samuraidan Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Hello all, I am new to the forums here. In fact, I don't even own a Legacy....yet. I've owned a couple of Subaru's in the past (Loyale, Forrester), but now I'm on the market and looking for something a little more sporty. I've found a 1999 GT Limited sedan for a decent price. Before I pull the trigger, I wanted to get some info regarding towing with these vehicles. I need something that can pull two dirt bikes. My trailer is 300lbs, each bike roughly 200lbs, combined weight with gear, around 800lbs. So, am I crazy to wanna tow with a Legacy, or is it up to the challenge? Would a trans cooler be absolutely necessary? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosAngelesLGT Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Not a problem. A stock legacy can comfortably pull 1000lbs without breaking a sweat. That is way, way lower than the towing capacity. I have a small racing sailboat that with trailer is a bit less than what you want to tow and it is a non-issue. Make sure your trailer is in good shape, has surge brakes, good tires and that the tongue weight is appropriately balanced and most importantly, GO SLOW. AWD does not make the Leggy a 5500lb truck all of a sudden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuraidan Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 Make sure your trailer is in good shape, has surge brakes, good tires and that the tongue weight is appropriately balanced and most importantly, GO SLOW. AWD does not make the Leggy a 5500lb truck all of a sudden. Thanks for the advice! As far as tongue weight, with both bikes loaded, I measured 65lbs, so that shouldn't be a problem. However, you mentioned brakes, my trailer has no brakes..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuraidan Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 Are trailer brakes really necessary for such a light load?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb3630123 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 makes stopping distance much shorter for when that deer jumps in front of your car or 17 year old kid pulls out in front of you. Saves your brakes on your car too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmb2485 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 As a rule of thumb, you want about 10% of your weight on the tongue. So if your fully loaded trailer is 800lbs, then you could do with a bit more than 65lbs of tongue weight. And trailer brakes are nice to have, but completely unnecessary for what you're doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subikid90 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I work t U-Haul and install hitches on subi's sometimes and they can tow i believe 2000lbs. So you will have no problem. -Subikid90 1997 Legacy GT 5spd & EJ251 w/EJ25D heads ~10.5CR 1998 Legacy GT Limited waiting for EJ22T hybrid swap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuraidan Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 Thanks for all the info! Unfortunately the car might have a leaking head gasket... but there will always be others out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98sc00byGT Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I towed an s10 4x4 out of the ditch the other day and did fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallrivercolin Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 My old half ton chev got towed out of the ditch by an impreza wagon. and we towed a half ton dodge out of the snow with a forrester the other day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehsnils Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 The Outback I have is rated for a braked trailer of 1800kg, and that's 3900 pounds.Unbraked it's rated for 750kg, which is 1650 pounds. Older legacies may be rated a bit lower, but you should be in the safe zone. However it's a good idea to have a braked trailer so if you can upgrade the trailer you have without too much work and cost you should look into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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