"IWouldAddai4U" (brian-lamar-horne)
06/25/2019 at 17:08 • Filed to: None
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"IWouldAddai4U" (brian-lamar-horne)
06/25/2019 at 17:08 • Filed to: None | 0
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My wife and I were seemingly gifted a Scamp camper from a relative (I say seemingly because her folks have taken a shining to it so it appears it more of a sharing situation at the moment) but our Outback, best as I can tell, isn’t suited to the job of towing particularly well, given its relatively small tow numbers and paltry tongue weight limit.So the dilemma is this:
Do we say thanks but no thanks to the trailer and buy a rooftop tent to get a similar experience? Or do we spend a few grand on a cheap tow vehicle that’ll only get used when we’re pulling the Scamp and potentially to haul me to the golf course occasionally?
If we do with the second car, what are some really, really affordable options? I’m talking preferably at or under $ 3k. I’ve been looking at Explorers and Xterras, but my only real must have is that it has to have space to put a car seat in for our kid and needs to be reasonably reliable in its presumably older age. Any thoughts?
facw
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 17:19 |
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I have no thoughts, except Pie used this as the image for last night’s B acktalk open thread, and I think people here need to so see it:
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
shop-teacher
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 17:22 |
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GMT-800 SUVs in good shape can be found in that price range. Do you live where it rusts? If so, watch the rocker panels and check if the brake lines have been replaced.
HammerheadFistpunch
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 17:27 |
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Scamps are pretty light. Is your outback a CVT?
user314
> facw
06/25/2019 at 17:30 |
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DutchieDC2R
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 17:32 |
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Why is this not called a Scamper?
RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 17:36 |
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To back up for a moment, how suitable is the Outback for a roof tent of sufficient capacity for you, your wife, and the kid? I don’t know it comes out of that analysis any less capable than towing the Scamp. Is it worse to put 350+lb on the roof of the car or to tow something a little marginal on weight limits? My take is that you can go ahead and tow a tiny camper, but think about upgrading in future *regardless* whether you prefer roof tents or tiny campers - since this tiny camper is in a sense a loaner anyway.
vicali
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 17:52 |
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Size of the trailer?
I wouldn’t want to tow anything with a subaru, sure you probably could, but you would be a lot more comfortable towing with something that has a real hitch, and maybe even a brake controller..
R50 Pathfinder can tow 4500-5000lbs. Plus you get a cheap, tough, and fun 4x4 for overlanding..
wh o dat?
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IWouldAddai4U
> HammerheadFistpunch
06/25/2019 at 18:37 |
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Unfortunately so. Pulling a Scamp up I-70 probably isn’t going to work.
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IWouldAddai4U
> vicali
06/25/2019 at 18:39 |
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Should have clarified. 13’ Scamp. We’re in Denver and our Outback is a CVT. I’ve heard horror stories and don’t want to subject our DD to potential catastrophe.
I know people can and do tow with the OB, but I just don’t trust it up and down the Rockies.
nermal
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 18:39 |
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You’re gonna need a new diesel truck for that. Just go get the 350 / 3500 dually of your choice with a 96 month loan . While you’re at it, get a new camper more befitting your new truck, with a 240 month loan.
You can totally afford the payments!
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IWouldAddai4U
> RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
06/25/2019 at 18:40 |
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I like this, but I guess I should have mentioned that our Outback has the CVT and we live in Denver, so we’d primarily be towing up, down, and through the Rockies. Plus we’d have to enter the Phoenix area via Flagstaff and that descent into the valley is no bueno without a trailer brake.
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vicali
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 18:47 |
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I would get something else to tow it with.. but it’s your call.
We’re in the Rockies in BC, I don’t fool around with towing at all
;
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IWouldAddai4U
> vicali
06/25/2019 at 18:59 |
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Yeah I’m convinced that this is the right call. I just don’t know if we want to spend much on a tow vehicle if we’re only using it very much part-time.
I’d love to just pick up a new truck, but we just paid of the Outback and are working on my student loans right now (really aggressively), so no more debt is in our future, which I know is the right thing to do here. Cash or bust for this car, if it’s in the cards.
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IWouldAddai4U
> vicali
06/25/2019 at 18:59 |
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Yeah I’m convinced that this is the right call. I just don’t know if we want to spend much on a tow vehicle if we’re only using it very much part-time.
I’d love to just pick up a new truck, but we just paid of the Outback and are working on my student loans right now (really aggressively), so no more debt is in our future, which I know is the right thing to do here. Cash or bust for this car, if it’s in the cards.
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vicali
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 19:01 |
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I can understand that, we busted our butts paying this
Tacoma off after the last one died on us.. just finished last month after a year and a half.
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IWouldAddai4U
> vicali
06/25/2019 at 19:10 |
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We did the same with our Outback. Finished payments 2.5 years ahead of schedule. We feel very fortunate to be able to have pulled that off. Congrats on knocking yours out so quickly!
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vicali
> nermal
06/25/2019 at 19:16 |
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31ft is the new 21ft..
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HammerheadFistpunch
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 19:35 |
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they say if you have the cvt and you plan on working it hard you should keep the trailer weight to 1350. this actually what the user manual says (pulling up a hill for more than 5 minutes if it’s ho
t out)
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IWouldAddai4U
> HammerheadFistpunch
06/25/2019 at 22:24 |
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Yeah, that effectively rules it out. Especially considering getting to the Eisenhower Tunnel takes an hour uphill.
I’m shopping a lot of Xterras (always had a soft spot for ‘em).
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HammerheadFistpunch
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 23:27 |
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If you need beta on roof top tents...I know a guy
https://overland.kinja.com/roof-top-tents-1835708127
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IWouldAddai4U
> HammerheadFistpunch
06/25/2019 at 23:41 |
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Love it. I really want the Skycamp (1.0 or 2.0) but they’re almost as much as a tow vehicle and I’d still need to bring along stuff to cook with. The Scamp solves a bit of that, but I do love the idea of just driving the Outback with nothing in tow.
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HammerheadFistpunch
> IWouldAddai4U
06/25/2019 at 23:55 |
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Yeah, those are too rich for my blood. I want an autohome varia nt personally. but still too pricey. My solution is working for me now. Camp trailer (popup) for family trips. In car for solo. For off-road family trips i choose canvas tent.
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IWouldAddai4U
> HammerheadFistpunch
06/26/2019 at 00:26 |
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I think that’s probably what we’re looking at too. Six person tent for standard camps, the Scamp (when we sort out the vehicle situation) for family trips, and car camping or a bivy sack if it’s just me. I do love the idea of a more capable off-roader though, as I’m missing my YJ pretty hard these days. Someone in another thread on Xterras mentioned the Liberty as a viable option as well. Plastic fantastic everywhere, but the Nissan’s got that too.
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IWouldAddai4U
> HammerheadFistpunch
06/26/2019 at 00:28 |
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The Autohomes are just as much! Lovely product though. I’ll try to keep you updated on what we end up choosing.
I appreciate the feedback!