[Heyday]

I am getting a new truck and love anyone who has a Mercedes SUV's thoughts on how you feel it pulls a trailer and what you dislike about it.

I am getting rid of my Excursion which I really love. I love the size and never have an issue parking etc. But it is old and my husband doesn't trust it to not leave me and the kids stranded at this point. I am getting the Mercedes GL550 which is considerably smaller. My husband mentioned that I may not be able to see behind due to the width of the Mercedes and my horse trailer being so wide. I am aware that it will not pull nearly as well as my Excursion but I am willing to deal with that since I don't pull more than 10 times a year. But if I can't see out of my side mirrors that will be a huge problem!

Thanks!

[jn4jenny]

Clip-on tow mirrors. Visibility problem solved.

[Petstorejunkie]

it has a 5.5L engine and a tow capacity of 7500#
at $85k new I doubt many people are cruising a Benz to a horse show. One oops kick and wow, that's a day killer.

[mvp]

The short wheelbase is what wigs me out the most. I think a weight distribution hitch and stabilizer bars will be a necessary part of your ensemble.

[wildlifer]

Agreed with mvp. It's a short thing, no matter how big of an engine they throw in there. I wouldn't tow anything longer than a 2H with no dressing room.

[Halt At X]

The BO has one and they tow a 2 horse BP with it and have no issues. It has the backup camera so you can hitch without needing help, which is pretty cool.

I have driven in it while towing 2 horses (1 draft, 1 appy) to a local state park and you almost didn't know the trailer was there, I was quite impressed. I'll stick to using my full size truck but it is doable and felt pretty safe.

[GoForAGallop]

The BO has one and they tow a 2 horse BP with it and have no issues. It has the backup camera so you can hitch without needing help, which is pretty cool.

I have driven in it while towing 2 horses (1 draft, 1 appy) to a local state park and you almost didn't know the trailer was there, I was quite impressed. I'll stick to using my full size truck but it is doable and felt pretty safe.

I can hitch my Suburban up without any help, or a backup camera. But that is handy.

You don't mention though, whether or not your BO has any sort of weight distribution hitch on her vehicle? I imagine that it would be necessary for that setup. It is quite a short vehicle.


In reading the reviews of the car, almost every single one complains about the side mirrors being too small for regular driving. So you are definitely going to want to look into those tow mirrors.

[Halt At X]

You don't mention though, whether or not your BO has any sort of weight distribution hitch on her vehicle? I imagine that it would be necessary for that setup. It is quite a short vehicle.

Regular hitch on HIS Mercedes. She has nothing to do with the horses Oh, and the Mercedes is the "work truck" LOL, that's what it is seriously called!
It's not my set-up and I will always use my truck vs the Mercedes. They don't go far, no more than 1 hour each way usually when hauling with it I believe.

[jn4jenny]

Agreed with mvp. It's a short thing, no matter how big of an engine they throw in there. I wouldn't tow anything longer than a 2H with no dressing room.

At 121.1 inches, the Mercedes GL550 has a longer wheelbase than most short-bed half-ton trucks. The regular cab longbed F-150 has a wheelbase of 133 inches. So not exactly a huge step down. That said, I agree that I wouldn't tow anything longer than 2H/no dress and would be looking at sway bars/WD hitch etc.

As for backup cameras, they're nice but they're also annoyingly expensive. My $25 Hitchin' Rods get me hooked up the first time, every time.
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...hin-rods/28563

[mvp]

Moving on from the wheelbase question.

I think you should do some research on the transmission and a cooler for it. That's part of the "factory tow package" on trucks that have those. They are a good idea as towing is tough on a tranny and those are expensive.

I will point out that you could get a 2011 6.7L Ford diesel that people hope will be the next Messiah of hauling trucks. If you paid full price for one of those, you'd have $20K left over in your pocket that the Mercedes will take up.

But if you just love the Benz and are bound and determined to make it work, I think you can do that with stuff added on.

[Jaegermonster]

At 121.1 inches, the Mercedes GL550 has a longer wheelbase than most short-bed half-ton trucks. The regular cab longbed F-150 has a wheelbase of 133 inches. So not exactly a huge step down. That said, I agree that I wouldn't tow anything longer than 2H/no dress and would be looking at sway bars/WD hitch etc.

As for backup cameras, they're nice but they're also annoyingly expensive. My $25 Hitchin' Rods get me hooked up the first time, every time.
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...hin-rods/28563

Although lots of folks do it, I wouldn't pull with an F150 either.

[Diamondindykin]

Although lots of folks do it, I wouldn't pull with an F150 either.

^^^^^ THIS^^^^ I won't haul in anything that is less than a 3/4 ton. My boss has a Mercedes SUV (the one in question) and I would NOT pull a horse trailer with it It is way to small!!

[goldenhorse]

I would be more concerned with being able to stop the trailer with the Mercedes. It can probably pull it fine but stopping it is just as important. Trailer brakes can fail easily and if you need to stop in a hurry or have an accident the trailer could end up pushing you. You can ask the experts at horsetrailerworld.com. They have a forum just for questions like this.

[Halt At X]

^^^^^ THIS^^^^ I won't haul in anything that is less than a 3/4 ton. My boss has a Mercedes SUV (the one in question) and I would NOT pull a horse trailer with it It is way to small!!

That is a common misconception a lot of people seem to have. There is no reason you cannot tow a horse trailer safely with a properly equipped 1/2 ton truck. I drive a 2008 Toyota Tundra and that truck is a beast. Comes straight from the factory with tranny cooler, heavy duty brakes and suspension, wired for electric brakes and heavy duty hitch. The only thing we needed to do was buy the controller box for under the dash.

[jcotton]

you may have the engine to get up & go. But does this MB GL550 have the weight, the frame strength and brakes large enough to stop a fully loaded 2 horse trailer safely in ideal driving conditions?
Because most of the time you are driving in less than ideal conditions

Personally, I would move onto a suburban (GMC or Chev) since Ford doesn't make Excursions anymore.

[Rabtfarm]

It always boils down to the trailer weight and the towing capacity of the vehicle...commonsense says you cannot tow a four horse GN with a sportscar, not because the car cannot move the trailer, but because it probably cannot stop it, certainly not in an emergency. Same with the Mercedes..some 2 horse bumper pulls are significantly lighter than others. In the final analysis tho, you want to check the legal towing capacities of the vehicle as you could well void vehicle insurance if you exceed the capacities. So yes, you could tow with a Mecedes SUV, but why if there is no insurance?

[Diamondindykin]

That is a common misconception a lot of people seem to have. There is no reason you cannot tow a horse trailer safely with a properly equipped 1/2 ton truck. I drive a 2008 Toyota Tundra and that truck is a beast. Comes straight from the factory with tranny cooler, heavy duty brakes and suspension, wired for electric brakes and heavy duty hitch. The only thing we needed to do was buy the controller box for under the dash.

It works for some people but I wouldn't haul with anything under a 3/4 ton personally. I have a huge 4-horse aluminum Exiss and a big Dodge 2500, 4WD, long bed. With only two horses loaded it will push that big truck when stopping (Yes, I have trailer brakes). I can't imagine what it would be like in a 1/2 ton truck. I am just not willing to take that chance with my horses lives

[Halt At X]

It works for some people but I wouldn't haul with anything under a 3/4 ton personally. I have a huge 4-horse aluminum Exiss and a big Dodge 2500, 4WD, long bed. With only two horses loaded it will push that big truck when stopping (Yes, I have trailer brakes). I can't imagine what it would be like in a 1/2 ton truck. I am just not willing to take that chance with my horses lives

Well that's just common sense- you pull a 4 horse trailer. I wouldn't pull a 4 horse fully loaded with my truck even though I can and have pulled over 10k pounds with it.

[2bee]

Classic example of the rampant clue-less-ness;

It works for some people but I wouldn't haul with anything under a 3/4 ton personally. I have a huge 4-horse aluminum Exiss and a big Dodge 2500, 4WD, long bed. With only two horses loaded it will push that big truck when stopping (Yes, I have trailer brakes). I can't imagine what it would be like in a 1/2 ton truck. I am just not willing to take that chance with my horses lives

A. A 4 horse is not "huge"....well maybe if it has a 20' LQ.

B. A Dodge 2500 is not "big", its just a pickup.

C. Your trailer brakes are not working. Get yourself to someone who knows what they are doing QUICKLY......

[Diamondindykin]

Classic example of the rampant clue-less-ness;




A. A 4 horse is not "huge"....well maybe if it has a 20' LQ.

B. A Dodge 2500 is not "big", its just a pickup.

C. Your trailer brakes are not working. Get yourself to someone who knows what they are doing QUICKLY......

Obviously you are just making ASSumptions If you ever saw my truck you would see just how ridiculous your little list is!!! My truck is "BIG"...........most people call it a monster truck My trailer is 28 ft (29 ft to the truck ball) bumper pull. It is custom made and you won't find too many bumper pulls as big as mine (at least I haven't). My trailer brakes work just fine but all trailers push somewhat anyone who has hauled at all knows that.

No way I would trust an SUV with a loaded two horse trailer to be able to stop safetly in a hurry