280GE towing capacity

Cann't help with your question but how do you get around the airstream being 110volts? I was thinking of going to US to buy one of these and bringing it in to Liverpool (P&O), are you getting yours here?

You'll find all the data in the "technical data" section for each model over at http://www.g4rce.net/engl/index.html...

However, strictly speaking, you can't just go by the permissable trailor load on it's own. You need to go by the GTW minus the maximum your G- Wagen will weigh (while towing).. It may be less then the stated permissable trailor load. :? .. Hope that makes some sense :lol:

GTW etc .. is that not for new(er) cars with the new Euro towing regs.. and with your newer (last 5 years) driving test. Younger/newer drivers are basically banded from towing horse boxes etc unless they have a full sized tow vehicle. (max permissible weight of trailer must not exceed min weight of the tow vehicle .. so max horse trailer is about 2.3t for a basic one... and empty big 4x4 is 2.3t odd.. one day maybe they might reconsider that bit of gold plated HSE imposed EU tripe for the environment if nothing else!

Good old days like a 460 and most of us it is still as manufacturer quotes and insurance company/courts accept .... hence LR get away with 3500 kg for a less capable tow vehicle (IMHO). In fact to this day they are still playing silly games like that and now Toyota,VW etc etc have joined in the game. Always seemed silly that the softly sprung RR which managed to throw a good few RAC trailers over the central reservations at the start was deemed more capable... I have known a 300GDtL to tow 5.5t for some miles.. =:-o .. slow but faster empty than the 306 Unimog!

link that works http://www.g4rce.net/engl/models-w460.html
good reference http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/preparing/preparing.htm

"Most drivers who passed their test before 1 January 1997 have licence categories allowing them to drive vehicle and trailer combinations weighing up to 8.25 tonnes"

Now it also depends on the age of the trailer .. after 1982 build they need weights marked on them .. funny how all mine are actual post that date! .. and that all ties back into what you can legally tow if you have a new license anyway..

Phasesonix

I am guess from the trailer license statement that you do not fall into this lot;
"Car drivers who obtained their licence prior to 1 January 1997 or HGV drivers who obtained their licence before 31 December 1991"
.. if you had then you can have the 8.25t combination with an older vehicle as long as you comply with manuf reg or up to 100% empty vehicle weight (recommend 85%).. so older RR owners can still do 2.5+3.5=6t GTW and 460/461 G's would be as above e.g. 2.5+2.9=5.4t approx for a lwb... but you might be on thin ice as this is above 100% of vehicle but you are being reasonable. Max trailer is 3.5t?

If you do not fall into this lot.. then you are limited; read your license but it might be 3.5t GTW so a lwb is limited to 1t trailer until you take your trailer license when it goes up to ??? maybe 2.9t for lwb

As for GTW .. I believe this is a new concept (someone correct me please) and so it will have a birth date (like the change in licenses above) and hence cannot be applied retrospectively ... for instance .. what is the GTW of an Austin 7 from 1935 ??. It could be sensible to apply the standards of an existing vehicle but may not stand up in court.. I would guess that brake capacity + 4wd + weight would be what determine it .. and the safety factor that the design/sales team apply :wink: . So back to a 461 of same wheelbase (if it has non ventilated front brakes?) is a fair stab.

But back to the Sprinter; new vehicle with GTW so suspect you are legally boxed in as a newer 463 might be ... so you are right.

.. we start messing in 1982 with car licenses.. and in 1991
then HGV licenses in 1991
then vehicle manufacturers put max trailer wts in 1995
then trailer manufacturers put max trailer wts in 1997
then they mess with tow bars in 1998
finally the GTW regs from Euroland come out around 1999 ?.. or are they on the chassis plate of the vehicle from a long time back... go look!
... no wonder we are all confused!

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repository/Quick%20Guide%20to%20Towing%2...

All disclaimers... i.e. I know nothing!