Bumper Hitch

[busman]

Need a bumper hitch for a 300 TD 123 series wagon. New ones are like $485.00. I don't need a reciever type, just a bumper hitch. Does anybody have a used one for sale?

Thanks

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Originally Posted by busman

Need a bumper hitch for a 300 TD 123 series wagon. New ones are like $485.00. I don't need a reciever type, just a bumper hitch. Does anybody have a used one for sale?

Thanks

Were you thinking about a simple universal hitch that attaches to your bumper? The location of the TD fuel-tank hinders installing a simple center-mount hitch. What size & weight of trailer are you planning to pull?

While the 5-mph bumper on these cars is pretty sturdy, they, and their shock-mounts, aren't really designed for towing stresses.
As I understand, Mercedes never marketed a factory hitch for the US bumper W123 cars. The best aftermarket hitch (the Kurt or Curt) is a design that fastens to the bolts that attach the bumper-shocks to the body, and dosen't fasten to the bumper at all. It also has reinforcing braces that go fprward to attach under the unibody frame-rails. Unforunately, that may be the $485 hitch you're referring to.
There have been other simple aftermarket hitches that clamped around the shock-tubes and bolted to the underside of the bumper, but those will likely interfere with the bumper function in a rear impact.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[Billybob]

Originally Posted by busman

Need a bumper hitch for a 300 TD 123 series wagon. New ones are like $485.00. I don't need a reciever type, just a bumper hitch. Does anybody have a used one for sale?

Thanks

If you decide going Euro will work for you, I have a hitch that is described and shown in this thread. Post #23 has a picture.

http://www.peachparts.com//shopforum/showthread.php?t=288196

This is the corrected link!

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Originally Posted by Billybob

If you decide going Euro will work for you, I have a hitch that is described and shown in this thread.

http://www.peachparts.com//shopforum/showthread.php?t=288198

That thread is about a diesel fuel pre-heater on a W124.

My '84 Euro 300TD came with a mangled Euro rear-bumper and Euro-hitch installed.
Problem is the Euro-hitch only works with the Euro bumper as the hitch and it's reinforcing brackets mounts over and into the body-sockets for the US bumper-shocks.
The Euro bumper is attractive but even with the hitch, it sits very close to the body and provides minimal protection. When I purchased my wagon, the rear hatch had already been slightly deformed and jammed by a minor impact, and wouldn't open. Since the Euro rear bumper was damaged, and the car had previously been fitted with a US front bumper, I went ahead and installed a US rear bumper - unfortunately eliminating the Euro-hitch.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[Billybob]

Originally Posted by Mark DiSilvestro

That thread is about a diesel fuel pre-heater on a W124.

My '84 Euro 300TD came with a mangled Euro rear-bumper and Euro-hitch installed.
Problem is the Euro-hitch only works with the Euro bumper as the hitch and it's reinforcing brackets mounts over and into the body-sockets for the US bumper-shocks.
The Euro bumper is attractive but even with the hitch, it sits very close to the body and provides minimal protection. When I purchased my wagon, the rear hatch had already been slightly deformed and jammed by a minor impact, and wouldn't open. Since the Euro rear bumper was damaged, and the car had previously been fitted with a US front bumper, I went ahead and installed a US rear bumper - unfortunately eliminating the Euro-hitch.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Ah, thanks I somehow got the wrong link, I've corrected it now.

That's why I posted a link to that thread is explains all the issues with Euro vs. DOT bumpers. The one I have comes with a Euro bumper still attached so it's almost a plug and play depending on the weight of the load being towed

There is a trade off unless one wants to spend the $485! The OP is unhappy with no hitch so maybe he'll decide a Euro bumper with a Euro hitch will work for him despite its shortcomings.

Euro bumpers in my opinion look better but are almost a purely cosmetic feature, as they will crumple with the slightest impact! The ends are particularly susceptible as they are nothing but the stamped steel with nothing supporting them, and as a result when they do get crimped beyond an inch or so they inadvertently damage the fender panel behind them!

[Mark DiSilvestro]

That 'Aris' hitch diagram in the other thread is essentially like te one that came on my Euro TD, except that in addition to the tubular hitch support that goes into the bumper-shock holes, there was an additional I-beam type reinforcing plate that bolted outboard of each frame-rail. That extra brace provided three bolts at each end of the hitch to help transfer the load to the frame-rail, and not just the rear panel below the hatch.

I assumed my Euro 300TD already had the 'bumper-shock' holes because it was intended for possible towing duty, and shared the assembly line and tooling with the US versions. The holes in my car did look factory, though it's possible a very carefull hitch-installer could have done a very professional job.
I did have to fabricate a plate with two studs for each end to provide the outboard mounts for the US-bumper shocks.

Last summer, a friend acquired a Euro '85 230TE with a US front bumper. He wanted me to find him a matching US rear bumper, but his wagon didn't have any rear-holes, and only a single stud at each side for the Euro rear bumper bracket. I believe that was becausen the 4-cylinder wagons were never intended for towing or sale in the US, so there was no setup on their assembly-line for hiches or US bumpers.

If you decide to go with a Euro hitch, and it only has the tubular reinforcements that go inside the shock-holes, you may be able to bolt the outboard ends of the hitch-bar to your existing US bumper studs.
I last year, found a set of good complete Euro wagon bumpers at the Virginia Beach Pick-N-Pull. When I decide to use tham, I'll have to see if I can space the bumpers perhaps an extra inch away from my car to provide a bit of additional protection.

Happy Motoring, Mark