Hitch Tongue Weight: 500 lb Ascent, vs traditional 200 lb Outback (2000-2019)

37971 Views 72 Replies 21 Participants Last post by ELPTXJC, 3 mo ago

smitopher

Discussion Starter · Sep 17, 2017

I got a factory hitch for my 2017 3.6 OB from the dealer when I b

I'm looking at something like the attached picture. I was just at the rv dealer and we put the the trailer hitch on a scale and it came in at 350 lbs.

The factory hitch max tongue is 200 lbs?

This is empty. I'll likely add 50 to 80 lbs of battery which goes in the front.

So is this out of the question?

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eagleeye

· #21 · Feb 24, 2018

smitopher said:
Well well well... I brought in my ob for a service, asked about the assent tongue weight... and...

277 lbs.

So... that is rather a... unfortunate limit.

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unfortunate, but it is news, and thanks for the report. :smile2:

everyone should remember the Ascent is a unibody SUV, NOT a Body on Frame thing.

maybe the coming 2019 forester, and 2020 outback will toughen up to that much when they get on the global platform.

(2019 forester maybe in the NY autoshow that opens March 30, 2018).

subiesailor

· #22 · Feb 24, 2018

eagleeye said:
unfortunate, but it is news, and thanks for the report. :smile2:

everyone should remember the Ascent is a unibody SUV, NOT a Body on Frame thing.

maybe the coming 2019 forester, and 2020 outback will toughen up to that much when they get on the global platform.

(2019 forester maybe in the NY autoshow that opens March 30, 2018).

Eagle eye thats the Engine torque spec at 2000rpm.

The 3row Ascent would never qualify for even 3200lb towing capacity at 277lbs max tongue weight given all US ratings must accommodate 10% of the rated max trailer weight. Even more so with a 3row vehicle where you have 3legal seats which must support the USCG rated Male adult of 180lbs.

If the max tow rating was 3200 like many of the 3row suvs the max tongue weight would be lower than 500lbs. But given Subaru rated it at 5000lbs with their models that have sway control which remains to be understood integrated trailer brakes? Or just advanced tow mod logic in the stability control system?

The base model has a odd 2000lb rating listed in places but its the same structural machine so its not going to be a structural difference. Its some type of stability system difference.
I highly doubt Subaru will build different Ascents regarding structure or cooling mechanics its not cost effective. So my theory is stability control logic is some how tied to the 5000lb rating.

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eagleeye

· #23 · Feb 24, 2018

every once in a while I check for a ascent owners manual to be posted on one of subaru's sites.

links are there for it on the tech info site, but the manual is not up there yet. (I looked about 5 days ago).

subiesailor

· #24 · Feb 24, 2018

eagleeye said:
every once in a while I check for a ascent owners manual to be posted on one of subaru's sites.

links are there for it on the tech info site, but the manual is not up there yet. (I looked about 5 days ago).

Same here. I doubt it will show up till Subaru does one of those big press drive events which they better hurry up and do before the June dealer arrivals. Lots if shoppers like to see those Auto Media critics thoughts and videos.

subiesailor

· #25 · Feb 24, 2018

Would I pre order? **** no its a Subaru Wagon not a Tesla?

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smitopher

Discussion Starter · #26 · Feb 24, 2018

FYI y’all, the number was from an Assent brochure. So not just a sales dude talkin outa hiz... uhm... knowledge. Said on the specs page... towing capacity 5,000 lbs, tongue weight 277 lbs.

That is a really weird number. Maybe a Kg to Lbs conversion?

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eagleeye

· #27 · Feb 24, 2018

smitopher said:
FYI y’all, the number was from an Assent brochure. So not just a sales dude talkin outa hiz... uhm... knowledge. Said on the specs page... towing capacity 5,000 lbs, tongue weight 277 lbs.

That is a really weird number. Maybe a Kg to Lbs conversion?

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pic or scan on that?
@Carl Abrams do you have such a brochure or anything yet with the tongue weight # in it?

smitopher

Discussion Starter · #28 · Feb 24, 2018

eagleeye said:
pic or scan on that?

No, sorry. It did not occur to me to snap a pic.

I was getting my free service and thought I was ask about the Assent tongue weight spec. The salesman dragged me into his office and grabbed an assent brochure.

eagleeye

· #29 · Feb 24, 2018

smitopher said:
No, sorry. It did not occur to me to snap a pic.

I was getting my free service and thought I was ask about the Assent tongue weight spec. The salesman dragged me into his office and grabbed an assent brochure.

in the basic brochures that have been out for a while now the tongue max weight is not on the spec list.

what is : the output of the engine:

260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque

a paper copy of this: and incidentally the bottom of this has a "ascent demenions section"
and on it as the first slide on at the top:

"277 pound feet of torque, and up to 5000lbs of towing capacity"
https://www.subaru.com/ascent

_______

the actual max tongue weight is buried in the owners manual or some technical listing. which seems to have yet to be published anywhere.

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eagleeye

· #30 · Feb 24, 2018

here is a publicity video of a ascent:

and its got a pretty big teardrop

KansasMatthew

· #31 · Feb 24, 2018

smitopher said:
FYI y’all, the number was from an Assent brochure. So not just a sales dude talkin outa hiz... uhm... knowledge. Said on the specs page... towing capacity 5,000 lbs, tongue weight 277 lbs.

That is a really weird number. Maybe a Kg to Lbs conversion?

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277 lb ... 125 kg

KansasMatthew

· #32 · Feb 24, 2018

subiesailor said:
... all US ratings must accommodate 10% of the rated max trailer weight. ...

New rules?

My '13 has a 200 lb tongue wt and 2700lb towing capacity don't add up.

subiesailor

· #33 · Feb 24, 2018

I can see that being confusing but thats the max enging torque rating at 2000rpm.

No where has Subaru listed its max tongue weight. This will probably only show up in the owners manual.

For reference my current 280hp, 8 pass SUV rated for 5000lb towing has a max 500lb tongue rating on a standard hitch.

Brochure shows . 277ft lb of engine torque, has nothing to do with max hitch weight. https://www.subaru.com/guides/ascent/

KansasMatthew

· #34 · Feb 24, 2018

subiesailor said:
277max tongue weight would never ever work with 5000lb towing capacity. Either the tongue weight is wrong which is oddly identical to the Torque spec on the 2.4 DIT engine at 2000rpm or the 5000lb marketing is wrong.

My money is on the weird 277 being a typo from the engine torque specs

https://www.subaru.com/ascent

Says, "... available Class III hitch." That implies up to 6000/600. Since they are advertising 5000 lb, I think you're right about that 500 lb tw.

subiesailor

· #35 · Feb 24, 2018

That 277 FtLb note above the 5000lb tow rating on the brochure is in reference to the engine Torque at 2000rpm.

smitopher

Discussion Starter · #36 · Feb 25, 2018

Golly... I think y'all are just trying to goad me back into going to the dealer to snap a pic of that brochure.

Unfortunately, Austin Subaru is closed on Sundays. Weird, I know, buts theys iz.

I'm 100% confidant that it was "Tongue Weight" and there were no engine specs on that page.

Carl Abrams

· #37 · Feb 26, 2018

eagleeye said:
pic or scan on that?

@Carl Abrams do you have such a brochure or anything yet with the tongue weight # in it?

Tongue weight? Nope.

We're making an educated guess here that it's going to be in the 350 - 500 lb range, but that's all that is, a guess.

Note that the BASE model Ascent only has a 2,000 lb towing capacity, which I presume has something to do with the Trailer Stability Assist that's added to the Premium through Touring models, but again, that's only supposition on my part. (Well, and on the part of several other people here, too.)

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eagleeye

· #38 · Feb 26, 2018

Carl Abrams said:
Tongue weight? Nope.

We're making an educated guess here that it's going to be in the 350 - 500 lb range, but that's all that is, a guess.

Note that the BASE model Ascent only has a 2,000 lb towing capacity, which I presume has something to do with the Trailer Stability Assist that's added to the Premium through Touring models, but again, that's only supposition on my part. (Well, and on the part of several other people here, too.)

in this video watch the subaru rep at the back of the Ascent at the Detroit Show

pointing and talking about the panel where the hitch goes.

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...-ascent-reveals-us-autoshows.html#post5429385

smitopher

Discussion Starter · #39 · Mar 3, 2018

Well... I was wrong about the brochure.

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smitopher

Discussion Starter · #40 · Mar 7, 2018

I got a response from a salesman, 500 lbs

I got a response from a salesman, 500 lbs

Christopher,

I'm sending this email to follow up on the tongue weight of the 2019 Subaru Ascent. The tongue weight on the Ascent is 500lbs.

Is there anything else I can help you with?

Sincerely,

Brandon Perkins

Sales & Leasing Consultant

Austin Subaru

512.323.2837

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