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Does anyone have a picture of the Tire and Load Information sticker for a 2018 GLE43 with 20" tires? My 2018 GLE43 with 21" tires has max load rating of 1036, per the sticker on my driver side door frame.
People do add aftermarket hitches although there is a lower tow rating than one factory installed. As far as the weight distribution hitch goes, that's a matter of a dealer not knowing about towing with a Mercedes-Benz as more do not tow than tow with one. With weight distribution and sway control it makes sense to use one. Get the best you can afford- there are different levels of sway control such as 2-point and 4-point I've heard described. We currently use a Fastway E2, but there are even better ones out there. If we were to upgrade to a more heavy-duty version, I'd go with Equal-i-zer 4-point (about $250 more).
The factory-installed hitch adds internal reinforcement structures to the chassis to achieve the tow rating. If you add a factory hitch afterwards, there is a compete dis-assembly of the rear of the car to add this reinforcement - a lot of labor (@$2000).
Aftermarket hitches don't have this reinforcement and really shouldn't be rated over 5,000# trailer weight.
Hello DMax10S & everyone,
I just joined the community because of this great post! Thank you all.
We just ordered a Grand Design 23BHE (5,300lb dry with 505lb tongue weight) and we will be towing with our 2017 GLE43 AMG SUV (1650lb payload, 7200lb towing cap, 720lb tongue weight). While we won't receive the trailer until Spring 2021, we were able to test tow the trailer at the RV dealership to get a feel of their WD system and handling.
Research towing info on GLE certainly was like a maze with lots of inaccurate info from dealership and online. I am very glad to find this post. <snip>......
I've been watching this thread for some time, but didn't know where to jump in. We tow a Lance 2285, GVW 6,000#. I have seen several comments that talk about advertised (dry) weight and empty tongue weight.
Ambrose's post is an example, and his choice of trailers should probably work.
BUT there are several prior posts that will almost assuredly be WAY over payload and tow capacity.
Here in the post, he talks about a Grand Design 23BHE (5,300lb dry with 505lb tongue weight). But every person I know, after time, easily reaches the GVW (and usually exceeds it). Somebody said that they only carried 400#, but boy the extras add up - some tools, spares, water, black and grey water, food, blankets and that jacket, sewer hoses, blocks for leveling, a rug...... And don't forget any options that aren't included in that "dry (un-optioned) weight" like the stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch, extra propane bottle, spare tire (!), solar, big fridge - you'd be lucky to have 800# between as-built and GVW.
The Grand Design 23BHE above has a GVW of 6995 lbs.
The best practice for determining ability to tow any trailer, would be to assume that you will load to the GVW, and then take a minimum of 10% (I prefer 12%) of that number as a tongue weight, then add passengers, WDH etc. to that number, to determine tongue weight. In this case, 6995 X 12% puts your tongue weight at 840#. (10% gives you 700#.) That's a lot different than the advertised 505#.
I highly recommend a Sherline Scale to find your real tongue weight. You can adjust the way you load to get ANY tongue weight you want, but under 10% is an invitation to sway, and heavier impacts your payload.
This is my first post, so please be gentle. I had the same problem with the Furrion camera on the running lights circuit. It cut out all the time, continually on and off, mostly off. I tow a 25' Camplite trailer, which is 7' wide and, in my opinion, easier to tow since it is a little more narrow. I also use a wireless brake controller, I think it's a Tekonsha, but not sure. I tried the plug in adapter, but that really didn't improve the camera continuing to cycle on and off. My original plan was to put a relay connected to the trailer battery for the power pole for the led running light circuit with the coil wire connected to the wire for the running light circuit from the car. While I am pretty sure this would have worked, I decided to try something else.
After thinking about it for some time, it occurred to me that the one of the problems with LED's is that the current draw is so low the lights essentially act like strobe lights. The Canbus supply does not supply a true flat DC voltage, and that is what I thought might be the problem. I ended up deciding to try an L-C network. It's basically a noise filter and voltage stabilizer (inductor and capacitor). Super easy to wire inline - input from the GLE, output to the Running Light circuit, and a ground. Works like a champ, and my camera stays on as long as the running lights are on.
This is my first post, so please be gentle. I had the same problem with the Furrion camera on the running lights circuit. It cut out all the time, continually on and off, mostly off. I tow a 25' Camplite trailer, which is 7' wide and, in my opinion, easier to tow since it is a little more narrow. I also use a wireless brake controller, I think it's a Tekonsha, but not sure. I tried the plug in adapter, but that really didn't improve the camera continuing to cycle on and off. My original plan was to put a relay connected to the trailer battery for the power pole for the led running light circuit with the coil wire connected to the wire for the running light circuit from the car. While I am pretty sure this would have worked, I decided to try something else.
After thinking about it for some time, it occurred to me that the one of the problems with LED's is that the current draw is so low the lights essentially act like strobe lights. The Canbus supply does not supply a true flat DC voltage, and that is what I thought might be the problem. I ended up deciding to try an L-C network. It's basically a noise filter and voltage stabilizer (inductor and capacitor). Super easy to wire inline - input from the GLE, output to the Running Light circuit, and a ground. Works like a champ, and my camera stays on as long as the running lights are on.
I will not say this will work for everyone, and I haven't used it more than a few times, but so far it has worked for me.
A photo or block diagram would help to see where and how what you used was installed.
Since getting the inline 7-pin adapter from Furrion, etrailer.com has them as well. It seems every new tow vehicle including American trucks needs some sort of adapter whether the trailer has LED lights or not. My trailer does not have LED lights so that wasn't a factor in an observation camera not working off the running light circuit.
A rarity in the world of camping where pickup trucks are the main vehicle of choice, here's an example of a Mercedes-Benz out in the wild towing a 5,000 pound dry weight camper. There's a weight distribution hitch on the A-frame that also adds sway control which should not be an option- it really adds a lot of control in addition to the GLE's ABS and sway control functions.
I chose the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 which has very useful diagnostics and has a more useful display (in my opinion) than traditional electronic brake controllers. This pairs up with a Tekonsha 3066-P wire harness that plugs into the factory Mercedes connector under the carpet behind the brake pedal. There is NO wiring of any kind to do with a factory installed trailer hitch making this a truly "plug-and-play"setup.
Aside from discovering a 2-pin connector in the right rear cargo compartment that was not connected from the factory, after plugging it in all brake indications and functionality was restored. NOTE: electronic brake controller testers and emulators do not function correctly with Mercedes-Benz vehicles--- even ones with "resistance loads" built into them like the Tekonsha Trailer Emulator does. My Tekonsha Trailer Emulator, as the RV dealer's tester did, just flashed half the test lights leaving it unclear whether the system is working correctly or not. Bottom line, I understand why the service manager made a tester himself to use on Mercedes-Benz vehicles to confirm proper wiring connections.
With electric trailer brakes working and properly set up, it was a dream to tow, and stop, our new Grey Wolf MK23 travel trailer!
Lastly, as an experiment, with 50% E85 and 50% premium, trip computer indication showed a 2-mpg drop towing versus not-towing. There was a 3-mpg drop on average with 100% premium versus 50-50. Acceleration to interstate speed and uphill towing showed no change in performance with either fuel combination. Stay tuned with more to follow on my E85 topic.
BTW, with standard suspension and the weight distribution hitch doing its job, both the GLE 350 and the travel trailer were positioned well and handled great. No reservations, regrets, or second guessing deciding to tow with my 2016 GLE 350!
After reading this thread and researching I went and picked up a GLE350. I thought my options were limited a Grand Cherokee With V8 until reading this thread. I was actually researching stereo options for my older CLK. Didn’t want to go too big with a vehicle. Had an ML years ago and loved it. Got rid of our 31’ class C to have more options on the road without towing a vehicle. Thank you for this thread. I bought the P3 from your suggestion and it
works great. The only issue I’m having is that the wheels on my camper are 15” and it sits a little too high. I’m using a Reese Steadi-Flex and the factory shank reversed was still to low so I replaced it with a larger Curt shank. It got it close (within 1/2” of level) but still think I’m going to replace the wheels with some smaller 13” to get the profile down on the camper and lower the hitch so then hopefully it will be ready for some longer trips. Not getting any sway from the camper but since the suspension is softer then a truck or larger vehicle it seems like there’s a little more drift from the rear of the GLE, if that makes sense? Just took it out for the first time and wind speeds varied from 10-15 with gusts to 20. All in all I was happy with how it worked out but didn’t get on any major expressways just yet. We are relatively flat around here but want to head west soon. Have you taken your set up through the mountains? I would be curious on what you learned.
...
Not getting any sway from the camper but since the suspension is softer then a truck or larger vehicle it seems like there’s a little more drift from the rear of the GLE, if that makes sense? Just took it out for the first time and wind speeds varied from 10-15 with gusts to 20. All in all I was happy with how it worked out but didn’t get on any major expressways just yet. We are relatively flat around here but want to head west soon. Have you taken your set up through the mountains? I would be curious on what you learned.
When I am on my way to pick up GLE, I did lot of towing with W163 MLs and had several heavy pickups over the years.
When 350/3500 series pickups have strong suspension, they also have huge rear overhang and they squat a lot, requiring WD bars with any heavier trailer. Regardless popular believes F250 will squat like hell under heavier tongue and requires some modifications for heavy towing.
My MLs for comparison, with it short ends towed heavy trailers with no issues and with 3500 lb TT I was beating California freeway traffic just fine.
Here is my ML55 towing 5500 lb Bayliner.
I picked up GLE yesterday and on my long way home.
Amazing, the car with over 100k miles has only 1 miniature ding and no paint scratches.
Acceleration to 60 was 11 seconds, when brochure lists 9. We check the record and air filter is almost 20k miles old, so I hope that is the reason. Forced dealer to give me new filter.
So far computer shows me 30 mpg. Frankly I was expecting better as our E at those speeds would make 45, but still not bad for SUV.
Pictures will come later.
I've been watching this thread for some time, but didn't know where to jump in. We tow a Lance 2285, GVW 6,000#. I have seen several comments that talk about advertised (dry) weight and empty tongue weight.
Ambrose's post is an example, and his choice of trailers should probably work.
BUT there are several prior posts that will almost assuredly be WAY over payload and tow capacity.
Here in the post, he talks about a Grand Design 23BHE (5,300lb dry with 505lb tongue weight). But every person I know, after time, easily reaches the GVW (and usually exceeds it). Somebody said that they only carried 400#, but boy the extras add up - some tools, spares, water, black and grey water, food, blankets and that jacket, sewer hoses, blocks for leveling, a rug...... And don't forget any options that aren't included in that "dry (un-optioned) weight" like the stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch, extra propane bottle, spare tire (!), solar, big fridge - you'd be lucky to have 800# between as-built and GVW.
The Grand Design 23BHE above has a GVW of 6995 lbs.
The best practice for determining ability to tow any trailer, would be to assume that you will load to the GVW, and then take a minimum of 10% (I prefer 12%) of that number as a tongue weight, then add passengers, WDH etc. to that number, to determine tongue weight. In this case, 6995 X 12% puts your tongue weight at 840#. (10% gives you 700#.) That's a lot different than the advertised 505#.
I highly recommend a Sherline Scale to find your real tongue weight. You can adjust the way you load to get ANY tongue weight you want, but under 10% is an invitation to sway, and heavier impacts your payload.
Really tired of reading "you can only tow with a F250 level of truck"
Many many people in US and Europe use mercedes to tow reasonable size Campers safely.
I know I did hours of internet reading.
We have been camping for 2 years with pulling a travel trailer with our GLE with no issues
Coming within 10% of tow capacity gvw
Honestly why not?
Not everyone buys all the toys you listed
I laughed when posted "Blankets" as adding significant weight, not everyone boon docks so many of us have all 3 tanks ( that could be around 1,000 lbs WT) empty.
I'm not defending but it feels like the big truck crowd almost bully some with their opinions and I have been called out with not weighing everything to the ounce like my underware before camping. I know most people don't take it to this degree and its just over the top
I've been watching this thread for some time, but didn't know where to jump in. We tow a Lance 2285, GVW 6,000#. I have seen several comments that talk about advertised (dry) weight and empty tongue weight.
Ambrose's post is an example, and his choice of trailers should probably work.
BUT there are several prior posts that will almost assuredly be WAY over payload and tow capacity.
Here in the post, he talks about a Grand Design 23BHE (5,300lb dry with 505lb tongue weight). But every person I know, after time, easily reaches the GVW (and usually exceeds it). Somebody said that they only carried 400#, but boy the extras add up - some tools, spares, water, black and grey water, food, blankets and that jacket, sewer hoses, blocks for leveling, a rug...... And don't forget any options that aren't included in that "dry (un-optioned) weight" like the stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch, extra propane bottle, spare tire (!), solar, big fridge - you'd be lucky to have 800# between as-built and GVW.
The Grand Design 23BHE above has a GVW of 6995 lbs.
The best practice for determining ability to tow any trailer, would be to assume that you will load to the GVW, and then take a minimum of 10% (I prefer 12%) of that number as a tongue weight, then add passengers, WDH etc. to that number, to determine tongue weight. In this case, 6995 X 12% puts your tongue weight at 840#. (10% gives you 700#.) That's a lot different than the advertised 505#.
I highly recommend a Sherline Scale to find your real tongue weight. You can adjust the way you load to get ANY tongue weight you want, but under 10% is an invitation to sway, and heavier impacts your payload.
I have recalculated about 10 times due to truck bullies in Airstream forum. They believe only a truck can pull a camper, F250 or larger. One person "40 years towing and if your capacity is not 80% or lower go to a bigger truck" really? What are limits for if not to stop overloading but even at the limit its not overloaded!!!!
I have recalculated about 10 times due to truck bullies in Airstream forum. They believe only a truck can pull a camper, F250 or larger. One person "40 years towing and if your capacity is not 80% or lower go to a bigger truck" really? What are limits for if not to stop overloading but even at the limit its not overloaded!!!!
10% under I feel is reasonable
William Hudson
Very true and "tow police" are all over the place. Mountains are brought up like that's all anyone does. When tow police still aren't being misguided enough, they then will tell people on the camper forums I'm on that you will only be happy with a 3/4 to 1-ton diesel or you won't make it. Others are deeply concerned about RPMs which is based on too many factors to generically apply to everyone.
The mikapen post you originally referred to is so full of mis-information it's hard to know where to start. It picks up where other tow police leave off such as suggesting everyone tows at the max gross weight which simply isn't true. Our camper was delivered at 5006 pounds and we may be up to 450 pounds of added cargo now, but a far cry from the 2,545 pounds we could load to reach max gross weight to come close to our 7200 pound tow limit. Add in the weight of myself, my wife, and a few misc. supplies and we tow slightly under 6000 pounds with our GLE 350 4Matic.
To say "And don't forget any options that aren't included in that "dry (un-optioned) weight" like the stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch, extra propane bottle, spare tire (!), solar, big fridge - you'd be lucky to have 800# between as-built and GVW." actually made me laugh. The stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch are most certainly included in the shipped "dry" weight. Solar, big fridge (say what???) and an extra propane bottle (from the 2 it came with?) obviously would have to be factored in.
The simple answer to not going over towing weight limits is that if you can't carry that much over the weight as delivered, then a person can't and won't.
Years ago I bought 1965 Airstream trailer and then 1969 Ford LTD sedan from my neighbors.
Being Canadians who moved to California, they used 2-door car for towing Airstream all over America without any problem. From what I could find, the 351 (?) V8 engine of the era was about 170 HP rated. The car died on them at 196,000 miles what turned out bad fuel pump.
But US customers have been brainwashed since those years for "Bigger is better" and if you see TT pulled by a car, it sure makes heads turner.
Couple weeks ago I used my GLE with 200 HP diesel for 500 miles round trip towing my patio boat. When patio boat is not extremely heavy (i estimate 4000 lb) it is wide, making huge air drag and I noticed that when pulling against the winds.
Still even the car was using 4th gear quite often, I could maintain 70 mph more or less. MPG dropped from 29 to 12.
Bad part, I can't lock the gear on GLE. Each time I use paddles for downshifting, it will come back to A after about a minute.
William Hudson
Very true and "tow police" are all over the place. Mountains are brought up like that's all anyone does. When tow police still aren't being misguided enough, they then will tell people on the camper forums I'm on that you will only be happy with a 3/4 to 1-ton diesel or you won't make it. Others are deeply concerned about RPMs which is based on too many factors to generically apply to everyone.
The mikapen post you originally referred to is so full of mis-information it's hard to know where to start. It picks up where other tow police leave off such as suggesting everyone tows at the max gross weight which simply isn't true. Our camper was delivered at 5006 pounds and we may be up to 450 pounds of added cargo now, but a far cry from the 2,545 pounds we could load to reach max gross weight to come close to our 7200 pound tow limit. Add in the weight of myself, my wife, and a few misc. supplies and we tow slightly under 6000 pounds with our GLE 350 4Matic.
To say "And don't forget any options that aren't included in that "dry (un-optioned) weight" like the stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch, extra propane bottle, spare tire (!), solar, big fridge - you'd be lucky to have 800# between as-built and GVW." actually made me laugh. The stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch are most certainly included in the shipped "dry" weight. Solar, big fridge (say what???) and an extra propane bottle (from the 2 it came with?) obviously would have to be factored in.
The simple answer to not going over towing weight limits is that if you can't carry that much over the weight as delivered, then a person can't and won't.
my TV 2019 GLE 400 with factory hitch
I use a brake controller, Blue OX WT distribution with sway, towing a airstream Flying Cloud 25fb
Its 5600 dry with our added 300lbs (clothes,dishes, food) gear is 5900
With 2 of us at 400lbs and tool box in car 20lbs
We are way under 6320 or so with a 7200 tow capacity 13% under seems good to me I never intend to be unsafe and the RPMs driving unhitched is 1500 and its between 1500 and 2000 hitched, mostly 1500 no engine surges feels solid and easy to tow.
I agree, those comments about whats not included on dry wt like fridge???? Yes it is with Airstream they WT each trailer when its done before selling.
Last edited by William Hudson; 09-11-2021 at 06:56 PM.
Aston Martin Vantage, GLE 43 AMG, Volvo XC60, BMW X1 35i, Ram 1500, BMW Z4 35i
Originally Posted by kajtek1
Years ago I bought 1965 Airstream trailer and then 1969 Ford LTD sedan from my neighbors.
Being Canadians who moved to California, they used 2-door car for towing Airstream all over America without any problem. From what I could find, the 351 (?) V8 engine of the era was about 170 HP rated. The car died on them at 196,000 miles what turned out bad fuel pump.
But US customers have been brainwashed since those years for "Bigger is better" and if you see TT pulled by a car, it sure makes heads turner.
Couple weeks ago I used my GLE with 200 HP diesel for 500 miles round trip towing my patio boat. When patio boat is not extremely heavy (i estimate 4000 lb) it is wide, making huge air drag and I noticed that when pulling against the winds.
Still even the car was using 4th gear quite often, I could maintain 70 mph more or less. MPG dropped from 29 to 12.
Bad part, I can't lock the gear on GLE. Each time I use paddles for downshifting, it will come back to A after about a minute.
if this is your set up, you have some serious weight c distribution issues with your trailer. It seems your axles are not balanced and front could be overloaded. Also your aluminum frame has to much deflection between tongue and axles I think your trailer is a bit too long for your boat and the axles could be moved forward....IMO
Regarding load limits, it is also related to towing speeds (& torque), stoping distances (always e-trailer braking) and tongue weight (control). In Europe when laws mandate much slower speeds (60, 50, and even 40 mph) when trailering, load capacities are greater on the same vehicle sold in the US (and lawyers are fewer). For the GLE, 3500kg / 7700 lbs in Europe on same vehicle compared to 6000 lbs in the States where folks run 70mph+ when towing. If pushing the load limit and running fast, adjust your driving (speed and assured clear distance). Nothing magical happens at 6001 lbs, that won't happen at 5999 lbs, or 5699 lbs. Physics and vehicle dynamics, it is just math. When in doubt, just go to the scales... Just look at semi's pulling 72ft trailers to understand that smaller in front "can" haul bigger in back (if done properly - both set up and driving skill/style).
Want to run worry free at max speeds in all conditions, then go big. Want to do occasional towing and not in a hurry to get there if not ideal conditions, GLE will serve you well for the few days a year it needs to do some heavy lifting and then enjoy the luxury of a MBenz SUV vs "TRUCK" the rest of the year. Be safe out there, have fun, YMWV.
if this is your set up, you have some serious weight c distribution issues with your trailer. It seems your axles are not balanced and front could be overloaded. Also your aluminum frame has to much deflection between tongue and axles I think your trailer is a bit too long for your boat and the axles could be moved forward....IMO
Trailer axles have equalizers, so they even the load.
US trailers are generally always build with very heavy tongue, what adds to safety of towing, but puts more weight on TV. I already pushed the trailer "crane" to keep boat more to the rear, than it originally was, but all that gave me was 3", so the tongue is still heavy.
Additionally the fancy, adjustable ball holder rubs my bumper and I can't lift the ball higher, what would make better trailer positioning.
Steel frame deflection is picture illusion.
GLE is temporary TV as I plan to tow the boat with Sprinter more.
William Hudson
Very true and "tow police" are all over the place. Mountains are brought up like that's all anyone does. When tow police still aren't being misguided enough, they then will tell people on the camper forums I'm on that you will only be happy with a 3/4 to 1-ton diesel or you won't make it. Others are deeply concerned about RPMs which is based on too many factors to generically apply to everyone.
The mikapen post you originally referred to is so full of mis-information it's hard to know where to start. It picks up where other tow police leave off such as suggesting everyone tows at the max gross weight which simply isn't true. Our camper was delivered at 5006 pounds and we may be up to 450 pounds of added cargo now, but a far cry from the 2,545 pounds we could load to reach max gross weight to come close to our 7200 pound tow limit. Add in the weight of myself, my wife, and a few misc. supplies and we tow slightly under 6000 pounds with our GLE 350 4Matic.
To say "And don't forget any options that aren't included in that "dry (un-optioned) weight" like the stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch, extra propane bottle, spare tire (!), solar, big fridge - you'd be lucky to have 800# between as-built and GVW." actually made me laugh. The stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch are most certainly included in the shipped "dry" weight. Solar, big fridge (say what???) and an extra propane bottle (from the 2 it came with?) obviously would have to be factored in.
The simple answer to not going over towing weight limits is that if you can't carry that much over the weight as delivered, then a person can't and won't.
Sorry if I wasn't clear - I was talking (as I said) about the advertised dry weight, not the delivered weight, to make folks aware of potential surprises when ordering.
When visiting the manufacturer's website, they post "dry weight" without options. The options "like the stove, awning, air conditioning, microwave, power hitch, extra propane bottle, spare tire (!), solar, big fridge" aren't included in that weight and are options for most manufacturers.
So when ordered the trailer arrives, it has a yellow sticker that shows the actual weight of the trailer, as optioned. To many, it's a surprise at how heavy it "became."
If you read my post, I used Ambrose's post as a GOOD example of how to calculate the weight of a trailer before you order it, and stated that there were many prior posts that talked about advertised dry weights of around 7,000 lbs, with the poster thinking that that's what they will be towing.
Unfortunately, when adding the normal optional stuff (in bold again) the delivered weight is more likely 8,000# (in this example), and adding a WDH and normal stuff you take when traveling like (yes) blankets, water, food and the other stuff that @William Hudson thinks are insignificant (do you have a second battery? A small tool kit? A dish or skillet?) you'll be well over 8,500#, and if you use a minimum 10% tongue weight you'll be heavy, and want a hitch reinforcement.
My post was NOT "filled with mis-information." I'll say again - after a year of camping, most people I know from Lance and Airstream forums "move in" to their trailer, and are surprised if/when they weigh their rigs to find that they are at, near, or over the trailer's GVW.
Our 27' Lance is 4500# dry/delivered weight, and loaded for a couple weeks on the road with full tanks of water (450# right there), loaded fridge, two full propane tanks, we are at 5,900#, of our 6,000# GVW. I travel over the rated hitch weight, and exceed Mercedes's "payload" rating (on the driver's door pillar), but verified at the scales that I have a couple hundred pounds to spare, over each axle's GAWR.
We travel lighter than most, and don't carry a generator, beer, grill or much "stuff."
But be careful when ordering a travel trailer, because all those options can add up to a trailer that's much heavier than you expected. If you are looking to buy one, check the yellow sticker inside, which will show the actual "as built" weight.
If you read my other posts on these forums, you'll see that I am a strong advocate of the superiority of our stout Euro SUV's OVER half ton pickups, and also OVER 3/4T pickups. We have modern suspensions (not WW1 suspensions), superior brakes and better control over the trailers behind.
Its all fine until you have an issue and wish you had a proper TV. Unfortunately at that point, its likely beyond the point of no return. Winds, trailers passing you, terrain, weight, length of trailer etc all influence good or bad your experience will be (ALL ELSE EQUAL). Forget about maneuverability in case of objects on the road, collision avoidance etc that may or may not be better in a proper TV. I tow a 27 ft aluminum car hauler plus track car to the race track and use my GMC SUV, which has an additional ~3000 lbs of tow capacity vs. weight of the trailer and car. I can tell you its not a fun time driving over mountains etc and can only imagine what that would be like in the GLE (which would likely be maxed on on the tow rating with that load).... always do your homework and build in margin of safety when you can. Its just not worth it.... trouble rarely happens when towing on flat, straight terrain.......
Its all fine until you have an issue and wish you had a proper TV. Unfortunately at that point, its likely beyond the point of no return. Winds, trailers passing you, terrain, weight, length of trailer etc all influence good or bad your experience will be (ALL ELSE EQUAL). Forget about maneuverability in case of objects on the road, collision avoidance etc that may or may not be better in a proper TV. I tow a 27 ft aluminum car hauler plus track car to the race track and use my GMC SUV, which has an additional ~3000 lbs of tow capacity vs. weight of the trailer and car. I can tell you its not a fun time driving over mountains etc and can only imagine what that would be like in the GLE (which would likely be maxed on on the tow rating with that load).... always do your homework and build in margin of safety when you can. Its just not worth it.... trouble rarely happens when towing on flat, straight terrain.......
I don't need to imagine, I do it regularly, here in the Rockies. You need to try it - it's actually fun towing with a well setup GLE.
Collision avoidance, braking, cross-wind stability and semi's, your nemeses, is where it excels. It's impressive.
The GLE is probably more stable than a Suburban, and the Suburban is definitely more stable than a similar pickup, because of the more rigid chassis.
Part of the GLE's prowess is the modern suspension and bigger brakes, and part is the short Rear-Overhang-to-Hitch ratio. That determines the leverage that the trailer's mass exerts on the TV. The GLE is better there, too.
Would you take your GMC to the track?
I spent a couple days at the track this past month, and the GLE is a capable track car. That's an indication of it's control over itself, AND the RV it tows.
No, I haven't towed with the AMG yet, it's just broken in. It's my third GLE though, and that's what my comments are based on.
BTW, "flat, straight terrain" was my most difficult towing situation, and the GLE handled it with aplomb. In Kansas, 45mph steady front-quartering winds with gusts to 65, semi's and 3/4T pickups towing RV's on their sides, a 6 hour stint.
Dropped my mileage to 13, and I slowed to 58, but only to make it to the next fuel stop. They probably should have closed the road.
Now I know GMC is heaver than GLE, but how do you compare rear overhangs?
It is the long overhang what makes US-build pickups very lousy tow vehicles, who can't tow trailer of the same weight unless you add some WD and anti-sway bars.
You need good TV for heavy trailer, you need to go to 550/5500 class pickups, who are build for weight hauling.
All below is design for grocery getters.
Now I know GMC is heaver than GLE, but how do you compare rear overhangs? Measure from the centerline of the rear TV axle, horizontally to the ball, and divide by the wheelbase of the TV, to get the Overhang-to-wheelbase Ratio. The it's the only metric that matters. A long TV wheelbase alone, is only a number. Physics and geometry rule here, and a lower ratio wins.
On 5th wheels, the ratio is Zero, and that's why they tow so well. Same with semi tractors.
It is the long overhang what makes US-build pickups very lousy tow vehicles, who can't tow trailer of the same weight unless you add some WD and anti-sway bars. That's part of it. The other is that their chassis is really floppy, and the (primitive) suspension has no solid platform to work from. Then there's the puny brakes, which don't get to GLE size until you are in a 3/4Ton. AND unless you get an extra payload option on a half ton, the payload isn't much more than a GLE.
But don't try to get by on a GLE without WDH and anti sway, except with little trailers. Maybe 3,000#? 3,500? More? Ive only pulled my garden tractor to the big city, probably 2,500#.
In all cases, make sure you have sufficient tongue weight.
You need good TV for heavy trailer, you need to go to 550/5500 class pickups, who are build for weight hauling. True, if you are pulling a really heavy trailer. But, within the GLE's rated capacities, the GLE is very capable. Add emergency maneuvers, and the GLE is better IMO.
All below is design for grocery getters.
I dont need to spend additional $$ on a weight distribution hitch with the Yukon - its plug and play with the brake controller built in as well. Too much of a headache to replicate on the GLE, despite wanting to try out the diesel in tow duty (vs the 6.2 V8 gas guzzler in the Yukon).
In any case, the wheelbase/length of the GLE is too short for my application (24+3ft tongue). Sure, for the boat/dinghy shown above it might work, with risk. The larger trailer that was posted shows too much sag and tongue weight to my amateur eyes and I wouldnt recommend towing in that configuration but to each their own. I don't need to risk it since I have a proper TV already.
I dont need to spend additional $$ on a weight distribution hitch with the Yukon - its plug and play with the brake controller built in as well. Too much of a headache to replicate on the GLE, despite wanting to try out the diesel in tow duty (vs the 6.2 V8 gas guzzler in the Yukon).
In any case, the wheelbase/length of the GLE is too short for my application (24+3ft tongue). Sure, for the boat/dinghy shown above it might work, with risk. The larger trailer that was posted shows too much sag and tongue weight to my amateur eyes and I wouldnt recommend towing in that configuration but to each their own. I don't need to risk it since I have a proper TV already.
Wheelbase of the TV is irrelevant to it's towing capabilities. It's the RATIO of the rear overhang to the wheelbase, see above. It's simple geometry and physics.
Especially if you think you don't need a WDH, your setup WILL be inferior to a well setup GLE.
You'd be one of those rigs I passed in Kansas I mentioned above.Or one of this piles of kindling I see regularly here in Colorado. Three last week.
My TT is 27 feet, 6,000 lbs, 700 on the tongue. I wear a WDH and additional sway control. I'd be afraid to use your setup. As someone said, "I can't imagine" it.
x2 that wheelbase plays small role in towing.
Just take a look on mobile homes TV.
They don't have wheelbase much bigger than GLE, yet the trailer outsize anything you would consider.
06-11-2021, 07:34 PM
