It has my interest in a vaca setup for either the w123 300d or the w126 300sd .My knowledge is its best for the arms for the hitch be fixed to the rear frame,any added security needed to beef things up in your opinion. A smallish trailer is the goal here ,definately under 2600lbs and Possible a little vintage jobber.

I've pulled around 4,00 with a w123, I made my own hitch.

I anchored it in two places:
-To the body where the bumpers mount (but not *to* the bumpers)
-The rear subframe rails about 2ft forward
-The spare tire cavity with spreader plates.

If I come across pictures I'll share them.

Wiring it up requires a converter, as the mercedes has separate turn signal bulbs. A cheap off the shelf Jeep WJ converter works.

__________________
$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

I have a beautiful hitch for the 126 that I bought from a member here who made up a bunch of them.

I have it advertised here for sale.

It mounts to the three bolts which old the shocks and has a kicker which goes forward to a place on the body to resist twisting.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Ill be under the 300d tommorow ,Ill look at the mount location and see if that is doable for my type of hauling .I might be back at your pm with a answer soon.Thank you sir

Heres ma nice setup for the w126 models
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM729QiE-qw

I have a fair amount of trailing experience and eventually ended up with the Dodge/Cummins. Not saying you can't tow more but I'd try to stay with about 2,000 lbs depending on the terrain you'll pull over. My V8 Dakota would have been WAY overtaxed pulling the race truck and trailer (actual weight is about 5,000 lbs as measured on a freight scale) over the mountains between here and Ohio so I got the big Dodge. The Dakota was FINE towing on the coastal plain when our track was in Maxton, NC - that's why I say it depends on the terrain.

Anyhow, I have a load-equalizing hitch that was left from anther trailer I used to pull and it probably isn't needed behind the Dodge but it makes the trailer feel like it isn't even there. With Truck (the Dodge) being lowered it also keeps the whole deal level w/o air shocks or some such. I also have a sway control that I use again because I have it - not sure it does much on the Dodge.

I've towed with a '75 Toronado (455, TH465 trans), a '78 Fleetwood (425, TH400 trans), the Dakota (318 auto) and now Truck with the Cummins and a beefed-up auto, as well as others. Understand that towing a significant amount of weight with a car platform is at best a compromise and when I got serious - I was going to have to tow Mutt over the mountains regularly - getting the big Dodge was life-changing in my trailering world. The difficult is now dead easy as I drive over mountain passes on cruise control going 72-75 MPH like nothing is there. For occasional light towing the Mercedes will do fine as long as you have a safe and solid hitch.

Dan

Not what you need to tow a trailer, but what I put on my 1985 300D 1.25" receiver hitch on my 1985 300D
I found a flat-bar hitch (Curt 11614) on a 300D in the junkyard and welded on a 1.25" receiver (2nd). But the rear bumper is aluminum and I found mine already had a crack. I use it for a bike hitch.

You need something like Curt 11805 which also attaches at the bumper frame mounts. Many here have fabb'ed similar.

You can tow safely if smart. Don't brake hard on tight turns or the trailer might pull a PIT maneuver on your rear-end. Not smart are the idiots I see going 80 mph on the freeway, towing a large power-boat, passing on the right w/ no signals. Of course, the same idiots are seen speeding w/ just a ski rack in the winter.

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1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

Here's a link to hitch design and some various service manuals.

The hitch design came from this board. My thoughts are to modify for a 2" receiver simply so that I don't need to have smaller sized hitches lying around. Of course, that would require restraint and not hooking too heavy a load just because you can put a 2" ball on the thing.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5wgmveryif2ijnh/AABn9OEwrQQHYx224rbwS-ZAa?dl=0

Take all you want. I'll change the links later if I decide to.

Here are some more mostly trans manuals that I found floating around on the web and downloaded (legally).

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/leojhxboood2bin/AABByZ86RMDHJ5X5lVDEQXtGa?dl=0

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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.

Re receiver size, 2" square is most universal and easy to adapt to 1.25" components, but might look out of place on a 300D. Most bike racks are 1.25" w/ nylon adapter for 2". There are 2" balls for a 1.25" receiver (Class II = 3500 lb tow, 350 lb tongue I recall). Tow-bars (flat-tow a car) are usually a 2" ball, as are smaller camping trailers (my 16' L Hi-Lo, ~2700 lb). You see the larger 2-5/16" ball (Class III) on large trailers you shouldn't touch w/ a 300D.

__________________
1984 & 1985 CA 300D's
1964 & 65 Mopar's - Valiant, Dart, Newport
1996 & 2002 Chrysler minivans

Most of the older benzes are rated to tow 1500 wo brakes and 3000 with brakes on the trailer.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Found my pics:

Attached Thumbnails

     

__________________
$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment