E class towing

[219]

The two AMG's I had weren't homolgated. It had nothing to do with the "body kit". MB just didn't bother homologating them.

That comment has got me wondering...

I wonder if it is possible to take a vehicle for IVA ( individual vehicle approval ) as done by people who import cars or build kits , with a view to having it approved for towing?

 

[Londonscottish]

That comment has got me wondering...

I wonder if it is possible to take a vehicle for IVA ( individual vehicle approval ) as done by people who import cars or build kits , with a view to having it approved for towing?

I guess in theory it should be possible if you are persistent enough. If you're talking W202 C Class, the cars probably have the same floor pans/pick up points and so on. "Better" suspension, more powerful brakes etc. You might have to take a bite out of the rear valance but that's just cosmetic. It's just the fact that someone figured that people likely to tow at the time would probably not choose an AMG. And so didn't submit the C43, in this case, for testing.

 

[Titchyferret]

MB are saying (correctly) that the car is not legally permitted to tow anything. That's not the same as it being physically incapable of doing so, and something must have been seriously wrong to get the symptoms you describe. What experience does your dad have with caravans and towing? I would suggest that the caravan was either overloaded (was the weight checked?) or balanced incorrectly (too little noseweight, or badly loaded with counterbalancing weight at both ends or weight high up). The other possibility is that the tyre pressures were wrong (you should generally use the highest plated figures on the car when towing, and caravan tyres normally run at much higher pressures than most people realise), or there was a problem with the stabilising hitch (had all the black coating been removed from the towball? Could there have been grease contamination on the friction pads?). Or any combination of the above.

Don't get me wrong - MB made a huge mistake in supplying the car with a towbar because this is illegal (even if you don't actually tow anything with it). But I'm sure there's nothing fundamental about the car that would cause the issue you described - other models in the range will be pretty much identical physically and will have been type-approved to tow.

Hi and thanks for your reply. My dad has been towing for over 40 years and this the first issue he has ever had like this. I spoke to my dad and his response is as follows:
The caravan was loaded as it should be, all paint was removed from tow ball before using it (not one spot of grease). I also check that when I am on site ie traffic film), pads inside hitch cleaned of any grease as well, every item was weighed which was put in caravan, nothing put in top lockers all items loaded low down, higher weight items over or as near as possible over wheel arch, nose weight checked 84 kilos
(did not have a nose weight for this car as it’s not in handbook) but it does say in book that not all vehicles might not be in book when it goes to print, so I went by the nose weights of the cars in the book. I have always been very fastidious about weights, tyre pressures, I check & recheck I have always checked & rechecked tyre pressures from various inflators. I have more confidence in my own inflator in conjunction with my own gauge(when tyres are cold). Regarding this car I have the weight of every item that was in the car as well, including mum & I. We went to a public weigh bridge when I arrived home with car & caravan completely empty, then when I got home I checked the total weights that we had when travelling. As I have maintained, when they talk about 85%, it’s not only that it’s the motorways with big lorries/ coaches etc, sometimes each side of you , joining motorway at the side of you, some pulling across the front of you. I adjust my speed & am ready for these other vehicles as they approach, have never had a problem with that in the past, this car just does not like it.

We have now come to an agreement with the MB dealer, who are buying my dads car back (for what he paid for it 5 months ago), they are paying him back the cost of the tow bar and fitting and have done him a deal on a newer E220D SE.
Whilst in a different MB dealership looking at their new car (but part of the same franchise), the salesman there was very informative. He simply looked at the spec of my dads current car and said that if the car has an 'ECO PACKAGE' included then it cannot tow and that is the reason for the entry in the manual. The ECO PACKAGE includes changes to the cars suspension which would in all likelihood cause the issues my dad experienced with the feeling of the caravan controlling the car. It would also appear that there was a 'mistake' when the car was manufactured as it should not have had a GVW on the VIN plate !
Anyway, whilst we have a resolution (at more expense to my parents) I can honestly say the experience with Mercedes Benz customer service has been nothing short of atrocious !

 

[PXW]

Thanks - good to hear that your parents have managed a satisfactory outcome to what must have been a very scary incident. Errors on the VIN plate sound a tad worrying though!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

The two AMG's I had weren't homolgated. It had nothing to do with the "body kit". MB just didn't bother homologating them.

Very few AMGs are homologated for towing, but some are. My comments regarding AMG bodykit was with respect to cars which are AMG line, AMG Sport or similar (eg E220 “AMG”), but which are not AMG (eg E63 AMG). Each of those trim levels the E220 is available in must homologated for towing, and Daimler AG don’t submit tr AMG line, AMG Sport or similar for homologation.

 

[Jswd32]

I think there is something about not using Distronic plus (radar cruise) when towing. I have Distronic plus on my car and you can tell it shouldn't be used while towing, as it can brake hard in certain situations, especially when cars pull in front of you. The car may of had lane keep assist on as well which works in tandem with Distronic Plus, this will control th steering to an extent. Also I believe that 84kg nose weight is literally the maximum recommended for this car, so it could of been pushing it to the limits. Good to see it had been resolved with a positive outcome though. Also very bizarre that you had a GTW on the vin, you can see why the dealer went ahead and fitted it, as that's all that tow-bar fitters look for, they wouldn't check the owners manual. It does clearly state that this car can not tow in the owners manual.

 

[cezar]

reading this makes me scared. was looking at the topic as I do some research on wheather i can tow with my car or not.

first of all I have no tow bar now; can it be officially fitted?
second how should i know if the car is homologated for towing? i have weights in the cars paper. is this enough?
and third how practical it is to tow with 350CGI (caravan roughly 1000-1200 kg)?

appreciate any feedback

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

reading this makes me scared. was looking at the topic as I do some research on wheather i can tow with my car or not.

first of all I have no tow bar now; can it be officially fitted?
second how should i know if the car is homologated for towing? i have weights in the cars paper. is this enough?
and third how practical it is to tow with 350CGI (caravan roughly 1000-1200 kg)?

appreciate any feedback

Your VIN plate is all you need. It could be in several locations, but check inside your driver’s door.

This link show a VIN plate and how to read it: Maximum Towing Weight

 

[cezar]

Appreciate the swift reply. I have on the passenger door a “sticker” plate with this data (have to check exactly the content). Is there another proper (metal) plate anywhere else?

LE any known experience on towing with this engine (350CGI)?

 

[renault12ts]

Appreciate the swift reply. I have on the passenger door a “sticker” plate with this data (have to check exactly the content). Is there another proper (metal) plate anywhere else?

LE any known experience on towing with this engine (350CGI)?

Well...it's a big petrol, so it's got to be good.

 

[cezar]

That’s the plate (aka sticker)



So I guess it should be homologated

Well...it's a big petrol, so it's got to be good.

I was hoping to hear some experiences as it is well known that diesels are preferred for towing due to high torque.

 

[cezar]

LE: so basically reading the plate I should be able to tow up to 2000 kg. Checked on a website (Outfit Matching Car and Caravan) best combination car model and caravan and in order to get a perfect score it was recommended ding maximum around 1100 kg. Quite a big difference compared to 2000 kg.

 

[renault12ts]

That’s the plate (aka sticker)

View attachment 88225

So I guess it should be homologated



I was hoping to hear some experiences as it is well known that diesels are preferred for towing due to high torque.

The 350 petrol will have plenty of torque. Less than the diesel equivalent, but more than the smaller diesels...which make good tow cars.

 

[cezar]

Any suggestion to what the best approach on having a tow bar installed? Should I just go to a MB dealership and ask. Anything to be careful of?

 

[Benzowner]

LE: so basically reading the plate I should be able to tow up to 2000 kg. Checked on a website (Outfit Matching Car and Caravan) best combination car model and caravan and in order to get a perfect score it was recommended ding maximum around 1100 kg. Quite a big difference compared to 2000 kg.

That's because they work on the 85% advisory level I would suspect, still does seem low though

 

[219]

Any suggestion to what the best approach on having a tow bar installed? Should I just go to a MB dealership and ask. Anything to be careful of?

Just the cost ; an independent towbar specialist will charge much less to supply and fit the same bar , you may need to go to an MB specialist to get the electrics coded , though better towbar places will do this too .

 

[219]

That's because they work on the 85% advisory level I would suspect, still does seem low though

Seems very low , against a kerbweight of 2280 Kg ; 2000 kg seems a perfectly reasonable trailer weight , I’d go with the manufacturer rather than a magazine .

 

[cezar]

i'll look for options to fit the towbar and see afterwards.

in the meantime i'm looking for the best match in terms of caravan. oscillating between 1 and 2 axles. for whatever reason 2 axles seems better, but it brings additional weight.

i know it's a long shot to ask, but are there any "MB recommended" caravans?

 

[219]

i'll look for options to fit the towbar and see afterwards.

in the meantime i'm looking for the best match in terms of caravan. oscillating between 1 and 2 axles. for whatever reason 2 axles seems better, but it brings additional weight.

i know it's a long shot to ask, but are there any "MB recommended" caravans?

If you want a good , German caravan to match your MB , then Hymer or Burstner are probably best .

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

i'll look for options to fit the towbar and see afterwards.

in the meantime i'm looking for the best match in terms of caravan. oscillating between 1 and 2 axles. for whatever reason 2 axles seems better, but it brings additional weight.

i know it's a long shot to ask, but are there any "MB recommended" caravans?

I don’t believe Mercedes recommend caravans. Try a few layouts from different manufacturers, and see which you like best.

Twin axle caravans typically offer a little more interior space, are more stable than single axle caravans, less likely to snake, less susceptible to side winds, and are easier to reverse. Drawbacks are rhat they’re almost impossible to manouvere “by hand”, you need to be hooked up to the car or have motor movers fitted.