Seek advice about towing my car behind my A-Class

[Canuck11]

I'm a 1st time owner of an A-class Rv.. I'm looking forward to an extended road trip from Texas to WA state then down the West coast to the Mexican border before returning home to tx.. I plan on taking a few months to complete the itinerary I just mentioned..Only thing i'm unsure about towing my care behind me..I have a Mercedes E63 with a curb weight of 4300 lbs. It's rear wheel drive. Am i restricted to loading it on a heavy and cumbersome 2 axle trailer ?
Do I have any other options..??

[FireGuard]

For your trip I would want to have a Toad for getting around.
I wouldnt want to tow a trailer or take your MB.
I would either look for an older Jeep and set it up to flat tow or buy a dolly ($1k) and a cheap used front wheel drive light weight car. You could get either of these setups for $5k-$10k and could sell them when you get back and probably get close to what you paid.

[conceptumator]

I invested $5K in a Featherlite aluminum car hauler and really like it. Yes, it can be a pain to parks sometimes, but I can out about any vehicle I want on it and don't have to spend a bunch of money if I buy something new. I have pulled it several thousand miles in the last year behind my 31' gasser with a V10, hauling a double cab, long bed Tacoma....no problems at all. You'll spend about the same amount to get ready to flat tow a single vehicle; much less on successive vehicles as you'll have the basic equipment. Also, I don't have to worry with pulling fuses, running down the toad battery with brake devices, lights, etc.

[JohnnyT]

Moved from class A forum

[Bumpyroad]

Executive wrote:
OP answers without info on his "Class A"....Sounds like he's more impressed with his car and telling us all about it, than he is about getting the proper answers....just sayin.....Dennis

yep, if it's as precious as that, I wouldn't be dragging it behind a RV. did't Jay Leno just give something more powerful than that to a serviceman?
bumpy

[Hook]

Executive wrote:
OP answers without info on his "Class A"....Sounds like he's more impressed with his car and telling us all about it, than he is about getting the proper answers....just sayin.....Dennis

I would not pull my favorite possession around the country behind a motor home. It would have to be in an enclosed car hauler and not in the open with chance of rocks or other road debris hitting it.

Hook

[RayChez]

Canuck11. I can see why you are so proud of owning that Mercedes. If I was you I would load it on a flatbed trailer and haul it around. I have seen many that do that, some even enclosed.

If you have a diesel it should be no problem.

[Executive45]

OP answers without info on his "Class A"....Sounds like he's more impressed with his car and telling us all about it, than he is about getting the proper answers....just sayin.....Dennis

[Sully2]

Mike Hohnstein wrote:
The answer

YOU have got that right!!!

[Canuck11]

Believe me it's been racking my brain about bringing a different car. This car is something I've worked really hard to buy and it really is my fav possession. I know it might seem shallow but it is what it is.. It has over 600 hp since I had long tube headers put on and had it tuned.. It'll go 190 mph but I don't think i've gone over the speed limit since I bought it.. So yeah I'm gonna stick with this car for a while.. Thanks for the informative reply..

jerseyjim wrote:
Perhaps you might get rid of the Mercedes and buy a car than CAN be towed 4-down. Altho there are not as many as there used to be, there are quite a few available. Research and DON'T believe the salesman. All he wants to do is sell a car.

I found that GM offers the most in the most price ranges. Ford...y'gotta be careful. Chrysler...I have no idea, but I can't remember when I've ever seen a Chrysler product towed 4 down.

My toads, over the years, have been: 1996 Ford Contour with a 5 spd stick; a 2007 Chevy HHR with automatic, and my current, a 2011 Ford Ranger pickup 4WD with automatic.

With the Contour, no mods at all. Hook up, put the tranny in neutral and go.
With the HHR, hookup, put in neutral, pull a fuse and go.
With the Ranger, I had to buy a Ford Only "transfer case disconnect kit". 400 bucks. Go thru the (simple) proceedure and go.
Strange how a 2WD Ranger is NOT towable 4 down but the 4WD is. I think ANY manual transmission car is towable 4 down except the "all-wheel drive" cars.

You don't mention if you have a gas or diesel motorhome. A gasser is usually limited to 5000 pounds pulling. A Diesel can pull much more...so now you CAN pull your Mercedes if you want to buy or rent a trailer for it. Not a "dolly"..but a trailer.

[kalynzoo]

You will find the people on this website knowledgeable and friendly. Having enjoyed the comments of my on-line friends for years I can say that you should not have a problem if you add some information to your profile. The type of RV, length, engine, year will help others answer your questions.
All of my previous motorhomes (MH) were gas. The mountains out here in the west can be a challenge. My older "big block" 484 GM struggled on the mountains with a tow car. The newer V10 and then the Workhorse 8.1 did fine on the grades pulling a 3000lb car but it really ate gas. I now have a diesel, which should handle a heavier toad but I've yet to try. At 4000+ lbs your toad is probably close to or over the combined weight rating of a gas MH. Adding a tow dolly or trailer will add another 500 to 1000 lbs to the combination. This may also exceed the weight rating of your hitch, even on a diesel. All things to consider in your new venture. Also, if your going to drive the western mountains, really consider a supplemental brake system...Really.
JMHO

[Dale_Traveling]

Crunching the numbers the Merc might not be possible if you coach hitch is only rated for 5000 pounds. The car plus a trailer is going weight more than your hitch and likely the coach can safely pull. So you'll need something else in the driveway and the lower the cost the better.

Before you start shopping you'll need to decide on four down or a dolly. A dolly will give you a bit more flexibility concerning a third vehicle. Any front wheel drive vehicle can be towed with the dolly (some hybrids can not) without any modifications but the dolly is a bit more work at the camp site. If you go with a dolly have a class I hitch installed on the tow car so you can use it to more the dolly around.

Four down narrows your car shopping choices and requires a bit more stuff (tow bar, base plate and possibly a braking system) but is much more convenient while on the road. Four down can cost a bit more initially than a dolly especially if you have the base plate installed but once everything is set up you're done.

Which direction you choose to take, dolly or four down, keep your costs down and buy a used vehicle a few years old that you can use more than just while camping. My vehicle of choice is the Honda Accord, CRV or even an Odyssey minivan. Some of the Saturn's were built using transmissions from Honda. Jeeps are also a good choice but can be a bit heavier than a small car. Don't assume a manual transmission can be four down towed either. Granted 99% probably are but verify just to be sure.

Good luck with your search.

[Blaster_Man]

Any Honda CRV pre 2015 can be towed four down. Honda had a brain dump and put a different trans in the 2015...no longer towable four down.

[bsinmich]

There has been some good and some poor info here. There are many that can not be towed 4 down with automatic or manual. Some Jeeps can be 4 down, Most new Fords (not Escape) can be 4 down, Many GMs are also good 4 down. Many of the older Saturns were good 4 down prospects.

[okgc]

This is the Remco comment

Mercedes Benz E 63 AMG Rear 8 cyl Automatic
Notes

Remco has no information for this vehicle at this time. Please check back later or contact your Remco dealer.