towing with gas




Now you're confusing your comments about a rear axle with your own comments about front axles.
Must be difficult for you at a restaurant. Moreso for the wait staff, though.
I can see it now: "Here's your water." "But I ordered water." "That's water." "It's not water because water comes in a glass." "That's a glass." "No it's a pail. You keep moving the goalposts. LOL" "Would you rather have a pail?" "No, I like this glass just fine! You stupid waiter. Bring me my pail. Water is never served in a glass. LOL."




I also find my GLE to be superior in crosswind stability while towing.
On a drive on I-70 eastbound through Kansas, towing my 28' 6,000# RV, into front quartering winds w/ gusts to 65, there were several spots with semi's on their sides. Three here, four there.
Scattered amongst them were a few RVs, also on their sides. ALL had been towed by 3/4T or larger Pickups.
Ahead I could see other pickups with trailers, barely able to stay on the pavement, much less In their Lane.
My GLE felt the gusts, but I had no trouble staying in my lane.
I generally drive with the Cruise set at 64, since mpg falls a lot at 68. I slowed to 55, but only because mpg had fallen to 10, and I needed 12 to make it to the next fuel stop.
We spent our time calculating fuel supply, not trying to correct 20 foot veers off pavement, like the others I could see. They should have just pulled off
More evidence that a Stout Euro SUV is superior to pickups for towing, within their limits.
Better suspensions, better suspension geometry, better rear overhang, grippier tires - just better all around.




As I understand it, it uses rear brakes to correct. Whatever it is, it's imperceptible.
Edit - that car had steel springs and the 166 chassis. The 167 has a noticably better chassis.
I haven't towed anything bigger than a 4,400 lb U-Haul trailer with my 167 air suspension, since my RV was totaled by hail.
Last edited by mikapen; Jul 3, 2025 at 03:34 PM.
1500s are born and bred TO tow.
Wanna tow an 8k lb boat, gear, and family with your GLE all over the country or use it every weekend for 10 years versus a 1500 with that boat and see which one falls apart first (literally and figuratively)? It won't be the Ram.
Why do you think they sell millions of Tahoes and Expeditions?
Come on folks, let's get real here. A BOF truck's reason for being is work, towing. They're just so nice and modern and luxurious these days they double for great DDs too.
Last edited by AJT12345; Jul 20, 2025 at 10:22 AM.




1500s are born and bred TO tow.
Wanna tow an 8k lb boat, gear, and family with your GLE all over the country or use it every weekend for 10 years versus a 1500 with that boat and see which one falls apart first (literally and figuratively)? It won't be the Ram.
Why do you think they sell millions of Tahoes and Expeditions?
Come on folks, let's get real here. A BOF truck's reason for being is work, towing. They're just so nice and modern and luxurious these days they double for great DDs too.
They're inadequate and unsafe.
And yes I've towed an
Half tons are okay as long as you don't need to stop, turn or go around corners. Heaven forbid something happens in front of you and you have to take evasive actions.
Pickups start becoming effective tow vehicles at 3/4 ton or maybe one ton these days.
As long as you don't have to turn stop or take evasive actions. Plus there's so much chassis flex that everything wears out.
You'd be far better off in a half ton van then a 3/4 ton pickup.
Tahoes and Expeditions are much better than half ton pickups, again because of the chassis flex. The full body helps overcome the body on frame deficiencies.
Better yet, a stout SUV. That can do all of the above easily. No chassis flex. Shorter rear overhang, better physics. Bigger brakes.
It's evidence, not legend.
Last edited by mikapen; Jul 20, 2025 at 02:01 PM.




That made them cheaper and attractive to a whole generation of people who didn't want to pay for regulatory requirements.
That's why the F-150 is the biggest selling vehicle. Not because of towing.
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
I mean did a Ram 1500 hit and run your car ? Lol
BOF SUV bodies are not structural. The frame is where the towing load is pulled. You could remove the body from the frame and the towing capacity would remain the same.
Again ask ANYBODY who seriously tows none of them would ever choose a unibody 6 cyl SUV to tow over a 1/2 ton pickup. Go anywhere people seriously tow and ask them. They will laugh you out of the parking lot.
Last edited by SW20S; Jul 20, 2025 at 06:31 PM.




BOF SUV bodies are not structural. The frame is where the towing load is pulled. You could remove the body from the frame and the towing capacity would remain the same.
Again ask ANYBODY who seriously tows none of them would ever choose a unibody 6 cyl SUV to tow over a 1/2 ton pickup. Go anywhere people seriously tow and ask them. They will laugh you out of the parking lot.
Check out the experience of Can-Am RV on their website and watch their testing.
Better yet tow something serious with your SUV. Other RV forums are abandoning half tons and going up-capacity.
I stop at 7,000 lbs. (Limited only by payload.) If I needed to tow more, It would have to be a one-ton - certainly not half ton.
Or a 3/4T van, Excursion or Suburban, which are significantly stiffer stronger better than a pickup. Because their bodies contribute to the structure.
My puny 210hp (400lb-ft) ML diesels (and a diesel Cayenne) had no trouble pulling the biggest passes in Colorado.
(Descending is where pickups start running into problems. Brakes steering switchbacks.)




At least you're not relying on your strongest recommendation, a half ton pickup. Yielding to wisdom?
BOF SUV bodies are not structural. The frame is where the towing load is pulled. You could remove the body from the frame and the towing capacity would remain the same.
Again ask ANYBODY who seriously tows none of them would ever choose a unibody 6 cyl SUV to tow over a 1/2 ton pickup. Go anywhere people seriously tow and ask them. They will laugh you out of the parking lot.
Apparently you haven't because you'd know an ACTUAL TRUCK is superior for hard work.
As long as you don't have to turn stop or take evasive actions. Plus there's so much chassis flex that everything wears out.
You'd be far better off in a half ton van then a 3/4 ton pickup.
Better yet, a stout SUV. That can do all of the above easily. No chassis flex. Shorter rear overhang, better physics. Bigger brakes.
It's evidence, not legend.
And so now you're also saying a Yukon is ideal for towing but a full zoot Sierra Denali isn't? If that's the case then why is the tow rating higher for the pickup truck and not the SUV? If the truck is gonna just wiggle apart as you claim why do they have such impressive tow ratings?
Why don't I see countless GLE Mercedes towing boats all over the place? And why DO I see 1500s pulling boats, substantial ones at that, all over the place??
It's not just me on this planet that knows trucks are best for towing.
Last edited by AJT12345; Jul 21, 2025 at 03:48 AM.
All I have to do is look at what people who tow serious things use. What is being used to tow horse trailers? Big boats? Fifth wheel RVs? It’s not midsized unibody crossovers lol
Last edited by SW20S; Jul 21, 2025 at 09:44 AM.




About the "no flex" body on frame claims -
https://youtu.be/_f3CAnH7WIM?si=KMIPbewvY--qvdBu
Don't argue with me. It's on the Internet!
And for those who don't believe in current evidence, this will reinforce your beliefs:
🤣
Last edited by mikapen; Jul 21, 2025 at 04:03 PM.
I still don't get people who won't admit weaknesses in their vehicles... it's not even really a weakness in this case because the last thing on 99% of buyers minds is towing regularly, heavy loads in a Mercedes crossover.
My LS430's transmission takes too much to kick down and it's not lightning fast throttle-response wise like a GM trans.
My LX570 has weak A/C.
My Yukon Denali has B pillars that are too large, and the a/c is fantastic and powerful but you have to set the temp too low for cold cold air as opposed to leaving it on 72 in everything else I own with auto A/C.
My SL500 has a few crappy bits inside like a mirror cover that broke off, which is annoying because otherwise it's as good inside as my LS430 build wise.
It's okay to admit your vehicle isn't the jack of every single trade.
Go to a boat ramp and count 1500s then count crossovers like that.




I still don't get people who won't admit weaknesses in their vehicles... it's not even really a weakness in this case because the last thing on 99% of buyers minds is towing regularly, heavy loads in a Mercedes crossover.
.............
It's okay to admit your vehicle isn't the jack of every single trade.
Go to a boat ramp and count 1500s then count crossovers like that.
(I specifically said "within their limits," repeatedly.) Note that phrase please. Or don't, since most here haven't....
They argue about Crossovers, but a 167 is a RWD design.
They seem to think that a 20 foot beam has greater bend and torsion strength than a finite-designed Unibody of the same or shorter length. It's just not true, or we'd see 747s plummeting from the skies.
They dismiss the difficulty that 3/4T pickups have on negotiating corners or staying upright in heavy crosswinds as Driver Error.
Yes a 1T pickup has brakes almost as powerful as a GLS. Half tons and most 3/4 tons don't. Then there's the matter of tires - pickups are equipped with tires for high mileage and other truck-like qualities, while SUV tires are designed more for traction and handling. Compare stopping distances and skid pad numbers.
Oh, wait! Earlier I've recommended sources that support my observations. Why bother if they have their minds made up?
There's no way a pickup of any specification can perform an evasive maneuver with an at-capacity trailer behind.
Folks keep telling me that I don't know what I'm talking about, but I actually do, although my most recent modern pickup towing experience was with a '17 model. As I posted above.
I drove a tow/chase vehicle for the Carerra Panamericana. In preparation we had equipped a 1Ton pickup. We decided in the final month of prep that it wasn't up to the task (2,000 miles through Mexico with trailer, at speed), so we switched to a used 3/4T E250 van. The van body gave the tow platform the strength that the body-less pickup lacked.
The towing experience is just superior with a stout Euro SUV. As it is on the track. Suspensions and chassis rigidity matter in all scenarios.
Note to deniers: body-on-frame is also called a chassis.🙂
With a pickup, a trailer is something behind you.
With SUVs, they behave as a unit.
That swerve to avoid the collision in front while simultaneously avoiding cars on adjacent lanes is very impressive.
SUV: Wow That was an impressive amount of control.
Pickup: Honey, where's our insurance card?
Let's not get into the methods Euro SUVs tow ratings are established. They're different. At least we finally have the SAE J2807 standards, but there are some noteworthy shortcomings, even in the revised current version. The Euro ratings have shortcomings as well.
How many of the "Gotta be a primitive chassis" proponents have dual experience? None so far.
So there is a tradeoff if your needs are to tow beyond sn SUVs capacity.
You just live with a heavy missile and (should) leave extra leeway to accommodate their inability to change direction or stop when needed. Just be aware.
Last edited by mikapen; Jul 21, 2025 at 05:29 PM.
If you're so right then why do 1500s sell at all? Why do I never see GLEs towing boats?
Why isn't there a basic GLE work truck for all of us not as wise as you if they do everything a truck does better??
You reallllly lost credibility with the whole "WW1 suspension" thing. Not that you had any to begin with.
Dude call a spade a spade. Am I saying a 1500 will track down the autobahn at 130MPH as well as a Benz? Hell no. But it's a damn sight better vehicle for towing on the reg.
Again…just go look at what people who tow serious loads use. That’s not the internet that’s reality.
And those trucks you posted are 2009 models. It’s 2025. Everything is much more rigid now including truck frames.




Again…just go look at what people who tow serious loads use. That’s not the internet that’s reality.
And those trucks you posted are 2009 models. It’s 2025. Everything is much more rigid now including truck frames.
Bad job at interpreting data.
Even poorer job of checking my references.
Good job of disparaging valid information and opinion because you disagree.
Bad job at reading my posts.
That's my opinion. That's my experience. Go hang with your cronies.
Bad job at interpreting data.
Even poorer job of checking my references.
Good job of disparaging valid information and opinion because you disagree.
Bad job at reading my posts.
That's my opinion. That's my experience. Go hang with your cronies.










