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Turbo a problem for towing??

4654 Views 12 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  soobcrazy
I was camping recently, and talked with a couple that had an A-liner trailer pulled with an outback. 2009 I think. I bemoaned feeling limited by the 1500 pound rating on my '16 ForesterXt, and he said the problem is the turbo! I have heard multiple arguments about towing close to/ above the US tow limit, but none included the turbo being a factor!
If I want to tow a 17-1800 lb pop up trailer 300 miles, am I going to blow up the engine due to the turbo? What if I add engine cooling & the other recommended goodies?
Thanks
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Towing requires torque, the more the merrier. Turbochargers depending on the design either produces lots of torque or lots of horsepower. But I would agree with the individual's assessment of the turbo is why you have such a low tow rating. The other reason is you are driving with a CVT transmission vs AT or MT, so there are also possible limitations there as well. Plus you have a smaller engine being a 2.0L vs the Outback which has either the 2.5L or 3.0L engine.
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