Took the towing (i.e. withidl) plunge...

[tynashracing]

OP,

If you're towing a race car with open tandem trailer, tire rack, tools and car in the 3000lb or lighter...you'll be fine with the X5.

I used our '05 X5 4.4...dealer installed hitch, wiring harness with brake controller for towing my C-Mod race car.

I had a steel 18 ft. with full steel diamond floor, tire rack to hold 4 18" rims/tires. Tools in the rear of the X5 and my race car wet was around 2500-2600 lbs.

That X5 was non sport package and towed very well. Never skipped a beat. Braking was excellent...even using stock pads. My trailer did have brakes on both axles.

The only issue I can see for you is the 3.0 engine. I'm guessing that long inclines could be problematic for you. I had to tow through mountain areas...we used to live close to the Smoky Mountains. So, having the 4.4 was necessary. There were times when I thought that the 4.8 would've been that much better.

Anyway, just thought I'd chime in. BTW, I ended up thinking it would be better getting a pick up truck...so I wouldn't trash the X5. I bought a new '05 Ford F150 FX4. That truck SUCKED. Beat you to death when it wasn't loaded and then towed worse than the X5 when loaded. Needless to say, it got sold!
I was going to upgrade my trailer for something that provided living quarters and car hauler...so, I bought an '08 Dodge Dually Mega Cab with the Cummins. When the economy tanked...I was left holding the Dually as a daily driver and didn't get the larger trailer. Hated driving the dually...Oh the mistakes I've made with tow vehicles!!!

If you're only towing to 5-6 events per year...I wouldn't spend money on another vehicle that you'll hate driving for anything but towing.
If you're new into the racing scene...go with what you've got and see what others are doing and their experience.
I found that a lot of guys were using their X5's for towing OPEN trailers...but I've only seen V8's doing the work...not 6 cylinders.

Good luck. The X5 in my experience was very capable for my towing needs.

[ocean breeze]

does the '05 x5 3.0i have the 4 zone climate control? or just 3?

[TwinTurboGTR]

Originally Posted by ocean breeze

does the '05 x5 3.0i have the 4 zone climate control? or just 3?

Not exactly sure what this has to do with this thread. But I'll entertain it.

It is neither. It is dual zone. There are no temp controls in the rear besides the baffle, but that doesn't count. So it is a dual zone climate control system.

[Bayerische E53]

Originally Posted by tynashracing

OP,

If you're towing a race car with open tandem trailer, tire rack, tools and car in the 3000lb or lighter...you'll be fine with the X5.

I used our '05 X5 4.4...dealer installed hitch, wiring harness with brake controller for towing my C-Mod race car.

I had a steel 18 ft. with full steel diamond floor, tire rack to hold 4 18" rims/tires. Tools in the rear of the X5 and my race car wet was around 2500-2600 lbs.

That X5 was non sport package and towed very well. Never skipped a beat. Braking was excellent...even using stock pads. My trailer did have brakes on both axles.

The only issue I can see for you is the 3.0 engine. I'm guessing that long inclines could be problematic for you. I had to tow through mountain areas...we used to live close to the Smoky Mountains. So, having the 4.4 was necessary. There were times when I thought that the 4.8 would've been that much better.

Anyway, just thought I'd chime in. BTW, I ended up thinking it would be better getting a pick up truck...so I wouldn't trash the X5. I bought a new '05 Ford F150 FX4. That truck SUCKED. Beat you to death when it wasn't loaded and then towed worse than the X5 when loaded. Needless to say, it got sold!
I was going to upgrade my trailer for something that provided living quarters and car hauler...so, I bought an '08 Dodge Dually Mega Cab with the Cummins. When the economy tanked...I was left holding the Dually as a daily driver and didn't get the larger trailer. Hated driving the dually...Oh the mistakes I've made with tow vehicles!!!

If you're only towing to 5-6 events per year...I wouldn't spend money on another vehicle that you'll hate driving for anything but towing.
If you're new into the racing scene...go with what you've got and see what others are doing and their experience.
I found that a lot of guys were using their X5's for towing OPEN trailers...but I've only seen V8's doing the work...not V6's.

Good luck. The X5 in my experience was very capable for my towing needs.

Thanks for the post. The X5 I use for towing is a 2002 3.0i. I have towed my racecar on an open deck hauler (22' x 8.5'; 2200lbs) with that X5 over 7,000 miles, through the Poconos, the NY mountain range (Watkins Glen), and recently through the midwestern mountains (Tennessee, Kentucky, etc.). Total trailer weight is 5,000lbs and the 3.0i X5 towed a treat - even through the mountains (albeit with a fair bit of "manual" shifting).

My new trailer, fully loaded, will be 7,500lbs (enclosed, 24' x 8.5'; 4,200lbs). Although I believe the X5 can handle it, I'm actually going to be picking up a Ford F250 or Chevy 2500 specifically for towing because, although Withidl tows an 8,900lbs Airstream, I think that utility-wise the truck will be better. Let's face it, power-wise, it's also not a bad deal. The extra bed-space will be nice, too. Oh, and maintenance will be cheaper and the truck can take a beating (I don't want to beat up on a daily-driver X5). I won't be getting rid of my X5 so I won't be stuck driving the truck day in and day out - I'm buying the truck for nothing else but towing.

I'll still have the Hensley WD Hitch so I'm betting that an entry-level 3/4 ton will be great for towing. If need be, I'll upgrade the shocks and springs. Regardless, I'll definitely be putting stainless lines, Motul fluid, and Carbotech pads on the truck - BECAUSE RACECAR TOW VEHICLE. :nerd:

[LVP]

Hi guys,

Hate to revive really old threads, but does anyone have a copy they could send me of the 04-06 datasheet for the European X5's? Looking into the towing capacity differences. I'm looking at some RV trailers that are right around the 6,000lb mark. I believe my 04 has the air duct, I have original hitch, 20" OE rims from the 4.8's, and would look at using WDH.

Thanks!

[andrewwynn]

Search for your exact owners manual. Keep a copy on your phone in PDF (iBooks if you have an iPhone).

There is cushion built into the specs. For example I loaded my car up with a gross of 6600# (10% over weight) and it handled no differently then at the official maximum. I noticed later that the tire capacity may have been related. I have tougher tires now and wouldn't feel bad at all carrying an extra 500-600#

I read that the towing capacity in the EU was higher (by as much as 1000#; not sure why that wasn't 500kg) and I doubt there is any functional difference it sounds like regulatory body influence to me (eg possible that USA has a tighter restriction of what weight a car can tow relative to it's own gross weight)

I would not have a problem towing something 10-15% over the official max. as long as it has electric or surge brakes. Without brakes on the trailer I'd prob limit to about a ton for long hauls and 1.5T for shorter hauls.

[Emory39]

On the owner's manual it says 6000 max. But I'm to looking for some RV and after reading this thread, I am open for some I formation about what's the difference in that pkg.

[Bdc101]

The factory actually says the limit for all X5s towing without trailer brakes is only 1650lbs. I've towed about 3,000 lbs without brakes and it wasn't terrible, but panic stops were not confidence-inspiring. Going down long downhill stretches i could see overheating the brakes might be a danger.

European trailers are very different than in the USA. They have better brakes and lower tongue weight. It's not really apples to apples.

Anyways, the factory says the V8s are rated at 6,000lbs capacity, so just make sure your trailer brakes are good and your truck tires and brakes and brake fluid are all good, and you should be fine. I agree that going a bit over 6k probably isn't going to be a big deal.

[jcp240z]

To add some more information for posterity, the E70 233A increased towing capacity option included a different rear differential. Discovered this on a UK site specializing in differential rebuild kits. Back checked on RealOEM.
It also included an additional small radiator in the wheel well. This appears to be added if the car had the hot climate or the increased towing capacity option.

The European vehicles had a hot climate option which gave a larger radiator for the 4.4i. This is the same radiator standard for the 4.6iS. I can't find a hot climate radiator for the 3.0, but if I was towing I'd search more to see if it was an option.
I do see on some posted Russian sites E53s with the 233a option, but have no,t been able to determine yet what is different about it.

[Emory39]

So I contacted westfalia-automotive.com and asked about the towing capacity. He did send me the EU specks that are
the vertical load from the tow bar for the X5 / E53 is 150 Kg = 330 lbs with a value from 15,5 Kn = 3500 Kg = 7716lbs

For the EU hitch type. He said that the US version they sell to Germany BMW. I email BMW USA but still dont have an email from them. I will update further finds.