Is a GL320 an awful choice for a tow pig?

Remember - your tow rig should be first of all dead-nuts reliable. Because you don't want to spend time working on it when you need to be working on your racecar. And you don't want to have something that will break down during a tow, because then you don't get to race.

There is a reason you see people towing with the usual suspects....Tundras/Sequoias, Suburbans, full-size pickups. Because they're generally reliable, easy and cheap to keep running well, and built to handle towing. I love the fact that my tow pig prep for a long trailer trip is nothing more than changing the oil, and occasionaly trans fluid and brake pads. I don't want to work on my tow pig. I just want it to work.

irish44j said:

Remember - your tow rig should be first of all dead-nuts reliable. Because you don't want to spend time working on it when you need to be working on your racecar. And you don't want to have something that will break down during a tow, because then you don't get to race.

There is a reason you see people towing with the usual suspects....Tundras/Sequoias, Suburbans, full-size pickups. Because they're generally reliable, easy and cheap to keep running well, and built to handle towing. I love the fact that my tow pig prep for a long trailer trip is nothing more than changing the oil, and occasionaly trans fluid and brake pads. I don't want to work on my tow pig. I just want it to work.

Heh, I cycle between full size pickup > full size SUV > something European > keeping my Tahoe multiple times a month. I guess part of my reasoning for the GL's gas mileage is that I don't like stopping every ~200 miles when towing or ~400 when on a road trip. I want 500+ mile range when doing 70+ mph. Can't find anything that's "right" and I'm trying to ween down the stable until I get another project car.

I did not have the SAM re-coded, I just went with regular incandescent lights.  Also, I'm not using a weight distributing setup, just a regular receiver-tongue-ball.

There have been days when I've seriously considered just getting rid of this thing and getting a Tahoe.  But then I'll ride in a Tahoe, or a 4Runner, or a Durango and I'm reminded why I don't do that.  My tow pig has to also be my daily driver and a family car and as nice as Caddies, Chevys, Fords, and Toyotas are...  they don't ride like a Benz.  If it made sense for me to have a dedicated towing vehicle, I would probably get an older 2WD three-quarter-ton regular cab truck in either gas or diesel.  It'd be kind of ugly but it would be very reliable and able to haul whatever I put behind it.  Yeah, it can be a little bit of a PITA but as long as you either have the coin to send it to the dealer or the ability to fiddle on it yourself, it's absolutely worth it.

quick edit:  The standard warning applies here of course:  get the newest and lowest mileage example you can find.  2010+ should have the "good" oil seals, and anything that had the oil seals done at the dealer after 2010 should have gotten the "good" one already, but that may not mean too much as I think that's where my leak is coming form on my 2012 that had its seals replaced already.  I also wouldn't classify it as having been "unreliable" overall, with the one exception of the mystery no-start condition and, honestly, I think that was fuel quality related.

I feel that after four pages of this thread, full of enablers, it is time for someone to step up and have the guts to say, "That thing will be nice until it sets your wallet on fire from pure friction." 

Yup, my tow rig has to be my DD as well, so that rules out a large SUV/pickup.  Too big, won't fit in my garage/underneath my 4 post lift. 

So mid-sized (true mid sized, so not a Tahoe) SUV's are where its at for me.  That generally means something European, as they have tow ratings of 7-8000lbs and are easier to find in a diesel.  Hence my "new" '15 Cayenne diesel as my DD/tow rig.  Is under warranty for the next 3.5 years, so I won't be doing any wrenching on it besides wear item/maintenance stuff for awhile...

I feel the same way about my sedan version. But I haven't had the head unit issue mine streams music via bluetooth fine (2011)

Jaynen said:

I feel the same way about my sedan version. But I haven't had the head unit issue mine streams music via bluetooth fine (2011)

Not gonna lie...  That makes the fact that mine doesn't just that much more frustrating.

Mine has the pseudo yellow/off white background and uses the little spinning wheel deal. Mine has the Harmon Kardon sound system which I think sounds great

Premium Package 1 + Driver assist package is what I have (except mine is the diesel not 4matic)

https://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/DigitalAssets/pdfmb/explore/2011_E350W_specs.pdf

I had a weird issue when I first got it regarding bluetooth connectivity but it went away. As I recall it would work fine but only once, when I went to use the car again it would no longer function for the stereo so I would go into settings under device tell it to disconnect then reconnect to "recent device" or something and it would work fine. At some point it started working correctly either my phone updated or the car did

I want to replace my Excursion with one of these. I miss Mercedes and I think this would be great replacement if I sell the XJR and Excursion. Will feed the luxury and utility needs all at once. I really want a G500 though, but they just do not depreciate. 

Either of you deleted egr and disable the swirl motor then get a tune?