BenzoAMGpower

Anyone have any experience towing a small boat or trailer with a GLK350? Gas mileage? Enough torque? Any OEM trailer hitch issues? etc....

We are purchasing a GLK350 in the coming year and will be towing a 17' Flats Skiff with it. Thanks for the input...

MB_Owner

No towing experience with the GLK but you should have plenty of capacity for a 17 foot Skiff...Owner's Manual lists max 3500 lbs/280 lb tongue weight. The engine certainly has plenty of grunt.

BTW, my German Owner's Manual lists 2000 kg (4400 lbs). No idea why the lower limit in the US but that tells me there's towing capacity well beyond the listed 3500 lb limit.

Anyone know if the cooling system is beefed up with a factory install of the trailer hitch?

NYCGLK

I have factory hitch and not aware of any upgrades to the cooling system. That option is only about 500 bux, so doubt it includes anything other than the hitch. The factry hitch is installed very well, so def recomment to get it if you have the need as opposed to getting it after the fact.

I got mine only because the car came with it. I haven't towed anything yet either.

MB Owner, I think the max amount is not what GLK can tow, but what Government think it can tow on public roads. So the oppinions in US and Europe might differ. I think 3500lb in US just reflects class II towing since GLK doesn't qualify for class 3 (5000lb). It's good to know that limit in Europe is higher meaning that 3500lb is rather conservative number, however I wonder if the hitch is different for US spec vs. EU spec car (doubt it).

Donutboy

i have 2 jet skis on a trailer that i sometimes attach to my hitch and pull out of the garage and just let them sit attached to my GLK; i read in the owners manual that you have to stay at high rpms when towing though, but i havent actually towed them on the road; in your case you should be fine with a 17 foot boat though, i asked the salesman about that at mercedes when i bought my car

ZGRMNS

"Will it pull?"

3300 lbs BMW Z4 M Coupe
1250 lbs Featherlite trailer with electric brakes
----------
4550 lbs Total

A bit over the Euro spec. I have zero experience with towing. Will +150 lbs put me in the "don't try it" category?

venchka

Above 1,500 pounds trailer weight, your trailer needs brakes.

Wayne

GLKKa2H

It depends - on which MY you're referring to. The Permissible trailer load, braked, ("Euro spec") used to be 2000kg/4400 lbs total, but with the MY 2013 the total is increased to 2400kg/5291 lbs.

ZGRMNS

<2012

venchka

Is that for the CDI engine with the extra torque compared to the petrol 350? Do you know the corresponding maximum tongue weight?

Wayne

GLKKa2H

<2012:
1. Trailer tow hitch retrofitted, not with increased capacity of engine cooling or programmed Signal Acquisition/Activation Module (SAM) for Electronic Trailer Stability Control = NO GO.

2. OEM factory fitted tow hitch, zero experience with towing, 4550 lbs Total = no.

GLKKa2H

The figures applies for the GLK 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY (petrol) as well. The The Permissible trailer load, unbraked, is 1653 lbs.

Maximum tongue weight is unfortunately not given in the list of technical data on the German GLK Konfigurator, and are yet to be listed in the Trailer tow hitch section of the (2013) GLK Operator's Manual. Sorry.

venchka

Thank you!

Wayne

dvg

Guys from the States, could I ask you to check with your MB dealer how much is the original hitch+instalation and original alluminum running boards+instalation and will it possible to to make an appointment and to do it at once. I am in Toronto and our prices are to high. For example, the boards+job(3 hours) is about $1300. Thinking about going to Detroit or Buffalo to get the job done to save some money. Thanks.

dvg

On MB website I found out that I can save about $200 on both: running boards and hitch - they are both about $100 less. I don't know what sales tax will be in MI and NY, we have 13% in Ontario. Another thing, how much is the labor in MB USA? We have $50/h in Canada. Thank you! 3 hours to do the boards, I will ask how many hours for the hitch.

Ezbnme

I pull a 3 Seater Jetski (Approx 500pounds) + Trailer Weight with no Problem. The Hitch isn't OEM I installed it myself. Pulls Fine to the Marina and Definately has no Problem pulling Jetski out of Water, even on the Steepest Ramp I've come across this Summer............Have Fun

gweigle

With the GLK350, 2013, and an after-market trailer hitch, check to make sure there's enough clearance between the hitch frame and the lower bumper area surface for the safety chains to pass between the hitch frame and the lower bumper area surface and perrmit the chain hook to be secured in the frame's hook holes. Also, do not get a hitch ball bar which would lower the horizontal height of the ball when the trailer is attached.
You'll see that the bars are usually sold with some reduction in ball height. The reduction in height makes the trailer tongue lower than it should be.

Ezbnme

I Actually did run into the Problem of the Ball being just a tad Low. What I did was went to Autozone and got a Tongue Designed for a Truck to Lower the Ball instead. I then just put the tongue on the opposite way, removed the Ball, and re-installed the Ball on the Top. This gave me a Suffient amount of Height.....Don't get me wrong it wasn't originally Bad, the Trailer was Horizontal but the Jetski was also Horizontal. I needed more Lift on the front end of the Jetski soooooooo....... 1. The Water would Drain out of the Jetski as I was Transporting it back Home and 2. With the Jetski being Horizontal on the Trailer it put a lot of Weight on the Tongue and I could see the GLK sagging at the Back end a little bit.
My Jetski is Long and the New Trailer I was Given, Brand New , didn't put the bulk of the Jetskis weight over the Axle. I Eventually took the trailer in and had the Neck extended so I could open the back hatch while the Jetski was Hitched.
The next step for me is to get Longer Front End Brackets for the Trailer Rollers. This will give the Front Nose of the Jetski more Vertical Height and put almost all the Weight over the Trailer Axle. Right now without the Larger Front end Brackets to give Height to the Jetski, I can see the Back end of the GLK Weighed Down and I don't want to wear out the Back End Suspension.
My 2010 Hitch and Trailer are Rated for 3500 Pounds. The GLK"s are rated for 3000 pound Towing Capacity but the Tongue is rated much lower...... I think 200 pounds (Don't yell at me if I'm not on the Money )
Anyway just a Backstory on my Towing Experience and Mods.

Thanks for Reading and if you have any other Tips for me please send.