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My first Tow with the Ascent (over 3500lbs)

4K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Arnold R 
#1 ·
Hello all,
I wanted to share my towing experience with my 2008 3326 Trailmanor. I packed super light with just my wife and two kids. We literally had only our backpacks with a few clothes. I did this to ensure we were well within the limits of the Ascent specificatins. All camping stuff such as food, ice chests, drinks, etc went into my buddies Tundra. We towed from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree and averaged 16 miles to the gallon. The Subaru never struggled once and I felt stable keeping my speeds at 65 and under. My tongue weight was measured at 460lbs. Not sure what the trailer weighted but I had no extras and the water tank was empty (dry weight from factory is about 3500lbs). Let me know what you all think, here are some photos of the trailer and Subaru.
 

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#5 ·
First of all, wow! That's a cool looking camper! Super happy to hear your positive review as I just got into an ascent. Camper, boat, jetskis, and probably a uhual trailer from time to time are all things I was worried about with the smaller In class engine. Don't get me wrong I've built 2.5 ej motors up to push 4-800 hp, so I know the glory that can be had with these subi boxer engines!
 
#8 ·
Ascent already has the largest brakes, more or less, on this class of vehicle and the second shortest stopping distance (by a really short distance from number one) in its class. Most (like nearly all) of the trailer braking should actually come from the trailer brakes which is why Subaru (and some other manufacturers) require trailer brakes for loads over 1000 lbs which is lower than the typical legal requirement for trailer brakes.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Apparently bears can smell exponentially better than even dogs, so keeping food cleaned up is a must. We have been fortunate not to have come close to a bear while camping, but squirrels are another issue. Our last outing my wife was cooking pancakes on our folding table outside and right under the table on a tire a squirrel was trying to steal some breakfast.
 
#15 ·
Nice!
We have been towing a Jayco X17Z hybrid which would probably be 3800 or 3900 lbs with 2021 Ascent Limited, camping in New England. The Jayco is clearly higher than your Trailmaster and there are quite some ups and downs. I try not to exceed 60 mph and get 12.5 to 13 mph. I use an Echo brake controller linked to my phone and a rearview camera. It all works like a charm.
 
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