Installing Brakes On A Trailer Towed By 2004 Subaru Forester

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Question:

Hi! I have a general question. I have been pining away for a pop-up trailer for almost two decades. I am getting ready to purchase one and have realized that I need to have brakes on the trailer because I have an 04 subaru forester four cylinder. Im just starting down the blog post rabbit hole and found your site referenced in many locations. I know I need to watch my weight limits with such a small vehicle but my questions are this: 1. What should i budget for adding a brake system to a pop-up trailer? 2. Is a transmission cooler needed for such a small vehicle? 3. Does this seem dangerous or potentially damaging to my little subaru beauty? Thanks for your input!

asked by: Halli

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Expert Reply:

I researched the owner's manual for your 2004 Forester and found the chart for towing a trailer. If you have a manual transmission you can tow a trailer with no brakes that weighs 1000-lbs or less. If the trailer has brakes you can tow up to 2400-lbs.

If you have an automatic transmission you are limited to 1000-lbs if the trailer has no brakes and 2000-lbs if the trailer has brakes.

It may be more cost-effective to find a trailer that already has brakes installed. Adding brakes to a trailer can be pretty costly depending on how the trailer is set up. First, the axle has to have a brake mounting flange. This is welded in place and should be done by a professional because it has to be precise and concentric.

You then need brake assemblies, hubs and drums, wiring for the brakes, a breakaway kit, and you have to install a brake controller in the vehicle. As far as the cost of everything it depends on what size axle you have on the trailer and what is already installed on it.

If you find a small trailer with brakes already installed it makes the task much easier as you will just need to install a brake controller and wiring.

For your Forester I recommend the Prodigy P2, part # 90885. This is our most popular because it is easy to install and operate. If you do not have trailer wiring you will first need to install a 4-way trailer harness like part # 118461. This just plugs into the connection point in the rear cargo area behind the driver's-side tail light assembly or in the spare tire compartment.

You then need part # ETBC7. This plugs into the 4-way connector and you then need to do some additional wiring. You connect the white wire to a clean bare metal surface for ground. Then attach the black wire to the positive battery post with the included 40-amp circuit breaker. The blue wire attaches to the blue wire coming from the brake controller. I have attached a drawing that shows how wiring is run for a brake controller and a trailer harness you can check out.

I have attached some helpful articles on brake controllers and installation you may want to take a look at. As you can see it is a pretty involved process.

If you do not have a trailer hitch on your Forester I recommend the Draw-Tite trailer hitch, part # 36311. This is a Class ll hitch and it has a 1-1/4 inch receiver opening. You will also need a drawbar and a hitch ball. For the drawbar I recommend part # 36051. For a 2-inch hitch ball I recommend part # 19258 and for a 1-7/8 inch hitch ball you need part # 19256.

It is always a good idea to install a transmission cooler when towing. The best place to install a cooler is between your vehicle's grille and the AC condenser core. I recommend a cooler like part # D12902. I have attached a link to our product page for the transmission coolers we have that are designed to fit your Forester.

expert reply by: Jeffrey L

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Installing Brakes On A Trailer Towed By 2004 Subaru Forester

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