Towing DISASTER!!!
 

Yesterday, we were going to tow the Benz to Maringouin to work on the transmission. We have done this many times before. This time to make it easier we backed the car onto the dolly. NEVER do this! We know now. The weight distribution was totally wrong and caused an out of control condition. The Equinox rolled once and the Benz was broken loose when the hitch broke loose. No one was hurt seriously. Here is what it looked like at the scene. Paul

Just goes to show how safe mercedes are :). LOL Glad to hear no one was hurt.

Jeeezuz man, I'm glad no one was hurt seriously. There have been a number of discussions on here about not putting the rear wheels on dollies. I guess this confirms the wisdom of that idea.
What exactly happened?

Glad to see nobody was hurt.

The only way to tow a MB safely (for the car and yourself) is to put it on a flatbed.

How does backing on the dolly change weight distribution and cause an out of control condition? Sounds more like the steering wasn't properly secured, the dolly doesn't care which end you're rolling.

Glad you're okay.

the heavy side needs to be on the dolly, otherwise it wants to strear the tow vehicle instead of the other way around and this makes it unstable at speed. it will sway side to side until it finds a harmonic then it will throw you off the road. same issue with improper loading of a car trailer, the engine should always be in the front, too light tongue weight will do the same thing.

to the OP, wow, glad you are OK....

Glad that you are ok....

Fix or total the van???

The heavy end has to be in the front on a trailer to maintain proper tongue weight, on a dolly there is no significant overhang behind the wheels, completely different scenario.

We've got people towing all kinds of cars backwards on tow dollys all across the country behind motorhomes in our group, I'd better tell them that it can't be done LOL.

Works fine for me. You just need to secure it properly to the dolly, and make sure that the steering is secure.

I GOTTA know what you did wrong.
I have never seen any description of problems with weight distribution on a tow dolly before.
steering must have not been locked, or there must have been a problem with the dolly itself.
I am Very glad nobody got hurt!
post some more pics!

from the Uhaul website...
no mention of which way to load a vehicle.

Your towing vehicle:

* Must be equipped with a full hard top if it is a sport utility type vehicle. If the top or any portion of the top is removed, or is not a hard top, your sport utility type vehicle cannot be used for towing U-Haul equipment. A full hard top must be in place.
* Must weigh at least 750 lbs. more than the vehicle being towed
* Must have Class 2 tow hitch (3,500 lbs. minimum weight-carrying rating)
* Must have 1-7/8", 2" or 2-1/8" hitch ball (3,500 lbs. minimum)
* Must not exceed maximum allowable hitch ball height 25"
* Must have external mirrors on both sides
* Must have fully operational lighting
* Tow dolly lighting must be operational at all times, day and night, loaded or unloaded
* Maximum recommended speed is 45 MPH

The vehicle being towed:

* Must not weigh in excess of 3,450 lbs. if it is front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and 3,900 lbs. if it is rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive
* Must have a maximum outside-to-outside tire width of 72"
* Must not exceed a body width (at the doors) of 75"
Note: body widths over 72" must use late-model U-Haul Tow Dolly (identifiable by silver galvanized color)
* Low-hanging equipment on the vehicle being towed such as spoilers, air dams, ground effects, etc., may be damaged by contact with the tow dolly during loading and unloading. Make sure there is enough clearance for these items.
* Tow lights (tail/stop/turn) required at rear of vehicle being towed

Um... how much does your van weigh?

Sorry to hear of the trouble.

The best way to tow is with a trailer with brakes. I don't know what went wrong here but the benz is still sitting on the dolly right side up so apparently it was not lashed down wrongly.

Glad you didn't scratch those new hubcaps I sold you!:)

Tom W

nope!
Uhaul says NEVER load the vehicle backwards! line 7 I think of the saftey instructions..,
http://www.uhaul.com/guide/userguide-towdolly.pdf

I talked to some dolly manufacturers a few years ago when I was considering towing a Benz with the rear wheels up. They all said don't do it.

By guess........without any data..........is that the problem is a combination of two issues.

The heavy end of the MB was at the back of the rig. This is less desirable for controlling sway and would limit the speed of the rig.

The towing vehicle was probably of similar weight as the combined weight of the dolly and the M/B.

When the heavier tail end of the Benz started to sway at high speed, the relatively light towing vehicle was subject to increasing oscillations until it was uncontrollable.

Either a heavier tow vehicle or a reduced towing speed would have prevented this accident. My guess is that it occurred at above 45 mph.

this is my guess as well...