Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[ultrarunner]

My earlier (1999) Outback is rated 2000 lbs in the US and more for the same vehicle in Australia and elsewhere. Here it is right at, not over, maximum car and trailer ratings when I brought home the latest Yanmar over 20 miles of back roads. I handled this like a Special Permit load - low traffic hours, low speed, fall back 1,000 ft if there was another car on the road, pull over to let them pass (photo) if someone was behind me. I wouldn't take this rig on the highway with other unpredictable drivers nearby, but this haul was simple.

Subarus are amazing. Near 20 years of light Farm Vehicle use like this, or carrying 600 lbs of cargo 100 miles back to my home in town (apple & other harvest) hasn't hurt it at all. California cars don't rust and the paint looks like new - hopefully it's good for a few more years.

(I've posted this photo before. Yes the tractor is chained down front and rear).

We have several new Subaru buyers in the Doctors parking lot and my Sister in Law just bought one.

I'm a little cool towards them... several friends had bought them new early to mid 90's... everyone either had head gasket problems or transmission... the two transmissions were CVT 4wd Justy... I think they were called.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Not wrong, just pretty cool!

ULTIMATE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER,CAMPER RV HOOKS UP TO CAR ROOF! - YouTube

 

[ultrarunner]

There is a video of one made for a VW Bug and I saw the set up... look solid but wonder how it performs on the mountain passes?

 

[California]

We have several new Subaru buyers in the Doctors parking lot and my Sister in Law just bought one.

I'm a little cool towards them... several friends had bought them new early to mid 90's... everyone either had head gasket problems or transmission... the two transmissions were CVT

Transmission in this Outback isn't CVT, its a conventional Japanese A/T likely shared with Nissan or somebody. With one added feature, if the front tires ever turn faster than the rear it engages AWD instantly. I've driven serenely, no wheelspin, up from the down-back of the orchard where Dad used to stick his 2wd pickup regularly when he went to harvest the family pear trees. Disced ground adds a surprising amount to resistance to going uphill.

I bought the A/T instead of manual because back then we were up at the mining claim in the Sierras many weekends and frequently needed boulder-crawling capability. M/T is terrible for that with no low range, let out the clutch with enough rpm to climb over an obstacle and you go bounding over stuff, where you should stop instantly upon hearing scraping underneath. With A/T, gradually apply torque and climb over an obstacle gracefully. This Outback replaced (sequentially) 2 Willys Wagons, two Wagoneers, and a Trooper. Not quite as capable but sufficient, and a far better road car on the highway.

Head gaskets? Yes this model is notorious for bad OEM head gaskets. The fix is replace with the Turbo version. I've been lucky, haven't needed that. Someone who uses this engine in experimental aircraft said he saw convincing proof somewhere that heavy load, high cylinder pressure, before the engine is warm is what kills the head gaskets. Since then I've kept that in mind and no problem so far at 125k miles. But at 18+ years old I'm not sure I would spend the thousand dollars to fix it if the head gaskets failed. There's another expense coming due, over a thousand dollars for the timing belt/idlers/water pump/front seal that should be done about now. I expect to just drive this thing until something fails. At only 24 mpg, there are better cars sold today. Hopefully it will last until the Chevy Bolt-based mini-suv is available.

 

[ultrarunner]

Didn't know the extent of the CVT transmission in the line up...

When we replaced Mom's Corolla I avoided the CVT of the latest models...

Always willing to learn from the voice of experience... one of the most reliable haulers was an old wagoneer I had... it just kept running... one of the vehicles I hated was an old V6 Commando with a stick.

The Wagoneer towed the ski boat like it wasn't even there...

 

[Midniteoyl]

Not wrong, just pretty cool!

ULTIMATE 5TH WHEEL TRAILER,CAMPER RV HOOKS UP TO CAR ROOF! - YouTube

Wanna see something even cooler?

 

[fried1765]

We have several new Subaru buyers in the Doctors parking lot and my Sister in Law just bought one.

I'm a little cool towards them... several friends had bought them new early to mid 90's... everyone either had head gasket problems or transmission... the two transmissions were CVT 4wd Justy... I think they were called.

Two VERY competent professional mechanic friends say that Subarus are just a head gasket waiting for a time and place to fail.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

There is a video of one made for a VW Bug and I saw the set up... look solid but wonder how it performs on the mountain passes?

Well, since the vehicle by itself has trouble with mountain passes, I'm kinda thinking the trailer isn't going to help. That looks to be about a 1970 model, which puts it at a screaming 57 BHP and a whopping 82 Ft-Lbs of mind-bending torque!

At least the radiator won't boil over! :laughing:

I bought the A/T instead of manual because back then we were up at the mining claim in the Sierras many weekends

It's Sierra. No "s" on the end. It's already plural.

 

[California]

It's Sierra. No "s" on the end. It's already plural.

Ever been there?

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have never heard it except Sierras. Grew up in CA. People do talk about the High Sierra but when referring more specifically to the mountains it is always Sierras. "we went camping in the Sierras."