Looking for some advise here. I just picked up a 2001 10 foot Popup trailer (opened up she is probably 18 foot in length)to take our grandchildren camping. The popup has a shower and toilet with a king size bed on one end and a full bed on the other along with air conditioning and comes in around 2000lbs. While pulling the trailer home with Matilda (our 300SD) we bounced a bit which is probably due to a heavy tongue weight on the trailer. Matilda did the trip pretty good but struggled a bit going up the longer interstate hills.
Do you think I am asking to much of the car to pull this trailer? The AC is not working since i need a new compressor but when i get this fixed we will most probably use the ac which will take more power away. Any suggestions on improvements to Matilda? I already know I may need helper airbags in the rear to lift her up a bit. Any way i can get some more power?
If not then I may have to sell her and buy a Dakota pickup truck. I would hate to see Matilda go.

Not a problem. Europeans pull camping trailers with 200d's. Does it have brakes? I believe MB states that trailers above 1500lbs should be braked. I think 2500lbs is the load limit on a trailer for a 123. Don't know about the 126. Just make sure you have a decent hitch. I pull a small trailer with a bumper hitch on my 300TD but it's never over about 800lbs.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

My mechanic who lives in Florida yet is from Europe came by my place one day towing a 300sdl on a flat bed car trailer behind his 300sdl....

I asked him and he said no prob all the time and away he went down the hwy.

Dang things are tough.....

So its no problem dropping the transmission into 3rd gear and laboring up the hills of Tennessee at around 4000rpm ? Should i add another transmission cooler to the line?

I wouldn't call 4000 rpm's laboring. I'm in third a lot of the time I'm pulling a trailer thru the Rocky Mountains.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Your engine should be fully capable even if you slow a bit uphill. When trailer-towing the transmission is typically the limiting factor. Adding a second transmission cooler is the right thing to do. I did that to my Dodge Ram after lunching the transmission climbing the mountain into Santa Fe while pulling a 5th wheel trailer.

The major cause of transmission overheating is usually frequent shifting under load. Manually shifting to a lower gear uphill is a good thing. On my truck, I switch the overdrive off while towing and just eat the additional fuel use.

go to dieselgiant.com and go over his tune up maintenance tips. you could have a plugged or partially plugged alda line, fuel filters could cut down on power, and of course, your motor could be low on compression.
does it smoke a lot out the oil filler hole at idle? put the cap on loose, and see if it pops around, or if it blows right off...
does your car smoke? what color?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!