BMW X5 E53 DIY OEM Hitch Installation Notes and factory installation PDF

[fizzx]

I've talked to 3 different BMW dealerships ... all 3 said they show none available in the US or Germany.

[Bouchedag84]

reckon this would work on my x5? as in, does it look like everything is included? it says it has the wiring harness as well

Excellent condition includes wiring harness. Fits x5 2000 to 2006
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAyNFg3NjQ=/z/he8AAOSwxH1UA5P4/$_20.JPG

[JCL]

Originally Posted by Bouchedag84

reckon this would work on my x5? as in, does it look like everything is included? it says it has the wiring harness as well

Excellent condition includes wiring harness. Fits x5 2000 to 2006
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAyNFg3NjQ=/z/he8AAOSwxH1UA5P4/$_20.JPG

Hard to tell what it actually is, but if that is all it includes I wouldn't touch it. No reinforcements or bumper strengtheners. No longitudinal brace in lieu of those stiffeners. No electrical interface module.

[LVP]

Originally Posted by Bouchedag84

reckon this would work on my x5? as in, does it look like everything is included? it says it has the wiring harness as well

Excellent condition includes wiring harness. Fits x5 2000 to 2006
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAyNFg3NjQ=/z/he8AAOSwxH1UA5P4/$_20.JPG

You need everything you see in these pictures. Anything less and it'll be a pita to source it all.

BMW E53 X5 N62 4.4L Exterior Hitch - 71600009711 - Trailer Hitch Kit - ES#185392

[Riggodeaux]

Ditto that. E30cabrio [I think] had a heckuva time assembling an OEM hitch from a junkyard start. The picture, and .pdf of instructions linked at the start of the thread, say it all.

[Riggodeaux]

Mike, if you bought a putatively Class III hitch that mounts like the Draw-Tite and Curt versions for the E53 that sell for $130-150, I'll quote another Texan, Duke Wayne's Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers:" "Its your funeral." That is, if you plan to pull Class III weight [three tons, 600 lb tongue weight]. If instead you are carrying bikes or occasionally pulling a one ton trailer, no worries ..... good luck!

[semcoinc]

Hi,

Thanks for the watch out.

It's this one:

Pro Series 51093 Class III Pro Series Trailer Hitch | eBay



The welds and materials look quite stout to me and I haven't heard of a plethora of aftermarket E53 hitch failures reported by the NTSB or various DOT agencies



PS: Maximum ever imagined me pulling would be like 2 tons and about 300# tongue weight.

Mike

[Riggodeaux]

Mike, I assume this is your hitch: same as Draw-Tite, Curt, etc.:

Pro Series 51093 Class III Pro Series Trailer Hitch | eBay

[semcoinc]

Originally Posted by Riggodeaux

Mike, I assume this is your hitch: same as Draw-Tite, Curt, etc.:

Pro Series 51093 Class III Pro Series Trailer Hitch | eBay

Yup!

You have any recall data on that one or NTSB accident reports?

Mike

[Riggodeaux]

Recalls or NTSB for an aftermarket hitch mounted on, at most, a few thousand [probably hundreds] of vehicles? I know we live in an era of government intrusiveness, but we haven't gotten that far. . Good luck and drive carefully when towing!