Hi Ralph, All!
Please read your Subaru manual, trailer brakes are a -requirement- for
towing
Required by whom? SOA? Papa Subaru-san? The same skilled engineering
team that designed the cars ABS system? Yea, right; there's a
definitive source for ya.
For what it's worth, I don't think the WRX is even rated to tow;
certainly Subaru doesn't (didn't anyway) offer a hitch for it. I fit a
"factory" OBS hitch, and spliced into the wiring harness to get
lights; d'ya suppose that the Subaru police will be out looking for me
now . . . ;-)
AFAIK, while there definitely "legal" requirements for towing rigs,
trailer brakes are _not_ mandated on a small, single-axle trailer
(class I - II ?). In fact, I can't recall ever seeing a "regular"
flat-bed two place snowmobile trailer equipped with them; the 4 place
ones usually are, and I'd suspect that the higher-end enclosed ones
probably offer them as an option.
The WRX brakes are more than up to the task of stopping my two place
trailer; I've never experienced any symptoms of distress, but then I
_do_ know how to drive a trailer thru the mountains. I'd suggest that
the entry in the Subaru manual you're referring to is a CYA move,
aimed at protection from litigation by C.T. Slicker, who's idea of
braking is to slip the tranny into neutral at the top of the hill, and
ride the binders to the bottom. And, yea, if you drive that way,
you're gonna want trailer brakes. And life insurance.
And, finally, prior to getting the WRX, I often towed the same
trailer/snowmobile combo with my old 4X4 GL wagon. Took 2nd gear to
get up the hill sometimes, but the brakes were never a problem. And
the economy of 25MPG with a Subaru vs 11MPG using my Ford truck is
pretty hard to refuse. Plus the Soobie is more comfortable.
As always, YMMV (standard disclaimer).
ByeBye! S.
Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101