towing with auto

[simbadthesailer]

Hi guys

I own a E220 saloon late 1995 model petrol auto. and i want to tow a caravan with it.its a 2.2 engine with lots of power.will there be a problem
towing. and the wieght i can tow will be a help.regards simbadthesailer

 

[jberks]

No the E220 Auto should be a fine tow car. (I used to tow with a W123 250 Auto E class). It won't be as good as the bigger engines or diesels obviously but for normal caravan type stuff it should be pefectly ok. There is certainly no problem around towing with an auto. Ther are some concerns around gearboxes overheating but if you're towing around the UK and not climbing mountains you should be fine. I can't quote the maximum tow weight but it will be detailed in the tech stuff at the back of the manual.

 

[MercAl]

I tow a caravan with a C220 CDI. Which is a smaller car but nonetheless a superb towcar. There is a site, (cant remember the name...but I'll have a search for it and get back to you), which you input your car and caravan, and it tells you how good your match is. Before I started towing, I done some research and apart from Kia Sorento, Land Rover Discovery, etc, MB came out very favourably, and particularly the E Class models, so I can't see you going wrong. Whilst engine size, torque, etc, is important, the unladen weight, kerb weight, etc, is equally important, and thats where MB's come into their own.
As jberks says, there has been some talk about fitting fans for the auto gearbox, but unless you plan on climbing lots of steep hills, I don't think it would be an issue. I have a manual, and bought it specifically with towing in mind, but I would'nt hesitate to tow with an auto.
There are a few Caravan forums, Caravan Talk, Touring and Tenting to name but a couple. If you have a look through the forums there, you'll find lots of guys towing with MB's of various models, and none of them have a bad word to say about MB as a towcar.
If you're having difficulty getting on to these forums, let me know and I'll post some links.
Good luck.

 

[simbadthesailer]

No the E220 Auto should be a fine tow car. (I used to tow with a W123 250 Auto E class). It won't be as good as the bigger engines or diesels obviously but for normal caravan type stuff it should be pefectly ok. There is certainly no problem around towing with an auto. Ther are some concerns around gearboxes overheating but if you're towing around the UK and not climbing mountains you should be fine. I can't quote the maximum tow weight but it will be detailed in the tech stuff at the back of the manual.

Hi jberks. thanks very much for your quick reply thats great news i will go ahead and fit a towbar.and look for a van.all the very best my friend
simbadthesailer

 

[comfort zone]

Try this site for your car/caravan match!
http://www.whattowcar.com/

 

[124coupe]

Worth checking when the auto box fluid and filter was last changed (should be every 30odd thousand miles). Towing will increase wear and tear and not wise if the fluid is already past its normal lifetime.

 

[jberks]

Worth checking when the auto box fluid and filter was last changed (should be every 30odd thousand miles). Towing will increase wear and tear and not wise if the fluid is already past its normal lifetime.

wise advice - an often neglected service item once they move away from the dealer. I had to get my dad to ensure this was done on his C as I'm sure his mechanic would never have thought of it and the last time it would have been done was 6 years ago when it was mine and maintained at the dealer. It was listed as every 40k on the C220 but may be 30 on the E.

 

[SJMaxson]

E220 tow car

I towed our caravan with our W124 E220 auto for three years. No problems: more than enough power, no problems with temperatures or over-heating. We did have it serviced by MB or independents - with gearbox oil being changed in accordance with the schedule.

We now tow with a manual 4x4 (not a Merc, sad to say) and I miss the auto box for towing.

Enjoy both the towing and the caravanning!

 

[simbadthesailer]

thanks very much SJ
thats what i wanted to hear.i am going to chang the gearbox oil the same time i get the towbar on.and then look for a van.cheers regards.simbad