I have an OEM hitch installed - any upgrades to get hitch weight higher?
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 13
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2012 ML350 BlueTec
I have an OEM hitch installed - any upgrades to get hitch weight higher?
I was at the RV show this weekend in Seattle - found a perfect 28' Travel Trailer, 5900 lbs dry, but a hitch weight of 740 lbs - the ML350 Bluetec can only do 575lbs, has anyone done any upgrades to their hitch to get a higher rating?
Edit:
Doing a little more research the European standard rating is 8% on the hitch, so with a 7200lbs Capacity = 576lb hitch weight but in the USA its 15% which would be 1080lbs HW (not something I would ever want to do) but 10-11% (720-792lbs ) seems more reasonable. Why would they build it saying it can tow 7200lbs but have such a low hitch weight for the USA - that's near impossible to find... just the EU safety rating is lower regardless of what the car can actually handle. Or am I completely off here?
2012 ML350 Bluetec
Edit:
Doing a little more research the European standard rating is 8% on the hitch, so with a 7200lbs Capacity = 576lb hitch weight but in the USA its 15% which would be 1080lbs HW (not something I would ever want to do) but 10-11% (720-792lbs ) seems more reasonable. Why would they build it saying it can tow 7200lbs but have such a low hitch weight for the USA - that's near impossible to find... just the EU safety rating is lower regardless of what the car can actually handle. Or am I completely off here?
2012 ML350 Bluetec
Last edited by TracerX; Feb 10, 2018 at 11:49 AM.
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I was at the RV show this weekend in Seattle - found a perfect 28' Travel Trailer, 5900 lbs dry, but a hitch weight of 740 lbs - the ML350 Bluetec can only do 575lbs, has anyone done any upgrades to their hitch to get a higher rating?
Edit:
Doing a little more research the European standard rating is 8% on the hitch, so with a 7200lbs Capacity = 576lb hitch weight but in the USA its 15% which would be 1080lbs HW (not something I would ever want to do) but 10-11% (720-792lbs ) seems more reasonable. Why would they build it saying it can tow 7200lbs but have such a low hitch weight for the USA - that's near impossible to find... just the EU safety rating is lower regardless of what the car can actually handle. Or am I completely off here?
2012 ML350 Bluetec
Edit:
Doing a little more research the European standard rating is 8% on the hitch, so with a 7200lbs Capacity = 576lb hitch weight but in the USA its 15% which would be 1080lbs HW (not something I would ever want to do) but 10-11% (720-792lbs ) seems more reasonable. Why would they build it saying it can tow 7200lbs but have such a low hitch weight for the USA - that's near impossible to find... just the EU safety rating is lower regardless of what the car can actually handle. Or am I completely off here?
2012 ML350 Bluetec
The eu hitch is completely different.
It's not a hitch but a folding ball. This is likely the reason it has a different rating.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 13
Likes: 3
2012 ML350 BlueTec
So the folding EU ball is 575lb hitch rating vs the USA hitch which is vastly superior... why would they not increase the max hitch weight in the US unless its to avoid confusion with the EU/USA models...
