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Old 12-06-2016, 03:37 AM   #1
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Towing With SUV

My spouse and I are still in the process of selecting a travel trailer. The one issue we have is towing with our current SUV, Mercedes ML350 4Matic with company installed tow package. We recently purchased the vehicle and do not want to change. We are looking at several of the lite models from Forest River, the surveyor 201rbs, keystone ultra lite 21RBS, Gulf Stream Vintage Cruiser 23RRS with dry weight capacity of 4325. The Mercedes can tow up to 7200lbs. Has anyone used a similar SUV to tow?
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Old 12-06-2016, 06:59 AM   #2
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First look at the GVWR of the trailer and not the empty weight. Use this number to select a trailer (the actual sticker on the trailer not the advertised weights in brochures). Empty weight is meaningless at its not real (you never tow with a totally empty trailer except when you first bring it home from the dealer). Next look at the hitch weight and make sure your SUV can handle it.

While I don't have a Mercedes, I do have a Dodge Durango SUV with a tow capacity of 7100lbs and will share my experience. I have a Grand Design 2150RB with a GVWR of 6695 and a hitch weight of 520lbs. It is 27ft long. I would not recommend anything longer than this. I have towed this trailer up and down 6% plus grades without problems. I do not load the trailer to capacity. Mine loaded weighs around 6100lbs.

In addition you will most likely need 3rd party mirror extensions.

When a semi passes me no sway. This is important for driving comfort.

Also buy a good weight distribution hitch system such as a Equalizer 4 point as I have or for the big bucks a Hensley or Pro Pride.

Hope this helps and good luck.
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Old 12-06-2016, 12:44 PM   #3
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Thank you. We are considering the same grand design. How do you like it? The quality and will it accommodate another couple, at times. It's mostly for the 2 of us, on occasions 4 adults.
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Old 12-06-2016, 05:56 PM   #4
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The Mercedes has a very short wheelbase so it will not make a very stable tow vehicle. Also the tongue weight listed in the brochure is the dry tongue weight. The actual tongue weight will be closer to 700 pounds.
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Old 12-06-2016, 06:05 PM   #5
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Towing With SUV

Also note the weight distribution hitch (Required IMHO) will weigh in around 100# that must be added to the hitch weight.

My dealer sold me a trailer that had a 350# hitch weight unloaded. The max tongue weight for my SUV was 350# so he didn't recommend a wdh. HUGE MISTAKE. That rig was so scary to drive my family NEVER rode with me while towing.

I have been amazed how light and effective the Andersen wdh is, you might take a look if your rig needs a wdh.
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Old 12-06-2016, 06:27 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohau8622 View Post
My spouse and I are still in the process of selecting a travel trailer. The one issue we have is towing with our current SUV, Mercedes ML350 4Matic with company installed tow package. We recently purchased the vehicle and do not want to change. We are looking at several of the lite models from Forest River, the surveyor 201rbs, keystone ultra lite 21RBS, Gulf Stream Vintage Cruiser 23RRS with dry weight capacity of 4325. The Mercedes can tow up to 7200lbs. Has anyone used a similar SUV to tow?
I towed a 4000 lb. 23 ft. length TT with a V8 Volkswagen Touareg, it also was rated to tow about a 7,000 lb. trailer. It had Air Suspension to maintain same vehicle height with or without trailer tongue weight applied. and so I did not need a weight distribution hitch, per the VW Touareg owner's manual. I did use an Anti-Sway accessory. Check your ML 350 owners manual towing section, if you don't have Air Suspension then chances are you will need a weight distribution hitch. Fuel mileage dropped from 18 to 10.5 mpg on the Touareg when towing at 65 MPH, so range was an issue when towing. The other issue I had was how much wider the TT is than the SUV, so visibility was an issue, even with extended mirrors.

Be sure to add a good Electric Trailer Brake Controller, and be sure to follow the procedure to set it up so that the trailer brakes are set to help stop but not lock up. Also be sure to raise the rear tire pressures to the max. on the door sticker when towing the TT.
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Old 12-06-2016, 07:40 PM   #7
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During Int'l Travel to Germany, I saw that Towing is approached somewhat differently.

Click on some of these Pictures to then read everything from Tow Vehicle Tests to Suspension preferences, etc...

- Mercedes -> Trailer Towing Pictures -
.
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Old 12-06-2016, 10:40 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by ohau8622 View Post
The Mercedes can tow up to 7200lbs.
Read that sentence slowly and put on your skeptics hat. "Up to" means max, but very few ML-350 4Matics can tow a TT that weighs 7,200 without being overloaded over the payload capacity of your wonderful SUV.

Your limiter as to max trailer weight you can tow without being overloaded is the GVWR of your SUV. GVWR determines payload capacity, and payload capacity determines max tongue weight you can have without being overloaded.

To be certain before you spend any money on too-heavy a trailer, load the SUV with everybody and everything that will be in it when towing. Driver, passengers, pets, drinks, spare tire and jack and lug wrench, and anything that weighs more than a handkerchef. Drive to a truck stop that has a certified automated truck (CAT) scale, fill up with fuel, then weigh the wet and loaded SUV. Subtract the wet and loaded weight of the SUV from the GVWR of the SUV and the answer is the max payload capacity available for hitch weight. Subtract about 100 pounds for a good weight-distributing hitch from the max payload capacity available for hitch weight and the answer is the max payload capacity available for tongue weight

Divide the max payload capacity available for tongue weight by 0.13 and the answer is the max GVWR of any tandem-axle TT you want to buy.

Guaranteed, the max GVWR of any tandem-axle TT you want to buy will be a lot less than 7,200 pounds. The Surveyor 201RBS you mentioned has UVW of 4158 plus CCC of 1267 for a GVWR around 5,425. Wet and loaded tongue weight for that TT will probably be about 705 pounds. So your ML-350 might be able to tow that trailer without being overloaded if you can convince DW to go easy on the weight in the trailer and in the SUV when on the road.
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Old 12-07-2016, 06:04 AM   #9
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We do like the floorplan and the quality is better than most. Very open feeling when the slide is out. Most important is you can get to the bathroom and refrigerator without slide open. Very important when on the road.

The sofa will open to a bed and 2 people can sleep on it. How comfortable?

Tow mirror extension will be important as is a WDH.

The GD has a pre-wired rear view mirror location. I have installed a Voyager camera wired to running lights not the wires provided at they are powered all the time. Great addition.

Go look at one. During the 3 hour PDI only had 2 minor fixes.

Aside from good quality, a all season unit, enclosed belly the customer service of GDis rated excellent unlike most of the other manufacturers. Winnebago just bought them.

Good Luck
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Old 12-07-2016, 08:07 AM   #10
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Any TT with GVWR of 6,695 will probably overload the ML350 over it's payload capacity. When the TT is loaded to 6,000 pounds the tongue weight will be about 780 pounds, plus another hundred pounds or so for the weight of a good WD hitch, for a total hitch weight of 880 pounds. When your SUV is loaded with people and other stuff you want to take camping, will you still have 880 pounds of payload capacity available for hitch weight? Only the CAT scale knows for sure.
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Old 12-07-2016, 08:32 AM   #11
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I don't think he likes what you're telling him. I think his mind is made up.
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Old 12-07-2016, 08:56 AM   #12
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When we owned our VW Touareg Diesel with Air Suspension we towed a 21ft travel trailer all the way to Fairbanks Alaska from Phoenix. There are a lot of skeptics when it comes to towing with a mid-sized SUV. We had zero issues and the Touareg handled the load extremely well - no sway whatsoever. We did use a weight distributing hitch - yes, it's heavier but it really makes a difference and we did use a sway bar.
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Old 12-07-2016, 09:37 AM   #13
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I was towing with my ML for the last 4 years, put tens thousands of miles. I have full trust in this vehicle, its truly amazing, when towing and great to live with when not. I would only advise you to consider going to Canam in Ontario and get your hitch receiver reinforced to handle additional weight and weight distributing forces. And I doubt that your Mercedes dealer knows how to install brake control. Go to canamrv.ca first.
Good luck.
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Old 12-08-2016, 05:20 AM   #14
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Thank you all. We may trade the Mercedes for a Tahoe. We will be in FL for 2 weeks and plan on going to a few RV dealers.
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