Finding A Home
Mentally I sorted through our payload and realized that the Forester's capacity was going to come up short. I contacted David Tenney, general manager of Manteca Trailer & Camper in Manteca, California. Having worked with his expansive dealership in the past, I knew that if anyone could help, it would be Tenney.

Manteca is one of the largest and best-supplied dealerships in California, carrying a wide range of Class A, B, and C vehicles along with a vast selection of camping and toy trailers. As I hoped, Tenney had a rig that would fit our needs. He suggested the Jump Up tent trailer from Jumping Jack Trailers, a small but rugged popup camping unit designed for the minimalist sportsmen. With a dry weight of only 1,245 pounds, the Jumping Jack could easily be handled by the Forester.

The lightweight tent trailer and Subaru's low-emission SUV made a good combination for both gas mileage and our environmental conscious. Picking up the Jumping Jack from the dealership had unanticipated benefit. While the Subaru was equipped with a tow hitch and a four-pin wiring harness, the trailer required a seven-bladed plug. Unfortunately, a simple 4-to-7 adapter was not the solution.

As Tenney explained, like most foreign-made vehicles, the Subaru has separate brake lights and turn signals and requires an MME unit to sync its electronics to that of the American-made trailer with combined brake lights and blinkers. Manteca's technicians took just two hours to install the unit and get me on my way.

The Forester
Before picking up the trailer, I had the chance to clock several miles on the small SUV and found that it performed above my expectations. The ride was smooth and quiet, revealing neither wind nor road noise. The Forester's 2.5L, four-cylinder boxer engine is rated at 175 hp at 6,000 rpm, with 170 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. While the car weighs in at 3,440 pounds, the power feels respectable, although the turbo-charged version certainly has more freeway-entry punch.

The PZEV model is equipped with an advanced emissions control system, giving the Forester a Super-Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV2) rating. This environmental benefit, however, adds $200 to the sticker price. Fuel economy is rated at 20 city, 26 highway, but I actually managed 29 mpg without the trailer.

The cockpit is laid out nicely. All buttons and knobs are within easy reach. The five-passenger interior feels significantly larger than a spec-by-spec comparison with its predecessor would suggest, especially in regard to the front seats and headroom. While the seats are well appointed, some of the other materials throughout the car are not on par with those of the Toyota RAV4 or Nissan Rogue, the Forester's direct competitors.

Once we latched the Jumping Jack to the hitch, I could feel its presence through the Forester's gas pedal. While adequate, the Forester struggled on some of the longer, steeper grades. I quickly became aware of both my merging and braking distances. The Forester's gas mileage dropped by nearly 30 percent, but 20 mpg with a trailer in tow is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.