# 2011 Outback 312Bh Questions



## briankbax

Hello all. We just bought our first ever TT. We got the 2011 OB 312BH 10th Anniversary Model with Moonligh interior. Got it from Appache Village in St. Louis. Great people; family-owned; good to work with. We pick it up on Thursday May 19. I am a very persnickity shopper and can be a pain to salesmen but I'd say we had a good raport and both sides on the deal were happy. I did get the 5 yr. extended warranty as it is our first TT and didn't want any surprises. The are installing Husky WDH and sway. *They say they use "round bars" becasue they are better. I don't know anything about this. If anyone has any advice it would be appreciated.* I feel, through research that the Keystone OB 312BH is a well-built, sturdy unit that will last a long time. *Any thoughts on that?* Has anyone experienced any big issues or problems that we should ask the dealer about before we pick it up? I know there was a thread about the electric awning being cheap and not able to withstand wind. *Anything on that?* I used to go camping all the time as a kid but in a tent. My wife is from Philly and has never been camping so I figured we should go the route of a TT rather than rough it with a tent. We have 3 kids that would agree as well. We dove into this venture and know that it will pay off with lots more family time. Please feel free to give me as much advice and pointers as you can. Never such a thing as too much information.


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## duggy

Congratulations on the new purchase! You should be able to make lots of great family memories!

When you go to pick up the trailer, leave the kids at home. There will be a ton of info to take in, and you don't need kids distracting you. Plan on spending two to three hours doing the PDI and orientation. There is a great PDI checklist that I'm confident will get posted on your thread. Some have suggested using a Camcorder to help remember how everything works. It's a lot to absorb.

As for the hitch, I don't know what model they're giving you, but make sure it's something better than a friction sway control. That is totally inadequate for a trailer your size.

We've had our Outback for almost a year, and it seems to be well built. We haven't had any warranty problems. I have made a few minor adjustments myself.

The electric awning is great. The only advice I'd give is this; The awnings are advertised as "self dumping". When water pools on the fabric, eventually the weight compresses the springs enough to dump the water. It takes a fairly big puddle to make that happen. I was afraid the fabric would stretch over time, and also it's not too nice to have a load of water dump right in the middle of your camping area. I like to extend the awning, then lock one end with the spring compressed enough to allow any water to shed off that end. Just make sure the door still swings under it. Don't forget to unlock the arm, before retracting the awning!

Have fun, and know that there are lots of great people on this site with ton's of experience to help you through any problems.


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## duggy

briankbax said:


> I know there was a thread about the electric awning being cheap and not able to withstand wind. *Anything on that?*


On the subject of wind, it's always best, with any awning, to retract it if it's too windy. I've read that you should never leave the trailer unattended with the awning extended. Obviously, I've broken that rule too many times to count! Last labor day weekend, I thought I was going to pay for that infraction. It was a gorgeous sunny day when we set up. After getting everything the way we wanted it (including the awning extended), we headed for the beach about a ten minute walk from the trailer. After about an hour, an incredible wind came out of nowhere. It had to be at least 50 miles an hour. The entire beach was a cloud of sand. People were running for cover, and things were blowing everywhere. The big steel drum garbage cans were rolling across the beach. It was amazing. We headed for the trailer, and I was sure I was going to find the awning wrapped over the roof. It was unharmed, although the neighbor (who had closed their own awning) said ours had been springing up and down pretty good during the worst of the wind. I wonder if the ability to spring had saved the awning from ripping? I closed the awning and left it that way, as the winds sustained at around 30 miles an hour for the next day.


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## Oregon_Camper

Congrats on the pending purchase. You will LOVE that Outback.

Click on this link to download/print the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) doc from my web page. Plan on spending at least 4 hours doing this...do not skip stuff to save time. I would HIGHLY recommend leaving the kids with someone overnight.	Ask the dealer if you can spend the night in the trailer (on their lot) the first night. This will allow you to use/test everything without someone watching over your shoulder. Take showers in the morning...use all the sinks/stoves/etc...	This will be a great way to find stuff now, before you get hundreds of miles away at a campground.

I don't know anything about the Husky hitch. I've had two Equalizer hitches and think the world of them and wouldn't buy anything else.

What are you towing this trailer with?


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## briankbax

Thank you all for your replies. I will be towing it with a 2004 4WD Suburban 1500. I am a little concerned over the weight thing but the salesman assured me that I can tow it with my truck. I hope he is right. My wife and I won't have the luxury of spending the night in the trailer as I am in the military and she is busy with the kids. I really appreciate everything everyone has had to offer thus far. If there is anything else you think of please let me know. I am a newbie and can use all the advice.


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## Oregon_Camper

briankbax said:


> Thank you all for your replies. I will be towing it with a 2004 4WD Suburban 1500. I am a little concerned over the weight thing but the salesman assured me that I can tow it with my truck. I hope he is right. My wife and I won't have the luxury of spending the night in the trailer as I am in the military and she is busy with the kids. I really appreciate everything everyone has had to offer thus far. If there is anything else you think of please let me know. I am a newbie and can use all the advice.


First off...that is one very nice Outback and I am positive your family would enjoy it for YEARS to come. However, I don't think you're going to like my comments, as I will tell you that truck is not safe with that trailer&#8230;IMHO of course.

The stated info on that Outback is:

Dry Weight 7,585 pounds

Now, of course Keystone wants to make this number as small as possible, so a LOT of items are not included and are listed at "options". Yet all this "options" come standard on every Outback. (makes you say "UH?")

All this stuff (like awning, full propane tanks, stove, AC unit, battery, etc..) will quickly add another 500lbs to the real weight of Outback.

That model also has a 43 gallon water holding tank. I prefer to fill my tank at home so I have MY water...not some unknown water from who knows where. Going with a round number of 8lbs per gallon of water, you have the potential to add another 344lbs in water alone.

Adding the water and the "optional" items to the weight of the Outback and you're now close to 8,429lbs. Using the 80% rule, you are now way over your "safe" towing limit (7,585 x 80% = 6,068lbs) and we haven't even added any personal items, clothes, camping equipment or food/drinks.

As an example, my prior 2004 28RSS had a factory listed weight of 5,270. When I bought my F350, I had the Outback weight tested while adjusting the hitch....it was at 7,300.......2,000lbs over the listed weight. Point is...DONT trust the listed weight. Get it checked!! If you can find a scale (a lot of times along freeways...go on weekend) to get the real weight of the trailer it would be very helpful.

If you can find a scale (a lot of times along freeways...go on weekend) to get the real weight of the trailer it would be very helpful. TELL the dealer (don't ask) that you want to test drive the trailer and then take it to a local scale. You might have to borrow a truck that already has a hitching system installed. Then unhook the trailer on the scales and get the weight and do some quick math to determine your real towing ability.

Someone on this forum once said you can actually "tow" an Outback with an riding lawn mower...it is about stopping and controlling the trailer during unforeseen events that really test the limit of your tow vehicle.

Nobody wants another truck payment, but it only takes one small thing to set the trailer in motion at 60-65mph and without the right truck things can turn bad in an instant.

We simply want you and your family to be safe and get to/from the campground with no problems.


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## joeymac

Oregon_Camper said:


> Thank you all for your replies. I will be towing it with a 2004 4WD Suburban 1500. I am a little concerned over the weight thing but the salesman assured me that I can tow it with my truck. I hope he is right. My wife and I won't have the luxury of spending the night in the trailer as I am in the military and she is busy with the kids. I really appreciate everything everyone has had to offer thus far. If there is anything else you think of please let me know. I am a newbie and can use all the advice.


First off...that is one very nice Outback and I am positive your family would enjoy it for YEARS to come. However, I don't think you're going to like my comments, as I will tell you that truck is not safe with that trailer&#8230;IMHO of course.

The stated info on that Outback is:

Dry Weight 7,585 pounds

Now, of course Keystone wants to make this number as small as possible, so a LOT of items are not included and are listed at "options". Yet all this "options" come standard on every Outback. (makes you say "UH?")

All this stuff (like awning, full propane tanks, stove, AC unit, battery, etc..) will quickly add another 500lbs to the real weight of Outback.

That model also has a 43 gallon water holding tank. I prefer to fill my tank at home so I have MY water...not some unknown water from who knows where. Going with a round number of 8lbs per gallon of water, you have the potential to add another 344lbs in water alone.

Adding the water and the "optional" items to the weight of the Outback and you're now close to 8,429lbs. Using the 80% rule, you are now way over your "safe" towing limit (7,585 x 80% = 6,068lbs) and we haven't even added any personal items, clothes, camping equipment or food/drinks.

As an example, my prior 2004 28RSS had a factory listed weight of 5,270. When I bought my F350, I had the Outback weight tested while adjusting the hitch....it was at 7,300.......2,000lbs over the listed weight. Point is...DONT trust the listed weight. Get it checked!! If you can find a scale (a lot of times along freeways...go on weekend) to get the real weight of the trailer it would be very helpful.

If you can find a scale (a lot of times along freeways...go on weekend) to get the real weight of the trailer it would be very helpful. TELL the dealer (don't ask) that you want to test drive the trailer and then take it to a local scale. You might have to borrow a truck that already has a hitching system installed. Then unhook the trailer on the scales and get the weight and do some quick math to determine your real towing ability.

Someone on this forum once said you can actually "tow" an Outback with an riding lawn mower...it is about stopping and controlling the trailer during unforeseen events that really test the limit of your tow vehicle.

Nobody wants another truck payment, but it only takes one small thing to set the trailer in motion at 60-65mph and without the right truck things can turn bad in an instant.

We simply want you and your family to be safe and get to/from the campground with no problems.

[/quote]

X2 on what Oregon Camper said. I have the same camper. Used an 2005 F-150 for the first year. 
The truck did "OK" when there was no wind or big rigs, but in moderate winds or when a big rig passed me, it made for some very scary driving. I am certain that the F-150 has more towing capacity than a Suburban 1/2 ton, not to mention, did you check and see what the tongue weight capacity is on the Suburban ? 
Anyway, long story short, traded the truck in for a 3/4 ton Suburban, and now have "piece of mind" that I am not overweight and have the ability to stop in an emergency. 
Just my two cents.


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## brownsr4

X3, Ran into the same type of sales guy when I bought my 312, said I could tow it with my 07 Seqouia, what a joke.

As mentioned above it will pull it but not very well.

If you have the means look into your truck in a 2500 version.

Lot's of people are towing similar rigs with 1/2 ton trucks and almost everyone of them is very fimilar with white knuckle's on the steering wheel.


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## LaydBack

briankbax said:


> Hello all. We just bought our first ever TT. We got the 2011 OB 312BH 10th Anniversary Model with Moonligh interior. Got it from Appache Village in St. Louis. Great people; family-owned; good to work with. We pick it up on Thursday May 19. I am a very persnickity shopper and can be a pain to salesmen but I'd say we had a good raport and both sides on the deal were happy. I did get the 5 yr. extended warranty as it is our first TT and didn't want any surprises. The are installing Husky WDH and sway. *They say they use "round bars" becasue they are better. I don't know anything about this. If anyone has any advice it would be appreciated.* I feel, through research that the Keystone OB 312BH is a well-built, sturdy unit that will last a long time. *Any thoughts on that?* Has anyone experienced any big issues or problems that we should ask the dealer about before we pick it up? I know there was a thread about the electric awning being cheap and not able to withstand wind. *Anything on that?* I used to go camping all the time as a kid but in a tent. My wife is from Philly and has never been camping so I figured we should go the route of a TT rather than rough it with a tent. We have 3 kids that would agree as well. We dove into this venture and know that it will pay off with lots more family time. Please feel free to give me as much advice and pointers as you can. Never such a thing as too much information.


Congratulations. Bought exact same trailer from there in February. In fact, mine is there now for some service. It should be there when you pick yours up, and you can let Marty (salesman) or Fred (service) know it's okay for you to take a look at it to see some of the mods I've done. Just tell'em Steve said let you check it out. I did not go with the Husky Centerline because I wasn't sure if they had worked out their issues with the ceramic discs. I had them order me in a Reese Strait Line, there's more stuff listed in my sig, that I had added and that I added myself. Right now mine is in for the outside kitchen door (strut bracket issues, and 2 of the screw heads popped off at the top that hold the door), there's a leak in the fresh water tank (think they ran a screw in it at factory), they're supposed to check the air flow for the furnace and AC, and a few other minor things. I picked it up on a Friday evening and it was already winterized, so I took the chance on the water. I don't think I would've caught it then because I think it took a while to leak here at home. This is the first time I've had to deal with them for service, but so far they seem eager to please. Fred said he was going for Keystone to provide a new tank vs. a repair. They are also going to adjust my hitch. When we took delivery, they set it a little high, so now that we have it loaded, I told them to level it out while it's there. Doube check the gas line for the grill, they gave me an extension hose that also has a valve on it. If I can be of any help, PM me, I live about 10 minutes from Apache. I probably won't be available Thursday evening, but at least you know there's 1 other OBer in the area. Oh yeah, the salesman told me I could tow it with the 05 Silverado 1500 crew cab I had........WRONG. I'm glad I never tried that!!!


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## Oregon_Camper

brownsr4 said:


> X3, Ran into the same type of sales guy when I bought my 312, said I could tow it with my 07 Seqouia, what a joke.


The 07 Sequoia has a maximum towing capacity of 6,500 pounds (6,200 on 4x4 models)....far below the listed 7,585lbs of that model.

Would be fun to ask the sales guy to provide a document from the dealership stating your Sequoia was capable (meaning dealership was now responsible if accident occurs and fault is determined to be the Sequoia not rated to tow that much) for towing that Outback.....then watch him wiggle in his chair as he tries to back-pedal out of that.


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## kmonty1

I got the same TT about a month ago. Going on first trip this weekend.

Sorry to say, you will not like towing this trailer with that small of truck. I have a 2011 F250 and I think it handles it well. There is no way I would tow a 312BH with anything smaller then a 250/2500 truck of SUV.
A pickup would be your best bet because the trailer is very long and the extra length of a pickups wheelbase is a plus. Now I do understand that money is a factor on what you tow with, I just bought one new and they are not cheap, but well worth the money. The dealer will tell you anything will tow that trailer if you are going to buy it. Just be careful and be safe.

I think you made a great decision on the trailer and sure you will like it for years to come. This is my first one to and we did a lot of research before we bought. But we made sure we had a vehicle that would tow it easily and safely first before we bought ours.

Happy Camping.


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## briankbax

kmonty1 said:


> I got the same TT about a month ago. Going on first trip this weekend.
> 
> Sorry to say, you will not like towing this trailer with that small of truck. I have a 2011 F250 and I think it handles it well. There is no way I would tow a 312BH with anything smaller then a 250/2500 truck of SUV.
> A pickup would be your best bet because the trailer is very long and the extra length of a pickups wheelbase is a plus. Now I do understand that money is a factor on what you tow with, I just bought one new and they are not cheap, but well worth the money. The dealer will tell you anything will tow that trailer if you are going to buy it. Just be careful and be safe.
> 
> I think you made a great decision on the trailer and sure you will like it for years to come. This is my first one to and we did a lot of research before we bought. But we made sure we had a vehicle that would tow it easily and safely first before we bought ours.
> 
> Happy Camping.


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## briankbax

srwsr said:


> Hello all. We just bought our first ever TT. We got the 2011 OB 312BH 10th Anniversary Model with Moonligh interior. Got it from Appache Village in St. Louis. Great people; family-owned; good to work with. We pick it up on Thursday May 19. I am a very persnickity shopper and can be a pain to salesmen but I'd say we had a good raport and both sides on the deal were happy. I did get the 5 yr. extended warranty as it is our first TT and didn't want any surprises. The are installing Husky WDH and sway. *They say they use "round bars" becasue they are better. I don't know anything about this. If anyone has any advice it would be appreciated.* I feel, through research that the Keystone OB 312BH is a well-built, sturdy unit that will last a long time. *Any thoughts on that?* Has anyone experienced any big issues or problems that we should ask the dealer about before we pick it up? I know there was a thread about the electric awning being cheap and not able to withstand wind. *Anything on that?* I used to go camping all the time as a kid but in a tent. My wife is from Philly and has never been camping so I figured we should go the route of a TT rather than rough it with a tent. We have 3 kids that would agree as well. We dove into this venture and know that it will pay off with lots more family time. Please feel free to give me as much advice and pointers as you can. Never such a thing as too much information.


Congratulations. Bought exact same trailer from there in February. In fact, mine is there now for some service. It should be there when you pick yours up, and you can let Marty (salesman) or Fred (service) know it's okay for you to take a look at it to see some of the mods I've done. Just tell'em Steve said let you check it out. I did not go with the Husky Centerline because I wasn't sure if they had worked out their issues with the ceramic discs. I had them order me in a Reese Strait Line, there's more stuff listed in my sig, that I had added and that I added myself. Right now mine is in for the outside kitchen door (strut bracket issues, and 2 of the screw heads popped off at the top that hold the door), there's a leak in the fresh water tank (think they ran a screw in it at factory), they're supposed to check the air flow for the furnace and AC, and a few other minor things. I picked it up on a Friday evening and it was already winterized, so I took the chance on the water. I don't think I would've caught it then because I think it took a while to leak here at home. This is the first time I've had to deal with them for service, but so far they seem eager to please. Fred said he was going for Keystone to provide a new tank vs. a repair. They are also going to adjust my hitch. When we took delivery, they set it a little high, so now that we have it loaded, I told them to level it out while it's there. Doube check the gas line for the grill, they gave me an extension hose that also has a valve on it. If I can be of any help, PM me, I live about 10 minutes from Apache. I probably won't be available Thursday evening, but at least you know there's 1 other OBer in the area. Oh yeah, the salesman told me I could tow it with the 05 Silverado 1500 crew cab I had........WRONG. I'm glad I never tried that!!!
[/quote]

We did tow it to Carlyle for storage so we won't have to tow it back and forth from home. It did seem a little squirmy on the road. Not sure the Husky friction sway bars were working all that well. I am disappointed to hear from so many folks that my Suburban is not adequate to tow the Outback as the salesman Steve told me it would. He assured me that I was perfectly safe towing it with my truck. I am concerned now to see so many people with the same consensus. Should I bring this up to the dealer? Is this grounds for returning it? Steve said that Apache Village would never ever put anyone out on the street without the proper ability to tow a trailer.


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## Oregon_Camper

briankbax said:


> We did tow it to Carlyle for storage so we won't have to tow it back and forth from home. It did seem a little squirmy on the road. Not sure the Husky friction sway bars were working all that well. I am disappointed to hear from so many folks that my Suburban is not adequate to tow the Outback as the salesman Steve told me it would. He assured me that I was perfectly safe towing it with my truck. I am concerned now to see so many people with the same consensus. Should I bring this up to the dealer? Is this grounds for returning it? Steve said that Apache Village would never ever put anyone out on the street without the proper ability to tow a trailer.


Read my post (#6) and follow my suggestion of getting your Outback weights from a trucking scale....then post them here. Fill up the trailer as if you were going for a week of camping or simply add ~300 for food/drink/stuff and then add the water weight (43x8lbs)

Now...open your driver door and tell us the rated towing limits on your Suburban.

You will then have all the information to take back to "Steve" and tell him he was wrong and your family and everyone else on the roads you drive are at risk.


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## briankbax

Oregon_Camper said:


> We did tow it to Carlyle for storage so we won't have to tow it back and forth from home. It did seem a little squirmy on the road. Not sure the Husky friction sway bars were working all that well. I am disappointed to hear from so many folks that my Suburban is not adequate to tow the Outback as the salesman Steve told me it would. He assured me that I was perfectly safe towing it with my truck. I am concerned now to see so many people with the same consensus. Should I bring this up to the dealer? Is this grounds for returning it? Steve said that Apache Village would never ever put anyone out on the street without the proper ability to tow a trailer.


Read my post (#6) and follow my suggestion of getting your Outback weights from a trucking scale....then post them here. Fill up the trailer as if you were going for a week of camping or simply add ~300 for food/drink/stuff and then add the water weight (43x8lbs)

Now...open your driver door and tell us the rated towing limits on your Suburban.

You will then have all the information to take back to "Steve" and tell him he was wrong and your family and everyone else on the roads you drive are at risk.
[/quote]

I get what you are saying and I really do appreciate your help and advice but is there actually anything I can do? Is the dealer liable for the situation they put me in? I am sorry for all the questions but I don't know what to do and we can't afford to get a different truck.


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## Oregon_Camper

briankbax said:


> I get what you are saying and I really do appreciate your help and advice but is there actually anything I can do? Is the dealer liable for the situation they put me in? I am sorry for all the questions but I don't know what to do and we can't afford to get a different truck.


By no means I'm I qualified to give you legal advise...however, do you have anything from "Steve" stating your TV was within the stated weight limits? If so , you might have an out.

Used trucks are not that expensive right now. Maybe just something from the 90's to get you by and safely down the road.

...you never told us what your driver side door sticker says your Suburban is rated for.....please tell us.


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## briankbax

Oregon_Camper said:


> I get what you are saying and I really do appreciate your help and advice but is there actually anything I can do? Is the dealer liable for the situation they put me in? I am sorry for all the questions but I don't know what to do and we can't afford to get a different truck.


By no means I'm I qualified to give you legal advise...however, do you have anything from "Steve" stating your TV was within the stated weight limits? If so , you might have an out.

Used trucks are not that expensive right now. Maybe just something from the 90's to get you by and safely down the road.

...you never told us what your driver side door sticker says your Suburban is rated for.....please tell us.
[/quote]

No. And I think he will just turn the tables on me or claim that he never said it. Although my wife and kids heard him tell us how fine we are in our current truck. I am just a little concerned and would like to know if other folks have ever experienced this same type of thing and what they did about it if anything. Do you happen to know the average shelf width in the outback 312? Out TT is at the lake in storage and we want to get the same type of pressure rods you used in your shelves. Also, have you ever heard of anyone getting a tankless water heater?


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## Jewellfamily

I just got back from the maiden voyage of our 312BH today for the Memorial Day holiday. Had a blast. I'll try to touch on a few things for your trailer that I've seen so far.

1. Get a 3" memory foam topper for your queen matress and the bunks. They say the queen mattress is an "innerspring mattress" but if it is, they're truck springs. Its great with the foam topper though.

2. Get 4 of the fridge extending "hold everything in" bars for the extra fridge in the back. If you load it up, you cant open the door once you get there without everything trying to fall out on you.

3. Make sure you have a "long" sewer hose or an extra 10' piece for an extension. There are 2 ports and I couldn't reach the front grey tank. Fortunately a buddy of mine was close by and let me borrow his for 15 minutes and only charged me 2 beers while he watched.

4. Your barbeque hose is probably too short. Hook up the barbeque on the mount completely and try it out.

5. Check that all of the heater vents blow adequate air. There have been a few people on the forum with torn flex ducting and low airflow to the front bedroom and bunk house.

6. I'll stay away from the tow vehicle discussion for the most part, but you're light in that department. I have a 2008 silverado 1/2 ton, but have the heavier set up (big motor, heavy trans, 4 wheel disc, basically everything on the NHT trailering package except suspension, so I added air bags). It did great, but its a lot of trailer for any 1/2 ton rig. Like you have seen in the previous posts, your rig will pull it, but its not fun when your rig is too light for your load. There are things you can do (airbags, gear changes, various upgrades) but they are postponing the inevitable...

7. It was windy this trip and I definetly do not have enough hitch. I have a 1000 lb Reese with a friction sway control. I will be looking into a new hitch this week (probably Equal-i-zer or Blue Ox, maybe the Reese straight line). The friction sway control is absolutely not enough sway control for this trailer.

The 312bh is a great unit, you'll really enjoy it...


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## loosethehounds

Oregon_Camper said:


> Thank you all for your replies. I will be towing it with a 2004 4WD Suburban 1500. I am a little concerned over the weight thing but the salesman assured me that I can tow it with my truck. I hope he is right. My wife and I won't have the luxury of spending the night in the trailer as I am in the military and she is busy with the kids. I really appreciate everything everyone has had to offer thus far. If there is anything else you think of please let me know. I am a newbie and can use all the advice.


First off...that is one very nice Outback and I am positive your family would enjoy it for YEARS to come. However, I don't think you're going to like my comments, as I will tell you that truck is not safe with that trailer&#8230;IMHO of course.

The stated info on that Outback is:

Dry Weight 7,585 pounds

Now, of course Keystone wants to make this number as small as possible, so a LOT of items are not included and are listed at "options". Yet all this "options" come standard on every Outback. (makes you say "UH?")

All this stuff (like awning, full propane tanks, stove, AC unit, battery, etc..) will quickly add another 500lbs to the real weight of Outback.

That model also has a 43 gallon water holding tank. I prefer to fill my tank at home so I have MY water...not some unknown water from who knows where. Going with a round number of 8lbs per gallon of water, you have the potential to add another 344lbs in water alone.

Adding the water and the "optional" items to the weight of the Outback and you're now close to 8,429lbs. Using the 80% rule, you are now way over your "safe" towing limit (7,585 x 80% = 6,068lbs) and we haven't even added any personal items, clothes, camping equipment or food/drinks.

As an example, my prior 2004 28RSS had a factory listed weight of 5,270. When I bought my F350, I had the Outback weight tested while adjusting the hitch....it was at 7,300.......2,000lbs over the listed weight. Point is...DONT trust the listed weight. Get it checked!! If you can find a scale (a lot of times along freeways...go on weekend) to get the real weight of the trailer it would be very helpful.

If you can find a scale (a lot of times along freeways...go on weekend) to get the real weight of the trailer it would be very helpful. TELL the dealer (don't ask) that you want to test drive the trailer and then take it to a local scale. You might have to borrow a truck that already has a hitching system installed. Then unhook the trailer on the scales and get the weight and do some quick math to determine your real towing ability.

Someone on this forum once said you can actually "tow" an Outback with an riding lawn mower...it is about stopping and controlling the trailer during unforeseen events that really test the limit of your tow vehicle.

Nobody wants another truck payment, but it only takes one small thing to set the trailer in motion at 60-65mph and without the right truck things can turn bad in an instant.

We simply want you and your family to be safe and get to/from the campground with no problems.
[/quote]
I have the new 2013 f150, and a 2010 312bh, I tow with 12500 equilizer, and, have towed with reese, 10K wdh. If one has little experience towing, I do not recommend it. I know the numbers say it will do the job. I find the combination to be equal to a flag in the wind. It is a true fair weather friend, In the best conditions it is tollerable, with less than the equilizer it is dangerious: in adverse conditions it is just plain unsafe. My truck has a case # with Ford, and, is being considered for buyback. I drove the combination from NY to Fl, and, flew my family home, because it is just plain too dangerious.


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## Kevin K

I have the 312BH and tow it with a Chevy 3/4 ton diesel. My first experience towing this monster was on a windy day driving some curvy Ozark two lane. Scary! When I got back I adjusted the Equalizer sway control and it made the world of difference. Tows like a champ now. Don't go cheap on the sway control.

I would say assuming the Burb's tow capacity is not exceeded, and you have some experience towing - you should be fine. I wouldn't load up the water tanks and fill the thing with 100's of pounds of stuff and drive 80mph in the fast lane - be smart about it. Start budgeting for a new truck next year. It will be worth it. Enjoy your new toy. It should provide great family time!

Most of the other comments I would echo - Short gas line, cheap gas struts on the outdoor kitchen door - but a great travel trailer overall.


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