Community Forums

geneowens1 · 12-08-2017, 03:50 AM

Hello, I have a 2017 Forester 2371 - that's on the Transit 350 with powerstroke diesel. I'm very pleased with the unit and have 11K on it with 2 long trips - one to Yellowstone and one to the U. P. of Michigan. My only issue is that I want to install a trailer hitch - wish it had come with one. Wondering if anyone has any idea about towing with one of these or similar on this chassis? Thanks,

CC38EL · 12-08-2017, 06:42 AM

I'm not sure what you plan on towing, but according to the FR website, after your hitch is installed (and you can get one, we have one on our Gemini 23TR which is the same chassis but shorter wheelbase) you will only have capacity to tow around 3000#.

With your longer wheelbase, I would think that you could tow comfortably, but I would worry about my GCWR.

You might be able to tow more weight by staying below your max GVWR, but my experience says you're close to that max now. My wife and I downsized from a fifth wheel, threw out/sold everything, put paper plates, 1 pot, a grill and 3 pair of underwear on our Gemini and still were at almost GVWR.

Just my .02. Others, I'm sure, will have more info.

geneowens1 · 12-09-2017, 09:47 AM

Thanks Jim for responding. Did your RV dealer install your hitch or did your unit come with hitch installed?
I'm not getting much help from FR - they said they don't recommend installing a hitch BUT I camped in August at Devils Tower right beside a couple from FL who had a hitch on their 2391 which is just like mine except with no slide and the layout is different.
I have looked at some "universal" hitches that may fit mine but I doubt I can install one myself and I'll need wiring and brake controller.
I'm planning on towing a 6x12 van trailer with a small golf cart inside - a total weight of less than 2000 pounds. The GCWR for my unit is 13500 and the UVW is supposed to be 8600 but I plan to weigh it so I can get total weight with me and my Rottweiler, food, clothes, full propane, etc and I'll have both axle weights also. The GVWR is 10360. So, if I add tongue weight to actual loaded weight and don't exceed the GVWR then I will be below GCWR for sure. So I have to get out when the snow melts and weigh this baby. I don't want to exceed rear GAWR either and hoping to be well below that one also.

CC38EL · 12-09-2017, 10:21 AM

Our unit came with the hitch installed. Researching the web, there are several hitches for the Transit 350.....but they specifically exclude the Cutaway and Cab and chassis models and those are the models used for our motorhomes.

I, unfortunately, don't have a recommendation for you.

FR and Thor don't recommend hitches on these vehicles because of the low GCWR. And some people think if the hitch is there they can tow anything.

I'm not with the weight police

. But your calculations look very good.

You might try a Uhaul place or anyone that does aftermarket hitches. Best of luck.

PS. My Gemini did NOT come with a brake controller.

geneowens1 · 12-09-2017, 04:58 PM

Jim,
Will you look at your hitch sometime and see if you can give me the manufacturer and possibly a serial/model number? The one you have may fit mine or it may be a place to start? Thanks,

CC38EL · 12-10-2017, 10:30 AM

Here's pics of the hitch. I had to use my other camera on the one picture to get the numbers better. You'll have to reverse engineer those.....

Yikes.....sorry about the upside down stuff. Didn't look like that in the editor.

geneowens1 · 12-11-2017, 03:16 AM

Thanks Jim for the pics - I'll do some googling and see if I can find out more using the numbers off your hitch. It's funny that they put a hitch on your unit but don't recommend using it?? I guess a bike carrier would be OK??
thanks!!

CC38EL · 12-11-2017, 06:16 AM

They (the dealer) don't 'officially' say not to tow. And, technically, if you're not over your GVWR, you could tow something around 3200lbs..........but most small vehicles that can be towed 4 down are all around 3000lbs empty. And after we put what little we did on ours we are within 350lbs of max GVWR.

For me, that's way too close to being overloaded if you figure in the fact that you're likely to underestimate what something weighs and/or don't weigh every time they put something on their rig.

I'm probably just over cautious......and that's ok for me. We didn't plan to tow anyway.

But bike rack? Or hitch carrier? Absolutely. Gotta be careful with our rear slide, but it's doable.

geneowens1 · 12-11-2017, 11:09 AM

Hello Jim and thanks again for the responses. I drove to a cat scale this morning and got real numbers on my unit. It weighs 9300 pounds with me, my 100 pound rottie, clothes [from summer travel], full diesel, full propane filled a week ago, and my few pots/pans/etc. It has no fresh water or food and the holding tanks are empty [which they are usually when I'm on the road and only maybe 10 gallons of fresh water]. I'm pretty pleased with these numbers since I'm 1060 below GVWR and 4200 below GCWR. I have a smaller Transit 250 medium roof that has a hitch and the 3.5 gas engine and it tows anything I want including a heavy 16 foot flatbed trailer and a previous 3100 pound travel trailer. Looks like a hitch on my 2371 will sit a little higher than the hitch on the 250.
Based on these numbers, I'm going to find a hitch installer and get it and a brake controller installed so I can haul my golf cart in the van trailer which will total less than 2000 pounds which should be no problem.
Say, my MPGs on that trip to Yellowstone were 19/20 but I only drive around 65 and sometimes 70 and headwinds kicked it down but tail winds kicked it to 22 a fillup or so.
Thanks again for all your help!!!