Hitch

drgeeforce · #1 05-26-2008, 03:12 AM

I looked at the homepage about the OEM hitch installation. I was agog!
then I googled hitches and found etrailer.com and an X5 6-bolt hitch that was rated 600/6000 Class III. I paid $124 US and got it delivered in 7 business days. At first I was surprised at how simple it looked. 4-left holes and 2-right after reading the instructions, I lifted the rear using jack and placed stands on the axles. I used a hex pin and a pneumatic ratchet to remove the 6 bolts. I placed the hitch and aligned the holes from below the frame, replaced the 6 bolts with the ones supplied from etrailer. I then creeped under the crossmember and drilled a hole according to the instructions, un bolted the hitch, placed the compression threaded grommet into hole. I put the bolt into the threads and torqued to specs, and replaced re-torqued to etrailers' specs the six bolts above. I dropped the jack and stands. the receiver sticks out of the oval plastic hole when I haul, but I unbolt the 7 screws and pop the plate back on. I spray the holes with WD-40 replace all the bolts and drive off sans hitch. I never had to drop the bumper or disconnect the sensors. The only electrical I had to do was to connect the lights through the designated port and plug into the trailer dongle.
I was done in 1 hour. My rides are a 1999 e46 328i and an 2005 X5 4.8is On e46fanatic.com you can visit my garage.
Looking back at the OEM install, I cringed.

PersonaNonGrata · #2 05-26-2008, 03:45 AM

I can't blame you for cringing at the OEM hitch price and installation but I'm afraid that it is the best solution. I do not have a hitch of any kind as I do not tow but I have heard about a few horror stories involving aftermarket hitches causing major damage.

As you saw from the DIY instructions, the OEM kit is bolted directly to the frame with a replacement piece of steel. That is the strongest way if you are going to pull anything with your X. If you're just using the hitch as a way to mount a bike carrier then you might be okay.

I hate to link the site as it generally sucks but please see this thread about a bad experience with an aftermarket hitch.

I also know of someone who had a Hidden Hitch and iand had problems with just a hitch mounted cargo carrier.

Here is the thread.

I don't mean to crap on your accomplishment but I think it's important for you to be aware of potentially expensive problems.

BTW, :xoutpost: .

drgeeforce · #3 05-26-2008, 04:10 AM

"Went to the dealer and looked at the hitch that was removed and it is nothing like the picture on the DrawTite website..." Sounds like that guy got the old "bait and switcheroo" the installer sold them something else. Draw-Tite Class III Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver Hitch #75113, 75154,75492 Hiddenhitch's 87404 all look the same: 4bolt pattern on the left, 2-bolt right.

If asuttie had pics of the post-mortem, then I would agree with you. Right now it seems he/she had an unscrupulous installer who gave him/her the wrong hitch.

"I also know of someone who had a Hidden Hitch and iand had problems with just a hitch mounted cargo carrier."
Your "second victim" is the same person, asuttie, saying the same story: "It is possible the the installer said they put in the Draw Tite 75113 hitch but installed the wrong product, or that Draw Tite changed the original style of the 75113 hitch..."

drgeeforce · #4 05-26-2008, 04:15 AM

HIDDEN HITCH'S LIMITED ONE-YEAR WARRANTY THIS WARRANTY APPLIES SOLELY TO THOSE PRODUCTS (THE "PRODUCTS") MANUFACTURED BY HIDDEN HITCH. PRODUCTS SOLD BUT NOT MANUFACTURED BY HIDDEN HITCH WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY AND ARE NOT WARRANTED FOR ANY PURPOSE BY HIDDEN HITCH. Warranty and Warranty Period
Hidden Hitch warrants to the original Purchaser/Consumer of Hidden Hitch's Products that Hidden Hitch will provide free of charge the replacement of any Products which are defective in material or workmanship (the "Warranty"). This Warranty applies only to the Purchaser/ Consumer of the Products for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase at retail of the Products. Defective Products returned to Hidden Hitch become property of Hidden Hitch.
Limitations on the Warranty
The following limitations apply to the Warranty:

The Warranty applies only to Products which are defective in material or workmanship. This Warranty does not cover normal wear and tear. The Warranty does not cover service or labor charges which are incurred in removing or replacing any Products.
The Warranty does not cover the finish placed on Products by Hidden Hitch. Accordingly, Hidden Hitch will not replace, repair or refinish any Products if the finish on the Product is worn in any manner.
The Warranty does not extend to Products which are damaged or which fail as a result of the Product being abused, neglected, or misused in any manner, or as a result of any accident, or which are misapplied, overloaded, improperly installed, or altered in any manner by anyone other than Hidden Hitch.

Obligations of Purchaser/Consumer
To obtain the benefits of the Warranty, the Purchaser/Consumer must complete the following steps:

The Purchaser/Consumer must present the defective Product(s) together with proof of purchase within a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase to any of Hidden Hitch's branches or its factory or to any authorized Hidden Hitch dealer listed in local directories.
The Purchaser/Consumer must pay all handling, transportation, and shipping charges incurred for the return of the defective Products to Hidden Hitch and for delivery of the replacement Products by Hidden Hitch to the Purchaser/Consumer.

Obligations of Hidden Hitch
Subject to the terms and limitations set forth in this document, Hidden Hitch will provide replacement Products to the original Purchaser/Consumer free of charge.
Legal Rights and Limitations of Purchaser/Consumer
THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU ALSO MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ON ANY HIDDEN HITCH PRODUCT SHALL BE LIMITED TO ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE AT RETAIL TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
HIDDEN HITCH SHALL NOT BE LIABLE OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LOSS OF THE USE OF ANY VEHICLE, LOSS OF TIME, RENTAL OF VEHICLES, LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, EXPENSES SUCH AS GASOLINE, TELEPHONE, LODGING, OR TOWING, OR ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OR OWNERSHIP OF ANY PRODUCT. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION SET FORTH BELOW MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. REPLACEMENT OF THE PRODUCT IN THE MANNER PROVIDED ABOVE SHALL CONSTITUTE FULFILLMENT OF ALL LIABILITIES OF HIDDEN HITCH TO THE PURCHASER/CONSUMER WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE.

HIDDEN HITCH'S LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY THIS WARRANTY APPLIES SOLELY TO THOSE TRAILER HITCHES AND RECEIVERS, TRAILER HITCH BALLS, BALL MOUNTS, DRAWBARS AND TOW BARS (THE "PRODUCTS") MANUFACTURED BY HIDDEN HITCH. PRODUCTS SOLD BUT NOT MANUFACTURED BY HIDDEN HITCH WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY AND ARE NOT WARRANTED FOR ANY PURPOSE BY HIDDEN HITCH.
Warranty and Warranty Period
Hidden Hitch warrants to the original Purchaser/ Consumer of the Products that Hidden Hitch will provide free of charge the replacement of any Products which are defective in material or workmanship (the "Warranty"). This Warranty applies only to the original Purchaser/Consumer of the Products for as long as the original Purchaser/Consumer owns the vehicle on which the Products were installed. Defective Products returned to Hidden Hitch become the property of Hidden Hitch.
Limitations on the Warranty
The following limitations apply tothe Warranty:

The Warranty applies only to Products which are defective in material or workmanship. This Warranty does not cover normal wear and tear. The Warranty does not cover service or labor charges which are incurred in removing or replacing any Products.
The Warranty does not cover the finish placed on Products by Hidden Hitch. Accordingly, Hidden Hitch will not replace, repair or refinish any Products if the finish on the Product is worn in any manner.
The Warranty does not extend to Products which are damaged or which fail as a result of the Products being abused, neglected, or misused in any manner, or as a result of any accident, or which are misapplied, overloaded, improperly installed, or altered in any manner by anyone other than Hidden Hitch.

Obligations of Purchaser/Consumer
To obtain the benefits of the Warranty, the Purchaser/Consumer must complete the following steps:

The Purchaser/Consumer must present the defective Product(s) together with proof of purchase to any of Hidden Hitch's branches or its factory or to any authorized Hidden Hitch dealer listed in local telephone directories.
The Purchaser/Consumer must pay all handling, transportation, and shipping charges incurred for the return of the defective Products to Hidden Hitch and for delivery of the replacement Products by Hidden Hitch to the Purchaser/Consumer.

Obligations of Hidden Hitch
Subject to the terms and limitations set forth in this document, Hidden Hitch will provide replacement Products to the original Purchaser/Consumer free of charge.
Legal Rights and Limitations of Purchaser/Consumer
THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU ALSO MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ON ANY HIDDEN HITCH PRODUCT SHALL BE LIMITED TO ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE AT RETAIL TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
HIDDEN HITCH SHALL NOT BE LIABLE OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LOSS OF THE USE OF ANY VEHICLE, LOSS OF TIME, RENTAL OF VEHI-CLES, LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, EXPENSES SUCH AS GASOLINE, TELEPHONE, LODGING, OR TOWING, OR ANY OTHER INCI-DENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OR OWNERSHIP OF ANY PRODUCTS. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION SET FORTH BELOW MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. REPLACEMENT OF THE PRODUCT IN THE MANNER PROVIDED ABOVE SHALL CONSTITUTE FULFILLMENT OF ALL LIABILITIES OF HIDDEN HITCH TO THE PURCHASER/CONSUMER WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE.

drgeeforce · #5 05-26-2008, 04:16 AM

Lifetime Guarantee

We are the only company online that offers you a Lifetime Guarantee on all of the products that we offer. That is how important your business and our customers are to us. We want you to be satisfied - at all costs. If your product that you buy from us, breaks or becomes defective within your lifetime - from the time that you buy it from us all you need to do is contact us and we will replace it for you. It is that simple!

About Us

We are the largest, oldest, and most professional company selling towing products on the Internet. To date, we have shipped over 200,000 hitches, hitch accessories, cargo carriers, bike racks and other towing products to over 200,000 customers.
We have over 30+ years in the towing industry. Our company employs towing experts to help and assist you with any questions you may have about your towing product decisions.
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drgeeforce · #6 05-26-2008, 04:40 AM

HH: these guys make tractor/trailer parts out of Holland, Michigan. Their website make no mention of BMW hitches.

Westfalia: this is a division of VW, a subcontractor that makes camper-vans.
again, no mention of BMW hitches.

dandruff · #7 05-26-2008, 10:32 AM

let me take a bite too ... everyone keeps on referencing the same old 2-3 posts ... and trust me there are more than that aftermarket installed out on the road ... talk to your local hitch installer and see how many they have installed and how many have come back complaining ... in my case our local installer = zero complaints ...

all OEM ppl are pushing is little bit peace of mind (pretend) for a biggie price ... and aesthetics ... its a rated hitch guys ...

if there were that serious issues, trust me there would be more posts ... for half the installed price, you better believe there are more aftermarket hitches installed on X5s then OEMs ...

disclaimer : i dont have any ... but seen both in action ... fwiw

EOD Guy · #8 05-26-2008, 10:19 PM

Can't speak for the aftermarket pieces..... my choice came down to the structural integrity of the rear in the event of a collision. If the vehicle were struck in the rear, the force that would be transferred from the receiver to the 1/8 inch steel plate that’s bolted to the uni-body cross member and would simply, IMO, buckle like a cheap suit. OEM hitch is a massive piece of steel that, IMO, in the same accident would transfer the load to the structural longitudinal areas of the uni-body that were designed to take them.

drgeeforce · #9 05-28-2008, 01:53 PM

I got some replies mentioning a change in the structural integrity by using the non-OEM hitches. I applaud all the "purists" who will remove their OEM hitches as not to distort the weight distribution of their X5s when not towing. As to all of you who leave their hitches on when not towing, that's your decision to be lazy and carry that extra weight, technically distorting the original design of the stock vehicle. There's even some who foolish enough to say it improves the structural integrity, without any evidence or testing. Some of you will say there's an implied safety issue having the non-OEM hitch. My reply, because my non-OEM hitch is EASILY uninstalled within minutes, it's a non-issue. I drive around daily without a hitch, whereas some of you "purists" leave the OEM hitch on because its too much a hassle to take off. 'Nuff said. It's dead.

JCL · #10 05-28-2008, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drgeeforce

I got some replies mentioning a change in the structural integrity by using the non-OEM hitches. I applaud all the "purists" who will remove their OEM hitches as not to distort the weight distribution of their X5s when not towing. As to all of you who leave their hitches on when not towing, that's your decision to be lazy and carry that extra weight, technically distorting the original design of the stock vehicle. There's even some who foolish enough to say it improves the structural integrity, without any evidence or testing. Some of you will say there's an implied safety issue having the non-OEM hitch. My reply, because my non-OEM hitch is EASILY uninstalled within minutes, it's a non-issue. I drive around daily without a hitch, whereas some of you "purists" leave the OEM hitch on because its too much a hassle to take off. 'Nuff said. It's dead.

You missed the point entirely. The structural integrity while driving is exactly the same. The structural integrity in an accident, however, is not the same. Happy to have an engineering debate if you like, but I suspect it is dead, given your quote.

Just make sure you uninstall your hitch prior to any planned accidents. You will be fine.