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

[AquilaBMW]

Originally Posted by Giznaz

The trailer module only provides lights and certain programming functions.

What it does not provide is brake control, if you tow heavier trasilers.

You will need a brake controller for that function, I used a Tekonsha Prodigy P3.

Thanks for the info - good to know. For this time, I will be using a U-Haul Car trailer which is a braked trailers. I believe some type of hydraulic system. Will that suffice?

[JCL]

Yes, those are surge brakes. The trailer includes a master cylinder attached to the hitch coupler on the trailer, so when the truck brakes and slows it activates the trailer brakes mechanically. If properly maintained, they work fine. I throw that in only due to your rental trailer scenario.

What they don't allow is any form of weight distribution hitch, or independent control of trailer brakes. But they do handle straightforward braking.

[AquilaBMW]

Originally Posted by JCL

Yes, those are surge brakes. The trailer includes a master cylinder attached to the hitch coupler on the trailer, so when the truck brakes and slows it activates the trailer brakes mechanically. If properly maintained, they work fine. I throw that in only due to your rental trailer scenario.

What they don't allow is any form of weight distribution hitch, or independent control of trailer brakes. But they do handle straightforward braking.

Can this cause any problems for the X5?

[JCL]

Short answer: in your case, no.

It just means that you can't use a weight distribution hitch. Not much of a problem with an auto transporter or similar trailer, as you can usually adjust the carried load front and rear to get a reasonable tongue weight. It matters more with a trailer with more bulk and windage as those trailers will benefit from sway control and weight distributing hitches. If you have 600 lbs of tongue weight (maximum) it means that you are putting over 600 lbs on the rear axle of the X5, and lightening up the front axle (due to the leverage of the location of the hitch ball) A weight distributing hitch puts some of that tongue weight back on the front axle, maintaining steering control. But the linkage involved doesn't work with surge brakes, so it is one or the other.

BMW doesn't acknowledge weight distributing hitches, since they aren't legal in Europe where the design engineers live and work.