Tow Hitch Recommendations

[bfeng]

I LOVE my wireless Prodigy controller. Made wiring trivial and it disappears when I’m not towing.

I did not go straight down with the plug but kept it angled rearward because I was concerned about the trailer harness hanging down too far. Yes I could have put on an angled plug onto the trailer harness. I find the angled orientation easier to use than straight down.

[CLS70]

Originally Posted by MudyOvl

I went with the OEM hitch and harness. Hitch install was straightforward. I recommend getting the HF rivet tool and sample kit of plastic rivets to reattach your fender trim. Harness was a challenge routing it up to the front passenger area because of all the panels and sills you had to remove. As others have done, I did not cut the HUGE opening in the rear valance. I had a friend help narrow the factory provide trim frame and rotate the plug mount downward for access from below. A much cleaner appearance, but a little more difficult to install your tow bar and connector your trailer harness.

Looks great - do you have a picture from the back but from a few meters away? e.g how it looks the full rear bumper......

[bfeng]

Use your powers of imagination??

[MudyOvl]

Originally Posted by CLS70

Looks great - do you have a picture from the back but from a few meters away? e.g how it looks the full rear bumper......

Sorry for slow reply. You'll need trim removal tools, screwdriver for seat belt anchors, patience, and nerves of steel. Some of the panels and sills take a pretty good yank to get them off. Also, because I have a 35d, I could not route my harness all the way to the driver's cup holder per the instructions. Instead, I store the extra cable under the passenger side floormat and tuck the connector up into one of the vent openings under the dash.

Pics of bumper from a distance.

[CLS70]

Nice - clean install. thank you for the pictures.

[itscoo2pyopants]

does OEM hitch work with m sport bumper? most sites say it wont.. but i dont see why not. maybe more trimming?

[TriX5]

It looks like the after market hitch design does not include the threaded blocks which accept the screw-in tow hook. I mean the ones behind the small square covers in the bumper cover L&R. The OEM crossbar, which includes these blocks, is discarded in most installations, except for the Draw-Tite version. Is the thought that the hitch replaces the need for these?

I have a Euro hitch installed from my trip last year and now wondering to eliminate it and get a replacement bumper cover, since I had to cut it, or to install a US style hitch. If the latter, retaining the OE cross bar appeals to me.

There is a nice thread on this board from kcheves on his install. BTW, I did the install myself last year and thought it was one of the easiest things to do on the E70.

Also, I have a European light connector with an aftermarket generic module that works great but of course the beeping in reverse is maddening. So, I'd probably switch to the OEM harness and then endeavor to take on the coding....

[TriX5]

MudyOvl - where did you get the bit that covers the cutout in the bumper? I have searched but not found, does it come with the OE hitch? Or is it a separate item, if so where to buy? Thx in advance.

[CleanIsFast]

Originally Posted by TriX5

MudyOvl - where did you get the bit that covers the cutout in the bumper? I have searched but not found, does it come with the OE hitch? Or is it a separate item, if so where to buy? Thx in advance.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Sit...h/71602185557/

[TriX5]

Many thanks. Going to order one of these and maybe a draw-tite hitch if I cant find a used OE nearby. (Shipping these things makes them too expensive.)

EDIT: Actually, the ECS trim is for face-lift vehicles. BMW sells the wide one for pre-facelift 71-60-0-035-371.