I need to tow dolly my 300D 40 miles... - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

JimmyL · #16 06-16-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgkast

He took your advice, and it did not work out too well

:
Towing DISASTER!!!

Nice research!!

Good info!

Hatterasguy · #17 06-16-2008, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymog

Pull it backwards. Be sure the front wheels are straight and locked, 40miles with the rear wheels up and fronts pulling backwards is the way I'd do it. I did this with an SDL a month or so ago, worked great (about 20miles).

As others have mentioned, the manual allows pulling in neutral, but the maximum speed and distance MUST be obeyed to not damage the transmission.

Yeah that should work, just keep it slow.

Thats how the tow truck guys do it.

bgkast · #18 06-16-2008, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

Nice research!!

I just wanted to make sure anybody who found this post in the future did not attempt the same thing.

Rule: When towing a Mercedes get a flatbed!

Hatterasguy · #19 06-16-2008, 11:41 AM

Ahh didn't see that! Wow!

babymog · #20 06-16-2008, 12:12 PM

Yeah, or do it right.

vwbuge · #21 06-16-2008, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by babymog

Yeah, or do it right.

Doing it right with no worries means putting it on a flatbed.

SEE PAGE 9

http://www.uhaul.com/guide/userguide-towdolly.pdf

The BEST SOLUTION

http://www.uhaul.com/guide/index.aspx?equipment=towing-autotransport

cphilip · #22 06-16-2008, 02:24 PM

I have to say that with the right Tow vehicle, he could have gotten away with it. The Van used was not a good tow vehicle for that set up being it is tail light already. And the whole thing was then compounded by the lack of tounge weight a backwards car plus Tow Dolly is going to give you. I image it loaded on a trailer would have even given that Van trouble. A proper vehicle to tow that car, in any configuration, is going to be at least a 1 Ton Dually pickup truck. No matter how you went about it. There would not be any way that Van came close to any rating either way you did it. Front first or Rear first. Trailer or not. Auxilliary brakes too, none on that Dolly. It could never have come close to being adequate tow vehicle. Now I know people are going to come tell me they do it all the time. Well... sure... people play the lottery every day too. That Van was simply not a good Tow vehicle for a 3000 pound car. In any configuration.

rg_stephens · #23 06-16-2008, 03:43 PM

Disagree.
The configuration caused a low frequency resonant mode. The problem is that the center of mass of the Benz was too far from the pivot point of the system. The van and car will yaw/rock side-to-side, pivoting on the hitch. If this resonance happens at a driving speed, you're in trouble!! This almost happened to me, and I was driving a big E350!

Also, the tires of the van and the Benz do not have enough stiffness to resist the yawing/rolling motion. The result is a nasty low frequency resonance.

Robert

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphilip

That Van was simply not a good Tow vehicle for a 3000 pound car. In any configuration.

cphilip · #24 06-16-2008, 03:58 PM

You can disagree all you like. And you can get away with it all you want too many times.

But, the manufacturer of that Vehicle will probably disagree with you. I can almost betcha that the tow rating and GVWR were exceeded. Not to mention the lack of brakes.

Car companies even often give you the maximum of each rating. Then in small print tell you what that means. The data plates are influenced by the Salesmen. The fine print is the engineers. You can safely bet that your REAL life towing capacity is near half that when you get done calculating the small print.

You can overload or improperly load anything. And an E350 is not that great of a Two vehicle due to its light rear end. It is intended to haul stuff on its axles. But again... Your disagreeing for the wrong reason. That Van, even properly attached like he has done in the past, is not a proper towing set up. You do the math. Getting away with it is all too often the way people do things. But its not safe. People far too often don't do that math. A 3000 pound car being towed has to stop. That Van is not rated to stop that AND itself. Sway and load management aside.

Too light or too heavy of a tongue weight is a disaster. But a vehicle can only do what its capable of. And that Van he used, in no way shape or form, could pull that car within the safety margins it needs to have. It is pushing its entire envelope.

Also be aware that Insurance companies sometimes DO look at that when a claim comes in involving towing. They might look at the ratings and capacities. And I bet then you might pay attention. They can and do deny claims for accidents where the vehicle was used in a manner it was not designed for.

Anti sway is a balance between the tow vehicles Axles and how much of the Towed vehicle you can transfer to them and how evenly (front to back) you can distribute that, the Towed vehicles weight and where that is and the ability to keep them as balanced as possible and can be enhanced by brakes on all wheels. It is partly the way he had it loaded, but even loaded the other way, which all of you seem to get away with, that vehicle is inadequate for the job. And in this manner, a tow dolly is just using the Car as a trailer. And it has no brakes. It should. Or the tow dolly should.

Fact: You can never have too much truck.
Fact: even then you can F up that.

rg_stephens · #25 06-16-2008, 04:45 PM

You're right. An E350 is not a good vehicle for anything. It's CG is too high, it's wheelbase is too short. Ergonomics are horrible. It's good for breaking down on the freeway :-)

I was speaking only of dynamic stability. Perhaps a properly balanced trailer would be stable being pulled by a Yaris, but you'd be inviting disaster. It's just too small, and locking the brakes with a trailer could make you lose control. So I concede that you're right.

RS

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphilip

And an E350 is not that great of a Two vehicle due to its light rear end. It is intended to haul stuff on its axles. But again... Your disagreeing for the wrong reason. That Van, even properly attached like he has done in the past, is not a proper towing set up.

Hatterasguy · #26 06-16-2008, 04:48 PM

If I ever had to tow one of these I would borrow the GMC dump truck, and trailer. I think my SDL should be able to drive itself right up on that trailer.

I think the dump truck is rated for 30k pounds, and has air brakes...beefy enough?

If not I have a Mack with a Goose neck that we use to move around the Komatsu, I think its rated for 100k or 110k pounds.

Seriously we pull my friends boat which is on a tandem axel trailer and probably weighs all of 5k pounds loaded with his Chevy 2500HD, some Bully Dog mods, etc. Pulls it just fine at 70, no problem. The right tow vehical really helps.

rcounts · #27 06-16-2008, 05:48 PM

I've towed my Jeep Cherokee with the rear wheels up on my tow dolly many times. You see tow trucks towing cars with the rear wheels off the ground all the time. As others have said (including one tow tuck driver) it is safe if done properly. The 3 keys that others have already mentioned.

1) A tow vehicle that is up to the task. Not just powerful enough, but heavy enough and with sufficient wheelbase to prevent the "tail wagging the dog" syndrome. I use an F250 (3/4 ton) diesel with dual rear wheels for all my towing.

2) The steering wheels on the ground have to be solidly locked straight. If there is too much slop with ignition column-locking mechanism, you have to use ratchet straps or something similar to hold the steering wheel solidly centered. I've never had to with my Jeep, but I have seen it done.

3) Keep it slow - as in the minimum allowable speed on the freeway. 40-45 is as fast as you want to go.

Sorry to hear that things worked out so badly for you Progun. Really glad to hear that no one was hurt. If I had known what you were trying to tow it with, I wouldn't have seconded the opinion...