Any Experience of a C 220 Towing?

[Adie]

Hi all,

I'm new to trailer sailing and am looking at a Mac 26M for family weekends away. I'm landlocked in the Midlands (UK). I have a C Class 220 (2200 CC) Diesel. Has anyone experienced or have any views on the towing capabilities of this vehicle with a Mac? I need to fit a tow bar and electrics, any suggestions welcome.

Your assistance is appreciated.

Regards,

Adrian

[FinallySailing]

Hi Adrian and welcome to the world of Mac Trailering !

Have a look on http://www.uktow.com .

You can there pick the exact model of your car and check the maximum towing weight but also how much 85% of the kerb weight is. If I remember right, the latter can be important for insurance purposes in the UK and Europe. Unless you have a particular flat and well prepped slipway in mind I'd not go for a two wheel drive esp. for the heavier Mac. Alternatively, have you looked at the real Mac Trailer Sailer, the Classic ? She weighs less, sails pretty well but doesn't motor as fast.

Fair winds,

FS

[bartmac]

No experience with your vehicle BUT every jurisdiction is different and DONT believe any weights the Macgregor corporation gives you.You'll find weights quoted without motors fuel tanks etc,as soon as you put anything on board you'll exceed the rated capacity of the standard trailer,in short go to a weighbridge and get an idea what you are towing really

[mastreb]

Mercedes Benz does not officially rate their vehicles for towing unless a hitch receiver is a standard option, so only their SUVs and the R class are officially rated. After market tow-bar manufacturers rate the C class suspension for 2500 lbs. and a 200 lb. tongue weight. Towing an empty Mac requires 3200 lbs. and 300 lb. tongue weight, and I would consider 4000 lbs./400 to be the practical minimum for a typically modded and kitted boat.

I wouldn't attempt it. On the plus side, you've likely got enough value in the car to trade it in for a vehicle that can safely tow a Mac.

[133bhp]

I'd check the specific euro ratings (should be in the handbook) as they seem to differ across the pond. but for example my 2010 mondeo, (2.0 Fwd auto diesel), pulls 4400lb/2000kg. Tows an X quite well in fact @ 27mpg

FYI - I made up a wireless remote winch off the tow bar that will staright pulls 4500lb, double with a snatch block. arguably better than a 4x4 on some muddy slips I've used. But if slipping a lot, a 4wd makes life a lot easier.

[kurz]

Hi Adrian
I guess that you will not get more than 1800kg towing weight for your C-Klasse Mercedes. I tow my mac with a 1987 E-Class Mercedes Diesel 113 hp station wagon... AND IT WORKS quite well. I live in Switzerland and already towed the mac 1000km from Bremerhaven and went to mediteranien Sea to Genova and back. Of course - in the St. Gotthard mountain the speed was not too high but it worked well

Get an E-Class, it can take 2100kg.

The mac will never be under 2000kg (even more closer to 2200...) seriously when you have a outboard 60hp mounted.



In England I guess you must put new axles with new brakes. Put a tandem and use the original trailer and new lights for the trailer, so you get it the less heavy as you can.

[FinallySailing]

In England I guess you must put new axles with new brakes. Put a tandem and use the original trailer and new lights for the trailer, so you get it the less heavy as you can.

With the new rules for trailers in in the UK since end of October 2012 you'll have to go through "Individual Vehicle Approval" if you start redesigning your trailer.

[FinallySailing]

Mercedes Benz does not officially rate their vehicles for towing unless a hitch receiver is a standard option, so only their SUVs and the R class are officially rated. After market tow-bar manufacturers rate the C class suspension for 2500 lbs. and a 200 lb. tongue weight. Towing an empty Mac requires 3200 lbs. and 300 lb. tongue weight, and I would consider 4000 lbs./400 to be the practical minimum for a typically modded and kitted boat.

I wouldn't attempt it. On the plus side, you've likely got enough value in the car to trade it in for a vehicle that can safely tow a Mac.

Different in Europe . Just found the towing weights for the current C class and other models on the MB UK site.

http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/content ... _data.html

So lets say if you have the current C-Class 220 Estate, the maximum towing weight will be 1800kgs according to MB. Will get tight if you consider outboard and gear.

Best wishes,

FS

[kurz]

With the new rules for trailers in in the UK since end of October 2012 you'll have to go through "Individual Vehicle Approval" if you start redesigning your trailer.

Hello, yes here in Switzerland always new custom trailers must be prooved. But if you know in advance what the roles are, its ok.
I was successful and happy: I have the new alu trailer, put a tandem axle and conform lights, and I got 2500kg. Of course it took many hours to organise and to get a trailer constructor that prooves the 2500kg. But now the trailer is not heavy at all and becouse of this I can stay with my old Mercedes E-Class some years more... And if I will have a bigger car one day, I can load the trailer until 2500kg

[Adie]

Alternatively, have you looked at the real Mac Trailer Sailer, the Classic ? She weighs less, sails pretty well but doesn't motor as fast.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm the sailor, the Admiral and crew prefer the power options, the M satisfies us all.

I'm told I don't need a car the amount of miles I do! I only do around 30 miles a week so the car will basically only be used for towing. I'm now considering a larger towing vehicle such as the M Class.

I might of found the boat, just need to modify my parking area to take the weight of the trailer and get a suitable towing vehicle.

Thanks all

[kurz]

I'm now considering a larger towing vehicle such as the M Class.

Think about the WV Sharan. You have much more space to store things, you can tow 2200kg as 2wd, or 2400kg as a 4wd...

[Tomfoolery]

I'm the sailor, the Admiral and crew prefer the power options, the M satisfies us all.

I know the feeling. That's why I sold the keelboat and got the . As much as I miss the big boat, the is getting a lot more use, mostly because the rest of the family all of a sudden wants to do things on the boat. Like wakeboard. And motor around the Erie Canal. And go to the Finger Lakes. And so on.

I don't know the vehicles you're describing, but I can say that if the main function of the tow vehicle is as a tow vehicle, then I'd go for greatest capacity and security/stability first, as it has to haul the freight first and foremost. My Toyota Highlander tows the boat OK, but its main function is business travel over long distances, so an old 4WD F250 pickup, while presumably far better at towing the boat, just wouldn't fly.

OK, so the admiral won't have a pickup in the driveway, but that's another story.

[Adie]

Having spent the afternoon looking at the M class, X5's and L200's, reading further on the MB and the UK tow sites, it appears that the following weights are for my present car.

Kerbweight (Kg) = 1716
85% (Kg) = 1458.6
Towing Capacity (Kg) = 1900
Towing Capacity (Lbs) = 4188

Taking into consideration that the trailer is braked and twin axle and the motor is a Yamaha 4 stroke, is it worth giving it a go?

I like my present car, low mileage and all the gadgets it would be hard to replace.

Thanks for the help,

Adrian

[Adie]

I'm the only one that wants to sail and being a little pragmatic I consider the costs, sail sounds better than fuel!

The kids are excited about wake boarding, and skiing, and diving, and going away for a couple of weeks at a time and every good weekend (minimal in the UK).

Two adults, three teenagers, baggage and provisions, I think I now need a lorry (Truck in the US)!

Still, this has to last me ten years until I retire to the sea, then I'll have a live aboard sail boat with only the occasional visit from the kids.

Thanks for the help and advice.

Regards,

Adrian

[kitcat]

I've got both an X5 3.0 D auto and a Toyota Invincible HiLux manual with low ratios, both of which I would be more than happy to tow with. The X5 is rated to tow up to 2250kgs, whilst the Toyota says they are good for 2750kgs. In practice the X5 tows better because it is more powerful, but I don't have any sway problems with either. I would suggest going for a 4x4 simply because it is easier and safer to get your boat up a slipway at low tide.

I really think you will be pushing the C class to its limit, it will do it, but you don't leave much margin for error.

With regard to sleeping 5 people on the boat, I would advise to bear in mind that although it has 6 berths in theory, you have all to be very well disciplined when up and around, as there really isn't much moving space, nor much storage space come to that. I always tell friends that my boat has 6 places for two people to sleep!

Whilst the M will do all the things you are talking about, I feel that it is not quite the boat you think it is, so just take you time learning about it.

Paul.