whats an acceptable tow vehicle?

mash2

Pixlated.  Third gear is fine.... didn't get below third at least.  

Nomad

Every vehicle has an optimal power gear/rpm I've read - The Jeep appears to be 3rd gear at 3000 rpm.

cbutton

2015 Subaru Outback 6 cylinder has plenty of power and does not heat over normal mid-range going through mountain passes (at least in cool weather), but on 900 mile trip with three mountain passes each way, we got only 13 mpg, which was no better than our 2005 GMC Canyon 5 cylinder pickup.  A bit of a disappointment on the mileage side, but a better safety margin passing logging trucks on steep grades.

mash2

I got 18 mpg on a couple of different 10K trips over the past couple of years in my forester.  I tend to go no more than 55 mph (the reason I'm traveling is to take it easy -- life's to short).  

cbutton

Yah!  Going over 45 on some twisting mountain roads through some of the Oregon mountain passes would be madness.  Many curves rated at 25 or 30.  They are not kidding!  Even Highway 101 is rarely suitable for towing over 55.

Kats

We started with a CRV, towing a T@B maxx S, and it did okay, but then found out that since the TV was not rated for the weight of the trailer, we needed to get a bigger vehicle or we wouldn't be covered by insurance in the event of an accident. So we changed to a 2012 Honda Pilot, and it tows that trailer like there is nothing even there. The trailer really dings the mileage, but we expected that. The electronic brake on the trailer really helps too.

cbutton

Have 2008 t@b rated at 1675 lbs dry weight.  Have been pulling it with 2005 GMC Canyon (5 cyl) for years, all over the west and through Rockies, Cascades, and coast range mountains.  Very acceptable performance, but only 12-14 mpg when towing.  Just got a 2015 Subaru Outback 6 cylinder rated at 3000 lb pull capacity.  A bit more peppy than the Canyon on grades, but again mileage cut to 13 mpg going through Cascades and coast range.  Temperature gauge never went past half-way mark, but weather was cool the whole time.  Went on 900 mile trip with friends who had an older Subaru Outback 6 cylinder, and they got the exact same results.  Sad to say we were hoping for better mileage having read optimistic reports from others.

catfyre

Is anyone towing the T@B S with a Ford Freestyle AWD  (2006) ??

larrygon

I was very surprised that my 2014 3.6L Outback was able to tow my T@B from Phoenix AZ (1117 Ft) to Flagstaff AZ (7000 Ft) between 65 and 75 mph even up steep grades. The engine temp barley moved! I will say that it was in the higher RPM range and did not get very good gas mileage.

Nomad

That's impressive - I did the freeway from south of Sadona to Flagstaff and it's a steady climb.
I could remember wrongly but I don't think the T@B tires (or any trailer tire) are rated for 70-75. The most common speed I hear T@Bbers citing is 60-65.

jdargis

ST tires are rated for no more than 65 mph.

jcfaber1

We have a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the factory tow package as our TV.  We have the 6cyl gas engine.  If money were not an object, I would have gotten the diesel engine.  Very happy you have no idea it is back there.  It is great through the mountains and everything.  One thing to consider is the tongue weight rating of the vehicle as well as the total weight rating.  The Jeep has 6200 total and 620 for the tongue.  We have our bikes on a Swagman rack on the receiver while towing.  We also get 12-15 towing 25-27 at highway speeds while not towing.  TV's are very personal decision and not a one size fits all just another option. 

John

KyBawpaw

I have the Ranger 4 L V6. It does good job pulling my T@B S. I've only done "normal" hills in my area of Ky so far and climbed them without any problem. I can "feel" it back there but the Ranger has more than enough muscle for this load.

vito

I've only gone on one extended trip towing my 2016 S Maxx with my 2011 Subaru Outback 6-cylinder. Like some other comments, we normally get about 26 mpg for highway driving, but with towing the T@b at reasonable speeds, i.e., 60 to 65 mph, our mpg dropped to 13. When I drove for a short distance at about 70 mph or a bit faster, the indicator in the Outback said I was getting 9.9 mpg. While the Outback had no trouble pulling the T@b, keeping up 65 mph or so while going over moderate hills in Wisconsin got the rpm's up to over 4,000. After just a short time at that level, the a/c stopped working and did not resume to cooling us until I returned the rpm's to about 3000. I have since learned that this is normal, i.e., when the engine is really working hard (and I guess 4000 rpm in an Outback qualifies as hard work) the compressor on the a/c unit stops working. I can certainly live with this issue and will just make sure that I keep the rpm's down, even if that means slowing to 55 or so on future trips. But it sure would be nice to have a more powerful vehicle that could truly effortlessly pull the T@b in any and all situations without straining itself. I looked at a new Jeep Grand Cherokee with a diesel engine, but I did not want to spend $65,000+ on a new tow vehicle. (I bought the T@b primarily because I could tow it with my current car, the Outback). 

Nomad

I usually putz along - Getting 15.6 the last couple days.

Norbert1223

I have a 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5XT which has the sport shift (manual) and turbo, in excellent condition.  The dealer and trailer sales told me I'd be fine with it pulling.  I plan on putting a transmission cooler on it.  My plan is to use it 3 years then replace it.  I have a deposit on my T@B but now I'm a little worried.  I've seen lots of Outbacks being used as a TV.   I'm in WA state so I will be going over our mountains maybe twice a year, elevations are 4,000-5,000.  Any others with Outbacks 4 cy who are happy with the performance?

Debbie

mash2

I did comparable steepness in a 2012 Forester 4 cy.   The outback engine has same horsepower as I recall.  Just plan on going slower on mountain passes and you should be fine.  I went over 11K plus passes in California, colorado and Nevada and it was fine, although you will certainly notice the passes.  .    

Nomad

It's not the elevation so much as the grade and distance. I struggled on a 9% with my Wrangler. 3rd gear, 3000rpm all the way at 30-35mph.

mash2

It was similar for me (3rd gear 35mph) in the  Forester.

Norbert1223

Thanks. Ack, that's slow   ...  I'll have a lot of po'd people behind me.  Will plan my driving times accordingly and do a lot of pullovers.  My cars HP is 250 slightly higher then the 2012 Forester and the tow capacity is 2,700 also slightly higher then the Forester.  I think I'll be fine for what I'm doing before I replace the car.  With the eastern half of our state burning up there might not be any reason to head over the mountains, unfortunately.

Debbie 

mash2

I used a forester for three years and traveled 20K across country with lots of time in colorado, utah, nevada and other mountainous locations (up to 11,500 feet passes in colorado and sierra passes in California.  Did let lots of cars pass...   Eventually switched to 3,500 LB tow vehicle ... for additional power in the mountains, but I had the forester.  I actually switched to escape with 240 HP  (270 lb torque) and it works fine.  You shouldn't have any issue with the Outback.  The outback has about 250 LB torque....

Norbert1223

Just checked the grades on the passes I would most often use and the highest has a 6% grade, the other is about 4%  so I feel better.  I like the Jeep Grand Cherokees so I think I'll keep that on the top of the list for future.  
Love this forum!
Debbie

Nomad

I read somewhere that there are more 6++ grades in the east than the west but they aren't as long. The standard out west seems to be 6 on freeways and such.

Lisa33

It's true, PXL--I've noticed the same thing.  This past week in the Canadian Maritimes I encountered grades of 16%.  Eek!  I'm guessing in the west things are more spread out, and switchbacks are more feasible to reduce the grade.  Mountain passes out west are usually 5-6%.  My Lexus hybrid can get 20 mpg towing on relatively level ground going less than 55 mph.  At 55 it averages about 18.5.  At 70 (my boyfriend driving!) over hills and it plummets to 11 or 12.  

Cyclonic

The eastern grades are much steeper, but do tend to be shorter.

The steepest grade on the interstate system is on I-24 westbound over Monteagle Mountain, TN. It's an 8% grade.

For my money, the worst I have had to drive on an interstate is the downgrade going eastbound on I-68 into Cumberland, MD.  Steep, twisting, and you drop into a narrow, sharp 40MPH curve when you get to the city.

wizard1880

I was finally able to test mountain climbing with our Jetta TDI. With the t@b packed for a weekend and my wife and 9 month old twins, we could pull a 6% climb at 50 mph in 3rd, 2700 RPM. It could pull faster but I was concerned with the turbo intake air temps (monitored with a scan gauge) rising over 165f and the engine temp was sneaking up to 230f (above this the needle starts moving above the middle). This was on the west slope of Stevens pass.
On the east slope, 4%, we could maintain 65 in 4th and temps were much lower. I just discovered (and repaired) the large radiator fan was broken, so next trip might be cooler. The outdoor temps was in the 70s during these trips. Mileage was 20-22 ish, and I get 25-28 towing on flat interstates at 65.
While we certainly don't plan on long travel with our setup, we're OK for Washington and Oregon until we get an SUV.

ChanW

Dang!
I'm gonna convert my Tacoma to diesel.

T@Balong

For anyone looking for a different TV, I'm very happy with my new Jeep Cherokee.    I've got the 3.2L version with 271hp and it pulls the T@B like a dream.   I have the factory installed tow package which is rated at 4500 pounds and comes with a class III hitch, 7 and 4 pin wiring harnesses, heavy duty engine cooler and full size spare.    On the highway I've been getting 29-31mpg and when pulling the T@B about 18mpg.   I'm a happy camper!

wizard1880

The minute Toyota decides to import the Diesel pickup, I'm all over it too. And I won't be alone because I'll be in line with almost everyone from the VW TDI forums

Tweedrvr

Sgtjohn - forget the Forester unless it's a 2013 or earlier. We have a 2015 and thought we were ok...not! Rating changed with the 2014 to 1500#. So Mahit@bel will be residing in the yard for the near future!