A local customer needs one.

Has anyone found an off the shelf class 3 unit that works?

A class 2 hitch would work.

What on earth are they towing with a W126 that they need a 5-ton capacity hitch?

__________________
-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)

I have this hitch seen in post #7 here:
Installing Hitch, Need Advise (1987 300D)

Don't know what class it is though. I can find out for you later this afternoon or tomorrow.

__________________
1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

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(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help him gain world domination

I looked at buycurthitches.com
but they are class 1 +2

It's not a body on frame car so I say a class five is overkill and

shouldn't pull that much I could look in my owners manual and see what the tow capacity is

I say use a car to do car stuff
and use a truck to do truck stuff

I have looked all around for a hitch

for my 300SDL and never found a class 5
but I just wanted my bike rack off the trunk lid

they make adapters so you can fit something in a class 2 receiver that would otherwise fit only in a class 3 receiver, like maybe the bike rack you are talking about?

http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Hitch_Accessories-sf-Hitch_Extender.aspx

not sure about the 300SDL, but with my 300D the unbraked tow limit was 1500 lbs and the tongue limit was only 100 lbs. The body/bumper attachment it unfortunately fairly unsuited for towing some heavy stuff. I could only get a class 1 for my sedan. I ended up making a quasi class 3 receiver so I could rent trailers from U-haul.
Consisted of a long piece of 1/4 inch steel bolted behind the bumper shocks to the bumper bolt areas, and some stiffening rails heading forward and bolted there as well. Then I welded a receiver so it sat right under the bumper.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

They do NOT want a class 1 bumper hitch..

Have you checked with Bosal? I would think they may be the best bet.. although strictly due to liability reasons I would be surprised if anyone would mass produce a hitch beyond the specifications / capabilities of the vehicle to which it was to be mounted.

__________________
'83 240D

All of my cars (2x Benz, 2x Audi quattros, Subaru) have had hitches for over 20 years. I see no need to drive the burb to go fetch three drums of oil or five sheets of plywood.

I built 2" receivers for both MBs. The primary reason for that size is to be able to use the bike rack on the 'burb and both cars without any adjustments; I have no illusions that it would manage 5000 gross 500 tongue or anything like that. The 126 unit allows much better connections than the 123 unit. As a licensed mechanical engineer I'm confident my design is suitable.

Sadly both MBs have much bigger (front pads and rotors) and better (rear disk vs drum) brakes than the "trucky" 'burb.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
James Marriott
2003 Buick Regal
1983 300D (228k, frau Auto)
1996 Suburban K2500 (192k, 6.5 turbo diesel/4WD towmaster 10,000)
www.engineeringworks.biz
1987 300SDL junker 170k
1982 300SD junker, 265k

Class III hitch on a saloon... that does not sound like a good idea. Most hitches for W123/W126 tie into the bumper, which has a limited capacity. For a Class III you'd need to tie into the frame.

Bosal

4275 LB hitch

168.75 LB tongue weight

Waiting for price

And what is it they plan on pulling? Unless its a 560sel its going to be slow going pulling 4000+lbs

__________________
-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)

Unknown.

When the customer says I want __________ on my car, and hands you a signed blank check!!!
In the current Michigan economy.
Don't expect me to argue over installing a trailer hitch.


I will not do this, (EVER).

http://jalopnik.com/5057442/mercedes-300sd+amino-camper-just-in-time-for-the-coming-financiapocalypse

http://www.webridestv.com/showgallery.aspx?gallery=139319

What did you end up doing? A hitch that is not dependent on the bumper would be useful (for light stuff when I don't want to take the diesel ram). Would also keep the bicycles of my soon to be new paint.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

It seems my car once had a trailer hitch like this installed. There are two holes on the bumper and two behind the spare wheel compartment. Another two closer together on the rear bumper, beside the other two for hitch mounting previously mentioned.

I wonder if they really used it, and what type they got? Hmm.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg