For older OB with 4 or 5 speed auto, your trans will run cooler at higher rpms vs low rpms with the torque converter unlocked.

Rpods have much larger aero drag and will tow "heavier" then the same size/weight Popups or Aliner .

 

Great report thanks for sharing.

I would bet your all up trip weight was more than 2000lbs based on your description and the weights Ive towed Id guess you were closer to 2500lbs. For long trips I found 1800lbs to be about the max weight were the higher speed highway trips and head winds are still OK vs performance. In my case lower profile enclosed sleek 8.5ft wide 26ft hitch to tail etc. In that case I ran 16mpg at 65-70mph with a slight head wind. My truck under the same conditions but packed heavier will typically return 15-16mpg.

Having said that a recent camping trip with 5 people, water, wood gear and food for 6 days + my 4x6 900lb trailer crossing Sonora Pass which has 14% and no joke 26% grades returned 14mpg average the pass was 9000ft and the 14 and 26% grades were in the 8000+ft altitude range. Our 2.5L OB would have been crawling at walking speed and begging for mercy with just 2-4 people and the empty 900lb trailer. The 4.7L V8 in the truck was fine 2500-3000rpm in 2nd gear doing 15-30mph keep in mind the road in those steep sections was 25-30mph max even in a sportscar due to the switch backs and 180 degree turns. The 3.6 wouldnt have been any different given cooling would have been the primary issue with any subaru packed beyond basic gear for 2-4people with no trailer. Infact we saw a 2.5L Impreza which was doing about 8-10 mph in 1st gear with two people and two backpacks in the back on the 26% climb.

If your curious this is highway 108 in CA which is just north of Yosemite which runs East West over the Sierras. We spent 6 days just north west of Mono Lake in the Virgina Lakes area.

 

Great report thanks for sharing.

I would bet your all up trip weight was more than 2000lbs based on your description and the weights Ive towed Id guess you were closer to 2500lbs. For long trips I found 1800lbs to be about the max weight were the higher speed highway trips and head winds are still OK vs performance.

Agreed. With gear, etc. I was probably right around 2500 and the OB did well, considering that is at its upper limit.

 

Maybe i get it wrong, but even RP-171 weight is 3225 lbs. (GVWR) which is more than OB can tow.

Or why 2000 lbs?

Thinking about 173 but hesitating.

 

GVWR is the max weight rating of the camper (how much it can hold plus it's weight).

GVWR - The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the amount recommended by the manufacturer as the upper limit to the operational weight for a motor vehicle and any cargo (human or other) to be carried.

UVW - Unloaded Vehicle weight (no water, no gear)

CCC - Cargo Carrying Capacity (how much weight you can add in addition to the UVW)


The UVW for the new 171 is 2205lbs; higher than I'd want to go because once you throw your gear in you would be over 2500lbs. I have a 2010 173 and the base weight (the UVW) is 2039lbs. With my gear, I'm probably at 2400-2500lbs. So I'm really maxing out the tow capacity.

All of our trips (except for this big one) are less than a couple hundred miles.

Within a year or two I'll probably upgrade to a bigger vehicle (unless they beef up the 3.6R or bring back something Tribeca like).

 

Oh, now I see!

Thanks for such detailed response!

 

I have 2013 OB 2.5 4 cylinder and the owners manual lists the towing cap. at 2700lbs. I am looking at an R-Pod right now, but only plan on short trips here in the flat lands of the midwest. Hoping my OB holds out till I can buy a better towing vehicle.

 

I wouldn't go any heavier than the 2000lbs, use an anti-sway bar, and be careful of high winds there in the midwest. Short trips (a couple of hours) and you'll be fine. Also, I preferred routes that let me stick around 40-45mph - the Subaru felt dialed in at this speed.

 

I just looked at the r-pod site. Pretty nice, I saw that all the tongue weights were >200lb. Some creative loading might solve that.

 

Thanks so much for this post, movemaine! I have a '12 OB 2.5 and an R-Pod 152 (1970lbs with 180lbs hitch weight empty) and we're planning to tow it nearly 5000km across Canada. I'm pretty nervous about it, but your report has helped give me some perspective and advice. I'm going to order a sway bar for sure. Cheers!

 

I have seen people post about planning trips with elevation changes in mind and hitting the grades in the cool of the morning.

this towing section of the outback form has lots of great trip reports though so keep searching and reading.

(make sure your brakes are in great shape, the and the radiator freshly rinsed off)

 

Good post and I’m glad to hear your OB handled the trip well. My 2017OB with the 3.6 regularly pulls my Fantom teardrop and pulls it quite well. It’s not nearly as tall as your RPod and is a couple of hundred pounds lighter at ~1825lbs rolling weight; add 80lbs if the water tank is full. I average between 15.5-17.5mpg when pulling and the 3.6 doesn’t struggle at all. I am using a Hidden Hitch receiver, RedArc brake controller and no sway bar.