My Experiences Towing With My 2019 Ascent Touring
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of tent camping in a spacious, 90 second setup, Gazelle T4 hub tent. But, every now and then, and more frequently in the past, I’d tow my best friend’s travel trailer.
A lot of people asked what it’s like towing with the Subaru Ascent. I think the Ascent makes an amazing part time tow vehicle, and it’s done really well for our needs.
What I Tow
When I am borrowing my friend’s trailer, I tow a 2011 Heartland Edge M18. It (and maybe the M21) were probably the best suited sub-5,000 pound trailers for the Subaru Ascent or similar tow vehicles. It’s a tandem axle, balances much of the weight over the 4 foot space between axles, and thus starts with a really low tongue weight. Sadly, Heartland stopped making it just a few years before larger mid sized SUVs (like the Ascent) hit the market with good part time towing capabilities.
| Length: 19.83 ft. | Dry Weight: 3,118 lbs. |
| Width: 7.5 ft. | GVWR: 4,395 lbs. |
| Height: 9.83 ft. (Interior Height: 7 ft.) | Hitch Weight: 210 lbs. |
I’ve towed the Edge from Western Suffolk County (Long Island) to Montauk Point, as well as through three east coast mountain ranges to Northern Vermont. My biggest issue was, even when towing, the Ascent likes to creep up to some decent speeds, lol!
My Gear
A number of people ask what my favorite towing gear is. So, here’s a list of what works for me.
- Fit Systems 3891 Clip On Towing Mirror (I bought two, one for each side). While I have towed the Edge without these (since the trailer is only 7.5′ wide), it’s much easier with them – and honestly, the only reason I towed without was because I forgot them at home, and the Ascent is wide enough to make do (I’d have went back if it was a wider trailer).
- Uriah Products Aluma-Tow 6″ Drop Ball Mount (comes with TWO locking pins and THREE balls: 1 7/8″, 2″ & 2 5/16″). This allows me to reposition the ball as I add or dump water (the Edge can carry 90 gallons, so, that’s a lot of weight to adjust for).
- Tekonsha 90195 P3 Electronic Brake Controller (it comes with a pigtail that splices to the OEM pigtail). This is my fav, because of the big display, easy calibration, and variable emergency trailer braking arm on the bottom. Another favorite option is the Redarc TowPro Elite or Elite 3, but I’ve got no experience with it. If you want minimalist, it’s the way to go – just make sure you mount the electronics properly.
- For “flares” I use these LED Road “Flares” instead of flammable ones (and actually had to use them for 5 hours when we had one tire blowout followed by another on the trailer). They’re really bright, and really compact.
You can see them in action here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=246377549943567
Well, the travel trailer got its 2nd flat, meaning we are out of spares, on the Northway at the edge of the Adirondacks. I've had more enjoyable trips. 😔🙁 UPDATE: at Mavis Discount Tire waiting for them to open so we can get new tires.
Posted by Subaru Ambassador Robert on Saturday, May 9, 2020
Anyway, I hope that helps some of you pick out some gear for your towing adventures!!!
