It's not Subaru's fault. The accessory hitch offered by Subaru for Gen 5 Outbacks does not support trailer brakes. The aftermarket hitch you had installed does not support trailer brakes. You can always add an aftermarket brake controller and the necessary wiring if you choose.

 

You might want to check with an RV dealer to see if they have an adapter or some solution. I tow a Canoe trailer that was made in 2005 and it has the standard 4-pin connector. I have to believe that RV dealers have had to deal with this issue. Good luck


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Jadet18, you will need to use the 4 pin to 7 pin adapter you found and add wiring for brakes and to charge the trailer's battery. The easiest way to do that will be with an additional connector. As SWKohnle08 said, I'd contact an RV dealer in your area; it might cost a bit, but they can wire up the additional circuit(s) and connector for you.

 

You might want to search 'Brake Controller' in this forum. I am in the process of installing a controller in my 2019 3.6R. I have learned quite a bit, perhaps I am about 2-3 weeks ahead of you in this research. The other threads offer a lot of insight on this subject. What I can tell you is: Although Subaru has conveniently provided for a 4 wire trailer connection, they have not provided sufficient wiring to carry the +12V necessary to operate the brakes. I am leaning towards the use of the Curt Echo brake controller, so I will only need to bring the 12 Volts from the battery to the 7 pin blade connector. To do this, I will use a 40 Amp circuit breaker and run an 8 gauge wire to the back of the car. Another thing to consider is that effect of connecting the trailer +12V system (battery) to your Outback battery. While it is not intuitive, you are basically putting the two batteries in parallel. It may not be your intent to charge the trailer battery while driving, but the bigger problem occurs when the car and trailer are connected and the car in not running. A weak trailer battery can cause your car battery to discharge (drawing down your car battery to its weaken state). For that reason, I am installing a relay to automatically disconnect the +12V from the 7 pin blade connector when the ignition is off. Most of what I am doing was gleaned from other posts in this forum, but I like I said, I am just a couple of weeks ahead in my research. Good Luck

 

Hello Jadet18:

Sorry to hear of your frustration. As JBaker2643 points out there are many potentially conflicting conditions complicating the situation you are in. The basic 4 pin flat connector provides leads for tail, turn and brake lights as well as a ground. That’s what it takes to legally tow any trailer. The remaining requirements of brake application and brake power, charging batteries, etc. are only required for some trailers thus usually not wired in a standard application.

There are some alternative solutions you could consider, although none very cheap. A ”surge“ brake controller could be fitted to the trailer. This senses change in momentum of the trailer and applies brakes accordingly. Unfortunately, fitting a surge brake controller to a trailer with electrical brakes still requires power to make the brakes work. Your could charge the trailer’s battery via solar panels rather than from the tow vehicle. This has the added advantage of providing charge power for your trailer battery while camping for extended periods when you aren’t driving. However, properly setting up a trailer mounted solar array involves charge controllers, wiring, setting up the panels and batteries for appropriate capacities etc. If you envision most of your camping occurring in campgrounds with electrical hookups then you could possibly forego charing your trailer’s battery with the tow vehicle - opting instead to charge via “shore power”every couple of days. Not a situation for remote camping, but depending on your plans it could be something to consider.

Where to get this all done is as difficult to determine as what to do! It can be hard to find a helpful RV center willing to spend the time to carefully determine what your particular situation requires. “Plug and play” solutions aren’t always available so you might want to do some research to find a good center. If you’re purchasing the trailer new you might check with the vendor to see if they can help or recommend someone.

Towing can put great strain on the drivetrain and other components of your vehicle. While a recreational camping trailer can initially be within the rated towing capacity of a car, once loaded with water, food, and camping gear you can quickly exceed the rated value. You are wise to select a trailer with it’s own brakes for that reason. But I’d also recommend towing slowly, especially up and down hills.

Howard

 

I tow with my 2017 Outback. I went to etrailer.com and learned what was needed. I got the 4 to 7 pin adapter, the 7 pin wiring kit, Redarc brake controller, and the hitch. I did the install 3 years/40k miles ago and everything's been good.

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Edited to include description of relay and the Subaru Harness Connector