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Originally Posted by tetice
Your setup sounds very similar to mine. I have a custom built steel open trailer that weighs in at just under 1000 lbs. I estimate my total trailer load to be around 4500 lbs. Earlier this year I also pulled through the mountains of WV on the way to Mid Ohio and was somewhat impressed that I could maintain 60 through there but I have no experience towing with anything else. The X5 handles this load with ease and I'm afraid I will be disappointed with a different setup.
Nonetheless, I am about to take the plunge and give the enclosed trailer a try. Featherlite has a $1350 rebate on enclosed car haulers through the end of the year. I'm looking at the 20 foot model 4926 which weighs in at 2900 lbs. and found some dealers offering good deals. The car should fit fine and if I can show some constraint with misc. cargo I won't be too much over 6000 lbs. We'll see how the X5 does. Several others have indicated they are towing well over the 6000lb rating.
Tom
'93 325iS SE36 #110
'98 M3/4
'02 X5 4.4 Sport
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I think your challenge with the enclosed trailer will be wind resistance more than weight. I hooked my sister's 24' Haulmark behind my X5 with their 993 Supercup car in it to see what it would do. On flat ground with no headwind it would be fine, but at 65+, the wind resistance of the flat face of the trailer was like a giant parachute back there. And when I hit a headwind, I was down to 4th gear at 65 just to maintain speed.
I notice the same thing if I have the tire rack loaded with 8 wheels and tires. The entire set of tires is exposed to the air. And standing in front of the X5 and looking back, even the open trailer is so much bigger than the hole the X5 punches through the wind. If I tow with no tires up there, it's amazing how much better I can pull at speed.
Where do you live that you come through WV to MidOhio? I get to MidO twice a year, and to VIR at least twice each season. It's a very long tow (13+ hours from Chicago) but VIR is worth it, and the comfort of the X5 with Bluetooth and Sirius makes it easy. As long as I don't hit snow coming up I-77 like I did last month coming back. No fun towing when the interstate is just two tire tracks in one lane in the snow.