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Wife and I just bought a travel trailer to do some camping this summer and, while I've done a fair amount research, I don't necessarily know what I don't know at this point. My 450 has the towing package, and a 7700-lb capacity. The trailer we bought is just over 5,000 lbs, so we should be good to go in terms of weight.
I guess I'm asking if anyone has any experience towing with their GLE and I'd appreciate any advice.
[QUOTE=bigpern23;8092568]Wife and I just bought a travel trailer to do some camping this summer and, while I've done a fair amount research, I don't necessarily know what I don't know at this point. My 450 has the towing package, and a 7700-lb capacity. The trailer we bought is just over 5,000 lbs, so we should be good to go in terms of weight.
I guess I'm asking if anyone has any experience towing with their GLE and I'd appreciate any advice.[/QUOTE
I have done a lot of towing with a similar size travel trailer and even though the TT only weighs 5000 lbs., by the time you fill the water tank, load clothes, groceries, people, dogs, bedding, camping supplies, etc., you would really be limited. The biggest issue is going to be length of the TT vs. the GLE plus the wheel base. I used a Ford Expedition with an 11k lb tow rating and it was strained. We now have an MB based motor home.
Wife and I just bought a travel trailer to do some camping this summer and, while I've done a fair amount research, I don't necessarily know what I don't know at this point. My 450 has the towing package, and a 7700-lb capacity. The trailer we bought is just over 5,000 lbs, so we should be good to go in terms of weight.
I guess I'm asking if anyone has any experience towing with their GLE and I'd appreciate any advice.[/QUOTE
I have done a lot of towing with a similar size travel trailer and even though the TT only weighs 5000 lbs., by the time you fill the water tank, load clothes, groceries, people, dogs, bedding, camping supplies, etc., you would really be limited. The biggest issue is going to be length of the TT vs. the GLE plus the wheel base. I used a Ford Expedition with an 11k lb tow rating and it was strained. We now have an MB based motor home.
Yeah, my cousin has a trailer and warned me about how quickly that extra weight will fill up. We won't be doing much boondocking, so we'll able to save the water weight, which is huge. As he said, if we get up around the 7700-lb limit, we'll feel like we're towing a dump truck. Our aim is to keep it around 7,000-7,200 lbs. Hopefully, that will make driving more manageable.
We took the GLE to a couple of dealers and they both seemed to think it would handle the towing well.
It will work but there are going to be some less than satisfactory results for anything but short trips. It’s vehicle Torque that provides the grunt to tow....gas engines have HP but don’t make big torque. Here is a list of the negative things you may encounter. IMO, even with these there is still something special about a travel trailer.
I have towed some kind of trailer, boat, RV trailer for many years. The GLE 450 is barely satisfactory towing my all aluminum trailer with a Polaris RZR (about 2800 lbs loaded) on trips of any distance. That’s just me though because I lack the patience to drive at 50-60 mph towing. On a 600 mile trip to our 2nd home I need to stop 3 times for gas vs 1 normally. I might get 16mpg with a tail wind but it seems that there is always a headwind and then about 12 mpg. Towing adds at least an hour to what is already a long trip.
Trailer weight is one factor and it isn’t as much of an issue at lower speeds on flat ground. Add some wind resistance from speed or a head wind or a hill to pull and you will feel like you are towing twice as much weight. Freeways are less of an issue but on 2 lane roads it can be tough on your patience. It seems like there is always a slow vehicle with several cars behind them so you are now going to need lots of clear highway or a passing lane. Passing while towing, with a headwind, or climbing hills also uses lots more fuel.
You may be surprised at how much weight your loaded trailer will be vs advertised weight. On a trip you usually add weight to your tow vehicle too. We tend to add a few more things with each subsequent trip so it will get heavier. You can get a good estimate by going to a truck weigh station. Deduct your vehicle weight with passengers & fuel-that will get you close.
I towed a 25 foot Airstream 7000 lbs. loaded for years with my 2014 ML350 Bluetec without any issues and have recently upgraded to a 2020 GLS580 but have not used it yet to tow. You will need a weight distribution WD hitch and I recommend anti sway bars. The WD hitch is needed to distribute the trailer load evenly to the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle. You need to ensure the gross carrying capacity of the GLE and none of the axle load maximums are exceeded. Keep in mind when determining your load that the tongue weight is added to the GLE and you also have passengers and cargo to consider. Your axle load capacity and gross carrying capacity is on the sticker in the door and my guess is that you are gross is just under 1200lbs. So if your tongue weight is 600 and the passengers and cargo are 600 lbs too you have already maxed out and you still need to be sure each axle is not exceeding its individual maximum too. To check all that you need to weigh the combination at a truck scale by the recommended methods you can find on the internet to check each axle. The biggest drawback with MB tow specs is the limited tongue weight. To tow safely you need 10-15 % of the trailer weight on the tongue to prevent sway and at maximum load the MB is only rated to handle only 616 lbs and can be susceptible to sway unless you keep it over 10%. I had my factory hitch reinforced to allow a higher tongue weight to tow safely. You should purchase a scale or find a way to check your tongue weight loaded as this is critical for safe towing. Also you need a trailer brake controller and if your GLE is equipped with the factory hitch there is a plug under the driver side dash for the trailer brake controller to connect to. I use a Tekonsh Prodigy P2 mounted under the dash away from the knee airbag panel so it can deploy. If you go wireless brake control MB are hard to set up and usually require set up on another vehicle and moved later to the MB. Plus you need to plug in the the lighter for power and if you want other equipment like a back up camera and a trailer TPMS monitor you will have 3 things to power from one outlet. There is lots of information on towing on the Airstream forum for the MB as tow vehicles and real experiences. You can also contact Andy Thompson at CANAM RV in London Ontario who is recognized as one of the leading experts on towing and he has set up thousands of tow vehicles is especially good at GLE and European SUV setups. Customers travel thousands of miles from all over North America to get their tow set up done by CANAM. The Canada / US border is closed for non essential travel and could be for some time so it won't be possible for you to bring your setup to him this year. He also offers great advice for those who can't make the trip so contact him.
Wife and I just bought a travel trailer to do some camping this summer and, while I've done a fair amount research, I don't necessarily know what I don't know at this point. My 450 has the towing package, and a 7700-lb capacity. The trailer we bought is just over 5,000 lbs, so we should be good to go in terms of weight.
I guess I'm asking if anyone has any experience towing with their GLE and I'd appreciate any advice.
I wouldn’t attempt it. I use a 3500 Duramax diesel for trailer towing but have used similar vehicles to yours in the past with lighter trailer than I have now. Wasn’t a pleasant experience
Robert
You will be limited on top speed by the tires on the TT to 65 mph as that’s the limit of those tires without upgrading. Yes, you will encounter folks going much faster but they are foolish for doing so. Your biggest challenge would of course be any kind of mountain terrain or steep grades period. Someone else commented about your need for a WD hitch which is an absolute must and those items count in your total weight equation. You will probably be okay for short jaunts on level and mid-grade roads but don’t plan on any serious camping trips.
I towed a 25 foot Airstream 7000 lbs. loaded for years with my 2014 ML350 Bluetec without any issues and have recently upgraded to a 2020 GLS580 but have not used it yet to tow. You will need a weight distribution WD hitch and I recommend anti sway bars. The WD hitch is needed to distribute the trailer load evenly to the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle. You need to ensure the gross carrying capacity of the GLE and none of the axle load maximums are exceeded. Keep in mind when determining your load that the tongue weight is added to the GLE and you also have passengers and cargo to consider. Your axle load capacity and gross carrying capacity is on the sticker in the door and my guess is that you are gross is just under 1200lbs. So if your tongue weight is 600 and the passengers and cargo are 600 lbs too you have already maxed out and you still need to be sure each axle is not exceeding its individual maximum too. To check all that you need to weigh the combination at a truck scale by the recommended methods you can find on the internet to check each axle. The biggest drawback with MB tow specs is the limited tongue weight. To tow safely you need 10-15 % of the trailer weight on the tongue to prevent sway and at maximum load the MB is only rated to handle only 616 lbs and can be susceptible to sway unless you keep it over 10%. I had my factory hitch reinforced to allow a higher tongue weight to tow safely. You should purchase a scale or find a way to check your tongue weight loaded as this is critical for safe towing. Also you need a trailer brake controller and if your GLE is equipped with the factory hitch there is a plug under the driver side dash for the trailer brake controller to connect to. I use a Tekonsh Prodigy P2 mounted under the dash away from the knee airbag panel so it can deploy. If you go wireless brake control MB are hard to set up and usually require set up on another vehicle and moved later to the MB. Plus you need to plug in the the lighter for power and if you want other equipment like a back up camera and a trailer TPMS monitor you will have 3 things to power from one outlet. There is lots of information on towing on the Airstream forum for the MB as tow vehicles and real experiences. You can also contact Andy Thompson at CANAM RV in London Ontario who is recognized as one of the leading experts on towing and he has set up thousands of tow vehicles is especially good at GLE and European SUV setups. Customers travel thousands of miles from all over North America to get their tow set up done by CANAM. The Canada / US border is closed for non essential travel and could be for some time so it won't be possible for you to bring your setup to him this year. He also offers great advice for those who can't make the trip so contact him.
Great info here, thank you. We did purchase the weight distribution hitch and brake controller at the dealership, which they will install. I'm checking out wireless backup cameras.
How did you get the factory hitch reinforced? Just take it to a body shop?
You will be limited on top speed by the tires on the TT to 65 mph as that’s the limit of those tires without upgrading. Yes, you will encounter folks going much faster but they are foolish for doing so. Your biggest challenge would of course be any kind of mountain terrain or steep grades period. Someone else commented about your need for a WD hitch which is an absolute must and those items count in your total weight equation. You will probably be okay for short jaunts on level and mid-grade roads but don’t plan on any serious camping trips.
Thanks, I hadn't thought to check the speed rating on the tires. I'll have to do that. Honestly, there aren't many (any?) highways in New England with speed limits above 65, and I don't usually do more than 10 over the limit anyway, but upgrading the tires is definitely worth looking into.
The only mountain driving we would likely do is in New Hampshire and the run into where we usually go is pretty easy. Not a lot of steep grades that I can think of until you get past the campground we plan to stay at. We'd leave the trailer at the site and do those mountain drives without it. Might have to skip the Kancamagus Highway from the sound of it, but the other route is shorter and flatter anyway.
Wife has been pushing to buy a pickup truck, so maybe we'll look into that further if the GLE can't handle the load.
Great info here, thank you. We did purchase the weight distribution hitch and brake controller at the dealership, which they will install. I'm checking out wireless backup cameras.
How did you get the factory hitch reinforced? Just take it to a body shop?
I had Canam RV London Ontario do it. Contact Andy Thompson there he is very approachable and it's his life passion to make safe reliable towing experiences for everyone, not only his customers. Google him to see who he is and get his contact info. He has been doing this for 50 years and really knows all about trailers, hitches, tow vehicles, tires, accessories etc. If you need it done soon he can give you directions for the modification so someone local can do it for you and maybe tell you who to contact to do the install for you in your vicinity. It's pretty simple really, just requires a bar welded from the bottom of the hitch receiver to the crossmember to eliminate any twist in the hitch. Canam has done hundreds of MB reinforcements like this. He can tell you how to properly set up the weight distribution hitch too. Talk to him about the pros and cons of a pick up truck versus an SUV like the GLE.
I have an appt. In 2 weeks to get the my new GLS580 hitch reinforced and expertly set up for weight distribution at CANAM RV.
I have the Voyageur backup camera, works well for me, especially for passing because you can see when your trailer has passed the vehicle you are overtaking.
Last edited by marchgroupinc; 06-28-2020 at 03:57 PM.
Reason: new additional info.
I towed a 25 foot Airstream 7000 lbs. loaded for years with my 2014 ML350 Bluetec without any issues and have recently upgraded to a 2020 GLS580 but have not used it yet to tow. You will need a weight distribution WD hitch and I recommend anti sway bars. The WD hitch is needed to distribute the trailer load evenly to the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle. You need to ensure the gross carrying capacity of the GLE and none of the axle load maximums are exceeded. Keep in mind when determining your load that the tongue weight is added to the GLE and you also have passengers and cargo to consider. Your axle load capacity and gross carrying capacity is on the sticker in the door and my guess is that you are gross is just under 1200lbs. So if your tongue weight is 600 and the passengers and cargo are 600 lbs too you have already maxed out and you still need to be sure each axle is not exceeding its individual maximum too. To check all that you need to weigh the combination at a truck scale by the recommended methods you can find on the internet to check each axle. The biggest drawback with MB tow specs is the limited tongue weight. To tow safely you need 10-15 % of the trailer weight on the tongue to prevent sway and at maximum load the MB is only rated to handle only 616 lbs and can be susceptible to sway unless you keep it over 10%. I had my factory hitch reinforced to allow a higher tongue weight to tow safely. You should purchase a scale or find a way to check your tongue weight loaded as this is critical for safe towing. Also you need a trailer brake controller and if your GLE is equipped with the factory hitch there is a plug under the driver side dash for the trailer brake controller to connect to. I use a Tekonsh Prodigy P2 mounted under the dash away from the knee airbag panel so it can deploy. If you go wireless brake control MB are hard to set up and usually require set up on another vehicle and moved later to the MB. Plus you need to plug in the the lighter for power and if you want other equipment like a back up camera and a trailer TPMS monitor you will have 3 things to power from one outlet. There is lots of information on towing on the Airstream forum for the MB as tow vehicles and real experiences. You can also contact Andy Thompson at CANAM RV in London Ontario who is recognized as one of the leading experts on towing and he has set up thousands of tow vehicles is especially good at GLE and European SUV setups. Customers travel thousands of miles from all over North America to get their tow set up done by CANAM. The Canada / US border is closed for non essential travel and could be for some time so it won't be possible for you to bring your setup to him this year. He also offers great advice for those who can't make the trip so contact him.
I checked out the Airstream forum and found some good stuff so, again, thank you. Question for you on the brake controller — How did you mount it away from the knee airbag panel? The RV dealership will be doing to the installation, so is it as simple as telling them not to block it, or will the specific brake controller determine whether it can be mounted away from the knee airbag?
Here is a pic of it and the airbag panel. I used existing hole with a longer screw into the dash framework for the left an a small 1/2 inch screw on the right into the plastic. The toughest part is putting the mounting screw into the unit on the RHS as you cannot get a screwdriver in there. Also make sure it is very close to level side to side. Front to back does not matter. Controller set back from air bag panel
We wound up just buying a 2020 Ford F-150 with integrated brake controller and Pro Backup Trailer Assist. Went with the V-8, which will haul 9,000 lbs., although I would have liked to have gotten the 3.5L V-6 EcoBoost, which can haul 13,400. The V-8 should be more than enough for our trailer, though, so we're excited about it. Only problem is the kids like the truck better and keep asking to ride in it rather than our GLE.
The truck has a payload of 1,757 lbs compared to 1,168 on the GLE. That ought to give us about 500 lbs worth of cargo in the bed (and cab) of the truck, in addition to the tongue weight of the loaded rig. I think that will cover us pretty well.
That is a good advantage. 500 lbs is significant. I typically don't load anything but 2 passengers and a dog to allow for tongue weight and be under limits.
And don’t forget about 600lbs of tongue weight and don’t forget the passengers as they are payload
Robert
Yep, I included that in the numbers mentioned above. I actually estimated on the high end with 700 lbs for tongue weight and 500 lbs for passengers in case we bring our three dogs. I think (hope?) we're in good shape. If we ever decide to upgrade to a larger rig, we'd probably have to get a new truck, but I don't see that happening any time soon.
But anyway, learning all the calculations that go into towing, I'm glad I checked with the forum to see that the GLE was probably going to be insufficient or maybe just barely sufficient (if we packed lightly) for the trailer we bought. Not sure I did enough research before buying the trailer. I figured with a towing capacity of 7,700 lbs, we could tow a 5,200-lb trailer easily.
Just curious the trailer is that 5,000 pounds the empty weight or the GVW weight? That also plays into towing significantly. Salesmen are very eager to make the sale and tend to skip over the details and go directly to a vehicle manufacturer "tow ratings" while you have to do some homework known as payload capacity that unfortunately the options and other configurations significantly change. If you are a little bit over in payload or trailer GVW weight as long as not long distance or in mountains I seriously doubt you would realize it. I show cars and use enclosed car trailers and trailer throught the county and a few years ago had a tow vehicle that was marginal. Great while on flat land but when in mountains the water temps, transmission temps and engine oil temperature of the half ton truck would significantly increase. Since then I am using one ton diesel trucks and towing for days is great(except when exploding trailer tires) I am glad you got the numbers together before relying on a GLE to tow your trailer.
I'm lucky our dog is a 3 and half pound little Yorkie and dosen't count much against payload capacity.
Robert
Just curious the trailer is that 5,000 pounds the empty weight or the GVW weight? That also plays into towing significantly. Salesmen are very eager to make the sale and tend to skip over the details and go directly to a vehicle manufacturer "tow ratings" while you have to do some homework known as payload capacity that unfortunately the options and other configurations significantly change. If you are a little bit over in payload or trailer GVW weight as long as not long distance or in mountains I seriously doubt you would realize it. I show cars and use enclosed car trailers and trailer throught the county and a few years ago had a tow vehicle that was marginal. Great while on flat land but when in mountains the water temps, transmission temps and engine oil temperature of the half ton truck would significantly increase. Since then I am using one ton diesel trucks and towing for days is great(except when exploding trailer tires) I am glad you got the numbers together before relying on a GLE to tow your trailer.
I'm lucky our dog is a 3 and half pound little Yorkie and dosen't count much against payload capacity.
Robert
I believe that is the dry weight on the trailer with all options installed, including the hitch. This was definitely a case of me not knowing what I didn't know until I had bought the trailer. I had done a fair amount of research, but because I didn't know all the proper questions to ask, I definitely missed out on some important info. I'm not complaining about ending up with a gorgeous new F-150 in the driveway, though. We'll probably even be able to haul the yellow lab and two labradoodles with us.
I believe that is the dry weight on the trailer with all options installed, including the hitch. This was definitely a case of me not knowing what I didn't know until I had bought the trailer. I had done a fair amount of research, but because I didn't know all the proper questions to ask, I definitely missed out on some important info. I'm not complaining about ending up with a gorgeous new F-150 in the driveway, though. We'll probably even be able to haul the yellow lab and two labradoodles with us.
Be honest, that was your devious plan all along to convince the significant other to agree to let you buy a new truck -- brilliant!
2020 GLE450 Hitch is about 8-10" lower than the trailer.
Originally Posted by TexAg91
Be honest, that was your devious plan all along to convince the significant other to agree to let you buy a new truck -- brilliant!
I'm looking at a Forest River Flagstaff 22FBS to pull with my MB. The weights seem to be fine, but when I backed the car up to the trailer, the trailer stands about 8-10" above the car's hitch receiver.
Has anyone had this issue and how did you handle it?
You should be able to lower the tongue of the travel trailer usually with an electric switch or jack turn handle.
Yes, the trailer tongue can be lowered, but the trailer is no longer level if I do that.. As I understand, the trailer needs to be level when towing. My concern is how to keep the trailer and suv level and make the connection.
What kind of hitch will let me connect to the trailer whose tongue sits higher than the 450's hitch?
Last edited by Dan Jowers; 03-28-2021 at 08:30 PM.
Yes, the trailer tongue can be lowered, but the trailer is no longer level if I do that.. As I understand, the trailer needs to be level when towing. My concern is how to keep the trailer and suv level and make the connection.
There are several receiver choices that let you raise the ball height. A 6” rise with the ball sitting about 2” higher might get you close.
06-27-2020, 11:51 PM
