Flat Tow Mercedes - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Stevels · #1 02-10-2007, 03:17 PM

Hi All,

I would like to "flat tow" a Mercedes diesel wagon with my 40' motorhome.

I know that I can not tow my 1991 350SDL, and there is not even a conversion kit availible for that model to make it safe and relaible to pull it across the country on its own wheels.

Now I am in the market for a new used car for my wife , and wonder if anyone here knows if the TD model (any year) can be flat towed or modified to be flat towed?

If the answer is still NO, does anyone know of ANY MB Deisel of any year which can be flat towed?

Thanks,
Stevels

TheDon · #2 02-10-2007, 03:23 PM

I'm going to guess that the answer is no... I've never seen any mercedes flat towed

t walgamuth · #3 02-10-2007, 03:30 PM

any stick should be fine.

tom w

Stevels · #4 02-10-2007, 03:38 PM

All I have ever seen are automatic transmissions in the later years. Are there any late eighties or newer Mercedes Diesel Wagons with a stick?

I heard that they too can not be towed on four wheels for for long periods?

#5 02-10-2007, 03:42 PM

A 240D, gray market 300D, or 190D 2.2/2.5 with a manual transmission can be flat towed.

kerry · #6 02-10-2007, 03:55 PM

Remco makes a driveshaft disconnect so that a TD can be flat towed. Installation is only available at a few select places in the country. Many people think you shouldn't even flat tow a manual shift MB other than for short distances. I considered towing my TD behind my Wanderlodge but it was going to be $1000 for the driveshaft disconnect so I decided to spend $2k on a 4dr Suzuki Sidekick which can be towed by simply putting the transfer case in neutral.
I've communicated with a person who put a driveshaft disconnect on a manual shift 240d and towed it behind his motorhome.

Stevels · #7 02-10-2007, 04:37 PM

My motorhome is also a Wanderlodge! It is fueld by 100% waste vegetable oil!

www.liquidsolarpower.com

For my "toad" car, I need certain criteria, such as a diesel, 7 passenger, and so on. I spoke to Remco about the 350SDL and they would not support that. Looking at the site now, sure enough it seems they have a drive shaft decoupler for $765. You are correct, only four places in the country can install it!

Thanks all!

S

captainmonk · #8 02-10-2007, 05:23 PM

u might as well buy a car trailer as go thru all that

Ken300D · #9 02-10-2007, 05:35 PM

I would expect if you flat tow anything, you are running up the odometer mileage indication on that vehicle even though it is not under power. Some people probably don't care all that much about this, but it would be something to consider when towing a newer vehicle.

You could go car trailer, but to me the better and more stable to tow situation is a front-wheel drive small car on a tow dolly. Or a mini-van on a more heavy-duty dolly. Not only is this more stable, it is less of a load to tow and likely more fuel efficient than an all-out vehicle trailer.

I would not tow a Mercedes flat - maybe a manual for a short distance and that's it.

Ken300D

babymog · #10 02-10-2007, 08:14 PM

A dolly, NEVER. The most pain in the ass way to tow, period.

I wanted to flat-tow my TE 4matic, since it is RWD with the engine off and has a rear pump it seemed worth checking into, no.

The Mercedes rear pump is fine for flat-towing the car to about 30mph and limited distances, above that it is not allowed per the manual.

Driveshaft disconnect maybe, but 4-up towing made more sense to me, in the trailer the car stays clean and dry, and there's room for a golf cart and bicycles, and the Wanderlodge never feels it back there.

I did tow my Land Rover 4-down, but my feeling is that by the time you spend close to $1000 for a good towbar, brackets and installation, ... $1200 or more for a good auxiliary brake system, ... more still for lighting hookup with side-markers and brake/tail to be legal, you've gotten most of the way to the price of a decent trailer. I've also run over too many 4X4s, tire treads, and other FOD with the coach that hit the dinghy behind me, decided a trailer should hit it instead (ask my brother what a Mitsubishi Macerator is). Can't dodge things easily at 40,000lbs on the freeway.

JackG · #11 02-10-2007, 08:47 PM

My wife and I are full time RVers and I tow my 300D with a dolly. Aux. brakes for the toad are not used. We have a PaceArrow and have never had a problem with the MH not being able to stop or being pushed by the Toad....You don't even know it's there. A Wonderlodge would certainly be up to the task of towing. However, the 300D must be backed on the dolly, getting the drive wheels off the ground. The ramps are not enough to get the back end high enough to clear the dolly. The muffler will hit the dolly. I leave the ramps up and use a set of car/mechanic ramps set up against the tow dolly ramps. I back up the car ramps, onto the car dolly ramps and into place.What I like about the tow dolly is, you can unhook it while set up and it stores nicely under the back of the motor home