Towing Car On A Trailer - Weight Limit

I tow about 6500 lbs with my gas motorhome and its being doing just fine.


However my hitch has been upgraded and the frame on chassis in back has been reinforced and 4 electric brakes on the trailer..

It also helps not getting a big heavy motorhome, my motorhome loaded weights about 19,500 lbs so that leaves plenty of towing power left for the Ford 3 valve V-10..

DallasSteve,
I totally understand your situation. Sometimes, we have to make things work with what we have, and don't have obscene amounts of $$ to throw around. That be me, too. And, being one that wants nothing to do with diesel irregardless of $$, I totally get you wanting to stick with a gas Motorhome.

I think you can make this work with a trailer, if you must. As long as you are OK with the trailer only being used to tow your Subaru, then you can get one that is open in the middle, like this Carry-on trailer meant specifically for carrying a car, that weighs in just under 1500 lbs and can be had for under $3k. Especially if you can find a used one.

You still should look into re-inforcing the frame extension and hitch receiver of whatever gas Motorhome you get, to make sure it can handle the weight of your car on a trailer. Even if you can stay under the 5k limit, odd are there is also a 500 lb tongue weight limit you'll almost certainly be pushing. Thats why I'd suggest re-inforcing the Motorhome frame extension, and maybe the hitch receiver in the back. That can be done, too, though, and not too expensive. I did such recently to my Motorhome, and very glad I did. Here is a thread on here where I discussed such.

I totally understand how you feel about the advice you're getting, and that you don't want to trade your Subaru or get a diesel Motorhome. Diesel is obscenely expensive both to purchase and to own/maintain compared to gas, and trading vehicles is always very expensive. However, I think in the long run, you may well end up one day wishing you had followed the advice here. I've been camping/RVing for nearly 20 years, been on these forums for 16 years. I can think of several times over the years I've blown off advice from the experts here, only to realize years later that they were right after all.

DallasSteve wrote:
The people who like to talk the most often know the least.

So, just to satisfy the adults on the forum, why are you even here? You ask legitimate questions, and don't like the answers. What is the point?

As for knowing the least, I guess you are talking about me. I've owned two pop-ups, five travel trailers, and two motorhomes, one gas, one diesel. In over two decades I have used them in 49 states, and most of the Canadian Provinces, while traveling at least 200k miles. I've lived full time in a motorhome, and done extensive repairs and renovations to several rigs. If that's your definition of "knowing the least" remember it comes from a person who made it quite clear that you are asking your questions since you don't have a clue as to what you want and need, and why.

BTW, NOBODY is here to WIN AN ARGUMENT, and folks continue to answer your posts. There is a reason that seasoned folks are trying to express the fact that trailering a car is, by far, the worst and last option for those that actually know what they are doing.

rhagfo wrote:

DallasSteve wrote:
The people who like to talk the most often know the least.

Well once you find out the only possible advantage of towing a car trailer with a gas class A is that you might possibly be able to back it up, you might appreciate the good advice you were given!
Simple solution is get your gas Class A, and take the $$$ you would spend on the trailer and trade the Suburu for a flat tow compatible toad.

The fact that the wheels of the towed vehicle don't roll for thousands of miles while being towed is not an advantage? That's some good advice.

I'm not saying there aren't advantages to flat towing, but the statement "the only possible advantage" is an absolute statement and absolute statements are often wrong and often used carelessly by people trying to win an argument.

DallasSteve wrote:
The people who like to talk the most often know the least.

Well once you find out the only possible advantage of towing a car trailer with a gas class A is that you might possibly be able to back it up, you might appreciate the good advice you were given!
Simple solution is get your gas Class A, and take the $$$ you would spend on the trailer and trade the Suburu for a flat tow compatible toad.

The people who like to talk the most often know the least.

DallasSteve wrote:

soren wrote:

Odd, to be seeking solid advice, then complaining that you don't like what you read, eh?

I didn't complain or say I didn't like anything. I was seeking "solid advice" on how to tow a Subaru Crosstrek, on a trailer with a 35-foot class A motorhome with a gas engine. Not how to flat-tow a car I don't own with a diesel motor I'm not going to buy. But people can keep telling me I should do something that I'm not going to do.

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, you missed a few key words in your reply. Your last sentence really should say, " but EXPERIENCED, KNOWLEDGEABLE people keep OFFERING ME QUALITY ADVICE and I'm not going to follow it.

Do whatever floats your boat. Understand that there is a price to pay for doing so however. For example, you seem to be totally unaware that there are solid engineering decisions behind having tow ratings on gas A rigs that include a 3500# to 5000# rating with a VERY light hitch weight. It's because they are built on a frame that is significantly shorter than the overall length of the "box" The frame is extended by the coach builder, and often is unable to rigidly support the back of the rig, over time and use. 34' and larger class A rigs are famous for subtle to outrageous sagging in the rear, over time. By limiting the hitch weight, and not allowing things like large cargo trailers and car haulers to be pulled by their products, the builder is insuring that it doesn't literally bent to the point of failure where the extensive joins the factory frame, or cause enough deflection to cause damage and a loss of function, IE, binding slides. TLDR version? Extended frame, gas products are built on light frames that are cobbled together to get the job done. They are given a "towing rating" that makes it clear that they are designed to PULL a load, not TOW it. As in four wheel down, compact car following behind, or on a tow dolly, NOT a car and car trailer.

Bottom line when asking for advice on the Subaru, car trailer, and 35' class A gasser? It's real simple, it's not a good idea,period. Which is why you are getting responsible replies like, think about a diesel, (with a massive frame typically built by Freightliner BTW) or find another car that flat tows well.

So, If you had a dollar for every time a knowledgeable person gave you good advice, good for you. If you ignore it, well bless your heart. Hope everything goes as well as you think it will.

soren wrote:

Odd, to be seeking solid advice, then complaining that you don't like what you read, eh?

I didn't complain or say I didn't like anything. I was seeking "solid advice" on how to tow a Subaru Crosstrek, on a trailer with a 35-foot class A motorhome with a gas engine. Not how to flat-tow a car I don't own with a diesel motor I'm not going to buy. But people can keep telling me I should do something that I'm not going to do.

DallasSteve wrote:
I wish I had a dollar for every time some poster told me I should get a diesel motor or a car that I can flat-tow. I wish I had another dollar for every time I thought to myself if money was no object I probably would do that. If I had all those dollars money would probably not be an object for me.

Odd, to be seeking solid advice, then complaining that you don't like what you read, eh? You haven't bought a motorhome yet, so there is no reason that you are forced to buy a gas one. In any price range, the motor is your choice. You can buy an excellent, high quality diesel in a used Newmar, or similar product, for less that a POS new gasser from the mega-manufacturers will cost. Doesn't matter if you are spending $35K or $200k, deciding what powers your motorhome is your choice, and you are only limited by your ability and knowledge as you shop for one. You can also get rid of the Subaru and replace it with something that flat tows, fairly easily. IF you want to plague yourself with an overweight trailer on a gasser that can't really handle the job, that's your choice. There are lots of compelling reasons to avoid doing so, however.

I think there's a "mode of use" issue too.

Is there room to park/store a Trailer 1. At Home, and 2. At Camping Destinations?

Is this frequent or intermittent use like 1. Moving North/South or East/West a time or two a year, or 2. Every week/weekend, or 3. A "tour" with stops every day or so?

Will there be a lot of 1. tight maneuvering, or 2. back-in sites, or 3. pull-through sites?

Correct that Trailer puts tongue weight onto the RV while Flat is about Zero and Dolly is Near Zero. Trailer can also shock load the rear of the RV with a bucking action. Trailer's the easiest on the car.

Hard to pick, if the players were Me and the DW. There's the technical/mechanical aspect, then the mode of use aspect, the personal preference aspect, and of course the financial aspect.