2020 Subaru Forester Owners Manual - Trailer towing

Trailer towing

Your vehicle is designed and intended to be used primarily as a passenger-carrying vehicle. Towing a trailer puts additional loads on your vehicle’s engine, drivetrain, brakes, tires and suspension and has an adverse effect on fuel economy.

If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety and satisfaction depend upon proper use of correct equipment and cautious opera- tion of your vehicle.

Seek the advice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in purchasing a hitch and other necessary towing equipment appropriate for your vehicle. Do not use towing equip- ment other than genuine SUBARU towing equipment. In addition, be sure to follow the instructions for proper installation and use provided by the trailer or caravan’s manufacturer.

SUBARU assumes no responsibility for injuries or vehicle damage that result from trailer towing equipment, or from any errors or omissions in the instructions accompanying such equipment or for your failure to follow the proper instructions. Regularly check that the hitch mounting bolts and nuts are tightened securely.

Warranties and maintenance

SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage or malfunction caused by trailer towing. If you use your vehicle to tow a trailer, more frequent maintenance will be required due to the additional load. (Refer to “Maintenance schedule under severe driving conditions” in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.)

Under no circumstances should a trailer be towed with a new vehicle or a vehicle with any new powertrain component (engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of driving.

Maximum load limits

Total trailer weight

The total trailer weight (trailer weight plus its cargo load) must never exceed the maximum total trailer weight in the follow- ing table.

Gross Vehicle Weight

The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) must never exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is the com- bined total of the weight of the vehicle, driver, passengers, luggage, trailer hitch, trailer tongue load and any other optional equipment installed on your vehicle. Therefore, the GVW changes depending on the situation. Determine the GVW each time before going on a trip by putting your vehicle and trailer on a vehicle scale.

Certification label

GVWR of your vehicle that is given by SUBARU is shown on the certification label located at the bottom of driver’s side door pillar of your vehicle.

Gross Axle Weight

The total weight applied to each axle (GAW) must never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). The front and rear GAWs can be adjusted by relocating passengers and luggage inside the vehi- cle. The front and rear GAWR of your vehicle that is given by SUBARU are also shown on the certification label located at the bottom of driver’s side door pillar.

To check both GVWR and GAWR and to confirm that the total weight and weight distribution are within safe driving limits, you should have your vehicle and trailer weighed at a commercial weighing station.

Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to

prevent a change in weight distribution while driving.

Tongue load

Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from 8 to 11% of the total trailer weight and does not exceed the maximum value of 150 lbs (68 kg).

Jack

Bathroom scale

The tongue load can be weighed with a bathroom scale as shown in the illustration above. When weighing the tongue load, be sure to position the towing coupler at the height at which it would be during actual towing, using a jack as shown.

F: Front

The tongue load can be adjusted by proper distribution of the load in the trailer. Never load the trailer with more weight in the back than in the front; approximately 60 percent of the trailer load should be in the front and approximately 40 percent in the rear. Also, distribute the load as evenly as possible on both the left and right sides.

Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a change in weight distribution while driving.

Trailer Hitches

& When you do not tow a trailer

Connecting a trailer

Do not use a trailer hitch other than a genuine SUBARU trailer hitch. A genuine SUBARU trailer hitch is available from your SUBARU dealer.

When the ball is not used, place the ball cap and store securely.

If your trailer’s total weight (trailer weight plus its cargo weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs (453 kg), the trailer is required to be equipped with its own brake system. Electric brakes or surge brakes are re- commended, and must be installed prop- erly. Check that your trailer’s brakes con- form with Federal, state/province and/or other applicable regulations. Your SUBARU’s brake system is not designed to be tapped into the trailer’s hydraulic brake system. Please ask your SUBARU dealer and professional trailer supplier for more information about the trailer’s brake system.

In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch ball should break or become discon- nected, the trailer could get loose and create a traffic safety hazard.

For safety, always connect the towing vehicle and trailer with trailer safety chains. Two chains should be used in total, one to the right side and the other to the left side trailer tongue. Pass the chains crossing each other under the trailer tongue to prevent the trailer from dropping onto the ground in case the trailer tongue should disconnect from the hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the chains taking tight turn situations into account; however, be careful not to let them drag on the ground.

After hitching a trailer to your vehicle, check that the standard side mirrors provide a good rearward field of view without significant blind spots. If significant blind spots occur with the vehicle’s stan- dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that conform with Federal, state/province and/ or other applicable regulations.

Connection of trailer lights to your vehicle’s electrical system requires modifications to the vehicle’s lighting circuit to increase its capacity and accommodate wiring changes. To ensure the trailer lights are connected properly, please consult your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper opera- tion of the turn signals and the brake lights each time you connect a trailer to your vehicle.

! Tires

Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle are properly inflated. Refer to “Tires”

 P501.

Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and proper inflation pressure should be in accordance with the trailer manufacturer’s specifications. Also check federal, state, province and/or other applicable regula- tions.

In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire when towing a trailer, ask a commercial road service representative or profes- sional to repair the flat tire.

If you carry a regular size spare tire in your vehicle or trailer as a precaution against getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare tire is firmly secured.

Check the towing regulations for trailer or caravan vehicles that vary by state/ region. Failure to comply with the proce- dures set forth will not only compromise your safety, but will also negate your insurance coverage and/or may violate the state road and traffic acts and regula- tions.

Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to- hitch mounting are in good condition. If any

problems are apparent, do not tow the trailer.

Check that the vehicle rests horizon- tally with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is tipped sharply up at the front and down at the rear, check the total trailer weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then confirm that the load and its distribution are acceptable.

Check that the tire rating and pressures are correct.

Check that the vehicle and trailer are connected properly. Confirm that:

The trailer tongue is connected properly to the hitch ball.

The trailer lights connector is con- nected properly and trailer’s brake lights illuminate when the vehicle’s brake pedal is pressed, and that the trailer’s turn signal lights flash when the vehicle’s turn signal lever is oper- ated.

The safety chains are connected properly.

All cargo in the trailer is secured safely in position.

The side mirrors provide a good rearward field of view without a sig- nificant blind spot.

Sufficient time should be taken to learn the “feel” of the vehicle/trailer combination before starting out on a trip. In an area free of traffic, practice turning, stopping and backing up.

You should allow for considerably more stopping distance when towing a trailer. Avoid sudden braking because it may result in skidding or jackknifing and loss of control.

Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and rapid lane changes.

Slow down before turning. Make a longer than normal turning radius because the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. In a tight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle.

Crosswinds will adversely affect the handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus- ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to weather conditions or the passing of large trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel and promptly begin decelerating your vehicle at a gradual pace.

When passing other vehicles, consider- able distance is required because of the added weight and length caused by attaching the trailer to your vehicle.

Reversing the vehicle with a trailer can be difficult and requires experience. Never accelerate or steer rapidly, and grip the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.

To reverse around a corner, perform the following procedure.

Reverse slowly and steer in the oppo- site direction to the way you want to turn.

Once the trailer begins to swing around, straighten the steering wheel.

Turn the wheel in the opposite direc- tion.

Steer the vehicle around to be in line with the trailer, then straighten the steering again.

If the ABS warning light illuminates while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have repairs performed immediately by your nearest SUBARU dealer.

Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift to a lower gear (if neces- sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the engine braking effect and prevent over- heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden downshifts.

When driving uphill in hot weather, the air conditioner may turn off automatically to protect the engine from overheating.

When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to the following indicators be- cause the engine and transmission are relatively prone to overheating.

: Coolant temperature high warning light : AT OIL TEMP warning light

If the coolant temperature high warning light and/or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates, immediately turn off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle in the nearest safe location. For further instruc- tions and additional information, refer to the following sections.

“If you park your vehicle in case of an emergency”  P420

“Engine overheating”  P430

“Coolant temperature low indicator light/Coolant temperature high warn- ing light”  P170

“AT OIL TEMP warning light”

 P172

. Avoid using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of using the parking brake or foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to over- heat.

Always block the wheels under both vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. You should not park on a hill or slope. If parking on a hill or slope cannot be avoided, you should take the following steps:

Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.

Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.

When the wheel blocks are in place, release the regular brakes slowly until the blocks absorb the load.

Apply the regular brakes and then apply the parking brake; slowly release the regular brakes.

Shift into “P” position and shut off the engine.

In case of emergency

9-1. If you park your vehicle in case of an emergency 420

9-2. Maintenance tools 420

9-3. Temporary spare tire 422

9-4. Flat tires 423

9-5. Jump starting 428

9-6. Engine overheating 430

9-7. Towing 431

9-8. Access key fob – if access key fob does

not operate properly 435

9-9. Rear gate – if the rear gate cannot be

opened 437

9-10. Moonroof (if equipped) – if the moonroof

does not close 438

9-11. If your vehicle is involved in an accident 438

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