# Towing Question About 2005 23Rs



## New Outbacker Nate (Mar 16, 2012)

I own a 2005 Chevy Suburban with the Z82 towing package. I am about to buy a 2005 Outback 23RS. 
Can anyone help me with some information on what I need to purchase in order to tow the trailer? 
This is the first travel trailer I have owned, so sorry if this is an elementary question. 
I guess I will need some sort of a weight distribution hitch and a brake controller????

Thanks....,
Travel Trailer Newbee


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## rsm7 (Aug 8, 2009)

New Outbacker Nate said:


> I own a 2005 Chevy Suburban with the Z82 towing package. I am about to buy a 2005 Outback 23RS.
> Can anyone help me with some information on what I need to purchase in order to tow the trailer?
> This is the first travel trailer I have owned, so sorry if this is an elementary question.
> I guess I will need some sort of a weight distribution hitch and a brake controller????
> ...


Welcome to the site!

While there are several options, just to keep it simple you cannot go wrong with an Equalize or Reese dual cam brand hitch and a Prodigy brake controller. If you google these items you will get some good pricing. The dealer tends to charge alot more after the sale to unsuspecting customers who havent done their research. The good part about buying from the dealer is he will install them both. But if you know what you want ahead of time and know the pricing you should be able to work with him on something fair. Have you made your purchase yet? What part of the country? There's a ton of Outback knowledge here and info on dealers. Just ask us! Many members here have traveled hundreds of miles to buy from Holman's in Cincinatti or Lakeshore in Mi. They saved thousands and got first class treatment.


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## New Outbacker Nate (Mar 16, 2012)

rsm7 said:


> I own a 2005 Chevy Suburban with the Z82 towing package. I am about to buy a 2005 Outback 23RS.
> Can anyone help me with some information on what I need to purchase in order to tow the trailer?
> This is the first travel trailer I have owned, so sorry if this is an elementary question.
> I guess I will need some sort of a weight distribution hitch and a brake controller????
> ...


Welcome to the site!

While there are several options, just to keep it simple you cannot go wrong with an Equalize or Reese dual cam brand hitch and a Prodigy brake controller. If you google these items you will get some good pricing. The dealer tends to charge alot more after the sale to unsuspecting customers who havent done their research. The good part about buying from the dealer is he will install them both. But if you know what you want ahead of time and know the pricing you should be able to work with him on something fair. Have you made your purchase yet? What part of the country? There's a ton of Outback knowledge here and info on dealers. Just ask us! Many members here have traveled hundreds of miles to buy from Holman's in Cincinatti or Lakeshore in Mi. They saved thousands and got first class treatment.
[/quote]

Thanks for the feedback. I hope to purchase the 23RS tomorrow in York, Pa at Vernon Campers Sales.


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

Welcome to the site. I'm sure you will find answers to all your questions.

My comment: since you are a newbie, buying a used Travel Trailer (TT) may be interesting. While most of us have owned cars/SUVs etc for years, the first TT purchase can be really daunting.

For openers, I recommend that you print out the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) document from Oregon_camper. It is a real gem and when used as a checklist will help you cover everything. It can be found on this site.

While it is intended for use with a dealer when you pick up a new TT, it should work with a used one to help you spot trouble. Once you pay for that used TT, the problems are yours.

Next: new TT's from Holman Motors and Lakeshore are really VERY competitively priced. Often people have discovered that a new TT is about the same cost as a used one that is a private sale and 2 - 4 years old. You might want to check that out. After all, if you can get a new TT (with the warranty, etc., etc.) for close to a used TT price, why not? I will say that since you are thinking of buying a 7 year old model, you probably will find a new 2012 model is too pricy. But check it out just for the heck of it.

And for the Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) and a brake controller, rsm7 above is right on the money. I have a Prodigy (I'net shopping!) and the hitch was supplied and installed by my dealer (Holman Motors in Cincinnati).

If you buy a hitch, you will have to install it yourself and for a newbie, it's quite do-able as long as you read the instructions carefully and take your time to do it right. And you can ask questions here--the odds are near certainty that many folks on the site have installed the exact same model WDH that you will buy.

Finally, remember that there are no dumb questions. Feel free to ask anything you want, but try to keep the questions relevant to the overall Forum where you are asking it. (Don't ask towing questions on the For Sale Forum, etc.







)

Good luck and keep in touch!


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