Mike thank you very much for your kind words. I love my job, most days. :) and really enjoy making the videos. I sincerely appreciate your watching and commenting. Cheers.
Hey Rick, Great video showing your new trailer. It's a neat looking rig. The fact that the sides both fold down should make it very practical, especially with the foldable rear end that will enable you to walk or drive things up onto the trailer. Love the drone footage that shows off the car, trailer and your local area. Another great video! :-) CFDU, Martin
Thank you Martin. I was watching a quick video on a Porsche rally car the other day and was thinking of you. Didn't you have a recent race? How did you all go? Cheers my friend.
I found backing up my boat trailer, it made it easier if you think about which way the trailer is wandering, and turn your steering wheel in that direction.
Not gonna lie... I never loved that new light blue color Subaru did until seeing it mixed with some beefy tires and black Methods. Love it. Keep the vids coming!
Hey Billy, yep, 23 years this month and about 32 months to go before I have to get a real job. :) Enjoy it brother and best of luck with the academy! It goes fast...some days not fast enough, other's too fast. It will all be worth it. The job sucks the life out of you a bit with all you deal with over the years, but it is a blessing and worth while. I wish you well! Keep in touch and let me know how it goes.
I know im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account? I stupidly forgot the password. I appreciate any help you can offer me
@Koa Marco Thanks for your reply. I got to the site thru google and im in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Excellent to the point and informative vid. I watched it to see what I could learn. I plan on pulling a small trailer with two Kawasaki KLR 650's with a Subaru Forester. This vid taught me alot. Thanx again and keep up the great work!!
Really nice trailer Rick. A few points I'd like to mention that others may be interested in. That big hole that you used to pick up the trailer with is for an a-frame jack, which can be had at amazon for about 30 dollars (and up) and is a bolt on item. They are nice in that you don't have to put the tongue on the ground, where it can pick up dirt that winds up on the ball of your hitch. They are good if you have the trailer loaded and need to remove it from the vehicle for any reason (note no one should load / unload or otherwise interact with the trailer when it's loaded and unhooked from said vehicle). There are pads that can be used with them or even a wheel to aid in maneuvering the trailer around (as you mentioned on other trailers) but I've had not great luck with them (although I've got a much bigger trailer- so it may work well with yours). Another thing is that the "cotter pins" you refer to are actually called hitch pins, and come in a variety of configurations, including a version such as what you have that has a small ball (similar to a socket wrench), but with a button to release tension on the small ball (can be useful for those who don't have the strength or otherwise don't want to struggle with the force needed to depress the spring that holds the small ball in place- similar to the socket wrenches that have a button to release the socket). Lastly, in regard to your lighting cable setup. I saw a video where they located a grommet for other wiring further back (forward) in the cargo area that was larger and could fit one of the connectors of that (your) wiring harness through. The guy cut a slit in the grommet so the connector could fit through and then sealed it up with silicone sealant to regain the original integrity. Once the cable is under the car, it can be routed back to the receiver and terminated on a bracket that makes for a very clean setup. The grommet or even the connector on the car's wiring harness may be in different places, so I'm not sure if that is in your year (I was looking for my 2019 Crosstrek, so didn't pay attention to other years). Again, a really nice trailer- really like the built in ramp and the folding side gates.
Thank you very much, it has been amazingly useful for so many things. If I remember correctly the rear hole or pass through from the back compartment to the outside is too small for the harness to fit through. I need to cut it, feed it through and then reconnect everything. Just haven't gotten around to it after all of this time still. :) One of these days once I check everything else off of the list. Did your 19 have a good place to feed it through?
Thanks for sharing that Rick. I also plan getting a utility trailer and retro fitting a rooftop tent on it for camping. I like how these little trailers are very light weight. I might just get one sooner for when we move in a couple of months. I had my hitch installed at the dealership and the plug in cable sits next to the receiver. So far i have used a Curt hitch basket and it performed well, i didn't lose any of my lugagge or camping gear during the 3k mile round trip to South Carolina and back.
Hi my friend, that is quite a trip and thank you for the report on the Curt basket...that one is on my list for accessories. Hope the rest of your trip went well also. I need to address my wire harness soon for sure!
Rick Hutton no problem man, I enjoy em! I got white, but the salesman never offered me your color though. Idk if your color is only for the premium/limited or if he forget to mention it.
Buster Miller sweet! They look great in white and will be easy to keep clean. I honestly ended up with my color just because of the options. Was going for white otherwise 😃
Rick Hutton great minds think a like.haha I test drove a white one and fell in love with the color/ it is very easy to keep clean like you said. I'm super excited to get it and hopefully put some mean tires on her like yours.
Rick, Nice video. As a person who both towed a small utility trailer for years and HATES rattles, may I suggest a couple of solutions? Most of the noise I hear in your video sounds like your tow bar rattling around in your receiver. Here’s how I’ve greatly reduced that sound in the past: A) wrap your tow bar in a thin layer of sheet rubber, adhered with some industrial spray adhesive. I’ve also seen little self adhesive squares someplace that would do the same. B) get a locking anti-rattle hitch pin. PS - I fully agree with all the comments about a spare tire for the trailer. I picked one up at Academy and used a u-bolt to mount it under the tongue of the trailer as far back as I could get it. Also, a simple crank up tongue jack (skid, no wheel) will make it a whole lot easier to unhook the trailer when you’ve got 1,000 lbs of mulch, soil, rock or other heavy bulk stuff. Plus it keeps the spot the ball goes into a WHOLE lot cleaner when it’s not laying in the dirt. You’ll need to make some simple wheel chocks if you do so. And be sure to secure the extra wiring lead so it doesn’t scrape - I read that you normally do but it should always be part of your pre-departure checklist. Good luck, and safe trailering!
Jon, can't thank you enough for your advice and suggestions. Much appreciated. I tried wrapping the receiver in electrical tape, but it only helped a bit. I will try your sheet rubber idea! I do need a locking pin for sure another great suggestions. And the spare is on the list for sure and thank you for the mounting suggestions. Cheers Jon, and thank you again!
I'm considering a Subaru and I also have towed small trailers with my VWs for 20+ years. Your trailer is pretty cool! My previous trailer's axle was close to the center of the trailer, which would cause it to rattle when empty. I use to put a few cinder blocks in front just to bias some weight on the tongue to quiet things. HAHA! I also have an anti-rattle device that helps a lot. Anyway, just wanted to give you some support and compliment you on some excellent videos! Take Care, Scott
Thanks so much Scott! Mush appreciated. Love this little trailer and use it all the time. Best of luck with your car choice and let me know if I can help at all. Cheers.
Ric, that looks like a great and functional little trailer. I would want to get a spare tire for it or at least a can of Fix a Flat and an electric pump just in case of a flat tire that would leave you stranded. It's the perfect size for the Crosstrek.
Thank you Dave! The spare in on the list for sure. I was a bummed it didn't come with one, but the fix a flat is already tucked inside just incase. Much appreciated and thank you watching. Cheers.
Thank you so much for these types of vids. You are hardcore with the drone footage :) I have owned many pickups and I don't like them. The Crosstrek is amazing in bad weather and for every day things. This gives me another reason not to buy a pickup. I watched your vid on the Curt hitch install and installed my hitch yesterday. Your video was much better than the actual product's video. They owe you money! I'm hauling a teardrop camper, but I will be buying a utility trailer after watching this. I haul motorcycles from time to time. Thanks again.
Thank you very much for the kind words! It is great to hear that the video was helpful and you will love having the hitch. I think it is my favorite mod so far. Best of luck with the car and thank you so much for watching along.
@@confidentlocal8600 So here's what happened. I did love my Crosstrek and did not want to sell it, but out of necessity for another business venture I needed a pickup so I bought one. The 'trek is much better for teardrop camping, for sure, but the truck I bought can pull anything. I really wanted to keep the trek and buy a used truck, but trucks on the used market all had 100k+ miles or they cost almost as much as a new one. The trek would easily pull a trailer. I pulled a 1000 pound teardrop with no problem. Mine was manual shift.
recommended to cross your safety cables/chains. Will reduce the distance of tongue falling if the latch fails and also allow pivoting and reduce side to side sway if the tongue is hanging on crossed cables instead of parallel.
Thanks for the video. I don’t have a hitch yet and wasn’t sure if I needed a full size one or only a small one for a bike rack. After seeing ur video I can see how a full size one would be useful with a trailer. I know I couldn’t put the hitch on myself but maybe the wires I could do. I’ll watch ur video about that.
Thank you Karl. I have really enjoyed having the hitch on the car..very useful. Doing the install really is very straightforward so I bet you could do it no problem. Cheers for watching.
Karl Dolphin Hi Karl, I believe it is very similar. Although I did not do the install on my 14 Crosstrek I remember watching the video how to on it and it was essentially the same. Tr going to etrailer.com and searching for the correct hitch for your car. Down below they should have an instal how to...it is a great website. Let me know if that works. Cheers
I'm buying a new car in the coming year and if I get a Crosstrek your videos are going to be the reason why. I'm either going with the Crosstrek, 2019 Rav4 Adventure AWD, or I might give the Focus Active a look if it has AWD (same for the next gen Kia Soul). The Subaru just seems so great at what it does, though.
Nice video. On my 18 CrossTrek Limited I also have the same Hitch and similar Trailer. While installing the Hitch I also removed the Muffler and muffler heat shield then routed the wiring harness through the hole, used double sided tape to secure harness to the car body routing it towards the receiver where I installed to the receiver a Round Six connector, replaced heat shield and muffler. I replaced the Four straight connector with a Six Round to match my other small trailers (Aspen Classic Pop Up motorcycle Camper and small Alumna MCTXL trailer) that I can also pull behind my GL 1800 Goldwing. I've used my trailer a few times now and am very pleased with its operation and the Treks handling it. Don't know if you've ever compared the Treks onboard MPG readout with actual MPG consumed vs miles driven. Personally I've been tracking it both ways and finding out that mostly I'm about 4 miles over(on car) what I'm actually getting if you do the gallons vs miles calculation. One experience I had; Full Tank, round trip of 160 miles with small load I ended up getting 27.2 mpg which was also very close to actual mpg doing the math after filling upon completing my excursion pulling my trailer.
Hi Jerry, thank you for your detailed explanation on how you mounted and routed the cable. That is very helpful and I need to do a better job if setting mine up now that I have a trailer. Much appreciated advice! As far as mileage goes My car is normally 2 to 3 mpg different than what the computer indicates and my other 2 Subaru's were the same. Surprisingly enough a couple of tanks ago my calculated mpg and computer mpg was almost exactly the same! 33 computer and 29.x via math. :) I was stunned. Cheers and thank you again.
Hi Denis, thanks so much! Really appreciate it. Best of luck with the install and give a shout if you have any questions. Cheers and have a great weekend.
Hey Rick, about the rattling when you are towing the trailer, google hitch silencers. There are some U clamps with plates that look like they are the ticket. The pictures they show for mounting then though, have them with the plate on the bottom pushing up, I am thinking to have the plate on the top pushing down, to follow the path of the tongue weight, taking any extra strain off the clamp.
Thanks brother! Much appreciated. I definitely need one of those. I received some other trailer accessories 2 days ago and plan to make a quick video hopefully today....
Like that setup. That blue color looks sweet with those black wheels. I have a pickup truck because I ride dirtbikes with my son but I wouldn't mind switching over to a crosstrek with a trailer. I assume it could easily tow two dirtbikes.
Thank you Kris! It should do just fine with the 2 bikes. I have towed a few good loads of wood and furniture with no issues. If I remember correctly it has a limit of 1500 lbs so you should be under that no worries,
Rick, off topic, but I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on carrying a full size spare tire, matching or not. Storage and transportation of that spare and whether it would or wouldn’t fit in the spare tire storage area.
Great question! I carry my stock wheel with me when I go off road these days until I figure out something else. It does not fit in the spare tire area just because of width. I just throw it in the back along with an extra jack and wheel chock. Ask me why :) Or watch my reddington video and see me trash a rim/tire and the car fall off the jack. LOL Quite a day. I hope to do a full Method spare at some point. Cheers.
Rick Hutton maybe look into a hitch mounted carrier that folds so you can still open the back. That way you don’t lose your cargo space while out and exploring.
I think the Crosstrek has 17" rims. Not 12". One can up the size to 18" rims for a 1/2" increase in ground clearance. Coil spring inserts can give you an additional 1+" for a total of 1.5+". Add Subaru factory skid plates and you would have an ideal off road vehicle. Not quite a Jeep but still very capable.
Hey Jane, I was referring to the size of the trailer tires. :) The Limited Crosstrek has 18 inch wheels and the Base and Premium are 17. Normally changing the wheel size doesn't affect the height of the car since you would drop down the size of the tire to match the new wheel size. As far as I know Subaru doesn't have factory skid plates? But there are a few manufacturers who do. Cheers for watching.
Love the color of your subí , thinking I’m getting one. What year is your crosstrek, looks very nice. Wonder if the car can tow a small camping trailer. What is the tow capacity of your crosstrek?
Out of all my Subarus the cross trek is the one I most regret trading I just recently ordered new forester for my wife I had the 22 ascent for 8 weeks but wife hated filling up every day with 19 mpg it was getting got a 22 out back she hates it said it’s a station wagon so we ordered a 23 forester she has had several and always liked them we had the same cross trek in color you have I’m now driving a hr one way to work one way and gas is killing me filling up my z71 twice a week my truck is almost paid for and I’m gonna get me a cross trek funnest ride out of any vehicle I’ve owned nimble awesome gas mileage I’m watching your video cause I ride atvs and side by sides in my spare time I would never attempt to tow my big side by side with this but was wondering if it could tow my trailer with a quad or 2 on it great review man how’s the Subaru holding up on you
You could tow a couple of ATV's no problem. I have pulled a giant mulcher behind the Crosstrek and it did fine. Wouldn't have pulled it down the freeway, but on backroads it was okay. :). The Subaru is doing great these days. Approaching 60,000 miles and no issues the past couple of years. My son drives it full-time and loves it. The BFG's are still going strong and other than a few exterior bumps and bruises no problems have popped up. Overall the interior is holding up as well...other than the infotainment screen delaminating a little and the driver's seat showing wear. I haven't been driving the Crosstrek for a couple of years now, but I would buy another one if I needed a solid day to day commuter. They are really well done and get decent mileage around town and on the freeway. I hope you have good luck with the new Forester. Cheers.
You can go on a trailer.com they have a trailer hitch dampeners required to hitch down so you don’t get the rattle between the receiver and the hitch much better.
Hi Rick, as a fellow crosstrek owner...I am a little concerned about stress on the crosstrek frame..have you noticed any problems on your crosstrek ?? I am ready to get a trailer for my 2021 crosstrek sport..but im a little hesitant..thanks for your vids!! Love them Brother cheers
Thank you for watching along and thank you for your question. I have had the hitch on the car now for a few years and so far no problems at all. For the most part I would just tow my little trailer with maybe 500 pounds at the most. Once I did tow a really big mulching machine that was probably close the the Crosstrek's limit, but the car handled it just fine. As long as you stay with in the recommended towing limits the you should be just fine. Best of luck and take care.
@@AZdroptop thanks for replying i took the plunge i did the curt hitch like you did and bought a tiny 48x48 utilty trailer..I do small engine repairs snowblowers lawnmowers etc..I think it will be A-OK
Subaru uses Bosch ABS control units (I think so) so you have an advanced vale added function installed in the ESP version 9.0 version when you're pulling a trailer, trailer sway mitigation function. Never has been safer to drive with a trailer. Load distribution ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-i2fkOVHAC8Q.html Trailer Sway Mitigation ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LJMxeJSdmt4.html
Hi Rick i'm so glad that you and your family are in your new house and your backyard is amazing. Question how was the power of your crocress trek towing ? Smile Your drone footage is amazing !
HI Julius, thank you so much. We are loving it here for sure. Honestly with the amount of weight that I have been towing it hasn't been bad at all. When I used my friend's trailer and had it full of heavy boxes I could feel it a little, but it wasn't like I couldn't keep up with traffic so all good! Thank you for your nice comments Julius, you know I appreciate it!
I have a 5x8 trailer but two compact cars, neither of which can tow it. I live on acreage and would like to load the trailer with brush, occasional construction debris, plywood or drywall, plants from the garden center, etc. Was looking at getting a pickup but would like something more enjoyable as a daily driver. Two years later, is this setup still working for you? My concern is the Crosstrek may be too much of a compromise.
The Crosstrek did a good job of towing anything I needed it to including a huge wood chipper awhile back. :) Not sure how much that thing weighed, but it was a beast. Honestly no issues with towing there than you are limited to 1500 lbs. Not sure if you saw the video but I recently bought a Jeep. Nothing to do with towing, I just wanted the ability to get a bit further off road than the Crosstrek could offer. Still have the car in the family and still think it is great.
Glad I watched to the end. Seeing you back up so smoothly reminded me how much I suck at backing up a trailer. I'd be OK seeing a video with tips and technique on manuevering it. Also there was wire slack after you plugged in to the trailer. Any chance it could bounce loose and drag on the ground? Maybe a Velcro strap to hold in place?
Thank you Matt. Good catch on the wire. I have one of those rubber quick ties that I have been throwing on there, but since I was just cruising the neighborhood I was lazy. :) Honestly I am not good at backing up either...that was a one take back up, but normally it takes a couple of tries. I am getting a little better though. One thing that has helped me out was a tip from a friend who has a big 5th wheel. He said put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and whichever direction you move your hand,(and the wheel) the trailer will go that way. So you rotate your hand on the wheel to the left, the trailer goes left, to the right, the trailer goes right. Seems to be working well, mostly. LOL Until I get confused and goof it up. Have a great week Matt!
Another great video Rick. Thank you. A few comments and suggestions. (1) The wiring... you left a lot outside... hopefully you secured it in a way that it does not drag on the road :). I know, I know, you did it only for the video, but just wanted to make sure. (2) Suggest you install these Telescoping Trailer Stabilizer Jacks on the back www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008G5AA7E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and (3) this in the front (yours have the hole and triangle bolt hole setup for it) - A-Frame Trailer Jack With Wheel And Mounting Hardware www.amazon.com/Frame-Trailer-Wheel-Mounting-Hardware/dp/B01GUDPH8K ... doing so will allow you to decouple from the Crosstrek while keeping it stable for loading or offloading... and not that expensive. Suggest getting the A-fram jack with the wheels instead of the flat bottom, so you can move it around easy... As you know, I bought the same hitch that you have... same wiring as well. But I installed a plug on the hitch to later route the wires to it and avoid having it inside the car and closing the rear hatch over it when using it. But like you mentioned, have not been able to complete that install because the hole in the rear-most point, is too small to allow the plug to go in... my plan is to cut the wiring, so I can pass it to the outside plug, and then use connectors to put it all back together. You can see some photos in the Subaru forum. That way it all stays in place and no need to have wires hanging from the tailgate. Link to photo www.subaruxvforum.com/forum/attachments/subaru-xv-members-journal/270746d1520810653-my-2018-crosstrek-limited-build-thread-img_1608.jpg My experience of first trip towing the motorcycle... drive from Orlando, FL to and back Atlanta, GA went without any issues. Average fuel consumption was around 25-26 mpg... I was doing 5 mph over speed limit...or a bit more when passing 18-wheelers... put 1,200 miles on that trip... Now at only 2,800 miles on my Crosstrek, so guessing still in break-in period... I just continue to be surprised of how well and smooth this car drives on roads that are not perfect... it really absorbs bumps and road imperfections with such a breeze... love it. Thank you again for these videos and keep them coming!!
Jaime thank you kind sir! I appreciate the tips and tricks for the trailer. I will check out the links for sure. Cool info on your towing experience with your cycle too . I need to address the cable routing here soon. Cheers brother
I just finished doing the routing of the harness to the outside connector I had installed on the side of the hitch... used some Lowes connectors. Routed through the small rubber plug that is inside the spare wheel well... easy and no risk of the harness melting with the muffler. Also did the install of the LED fog lights bulbs. www.subaruxvforum.com/forum/subaru-xv-members-journal/158361-my-2018-crosstrek-limited-build-thread-5.html Looks like I am all done for now! Now to just put miles on it :)
Few years too late on the comment, but I am looking to tow my 450 pound motorcycle with my crosstrek...As you said 1,500 is the max for the Crosstrek....Does that seem doable with this setup you have?
Any issues with the carrier that you installed? I need to haul too heavy Ebikes on a hitch carrier with total weight of about 185 pounds which is 15 pounds under the maximum. I understand that the dynamic forces of bouncing up and down going down the road are far more than 200 pounds. Do you think it’s safe?
Hi Barry, no issues at all with the hitch and it has worked flawlessly after a couple of years. I believe the tongue weight of the Crosstrek is 200 its so you should be fine. The hitch is rated at over 500lbs.
The hitch carrier? Yes, I have not really loaded that down too much as of yet, maybe a 100 lbs. I think the most I have towed is around 1,000 when I rented a giant mulch machine.
Hi Rick...Ed from Tucson. Just bought a 2018 Crosstrek 6MT and installed the OEM hitch & harness (what a job!) I'm currently running a personal comparison with my 2017 Jeep Wrangler. At this point, I rarely drive my Jeep and am toying with selling it. If so, I'm thinking of buying a trailer and a quad. I imagine both would weigh under 1500 pounds. I wonder if my 6MT config would work as well.
Awesome Ed, congrats. A trailer and a quad would be a blast around here for sure. I bet the manual would do just fine. How are you liking the manual by the way? And did you happen to drive a CVT at all? Curious as to how you would compare them as I have not driven the manual.
Hi Rick...good to hear from you and great vid! I'm on a Subaru odyssey with the purchase/trade-in of a 2017 Crosstrek and the recent upgrade to the 2018. Both were manuals. Altho the 2017 with the 5-spd was fine, the 2018 with the 6-speed is more refined altho more disconnected with the cable actuation. However, I have to rev it to 4000 rpm to have the same reasonable acceleration I have in my ND Miata and JK Wrangler 2-dr at 3000 rpm. Prob the same with the CVT, right? I drove the pre-Di Crosstrek CVT (pre-2018) and it felt punchier off the line than the manual. I have not driven the 2018 model, but I think they remapped the throttle tip-in to be a tad softer off the line. I just turned 1500 miles on mine and have seen 34 mpg on the highway. I changed all my oils at 750 miles with OEM fluids and am running the BRZ oil filter which many say is superior.
Good to hear the manual has been improved a bit in the 18. Some of the reviews I watched mentioned that the 6 speed didn't seem like it was paired with the engine well? As far as the power goes with the 18 CVT I am honestly really happy with it. It is better than the 14 pretty much everywhere in the rev range and feels responsive for passing around town. It doesn't blow your hair back or anything, but feel like a normal car where the 14 was adequate, but a dog if you know what i mean. And as I mentioned a bunch it is not as noisy. Great mileage! and thanks for the tip on the BRZ filter.
I think the six speed is a winner in the 18 XV. I took a 300 mile road trip up Highway 77 to Globe, Highway 60 to Peenix, Highway 202 to Chandler and back down I-10. Only a few times, did I have to drop to 4th. Engine braking was a bit weak coming down into Globe, but everything else was great. Even out-handled most vehicles in the Canyons west of Globe/Miami, AZ. One thing I do regret is not having the wonderful sunroof, keyless entry, the HK stereo, the two LCD displays and leather which would come with the Limited package. I had use of a 2018 Impreza and really liked those features, but the Impreza coupe could not tow with an OEM hitch...and I wasn't going to risk buying an Impreza hatchback to see if the OEM hitch could be installed. I even looked into importing a LImited 6MT Crosstrek from Canada, but nobody would talk to me. :)
Very nice. These little guys actually handle pretty decent too for what they are. Subaru has steering feel down quite well. Sounds like a nice drive. I will have to agree with you on the Keyless entry for sure. Never really thought much about it as an option in the past, my wife had it on her Explorer, but now that I have had it I love it! Thanks for sharing man and for the good input on the manual.
Cheers mate. That's a pretty handy little trailer. On a side note, I'm guessing only the extremely rich and golf courses have grass in Tuscon? Any video I've ever seen of people in Tuscon everyone has rocky back yards. :D It's always interesting learning about how others in the world live.
Hi, yes it is a good little investment and will keep me from bothering friends. :) It is funny that you mention that you don't see grass around much. When I was a kid we had grass in the front and backyard up until the late 70's early 80's, then there was a big push to conserve water since it is a little sparse around here in the Desert. You will still find a few homes with grass, in fact, this house had grass until the last owner bought it and renovated it. If you go up to Phoenix, our capital, you will see a lot more grass up there and a lot more water use. I actually miss seeing grass around myself. Cheers my friend. You will have to come visit and check it out!
My outback is being totalled by insurance company. I am thinking about getting a Crosstrek and towing. I already have a trailer that is about the same size and weight of yours. I am quite interested weather is would be ok on the Crosstrek transmission to tow the 1k pounds on the highway etc. is the Crosstrek engine and trans too small to do towing a lot?
Hard to say how it would do towing 1,000 lbs all the time, but so far it has worked out great for me. Generally my loads are less than 300 lbs though and I have only towed near 1,000 one time. My max speed at the time was probably around 50 to 55 and it was on small roads with not much traffic. The car accelerated and stopped fine, but I'm not sure how it would have done going up any grades towing that much weight. The good thing is the CVT on the 18-20's I believe, maybe even the 21's, has a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty.
Hey Rick, Got any suggestions for an all terrain tire size that won't rub? I have stock 17" rims. I know there's plenty of vertical space to work with, it's the width I'm not sure about.
Hi JM 74, 225/60/17 is your stock size I believe so I would stick to the 225 width just to be on the safe side. I have seen a few do KO2's in 235, but they rub a bit at full lock and if you have mud flaps you might have to trim the flaps. Also consider the increased weight of a 235's over a 225 or 215 like I have. I am not sure which stock tires you have, but the geolanders seem to be popular. Unfortunately I could not find any KO2's in your size, just 225/65/17 which honestly might not be that big of a deal other than your speedo being off a bit. Here is a link to a couple tires. pixel.everesttech.net/3756/cq?ev_sid=3&ev_lx=dsa-21599327400&ev_ln=&ev_pl=&ev_crx=201214931963&ev_mt=b&ev_n=g&ev_ltx=&ev_pos=1t1&ev_dvc=c&ev_dvm=&ev_phy=9030241&ev_loc=&ev_cx=141297253&ev_ax=16390520293&url=www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp%3Fwidth%3D225/%26ratio%3D60%26diameter%3D17%26affiliate%3DHM5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4J-98tje3AIVB2t-Ch2Q-Q7pEAAYASAAEgJR5_D_BwE
Rick. Nice video and trailer. Been looking for one myself. When you said that you like to double check things, I didn’t see a locking hitch pin in the handle assembly on the trailer and it looked like the safety cables weren’t properly crossed. Is it possible to edit the video and reiterate the do’s and don’ts of trailer safety?
HI Nate, guess I missed those things. I just meant that I like to make sure I have it all snugged and connected. I am new to towing and have had discussions about crossing the cables or not crossing them and the use or not use to the pin and it seemed to be mixed from those I know who tow often.. From your experience it sounds like crossing the cables is the way to go? I appreciate the feedback Nate. Thank you brother! Cheers
Rick Hutton no worries man. The hitch handle can come up on it’s own without the pin. CURT 25080 Safety Pin www.amazon.com/dp/B001GN3H5A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_D5k3AbESEMYBT . If that were to happen you want the cables crossed to hopefully prevent the tongue from falling to the road and creating a projectile trailer that flips into oncoming traffic or worse.
Ah! Very cool. I will pick one up. Thank you very much and crossing the cables sounds like the smart way to go. Can't thank you enough Nate. Cheers and thank you for taking the time to help me out. I always say I get way more back from subscribers and watchers than I could ever give.
HI Bill, thank you very much and yep, they are prescription. One of the things I actually dislike about getting older is not being able to read anything with out glasses. :) I actually bought them at Costco and they are called the YARDDOG II. I believe they are around 2 years old or so. Cheers Bill
awesome! just thinking abt how my crosstrek tows. btw, what are the laws (DMV) on trailers as far as registration and things you need to be "road legal" if u will... thx Rick or any other "trekies"!
Tomaso, great minds think alike. :) Here in AZ I had to take the title over to DMV and because the grown vehicle weight is under 10,000 lbs I believe, you can get a one time fee license plate. It was $125 for life. If you have a larger trailer or are commercial it is more expensive and I think you have to do it each year. Cheers.
Hi Demetri, you know I am not 100% sure on that. My friend who recommended full size tires did so I think because he tends to tow larger loads. I have used his 5 x 8 with the larger tires and now mine and really didn't notice any difference?
Hi Keith, I have wondered about that myself, but have not researched it too much. My guess is there would be limitations due to the axles? I will have to dig around and see what I can find.
Hey Rick I have a question regarding your tires... Do you keep a full size spare at home?? I understand having a donut with the KO2s could potentially damage the AWD system. Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks and great job on all your videos! Cheers!
Hey Hector, I have the original stock tires and when going off road I have been putting one in the back incase of a problem. The whole spare tire discussion is an interesting one and I have not checked with Subaru as of yet, or read the manual, to see if it is ok. The new tires are essentially the same circumference as the stock set up, and actually a bit more narrow, so it seems like the spare would work at low speeds for a short distance??? I really don't know to be honest. The book also mentions that the spare should only be used in the back, which I didn't do when I got my flat quite awhile ago. The car seemed to do fine with the spare up front? At this point I am probably going to call road side assistance if I have a problem, something I hate to ever consider, but will do it if needed. If I find anything definitive I will let you know. Cheers
Rick Hutton I appreciate it! Thanks for the quick reply too! Yeah you might be right, it might make a difference only if different sizes tires are used. Like you mention your tires are prettt much the same circumference. I want to get off road tires eventually but that question was in the back of my mind and figured I ask what you were doing regarding the spare. Thanks again! Cheers!
my pleasure Hector. It is an excellent question and one I need to address in more depth to be sure I get it right. When I got my flat off road I didn't read the book like I should and put the tire up front and drove quite a distance home. I have no idea if I did any long term damage, but my car seems fine after almost 5,000 miles so hopefully I'm good. :) Now I know. LOL Best of luck and I'll be sure and let you know if I find out anything new.
He needs to get a 5th matching wheel/tire and one of the swing-away Wilco tire carrier :) www.wilcooffroad.com/shop/hitchgate-solo/ www.wilcooffroad.com/wp-content/uploads/20160907_142850-e1473356078352.jpg
Hey Rick, I've been watch it your vids for a couple of weeks now because I am looking at getting a Crosstrek. I am looking at either a used 2014\15\16 or a new 2018. Ride comfort and noise are very important to me, but so is price. Since you've owned a 2014 and the refreshed 2018, is the 2018 significantly more quiet and comfortable on the road than the 2014?
Hi Christopher, thank you for watching the channel and for your question. Let me say this first..despite all of its noise, slow acceleration and hard plastic interior, I loved my 14. It was a fantastic car and I had planned on keeping it until it died. Then I made the mistake of driving the 18. :) My Subaru buddy had told me a few months before they came out that they had driven them and he could not believe how different the 18 was compared to previous models and he was so right. Honestly Chrstopher I think the 18 is night and day a better car in just about every way compared to the 14 at least. I have not driven a 15 or 16, but know they did make some improvements in the noise department. Acceleration, gas mileage, room, interior materials, noise level, and sound system in my opinion are all better. Significantly better. The 18 is, well it was, until I changed to the new Wheel/tire set up, amazingly quiet. And compared to the 14 the difference was incredible. I can't say that the 18 is a lot more comfortable than the 14, they are pretty comparable in that regard, but the noise reduction makes it a nicer ride. I honestly can not say enough about the 18 and would highly recommend at least a test drive. Again, the earlier Crosstrek's were great and I have nothing against them, but I feel Subaru fixed all of the little problems that they had and if you can afford to go with the 18 I would definitely do it. Well worth it. Hope that helps and please let me know if you have other questions. You can always email if you like at azdroptopyt@cox.net Cheers
Tow capacity is 1500 lbs so if you don't go over that you should be good to go. :) I have towed a giant wood chipper with mine and it did fine. Not sure how much the thing weighed, but i was able to go 50 to 55 with no problem and it seemed to brake just fine.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qMZms2G3LWs.html
Hey Rick - I just moved from an F150 to Crosstrek (2018) a week ago and have a question about towing. Specifically what kind of mileage you get while towing? I do a lot of fishing and have to car top my kayak, but I noticed that my average mpg dropped down to about 25mpg on the freeway due to the added wind resistance (still waaaay better than the Ford, but still..) I figure if I would get better mileage by towing rather than car topping, it may be worth it - but knowing that you have towed with your rig, wanted to get your input first. Thanks a lot!
HI Jeremy, I had the same experience with drop in mileage when carrying 2 bikes on the roof of the car, especially Mountain bikes on the interstate. 25MPG sounds like what I would get going up to Flagstaff with the bikes. When I tow a bunch during a cycle between fill ups I notice a drop of about 2 mpg so for me that is computer indicated 28to 29 mpg. I haven't towed anything super heavy or up long grades so keep that in mind. Hope that help Jeremy. Cheers!
Thanks a lot, Rick! I'll look into renting a trailer for my kayak so I can get an idea of what I'd be getting for sure, but hearing your experience pulling a trailer - I imagine I'd get about the same. My entire rig weighs maybe 100lbs plus the trailer.. Anyway, just thinking out loud.. err, well, through the keyboard. Thanks again!
I think that would be just fine. You could even get 2 KLR's on there if you needed to and they are pretty heavy. Do you ride a lot? Or just planning. I did dirt now and then on my KLR over the years, but just never got comfortable off road. It was a blast though.
Hi Marco, personally I think it depends on how much stuff you are caring and how long you will be traveling with 3 adults and your large dog. If we are talking around town or for a couple hours here and there I think it would work fine. How large of a dog are we talking here? Mastiff? or large German Shepard? I have a 50 lb Lab and when we go places she can fit in the very back with the seats up, but it is a little cramped. Most of the time I will put one seat down so she has a bit more room and then put any gear we have on the other backseat. If your scenario only happens now and then and you don't carry a bunch of gear with you, my opinion is the Crosstrek would be fine. If it happens a lot, you have some gear to carry with you and you don't plan on a hitch basket or roof basket, then it might just be too small. The Crosstrek is a great car, but when you have to carry people in the back you can run out of cargo room pretty quickly. I ended up going with a hitch basket for the times when I have to carry people and gear and it has worked out well. All of that being said, the Forester has 31.1 cu ft in the cargo area vs 20.8 cu ft for the Crosstrek with the seats up and 76.1 cu ft to 55.3 cu ft with the seats down... If I had 3 people in the Crosstrek and my dog with me all of the time I would buy something bigger. Best of luck and let me know if I can answer any other questions and thank you for watching.
HI Joyce, it looks like the max load weight of a UHall 4 x 8 trailer is 1600lbs. The Crosstrek is rated to tow 1,500 lbs and as long as you don't load it to max capacity you should be good to go. I would double check with UHaul on the trailer's empty weight just to be sure and so you know how much you can put in it. I towed a wood chipper that was at least 1,000 lbs and was able to get up to the speed limit and cruise comfortably. 50 mph. To be honest I probably would not want to tow much more weight than that at more than 55mph although the car felt stable and braking still felt safe. I think 500 to 750 lbs is more than ok for the car.
There's a reason they don't put CVT's in large SUV's or trucks. They don't handle weight well. They were first used in 500lb snow mobiles; then when they started putting them in 3000lb cars they had tons of problems. Most of the problems have been worked out but they still don't handle heavy cars well. Toyota is now putting a 1st gear on its CVT's for better off the line performace. Them doing that in a in a 3000lb car says they still have problems with pulling the car from a stop. So adding a 1500lb trailer don't help anything.
In all honestly Brent I'm not an expert in CVT's or towing, but Subaru says we can tow with the CVT so I plan to. :) It will be a couple of times a month and no where near the 1500 lb limit so I think I'll be fine. Seems to pull the little guy with no problem.
Rick Hutton the ascent tows up to 5000 lbs. I think the cvt will be fine. Maybe watch trans temp if you tow something through the mountains a lot. I don’t think it would be any less reliable than a regular automatic at this point. Subaru makes a good product in my opinion.
I would guess 500 to 700 lbs? I pulled a very large and very heavy wood chipper a couple years back and the car actually did ok with it. I wouldn't want to pull it 100 miles or anything, but It had to be 1,000.
Hey, i need to rewatch some of ur old crosstrek vids. I can’t remember, did u put a lift kit on it. I have found a dealer in NJ who puts LP adventures kits on crosstreks and forresters. When u went for the test ride I Noticed ur “night tools” in the back seat. 🤣Stay safe brother!
Ha ha. 😃. Night tools, I like that. Overtime this break.... No worries on watching the vids, there are a lot of them. I need to do an intro where I talk about it. No lift at this point but I like the LPvatuff. I am eyeing there small from bar for purchase later this year. Cheers and ask away if you have others questions.
Ummm, yes, we do actually make and sell all types of trailers in Australia. We even have cars and other stuff. I Googled Karavan and they do have dealers in Australia but they only seem to sell boat and jetski trailers - not this particular model.
I haven't picked up anything special yet. Just a little jack from Harbor Freight to carry along to help out. Still looking for something good. I will check out your link. Thank you for sharing! Anything new with your oil temp?
That looks pretty sweet and not very pricey! What do you think about the height of it? Think it will fit under the car with a flat on its own? Or would we have to use the stock jack to make room first?
Rick Hutton Nah nothing new....subaru is telling me it’s normal.....radio is still glitching tho...they had me reset it and make a new driver profile...now the green icon keeps popping up that says my radio is up to date...every 5 mins lol...so they told me to turn off auto updates and not to use the aha app
Great. :) Thanks Subaru for that. Ah man, hopefully they will get your radio sorted soon. To my great delight my CarPlay continues to work with no issues. I guess if anything comes of the oil temp you have been reporting it and they should take care of you. Watched the jack video on amazon. Looks very cool and seems good for the dirt.
Hey brother, the expense is mostly why I went with the Curt. Didn't want to pay almost 2 x the price for the ECO, but it is a really nice design how it tucks up under the car and the ability to remove the receiver part is nice. Honestly no really issues with the hitch since it sits up real close to the bumper. It has dragged on some really deep undulating sections just a little, but so has the front end LOL. Also makes a nice spot to mount my magnetic GoPro mount to. :)
I think it would depend on the length of the kayaks. The rear gate is removable so you could hang them over the back and put a flag on the end if they are greater than 8'. I think the width would accommodate 2 for sure.
I think it would do fine with your ATV. The Crosstrek is rated for 1500 and you would be well under that combined weight of this trailer and the ATV. Happy New Year.
Howdy, my guess is it would do just fine as I think the bike would weight in at around 700lbs or so? The trailer weights in at about 450 so you would be under the 1500 lb limit. I bet I have only towed around 3 or 400 lbs with it so far and the car does just fine.
Meowmers, do you mean KMC? I did a quick search for KMS and it kept saying KMC? If it is KMC they look pretty sweet at first glance! I will check them out a bit more. Thank You, cheers.
Which ones are you leaning towards? Are you thinking for mostly on road? The STI wheels look pretty sweet if you are staying off the dirt. So many choices. :)
Hi Stephane, honestly I have been here in Tucson almost my whole life so I am used to it. We have long hot summers with many days over 100 degrees F, and sometimes close to 110, but our winters are mild compared to many parts of the world. It will go below freezing a few times over the winter but we have highs in the 50's and 60's with very occasional snow. I do not like the cold and the heat doesn't bother me all that much so I love it here. When I want to get away from the heat we have Mount Lemon just down the road that has an elevation of about 9,000 feet so it isn't too bad. I do like traveling to other places and seeing how green and beautiful they are, but the desert has a beauty of its own in many ways as well. Hope you are doing well and enjoying your car!
Crosstrek is rated for 1000 lb with no brakes. A 500 lb trailer (actually probably 750) leaves you 500 lb. The towing limit includes passengers and gasoline. Another words, you cannot anything aside from a small accessory with this car.
You probably already know but using trailers & hitting some major bumps can cause frame damage even on body on frame SUVs & pickup trucks. With a unibody passenger car, it probably is worst.
Rick, I uploaded video last night I thought you'd enjoy. This is the small trailer we use to tow behind our crosstrek and outback. Think you'd love one. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fXpVQwcNAHs.html
Ryan, that was great! Really neat old trailer and I can't wait to see what you do with the new one. I actually worked at Sear's when I was in college. :) Of course that wasn't in 73 :) Cheers and thank you for sharing your video with me.
