Hi All-

Well, bought an '01 3.0 with 5 speed manual trans, installed the $500 OEM hitch and wiring harness (very beefy), and hooked her up.

She pulls See Truth very nicely and stops her ever better!! All performance is better than with the Chevy Suburban, especially the stopping.

Yes, the rear of the car was closer to the salt water than I would like, so I installed a 2' trailer extension, and that has resolved the issue.

This X5 does not have the self leveling suspension, but carries the 550# tongue weight well. She seems to ride level (reference pics) and have logged ~ 3000 miles and 25 launches with no issues or handling concerns. Pulls the heavy load right up the wet ramps . . . and some of them have been steep!!

Changed ALL the oils a few months ago (engine and 4 tranny oils) and glad I did. Will change the tranny oils every 50k or so despite BMW's claim to lifetime oils.

What a machine. I call it my German Sports Tractor.

"Fish On!" - Darrell

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