Folks,

I am considering purchasing some sort of lightweight travel trailer to pull behind my '85 300D, when going to NASCAR races and such.

What input do y'all have? Is it a worthwhile idea?

How available is the German (MB??) trailer hitch??

What size is the "ball" on the German hitch?

What are the recommended parameters for towing with a W123......
Total weight?
Tongue weight??

I am considering something like this.....but not necessarily that color...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/09-Ohio-AMISH-Built-Teardrop-Camper-Trailer-RV_W0QQitemZ250295342211QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250295342211&_trkparms=39%3A1|65%3A7|240%3A1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

Well, whaddya think??

SB

__________________

Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

I have a trailer hitch on my 240D and have carried building materials for house remodeling etc.

One word of caution, whatever that you install make sure the electrical harness is not butchered up by the installer, mine was installed by U-Haul and they tore up the harness for the electrical connection and I nearly ended up with a nice little electrical fire inside the trunk.

Avoid using U-Haul if at all possible.

Vahe

I would do the install myself.....however I am aware of the U-haul technical "lack of" expertise.....and their use of those little clips that add a wire.....and I detest those little blue clips.......

Thanks for the commentary tho.....some of the other folks here might not be aware of U-Haul's practices......

SB

__________________

Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

Folks,

Since I asked the question, I have located some of the answers.....

According to the MB publication "Technical Data Passenger Cars"
W123 and W126 sedans:
Trailer Total Weight
Without Brakes......With Brakes......Max Roof Load.....Max Trunk Additional
..Kg / Lb.................Kg / Lb...............Kg / Lb.................Kg / Lb
750 / 1654...........1500 / 3307..........100 / 202.............100 / 202

W124 Sedans:
720 / 1587...........1500 / 3307..........100 / 202.............100 / 202

W201 Vehicles:
600 / 1322...........1200 / 2645..........100 / 202.............100 / 202


I still need to find out about the availability and size of the "ball"

SB

Note: I added the Kg to Lb conversions done on an HP 33s calculator and rounded to the nearest pound.......

__________________

Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

Two items that I would look into for long distance travel with a trailer tied to a 123 MB, one is the condition of the rear springs/shocks and how much is the rear end sagging.
The other is the auto transmission cooling situation. My 240D is manual so I did not have to worry about the transmission and the rear springs have the rubber spacers keeping the car fairly level.

Vahe

The teardrop trailers are very small. My nieghbor has one and you can't cook inside. I'd look into a Scamp, Burro or Casita myself. I know there's a Casita forum on the net somewhere.

__________________
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

I used those little blue "splice in" clips when I did my lights, however, my trailer has all LED lighting on it, so theres essentially no power consumption and no risk.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

hello Vahe,

I also own a 240D and would like to buy a trailer hitch for it. Where did you buy yours?

I bought my trailer hitch from U-Haul, it is bolted to the onderside of the rear bumper. my trailer is a flat bed 4'x8' size with smallish 8" tires, I can carry about 1200 pounds of load safely.
My mistake was to let the U-Haul install the hitch, they really messed up the electrical harness which I ended up totally replacing. It is lot safer to let your mechanic do the installation if you do not have the skills, never let U-haul to touch your car.

Vahe

Is there an MB part # for the "Euro" trailer hitch that sort of appears from under the car??

And what is the diameter of that "ball"

SB

__________________

Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG

I don't know where the MB hitch installs, but I made my own receiver hitch that bolts on between the body and the bumper shocks. This is very sturdy, and you can easily remove the ball too get it out of the way.

__________________
For Sale: 1982 MB 300TD
1995 Chevrolet Suburban 6.5TD

Sold: 1980 IH Scout Traveler- Nissan SD33T Diesel

I second the Scamp,Casita,Burro suggestion.If you are not over 6ft they are great.I have a Scamp with air cond,3way stove,propane furnace and the usual stuff you would carry, it weighs 1490lbs on the scale.When i bought it the rubber in the torsion axle was pretty bad so i put in a new axle with electric brakes (about $250) I tow it with my Jetta as i have not found a cheap hitch for the Benz.The Jetta does fine at 55-60mph after that the wind drag just gets too much and the exhaust and oil temp start climbing but i shouldnt tow it any faster than that any way. Don
PS check fiberglassrv.com for these small campers

__________________
Red Green "This is only temporary,Unless it works!"

97 E300D 157000 miles
87 300TD ?141k? miles

I like this trailer
http://www.tab-rv.com/index.php

__________________
1983 300SD
200000miles

Who needs a trailer? This rig is perfect for driving to NASCAR races: W126 camper

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

I saw one of those a coupla weeks ago, over at Jackson's Mill.......forgot the name/brand......

SB

__________________

Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG