8-14 Driving tips
roof rail must be used together
with the roof rack and any appro-
priate carrying attachment that
may be needed. The roof rail
must never be used alone to
carry cargo. Otherwise, damage
to the roof or paint or a danger-
ous road hazard due to loss of
cargo could result.
NOTE
Remember that the vehicle’s center of
gravity is altered with the weight of the
load on the roof, thus affecting driving
characteristics.
Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, hard
cornering and abrupt stops. Crosswind
effects will be increased.
Trailer hitch (dealer option)
WARNING
. Never exceed the maximum
weight specified for the trailer
hitch. Exceeding the maximum
weight could cause an accident
resulting in serious personal in-
juries. Permissible trailer weight
changes depending on the situa-
tion. Refer to the next section
“Trailer towing” for possible re-
commendations and limitations.
. Trailer brakes are required when
the towing load exceeds 1,000
lbs (453 kg). Be sure your trailer
has safety chains and that each
chain will hold the trailer’s max-
imum gross weight. Towing trai-
lers without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if
the trailer separates from the
hitch due to coupling damage or
hitch ball damage.
. Be sure to check the hitch pin
and safety pin for positive lock-
ing placement before towing a
trailer. If the ball mount comes off
the hitch receiver, the trailer
could get loose and create a
traffic safety hazard.
. Use only the ball mount supplied
with this hitch. Use the hitch only
as a weight carrying hitch. Do not
use with any type of weight
distributing hitch.
. The standard bumper beam must
be installed after you remove the
trailer hitch. Consult a SUBARU
dealer for purchase of a standard
bumper beam if you do not have
the original.
. Safety performance is decreased
and there is increased risk of
injury to passengers in the case
of an accident if the trailer hitch
or a standard bumper beam is
not installed. One of them must
always be installed on the vehi-
cle.
. If a trailer hitch is installed, it is
not possible to install the rear
towing hook.
When you tow a trailer, follow the instruc-
tions in the next section “Trailer towing”.
& Connecting a trailer
1. Remove the receiver cover from the
hitch receiver tube. Then insert the ball
mount into the hitch receiver tube.