C220 'Van Towing

Brizzle

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Please don't hate me for this .... SWMBO and I are thinking of getting another caravan.

We had one when our own kids were young and now that a couple of the grand-kids are at junior/infants school we thought it would be nice to be able to get away for the weekend with them.

Not sure what 'van we will get yet but it'll have to be a 4-berth one with all mod-cons so a reasonable weight.

My question is; how good is the C220 (W204) estate for towing something like that? My previous tugs were all Discoveries (both V8 petrol/LPG and diesel).

Any experiences would be gratefully received :)
 

grayb

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Hi Steve, I can't give you direct experience but a friend of ours had W204 C250CDI estate pulling a Sterling 570 2-berth caravan. He had issues in that it never felt very stable, so much so that it made him slow right down sometimes. His W204 was a Sport model so the lowered suspension might have had something to do with it. When we saw it hitched up, the back looked very low. He only kept the car for one season and swapped it for a Volvo XC60 (previous model) which worked much better for him and his van.
 

Craiglxviii

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We have a W211 E320 estate and have just bought a 5-berth single axle for it to tow. Our car is fine to tow a caravan of upto 1500kg MTPLM. Your 204 has a maximum braked towing weight if 1800kg, and at the 85% ratio recommended you can tow a ‘van of upto 1350kg. That would include most all British built 4 berths.
 
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Brizzle

Brizzle

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Hi Steve, I can't give you direct experience but a friend of ours had W204 C250CDI estate pulling a Sterling 570 2-berth caravan. He had issues in that it never felt very stable, so much so that it made him slow right down sometimes. His W204 was a Sport model so the lowered suspension might have had something to do with it. When we saw it hitched up, the back looked very low. He only kept the car for one season and swapped it for a Volvo XC60 (previous model) which worked much better for him and his van.

Hi grayb, thanks for the input. Ours is a sport model too and I saw one at the weekend towing a medium sized caravan and, as you said, it looked really low on the back end. I did wonder too, if the lack of horses under the bonnet might be an issue?
 
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Brizzle

Brizzle

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We have a W211 E320 estate and have just bought a 5-berth single axle for it to tow. Our car is fine to tow a caravan of upto 1500kg MTPLM. Your 204 has a maximum braked towing weight if 1800kg, and at the 85% ratio recommended you can tow a ‘van of upto 1350kg. That would include most all British built 4 berths.

Hi Craig, thanks for the comment. An E320 would be my first choice as a replacement for the C220. 'Er indoors keeps harping about the fact we should have kept the last Discovery but that itch has been well and truly scratched - I've had eight of them - and I have no inkling to return that way. Apart from anything else the repair bills for the D3 & D4 can get horrendous :(
 

grayb

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I don't think our friend felt a lack of power, but he did have the C250 I think. The self-levelling rear suspension on the E-Class makes all the difference, I think.
 
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Brizzle

Brizzle

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Hmm, I think an E Class is looking more and more interesting by the minute :)

There are loads of 220s on Autotrader but not so many newer (2010-2012) 320s. I guess I'll just have to keep looking :)
 

Craiglxviii

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You could look for a 350, as that is what the 320 became after 2010-11.
 

grayb

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Hmm, I think an E Class is looking more and more interesting by the minute :)

There are loads of 220s on Autotrader but not so many newer (2010-2012) 320s. I guess I'll just have to keep looking :)
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