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We just purchased a CPO 2019 GLS550. From the build sheet, I can tell it's supposed to have the trailer hitch option (code 550) but all that's there is the hitch receiver. In the manual, I see reference to a hitch, ball, bolt & pin, but I can't find much about the pieces online. Are these standard (i.e. not too costly to procure aftermarket)? If not, can anyone post the part numbers so I can try to find them online. We went back to the dealer (Mercedes of Natick in Natick, MA) but they are, thus far, unwilling to help claiming that those pieces were not returned with the vehicle.
What about connecting to a trailer's wiring? There's a connector hidden behind a door next to the hitch receiver, but it seems like there should be some sort of pigtail that plugs into it and into the trailer's wiring. Am I correct? Is that standard or vehicle-specific?
In full disclosure, I know nothing (yet) about towing. We bought the GLS550 (in part) for a cross-country move from Hopkinton, MA (outside Boston) to Flagstaff, AZ where I will be teaching at NAU. We want to rent a small U-Haul to carry necessities while the moving truck makes its way across the country. Besides, out of principle, it seems like - for a $60k+ CPO - we should be entitled to everything in the towing package because the package was clearly included in the information provided about the vehicle. Omitting it seems to be like selling a CPO without the spare tire or first aid kit, which I couldn't see happening.
Thanks much for reading and your thoughts!
PS - My apologies if any of this has been discussed. I didn't see anything directly relevant when I searched through the forum. I am new here, though. But this is our 2nd Benz - The first is my 2014 E-350, which we also bought CPO and has been pretty much trouble free ever since.
Hitch receiver is the proper factory equipment when towing option is selected. If you have the hitch receiver, you have the necessary electrical connections to tow a trailer.
Ball, drawbar and pin are not factory supplied. These are ordinary commodities at Walmart, Advance Auto, Tractor Supply, U-Haul and many other retail establishments.
Thanks much for the reply! It sounds like I should be able to just take the GLS550 to U-Haul and they should be able to supply me with whatever else is needed to hookup a trailer. In other words, I shouldn't need anything else Benz-specific. Is that all correct?
As I said, this is all new to me. I was just a bit leery because, from what I read, the onboard computer makes a lot of adjustments whenever a trailer is plugged into the wiring harness (e.g. disabling the rear sonars because of proximity to the trailer itself). I could very easily see a company wanting to make that 'in-house' but perhaps I'm too used to dealing with Apple products...
Pull back the carpet up above the gas pedal, you should find the OEM harness hanging out in there that you can plug the adapter harness into, then into the controller. Works great. The only thing that sucked was I did end up screwing the mount for the controller to the lower part of the dash on the left side. But it's two very tiny holes, not noticeable when you remove it.
As far as the hitch itself goes, you have to supply that. If it's a heavier load you'll be pulling, get a hitch with integrated anti-sway and leveling bars. Otherwise it's just a 2" receiver and then you get the ball size you need.
Keep in mind max tongue weight on the OEM hitch is 650 pounds. We towed our 5800 pound camper with our 550 a few times without issue. It did great.
U-Haul can set you up with all the bits you need, including the brake controller, if you need one. The draw bars come in different sizes ("drop") for different hitch heights. The ***** come in different diameters, so get one that fits the trailer you are going to pull.
I pulled a U-haul car carrier with a Mercedes W126 on it, about 6000 lbs, with our GLS450 and it was very impressive.
05-02-2022, 09:33 PM
