Tow Hitch Recommendations

[BMWX5CHI]

Hey guys, looking into purchasing a tow hitch for my 35d. I was looking at the OEM one they have listing on ESC tuning but searching google and looking at some of the pictures, I don't feel like cutting up my rear bumper. I've seen some that have the tow hitch located right below the bumper which is probably not OEM. For those of you who have tow hitches installed, what do you guys recommended? Any pros and cons OEM vs aftermarket? I'm going to be hauling a small trailer (5x8 or 10) and a travel trailer in the future. Any advice is appreciated.

[bfeng]

You don’t have to cut the huge hole in your bumper to use the OEM hitch kit.
I cut only enough to let the 2” receiver poke thru. I shimmed the electrical socket to rotate it downward a little bit, allowing me to plug in the trailer without any hole in the bumper. I think it’s much less obvious than OEM

[bfeng]

You don’t have to cut the huge hole in your bumper to use the OEM hitch kit.
I cut only enough to let the 2” receiver poke thru. I shimmed the electrical socket to rotate it downward a little bit, allowing me to plug in the trailer without any hole in the bumper. I think it’s much less obvious than OEM

[CleanIsFast]

OEM hitch and wiring harness go for about $400 from dealership. I went OEM route for perfect fitment.

[BMWX5CHI]

Originally Posted by bfeng

You don’t have to cut the huge hole in your bumper to use the OEM hitch kit.
I cut only enough to let the 2” receiver poke thru. I shimmed the electrical socket to rotate it downward a little bit, allowing me to plug in the trailer without any hole in the bumper. I think it’s much less obvious than OEM

I like how that looks. Any pictures of the bottom so I can see how the socket looks?

[bfeng]

Originally Posted by BMWX5CHI

I like how that looks. Any pictures of the bottom so I can see how the socket looks?

Socket mounts to the hitch via a bracket and 4 machine screws. You can cut the bracket off and weld it back tilted downward. I got lazy and put a stack of washers under the top screws which tilts it downward. I do recall trimming the of the silver-horizontal part of the bumper (part you can’t see) to provide space for the trailer hookup plug to access the socket. Once you see it in front of you it’s obvious what to trim.

[13brian]

I just installed Curt Hitch and OEM wiring harness, love it. I also used a Curt Easy Mount Electrical Bracket #5800. Great combo.
I ordered them separately, thinking I could to wiring harness after the fact without removing bumper cover- wrong. Best to do all three at once.

[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.

[BMWX5CHI]

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.

This is perfect! Why did you need to route your harness to the front passenger area?

[Best4x4xFAR]

How about a hitch that is invisible when not in use? These seem to be the standard in Europe..

Execuhitch - Manufacturer and Retailer of Hidden Tow Hitches for BMW, Mercedes, Subaru

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXK9PtfU0vY

Edit: I'd still use the factory wiring harness though..