Towing with the X5

[Ghost-Flame]

Originally Posted by admranger

Get the factory hitch kit. Nothing else. Others (Curt) can cause damage when you are towing the load you will be towing.

I guess you might be right. But, I had my hitch installed by a local trailer dealer. saved me about $1400 or so. I paid around $400 or $500 for the whole thing. The dealer wanted around $1800.

I've had it for 2 yrs and frequently tow 2000 to 4000 lbs . I believe it is a 6500 lb hitch.

[Budget M3]

Originally Posted by Ghost-Flame

I guess you might be right. But, I had my hitch installed by a local trailer dealer. saved me about $1400 or so. I paid around $400 or $500 for the whole thing. The dealer wanted around $1800.

I've had it for 2 yrs and frequently tow 2000 to 4000 lbs . I believe it is a 6500 lb hitch.

That might be OK for light duty, but towing the weight of a car (and trailer) will be AT LEAST 4000lbs (open trailer) and closer to 5-6000lbs for an enclosed trailer. Best and safest to go with the factory hitch for towing a car. The factory hitch basically replaces the entire rear bumper and bolts to the chassis of the truck. Aftermarket hitches don't share the same design and put unusual stress on the chassis when towing heavier loads.

OP--I tow mine in an enclosed trailer and have always been pleased with performance of the 4.6is. Your 4.8is should do even better. Only downside is atrocious gas mileage. 65-70mph seems to be a sweet spot for my 4.6. When I go faster (which the truck is totally capable of) my mileage drops to well below 10mpg

[DaveInVa]

I'm also on the hunt for a trailer hitch. etrailer.com shows two distinct designs for the X5; along with the normal attachment points the Draw-Tite and Hidden Hitch models have an additional 'leg' that connects to a cross member whereas the Curt unit only bolts up to the factory locations behind the bumper fascia.

I have yet to see what the factory hitch looks like but I'm leaning towards the extra support and towing capacity (6k# Vs. 5k#) of the Draw-Tite hitch even though the installation is a little more involved.

Comments?

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by DaveInVa

I'm also on the hunt for a trailer hitch. etrailer.com shows two distinct designs for the X5; along with the normal attachment points the Draw-Tite and Hidden Hitch models have an additional 'leg' that connects to a cross member whereas the Curt unit only bolts up to the factory locations behind the bumper fascia.

I have yet to see what the factory hitch looks like but I'm leaning towards the extra support and towing capacity (6k# Vs. 5k#) of the Draw-Tite hitch even though the installation is a little more involved.

Comments?

I have the Draw-Tite unit on the left. I have well over 2k miles towing a 6k lb trailer with no issues, even at 90 mph.

[Ghost-Flame]

Originally Posted by TiAgX5

I have the Draw-Tite unit on the left. I have well over 2k miles towing a 6k lb trailer with no issues, even at 90 mph.

That's the one I have as well its very beefy. I believe it is 6500 lb hitch,not sure though.
It has a very positive solid 3 point hitch to the frame and is ton cheaper.

You don't tow with the bumper why would rebuilding the bumper be an advantage?

More OE coolaide,imho, to charge$ 3 or 4 times its worth. And seperate the
Consumer from his/her money.

Edit:
6000 tow weight
600 tounge weight

[anthony1k]

Both my brother-in-law and I tow race cars behind X5s with the 3.0 motor for years without any problems. Both trucks have Draw-Tite 6,000 lbs hitches installed. They are the ones with the extra brace. Although I am not convinced that the brace offers any benefit. Installation was very easy as I remember.

In addition to the hitch you will need the factory towing module. It is used to powers the lights on the trailer. This ran around $250 from the dealer a few years ago. Also, if you plan to be using a trailer with electric brakes you will need a brake controller. There are several sold that pretty much do the same thing. I do not remember the make of mine. There are also many DYI postings on how to hook that up. IMO most are much more complicated that need to be. Feel free to contact me if you need additional information on how I hooked up mine.