Complete newbie with 2024 Forester Wilderness

Katy2camp

I'm so grateful for this forum!  I have never owned a trailer or towed anything, but I'm excited to upgrade from many years of tent camping, and also hope to work out of my trailer in the near future.  I recently put down a deposit on a new Tab 320 CS-S (Black Canyon), and I'm supposed to pick it up next weekend at the dealer.  I'm starting to get nervous that my 2024 Forester Wilderness isn't an appropriate tow vehicle.  I understand that it is very close to the limit, and I don't plan to load much in it at all (will mostly be in state parks within a 3 hour drive), especially since I'm used to packing very lightly for my camping trips.  
I'm trying to learn about tongue weight.  The trailer specs say the tongue weight is 288 dry.  However, I don't think this includes the propane (or possibly the empty propane tank either?) or the battery.  Also, the spare tire is mounted on the tongue.  Will all this be okay?  My understanding is that I can load stuff near the back of the trailer to decrease the tongue weight (as long as I don't go over 2400 total (80% of the 3000 GVWR per Subaru).  Since the trailer is 2184 dry, that (only) gives me a couple hundred pounds to load inside.  Or am I thinking about this wrong?  
I've read lots of posts that say it is better to be way under the tow capacity, but assuming I don't mind driving slowly and carefully, should I go for it?  Thanks for any advice!

Cherokee

I recommend at least 240ft/lbs of torque, a transmission cooler, Strong disk brakes and stout rear springs.Most of us end up with a mid-sized pickup    

rfuss928

You, your passenger and everything you put in your tow vehicle subtracts from your tow capacity.  You will never manage to keep within the 2400 pound limit.  New springs and extra coolers do not compensate for an inadequate chassis.
IMO - This is an unsafe plan.  A more robust TV is in your future.

Grumpy_G

Try a few short trips and you can get an idea of how the combination behaves. The two areas of concern are the CVT and the light weight of the tow vehicle. The area where you travel is also somewhat of a factor, e.g. in the Colorado mountains it will be miserable but Kansas is fine. 
Having said that I have successfully turned friends away from buying a Subaru to tow their T@b by pointing to page 414 of the owners manual: "SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage or malfunction caused by trailer towing". I guess Subaru doesn't trust their CVT either  

DaveAnna

We’ve towed ours with 2021 gas Gladiator with tow package. ( not the max tow). Never had any issues in Colorado Wyoming or s Dakota. You need a factory tow package-trans cooler, oil cooler, 240 amp alt and 7 pin harness to the back along with receiver. CVT systems are not really designed to tow as mentioned above

Bill&Suze

Hi @Katy2camp, take a look at another new forum post this morning by LoloNV titled Greetings from the High Desert of Northern Nevada. Looks like this person is towing with a Toyota SUV perhaps. You might contact him or her to ask about their towing experience with a Toyota.

andytabrv

From nuCamp web page says dry weight is 2184.  GAWR (max weight trailer plus cargo) is 3000lbs.  Tongue weight says 288. Assume it will be more.

Subaru Forester Wilderness info from the Googleverse seems to say 3000 lbs max towing.  Assumine 10% for max tongue weight is 300 lbs.  Safety-margin rule of thumb says we shouldn't tow more than 75-80% of our towing capacity which is 2250-2400.  By the time you add cargo (water, food, linens, fill water tanks) you are already going to be at 75% and likely already at max tongue weight.

I would be very leery of trying to tow that close to the limits.  As suggested you can try.  But I would suspect you will see major sag on the Forester's rear end.  

BandB

@Katy2camp we have a 2022 T@b 320s BD. We used it for three seasons before coming across the term "brake controller"! We thought the brake on the trailer was just for the emergency brake in case the trailer ever became unhitched going down the road. Nobody ever mentioned that we needed one, but we had noticed a "clunk" every time we stopped. Planning a big three week trip to Utah and Arizona from Minnesota we bought a Honda Ridgeline truck and installed a Redarc brand brake controller ourselves with the help of YouTube. No more clunking. Sharing this in case you didn't know about brake controllers. 
It may seem like a lot to learn when you're starting out but it does get easier. I'm so thankful for the help and guidance we've received from this forum.

Mickerly

Sorry about the length. We have been towing with Subarus for several years and several trailers. Subarus work perfectly fine with a few considerations. 

As Grumpy pointed out, the trailer tongue weight needs to be 10 to 15% of the total trailer weight to be stable under tow. Don't pack the rear of the trailer to make an undersized vehicle work.
I can attest from experience, don't trust published weights. Have your trailer weighed. The manufacturer offers an empty weight. As you correctly assumed, there is a lot of stuff missing. I would recommend getting what I call a "basic operating weight." This is the weight of the trailer outfitted with basic equipment. This includes propane, half tank of water, battery, kitchen gear, etc. Then you can add trip specific gear and have a good guess of the actual weight for each trip.
All Subaru vehicles, the published tow capacity is with trailer brakes. This is normal for most tow vehicles these days (including trucks). You need a brake controller, even if your state doesn't require one. About 50% of the states don't require trailer brakes for trailers under 3000lb.
We towed our '320CS with an Outback Onyx XT. The turbocharged engine has a lot more torque than you have with the Forester. The Onyx XT (and Wilderness) have a large transmission cooler and larger brakes compared to the regular Outback. There is more structure in the back of the Outback Onyx XT or Wilderness than any Forester.
Use only the Subaru hitch. Aftermarket hitches will void the car's warranty and reduce the resale value to zero. We used The "XT" for 4 years in Texas and Oklahoma and were very happy.
We have upgraded to an Ascent. It tows so much better. The same engine; however, the transmission is different: different software, heavier construction, and a lower final gear ratio. A larger transmission cooler and larger radiator. Larger brakes. The rear of the uni-body has an additional frame embedded to increase strength. It is the only Subaru with factory wiring for a brake controller and an active trailer stabilization system.
Ascent or Outback Wilderness/Onyx XT have small fuel tanks for towing. The east coast cities are walking distance apart, 20 miles or so. The midwest city spacing expand to 100 miles in places. Both easy with a Subaru. Mountains are a different animal. Crossing the rockies, there are places you are climbing all day. Uphill reduces your range to approximately 150 miles per tank. The cities are often 200 to 300 miles apart. You will need to be careful about routing and/or carry extra cans of fuel.
My wife drives a Forester Sport to work. Great for pulling a T@G. We've done this. If you live in a flat area, the Forester could work with a '320CS if your are very careful about what you pack. I would consider an Outback Wilderness or Ascent for the '320CS. Both will offer a noticeably more pleasant towing experience. I can recommend both vehicles, although the Ascent is better in my opinion. Neither of these vehicles require any aftermarket modifications for towing other than a brake controller.