w124 towbar

[stephenson]

I'd like to fit a towbar to my w124 1993 220TE 7 seater. Had a look underneath but didn't see any fixing points. Is there a plug/socket for towbar electrics? Would consider after market towbar but don't really want to make any mods to bodywork.

 

[OlafMaxwell]

Most cars have towbar mounting points. A call to a good towbar specialist will sort it out for you. As far as I know the wiring slots in too but most towbar installers will do the wiring too. I know Merc towbar wiring now seems to come with 13 pin sockets but the adaptor from 13 to 7 pin is readily available. This alsomeans the car warning system picks up blown trailer bulbs!!

 

[paulcallender]

I have a 1990 230TE with a towbar. There are no built in mounting points. The forward mounts of the towbar bolt through the floor, to a point underneath the backrest portion of the rearmost seats (and under the carpet/trim). There are 2 strengthening plates on the inside of the car. The rearmost part of the towbar bolts to a sill at the rear of the car.

The electrics, as I see it, just splice into the existing wiring in a typically amateur way.

Perhaps there are different styles of towbar, with different fittings etc. but mine seems to be a fairly simple affair.

 

[Ian McB]

A Mate with a 1995 300TD has just bought a towbar from a neighbour of mine that was fitted to a 300 4-Matic estate for £25. It's a genuine MB part with the detatchable towball marked as-
ORIS 107.1270.255
Daimler Benz 1245841821

Are there different types of mountings for the 124 estate? I ask because he will be towing a 17ft caravan.The main section of the mounting is a box section that fits up and under the bumper.There are 4 bolt holes,2 each side about 3 inches apart. I would have thought that there would have been more of a framework to spread the load just as PaulCallender describes in his last posting.Sorry I don't have pics of the towbar and mountings.

If any of you chaps(or chap-esses) can shed some light on this, it would be a great help.If possible,any pics/info/specs of the different types of mountings would be brilliant. My local dealer was fine enough till I mentioned that neither the car or towbar was from themselves.

Many thanks
Ian

 

[stephenson]

Finally fitted

Bought a second hand PCT towbar from Mercland for ~ £75. On reflection it wasn't really worth it as you can get a new one for about £100 including towball, electrics and postage!

The PCT towbar has 3 mounting points. The single forward one locates in an existing large hole just forward of the petrol tank. You neet to drill up from this hole to create a hole in the floor, then fit a large bush (which came with the towbar) to take the bolt and prevent the floor and chassis being crushed together when you tighen the bolt. I gave up trying to raise the rear of the towbar to mark out the rear mounting holes, after I separated my rusty exhaust pipe from its back box!

A local garage fitted a new back box and the towbar. They stated that when I needed to replace the exhaust in the future the towbar would need to be removed!

I still needed to fit the electrics myself which meant a visit to Halfords to buy some cable, connectors and a relay!