Can I pull a Micro-lite 25FBS with a Mercedes 450 GLE?

[Dugas]

I know I have enough power with the 450, but would like to hear from others about pulling a 25' 10" trailer with this SUV. The car is rated at Towing Capacity: 7,700 lbs. Max payload: 1,623 lbs. GVWR: 6,614 lbs.

I have never pulled a TT and don't want to drive white knuckled every time a semi passes me.

I wish dealers would let you test pull a trailer before buying.

[NavyLCDR]

The biggest question is what hitch are you planning on using? (and please don't say, "the one on the vehicle, of course!")

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Dugas

I know I have enough power with the 450, but would like to hear from others about pulling a 25' 10" trailer with this SUV. The car is rated at Towing Capacity: 7,700 lbs. Max payload: 1,623 lbs. GVWR: 6,614 lbs.

I have never pulled a TT and don't want to drive white knuckled every time a semi passes me.

I wish dealers would let you test pull a trailer before buying.

Is the 1623lbs payload capacity number from the actual door sticker or from a website/brochure?
And the dealer isn't going to let you test tow the trailer because it requires a WDH.

[chriscowles]

I pull a Mini-Lite 2507S (26') with an F150 SuperCrew MaxTow with a short bed. I am at, but within, the limit of its capabilities. I feel safe and comfortable driving it.

My F150 has a 145" wheelbase. A Mercedes 450 GLE reportedly has a wheelbase of 118" and about 70% of the towing capacity of the truck.

I think you're gonna have white knuckles.

Do you have specs for what the hitch is rated for? It may be listed as with and without a weight-distributing hitch.

[Scottnweeze]

Originally Posted by Dugas

I know I have enough power with the 450, but would like to hear from others about pulling a 25' 10" trailer with this SUV. The car is rated at Towing Capacity: 7,700 lbs. Max payload: 1,623 lbs. GVWR: 6,614 lbs.

I have never pulled a TT and don't want to drive white knuckled every time a semi passes me.

I wish dealers would let you test pull a trailer before buying.

I tow with a LR Discovery 5 and
1.) I am almost certain you may NOT use a WDH with your vehicle (I was told it's a unibody thing), but that has not been an issue for me, the vehicle has anti-sway built in and you probably have leveling suspension ( I do use a WDH when I tow with my Tundra).
2.) weight as you suggest should be a non-issue, but the tongue weight on that trailer will be problematic.

[Palinduff]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Is the 1623lbs payload capacity number from the actual door sticker or from a website/brochure?
And the dealer isn't going to let you test tow the trailer because it requires a WDH.

Any dealership I worked at would be happy to set up a test tow. There’s plenty of WDHs laying around. It would actually be recommended in this case.

[hbillsmith]

I towed a 25ft TT with my brand new Mercedes GzL450. The first big problem is the Mercedes hitch is rated for 600 lbs. I used the lightest weight hitch I could find (Andersen) and the trailer towed great. I was careful with my loads and CAT scaled many times to stay compliant.

We used that combo for about 2 1/2 years, 30,000 miles and then Mercedes let me know that towing was a bad idea because of their air bag suspension. Apparently if your tow vehicle has an auto level suspension it fights the wd hitch. For that reason, many vehicles with auto level will have a way to turn it off. Mercedes does not.

Within 6 months I ended spending $4500 to have all 4 corners of that suspension repaired (out of warranty). It was a very expensive lesson

Traded the Mercedes for 3/4 ton truck and the trailer for new 5th wheel.

[Dugas]

So far, so good! Our 2020 GLE 450 has plenty of power and weight rating of 7500 lbs . I bought a combo Reese stablizer/distribution system and it pulls nicely. The only issue is that the hitch slips a little when I take off and I hear a clunk which I don't like, but the installer told me that was common. Anybody else have this issue? Suggestions welcome.

[hbillsmith]

Originally Posted by Dugas

So far, so good! Our 2020 GLE 450 has plenty of power and weight rating of 7500 lbs . I bought a combo Reese stablizer/distribution system and it pulls nicely. The only issue is that the hitch slips a little when I take off and I hear a clunk which I don't like, but the installer told me that was common. Anybody else have this issue? Suggestions welcome.

You have a tow rating of 7,500 lbs but your hitch rating is only 600 lbs. That is stamped on the hitch. If you take your GL with trailer in tow to a CAT scale you can determine if you have more than 600 lbs on the hitch. How much over will depend on how you have your trailer and GL loaded with people and stuff.

Your GLE is the newer renamed version of my old 2010 GL450 that I had from new for 9 years. That car towed beautiful for about the first 5 years and then the airbags all began to fail over time. First the back 2, then the front left, then front right.

The 4 wheel suspension still consists of 4 airbags and the GLE does not have a way to disengage the auto level. You will know when the airbags fail when you start your car and almost every time you hear the compressor kick in and level the car. That compressor coming on to fill the airbags should happen rarely unless the bags are leaking. After many thousand miles of towing they will leak from the well known cause of the suspension fighting against the trailers weight distribution mechanics.

If you were towing a big boat down to the lake on weekends, you would be fine and that's why the Mercedes ad always shows a smiling weekender towing his boat.

Don't take my word for it. Check out the Mercedes forum and you'll see dozens of US and Canadian Airstream users documenting this same problem. My suggestion for you is to keep having them check those bags each service visit for as long as you have warranty.