You can tow with an S55 AMG...

[Hatterasguy]

This just proves my point, an S class Mercedes is just about all the vehical you could ever need. They can tow, they are decent off road, and you can drive them anywhere and not feel out classed! Plus they make a damn fine office! With AWD I just don't see how you can get it stuck in the mud or snow, well unless you bottom it out...

I couldn't get my phone out fast enough for a pic, but I saw an S55 AMG today towing a pair of Seadoo's! The whole set up probably wieghs 1,500 pounds, but I bet it could still do a 13 second 1/4.

My big concern would be those slick performance tires at the ramp... pulling them out at low tide maybe a challange.

I wonder if you can tow with a Ferrari?

[TheDon]

they could have been transporting them from one place to another.. plus marinas here have lifts for small water craft like that.

[Hatterasguy]

Since it was raining like crazy today they were probably moving them. Or die hards.

[SwampYankee]

A couple jetskis shouldn't be any problem. Back when I was in college I used to tow a 2 place snowmobile trailer with my Subaru Loyale 4x4 wagon to southern VT. I suspect my 1/4 miles times would have been in the 45 second range

My concern with tow vehicles is always getting traction on launching ramps. I used to have a beat up 17' Whaler that I towed around with my 2WD F-150. We belong to a club that owns a house on the Pawcatuck River with a "launching ramp", putting it in is never a problem. Getting it out was another story. One wheel drive doesn't cut it and even if I had a locker it wouldn't have been any better. I ended up having to drive just over the crest of the "ramp" and fortunately I had the anchor line which I tied to the trailer tongue and was able to get it out. 2WD is fine for towing a camper or utility trailer, but I want 4WD for towing a boat trailer because a lot of ramps suck.

[wbrian63]

Back in my much younger days when I was married, the wife and I took my dad's boat out to Lake Houston for a bit of fun. The boat was a 17' Ranger bass boat. It was on a trailer with standard size tires and was always a real pain to launch at a ramp with a low angle.

I got the trailer backed into the water, got the boat off the trailer and over to the dock, then back to the car to move it off the ramp. Took way too much time with many people waiting for me to launch their boats.

On the way out, the wife held the boat at the dock while I retrieved the trailer and made ready to pull the boat out. I told her she was to drive the car and pull me, the boat & trailer out of the water.

In order to get the trailer deep enough to get the boat on, I had to back the car down the ramp to the point where the exhaust pipes were bubbling in the water. The ramp was already wet from numerous other boaters.

I told her to wait for me to get the boat properly latched to the winch, then to put her left foot on the brake, put the car in gear and slowly ease on the gas until she could feel the car start to pull against the brakes - then ease off the brakes and give it a little more gas. I also told her that the tires may start to spin, but not to let off the gas under any circumstances - just let 'em spin a bit and the heat will dry the pavement and you'll regain traction.

The tow car in question was a '77 Pontiac Grand Prix. It had a 400 cu in 4bbl motor, with a 4:11 rearend and a turbo 400 transmission.

She followed my instructions to the letter. Foot on brake, car in gear, give it some gas, starts to pull, ease off the brake, a little more gas, tires start to spin - (now she adds her own instructions here) FLOOR IT!

The little bit of squeal from the tires turns into that buzzing sound you hear at the drag strip as cars start their burnout process. And that's just about what it looks like too - we're headed up the ramp at a pretty good clip with white smoke BOILING out of both wheel wells.

At least she didn't let me roll back into the lake...

[Carleton Hughes]

Originally Posted by wbrian63

Back in my much younger days when I was married, the wife and I took my dad's boat out to Lake Houston for a bit of fun. The boat was a 17' Ranger bass boat. It was on a trailer with standard size tires and was always a real pain to launch at a ramp with a low angle.

I got the trailer backed into the water, got the boat off the trailer and over to the dock, then back to the car to move it off the ramp. Took way too much time with many people waiting for me to launch their boats.

On the way out, the wife held the boat at the dock while I retrieved the trailer and made ready to pull the boat out. I told her she was to drive the car and pull me, the boat & trailer out of the water.

In order to get the trailer deep enough to get the boat on, I had to back the car down the ramp to the point where the exhaust pipes were bubbling in the water. The ramp was already wet from numerous other boaters.

I told her to wait for me to get the boat properly latched to the winch, then to put her left foot on the brake, put the car in gear and slowly ease on the gas until she could feel the car start to pull against the brakes - then ease off the brakes and give it a little more gas. I also told her that the tires may start to spin, but not to let off the gas under any circumstances - just let 'em spin a bit and the heat will dry the pavement and you'll regain traction.

The tow car in question was a '77 Pontiac Grand Prix. It had a 400 cu in 4bbl motor, with a 4:11 rearend and a turbo 400 transmission.

She followed my instructions to the letter. Foot on brake, car in gear, give it some gas, starts to pull, ease off the brake, a little more gas, tires start to spin - (now she adds her own instructions here) FLOOR IT!

The little bit of squeal from the tires turns into that buzzing sound you hear at the drag strip as cars start their burnout process. And that's just about what it looks like too - we're headed up the ramp at a pretty good clip with white smoke BOILING out of both wheel wells.

At least she didn't let me roll back into the lake...

When you WERE married......older and wiser now,are we?

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by wbrian63

At least she didn't let me roll back into the lake...

That's always been my fear as my boats gradually have gotten heavier. That I'd be trying to pull it out, the tires would lose traction and I'd be slowly pulled back into the water. I do keep my boat in the water for the whole season, but whenever I do launch or haul it it's done solo. If it's at a busy ramp I'll do it at the crack of dawn so I don't slow anyone else down.

[wbrian63]

When people ask me about my previous life - the married one, that is, I tell 'em "I gave it up for lent"

I don't know about smarter & wiser - I'll leave that to others to judge. I know I'm older, fatter & happier.

[Medmech]

I have a friend that pulls his Boston Whaler Outrage 18 with this W126 350SDL.

[Hatterasguy]

Originally Posted by Howitzer

I have a friend that pulls his Boston Whaler Outrage 18 with this W126 350SDL.

Thats a lot for a W126, the hitch's are not really bolted to much. I sold my hitch with the SD, I should have kept it.

I love sitting down the launch ramp and watching the action! After trailering boats for 12 years I have it down and don't embarrass myself, but some people are make it very difficult.

Real 4wd is king on those steep slick ramps, you need to be able to lock the front axle as well as the rear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOmvW05f7so

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SidAP46Umg8&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AiZhecyxX4&mode=related&search=

[Emmerich]

I think I have been on those ramps before... Use to ski there, nasty water for the most part. We used to see small pickups spinning and going nowhere, we would get 5 or 6 guys in the bed jumping up and down until the truck got up the ramp. I NEVER saw the heat from the wheels dry the pavement.....

Originally Posted by wbrian63

Back in my much younger days when I was married, the wife and I took my dad's boat out to Lake Houston for a bit of fun. The boat was a 17' Ranger bass boat. It was on a trailer with standard size tires and was always a real pain to launch at a ramp with a low angle.

I got the trailer backed into the water, got the boat off the trailer and over to the dock, then back to the car to move it off the ramp. Took way too much time with many people waiting for me to launch their boats.

On the way out, the wife held the boat at the dock while I retrieved the trailer and made ready to pull the boat out. I told her she was to drive the car and pull me, the boat & trailer out of the water.

In order to get the trailer deep enough to get the boat on, I had to back the car down the ramp to the point where the exhaust pipes were bubbling in the water. The ramp was already wet from numerous other boaters.

I told her to wait for me to get the boat properly latched to the winch, then to put her left foot on the brake, put the car in gear and slowly ease on the gas until she could feel the car start to pull against the brakes - then ease off the brakes and give it a little more gas. I also told her that the tires may start to spin, but not to let off the gas under any circumstances - just let 'em spin a bit and the heat will dry the pavement and you'll regain traction.

The tow car in question was a '77 Pontiac Grand Prix. It had a 400 cu in 4bbl motor, with a 4:11 rearend and a turbo 400 transmission.

She followed my instructions to the letter. Foot on brake, car in gear, give it some gas, starts to pull, ease off the brake, a little more gas, tires start to spin - (now she adds her own instructions here) FLOOR IT!

The little bit of squeal from the tires turns into that buzzing sound you hear at the drag strip as cars start their burnout process. And that's just about what it looks like too - we're headed up the ramp at a pretty good clip with white smoke BOILING out of both wheel wells.

At least she didn't let me roll back into the lake...

[wbrian63]

very big difference between the weight over the axles on a small pickup and the weight of a 4000# coupe. Plus, this car was equipped with a factory towing package with a receiver-style hitch that I'll bet weighed 100#'s all by itself.

While I don't know if the pavement would have dried - it seemed plausible at the time. My main concern was that if the tires spun or squealed, she'd let off the gas and we'd roll back into the lake.

Oh - and you're right - that lake is profoundly nasty. Fortunately we can treat water in these modern times. I shudder to think what fish swimming in that swill would even taste like.

[Rahulio1989300E]

Towing is very hard on the transmission right? Could the AMG cars take that abuse for long? Do they have dedicated trans coolers?