Towing Twin Axle Caravan ML 250 or ML350

ajlsl600

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yup it would. you can buy the bar for around 170 and a dedicated harness for 90/120 euro if you have away to fit it. i did but i have yet to bother coding it. the bar itself does not bother the parking sensors or my small trailer. be very careful if you use park assist.. i have tested mine and the ball ends up about 6 inches from the vehicle behind when parking. so i dont use that function. you could pay a bit more for detachable if you like, but i would forget to remove it once and do a grand of damage to someones car .so i just dont use the function
 

sonic

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I towed in the 70's & 80's with a Renault 5TS manual, a 16TS & 16TX auto, plus a 20TS manual.
The 16's had auto gearbox oil coolers, but nothing else on any of the cars.
Never had a problem with cooling on any of the cars, & we used to go to Italy over the Brenner.
 
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ajlsl600

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I towed in the 70's & 80's with a Renault 5TS manual, a 16TS & 16TX auto, plus a 20TS manual.
The 16's had auto gearbox oil coolers, but nothing else on any of the cars.
Never had a problem with cooling on any of the cars, & we used to go to Italy over the Brenner.


yup, progress. thing seems to be,that hardly anyone actually makes that a question at point of sale. and benz ,like many others ? seem to have got away with making the facility an optional extra... maybe next yr seats will join the list !!! thing is ,makers have made assumptions on vehicle spec,s and abilities as std a completely different matter compared with 10/20 r ago, this of course has no effect on customers who have little expectation based on past STD vehicle abilities ... quite clever ,but VERY frustrating if yr over 50,again probably not the mb market given that benz mid range stuff is likely no better than ford.

i have had a good number of cars in the last 40 yr and my ,previous only real consideration regards ,for example towing ,was that a vehicle of at least 2.0 l was a good idea if looking to tow a van. HOW things have moved on !!!!
 

Craiglxviii

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Remember, the extra cooling will be there for towing the design MGTW up the maximum permissible incline while at an ambient temperature of 40 C. So normal towing in U.K. 17 C will likely not be a problem.
 

keefysher

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Thank you. Good advice checking out towing weights in incremental steps - certainly before a long journey.

From what I’ve read cooling only an issue in hot /humid climates (but continent pretty warm on the summer so don’t want to get caught out)

And yes I can imagine the cost to be high to get an upgraded fan fitted.

Be good to hear from others who may have a retro fit tow bar.

In the meantime I’ll contact Mercedes and ask about costs.

My previous W221 S350 was retro fitted with a OEM tow bar. Had it been factory fitted on order it would have been £750 and come with the uprated cooling fan as standard. As the car was built without the tow bar when I wanted to tow and get a bar fitted no one in terms of towbar fitting companies would touch the electronics, lots would do the mechanical bit of a fixed towbar. I ended up with a full retro fit of an OEM towbar c/w electronics and uprated cooling fan.

Had I paid for the towbar it would have been £3500 all in. Mercedes screwed up on the delivery of the towbar and I got the parts gratis with just a fitting charge. They also hired me a Discovery for the first holiday towing a new caravan.

The fan was £80 had I paid for it.

Hence my current GLE 350 having a factory fitted towbar specifically for towing my caravan.

Cars are built to meet the relevant emissions bands and do not necessarily have uprated cooling fans fitted on build.

We have just had record breaking temps here in the UK in July - 38.7 °C

When looking at prospective cars get the Vin Number and put it in here https://www.datamb.com to establish if it has a factory fitted towbar. Most sales people wouldn't have a clue what a towbar is and few ads actually list one.

Also ensure if you go non OEM that the towball is capable of hitching a stabiliser as fitted to modern caravans. You'll need a long neck one. For example Land Rover when fitting replacement tow bars due to failures of a cross member on Discoveries, Range Rover Sports and Range Rovers fitted fixed flange type towballs that do not suit a stabiliser head due to insufficient vertical articulation. Toyota also don't fit long neck lowballs as standard and didn't know of stabilisers requirements.

Modern caravans have 13 pin electrics on a single plug, ensure the full compliment of pins are wired to feed the fridge and stability control system.

If you buy a car without the requisite cooling would you know if it has been used to tow a builders trailer with 3.5t of ballast in it. A car may say it can tow 3.5t, can it actually undertake a hill start fully loaded without overheating the transmission?

Things have moved on since the days of bung a bar on, scothlock the wiring, hitch up and tow off. It aint a cheap way of holidaying anymore. Regulations around towing, tow cars and caravans are onerous in compare to when my dad towed.

A caravan discussion would run to pages.

Its easy to be aware and informed from experienced MB tuggers on here.
 
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Craiglxviii

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Just how many tuggers do we have here Keith? ;)
 

keefysher

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Just how many tuggers do we have here Keith? ;)

I don't know of anyone in HR (Hand Relief / w4nkers) on here, but there are a few caravaners like you, me, Emilys Dad, Grey etc ;)
 

ajlsl600

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Things have moved on since the days of bung a bar on, scothlock the wiring, hitch up and tow off. It aint a cheap way of holidaying


so it seems but it aint for my benefit .just complication to generate cash.(in my view ) they are so clever now it would be easy to have the car see the trailer plugged in ,dash display,do you want rear parking sensors disabled for this trip,yes. job done. i can ,if bored enough talk to my car to get things done ! which if i was disabled i might appreciate ? but supposedly i must visit the stealer to tell the car i have fitted a tow bar to a 4x4,in my view thats bollxxxs. and i WILL get around that soon.
 
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J

Jane31

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My previous W221 S350 was retro fitted with a OEM tow bar. Had it been factory fitted on order it would have been £750 and come with the uprated cooling fan as standard. As the car was built without the tow bar when I wanted to tow and get a bar fitted no one in terms of towbar fitting companies would touch the electronics, lots would do the mechanical bit of a fixed towbar. I ended up with a full retro fit of an OEM towbar c/w electronics and uprated cooling fan.

Had I paid for the towbar it would have been £3500 all in. Mercedes screwed up on the delivery of the towbar and I got the parts gratis with just a fitting charge. They also hired me a Discovery for the first holiday towing a new caravan.

The fan was £80 had I paid for it.

Hence my current GLE 350 having a factory fitted towbar specifically for towing my caravan.

Cars are built to meet the relevant emissions bands and do not necessarily have uprated cooling fans fitted on build.

We have just had record breaking temps here in the UK in July - 38.7 °C

When looking at prospective cars get the Vin Number and put it in here https://www.datamb.com to establish if it has a factory fitted towbar. Most sales people wouldn't have a clue what a towbar is and few ads actually list one.

Also ensure if you go non OEM that the towball is capable of hitching a stabiliser as fitted to modern caravans. You'll need a long neck one. For example Land Rover when fitting replacement tow bars due to failures of a cross member on Discoveries, Range Rover Sports and Range Rovers fitted fixed flange type towballs that do not suit a stabiliser head due to insufficient vertical articulation. Toyota also don't fit long neck lowballs as standard and didn't know of stabilisers requirements.

Modern caravans have 13 pin electrics on a single plug, ensure the full compliment of pins are wired to feed the fridge and stability control system.

If you buy a car without the requisite cooling would you know if it has been used to tow a builders trailer with 3.5t of ballast in it. A car may say it can tow 3.5t, can it actually undertake a hill start fully loaded without overheating the transmission?

Things have moved on since the days of bung a bar on, scothlock the wiring, hitch up and tow off. It aint a cheap way of holidaying anymore. Regulations around towing, tow cars and caravans are onerous in compare to when my dad towed.

A caravan discussion would run to pages.

Its easy to be aware and informed from experienced MB tuggers on here.


Great thanks.

The link to check out when the tow bar was fitted will be a great help. 3500 for Mercedes to fit is a big ask. But as previous posts point out better than burning out the transmission.
Starting to pin point what we are looking for so fingers crossed I can find it.
 

keefysher

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Great thanks.

The link to check out when the tow bar was fitted will be a great help. 3500 for Mercedes to fit is a big ask. But as previous posts point out better than burning out the transmission.
Starting to pin point what we are looking for so fingers crossed I can find it.

If you put your location in your profile, budget etc someone (JBell) will do a search for you no doubt and give you some stonking options.

Emilys Dad got a cracking ML350 recently c/w factory towbar, heated rear seats, off road pack in an unusual burgundy colour on a 14 plate.

One here: https://stock.mercedes-benz.co.uk/used/vehicle-details/ml-350--bluetec/WDC1660242A289134/43?csref=ppc1907080038_mc_sem_Brand - Core (Exact)_ci-Google_si-g_pi-1t2_cri-266878042982_ai-none

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classi...sing-location=at_cars&fuel-type=Diesel&page=1
 
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sonic

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Interesting point on overheating the auto gearbox, I assume the oil cooler is now built into the radiator?
Yet back in the 70's both of my Renault 16's had the additional oil coolers, but not where the electric fan would assist cooling. So totally dependant on air ram effect.
I am still not convinced all this additional cooling is needed when towing. Seems to me to be a cash cow for the motor industry?
 

ajlsl600

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clk3202001,sl6002003 with everything regrettably sold ,A class 170cdi auto. NG/TF1800 ML250
Interesting point on overheating the auto gearbox, I assume the oil cooler is now built into the radiator?
Yet back in the 70's both of my Renault 16's had the additional oil coolers, but not where the electric fan would assist cooling. So totally dependant on air ram effect.
I am still not convinced all this additional cooling is needed when towing. Seems to me to be a cash cow for the motor industry?


i am inclined to agree. simply put ML,s with the bar ect fitted are hard to find in the non dealer used market. and dealing with the matter the benz way (cost) basically means find another type. i have never previously had to change anything in order to tow decent loads, benz.ford.audi .Peugeot. but have no issues believing mr benz and maybe others now do such a marginal design to save costs that not upgrading cooling may well create an issue. if its not marginal, why does the issue even come up ?. and thats why i will go about it in an incremental manner until i KNOW differently . on other posts here if i see the upgraded fan at £80 i will get it but will fall over in shock if its that simple....ie a straight replacement of original fit.
i think if the OP wants to tow at max permitted yr round the 350 will be a better bet.
 

Craiglxviii

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970 Panamera Turbo; W221 S500L AMG Line, C215 CL500, W251 R350L AMG Line, plus several more now gone
Interesting point on overheating the auto gearbox, I assume the oil cooler is now built into the radiator?
Yet back in the 70's both of my Renault 16's had the additional oil coolers, but not where the electric fan would assist cooling. So totally dependant on air ram effect.
I am still not convinced all this additional cooling is needed when towing. Seems to me to be a cash cow for the motor industry?
I posted this above. Additional cooling IS necessary. If you’re going up a 1-in-4 hill in the Serengeti sometime midsummer, towing MGTW... because the car is a global model and not sold to national markets.
 

Craiglxviii

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i am inclined to agree. simply put ML,s with the bar ect fitted are hard to find in the non dealer used market. and dealing with the matter the benz way (cost) basically means find another type. i have never previously had to change anything in order to tow decent loads, benz.ford.audi .Peugeot. but have no issues believing mr benz and maybe others now do such a marginal design to save costs that not upgrading cooling may well create an issue. if its not marginal, why does the issue even come up ?. and thats why i will go about it in an incremental manner until i KNOW differently . on other posts here if i see the upgraded fan at £80 i will get it but will fall over in shock if its that simple....ie a straight replacement of original fit.
i think if the OP wants to tow at max permitted yr round the 350 will be a better bet.
I’d choose a 350 if ££ permitted every time.
 

ajlsl600

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auto trader car v nice but almost 6k more than i paid for my 13 ml250. so would not have been on my list
 
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Jane31

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Thanks everyone. I’m in Liverpool and max price is 18,000. So will be on the look out
Thanks again
 

ajlsl600

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clk3202001,sl6002003 with everything regrettably sold ,A class 170cdi auto. NG/TF1800 ML250
Thanks everyone. I’m in Liverpool and max price is 18,000. So will be on the look out
Thanks again


thats close to what i gave for 12/13 ml250 so called amg line. 52k miles v good nic , leather. but no bar/electrics, reverse cam or folding mirrors. unmarked in or out. nice motor but nothing special just practical. good luck.
 

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Looking at towing in a hot climate, I towed a 1600kg van for many years in Oz with my ML270. Never a problem with engine coolant - the fan cut in when necessary and kept the temp under 95°. However, it is a totally different situation with the auto tranny. The heat exchanger fitted is useless in hot temps and my fluid went black very quickly. Wouldn't change up gears after a long ascent until temp returned to acceptable. Only solution was an added radiator in the front with tranny fluid going through it. From the time of fitting it, nary a problem and oil stayed nice and clear. If you are going to tow any decent weight in a Euro summer, I suggest you look at doing something similar.

Ian.
 


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