Pictures of hitch on 2011's

[SoCal_M3]

For the custom bumper, I did much of the work myself, partly because its kind of fun.

I started with the OEM Rear Fascia Trim Kit for the hitch and had a welder cut out most of the center section and re-weld it symmetrically. I smoothed out the weld and ground down the width of the trim about 1/4" then took it to Olympic Powdercoating to restore the matte black finish. Once I had the new trim piece, I cut the bumper exactly to mate with the trim piece, siliconed it in place and then added a couple of rivits on the bottom tabs that are essentially out of sight.

The 2010 bumper is identical to the 2008.

As for the hitch, the same welder (worked with Jose who owns Ace Auto on 1st in Santa Ana) also re-oriented the plate that holds the electrical connector to point down.

Hope that helps.

Dasbaja, I see you PM'd me as well, so I'll respond to that too.

[pk9394]

here is my Draw-Tite on 2011 35i sport, i haul bike rack only, no electric hookup

[GetOffTheX]

Wondering about hitch height from the ground between the OEM one and the Drawtite under the bumper model.

[jurassicdean]

looks like about the same place the execuhitch would be? is it removeable or permanent weld?

[YuCrew]

To GetOffTheX:

~11.5" from the ground to the bottom of the receiver opening on a 2012 X5 Premium with Drawtite, Reese Towpower or Hidden Hitch.

I'll let someone with a factory install give you the height for that hitch. It's the same as the 2011 and that height is posted in one of the forums. If I find it, I'll edit my post.

Update: according to this post 2011 Tow Hitch - Page 5 - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums factory hitch is 16" from ground to the CENTER of the receiver opening.

[jurassicdean]

just saw this installation from execuhitch

[silverbullet35]

I have an unused hitch from execuhitch complete with the hitch ball attachments. PM me if anyone is interested.

[dimond25]

Guys with Drawtite hitch, any facia trim required on '11 or '12 x5? I am planning on re-installing mine from '08, which didn't require any cut.

[YuCrew]

Below are some pics of the Reese Towpower/Drawtite hitch (# 75600/87455/44590) on a 2012.

The cut was a very simple rectangular one, approximately larger than 2" x 8" (3 cuts ... one 2", one 8" and another 2"). The cutout is hardly visible visible if you are standing or kneeling directly behind the vehicle. It is most visible from underneath the vehicle. If you are most worried about resale, you could remove the hitch later and simply replace the plastic simulated skidplate (I think that's what it's called). Since you already have the hitch, you can see exactly the sections of steel for which you are trying to create an opening.

Hope this helps.

[EenyBear]

Wow. Great forum!!
(brief intro at the bottom)

I will tow a small utility trailer 5-6x a year and use an elaborate multi-bike rack 5-6x a week. But... I want the wiring to be as comprehensive as possible in case I tow a boat or vacation trailer, etc. from time to time.

2 questions...

1. Mr. Roadkill mentions that he did not have to trim his fascia but the DrawTite site for the 75600 says "yes" you have to trim the fascia. Mr. Roadkill, how did you accomplish this (as I want to avoid cutting if possible) ?

EDIT - PM'd to say that there was a slight trim on the underside (expected) but not of the bumper as would be the case with the OEM hitch.

2. I have head that using the BMW OEM wiring harness enables you to program the X5 collision detectors to ignore the trailer when backing up, and adds a zoom feature to the back-up camera so you can watch your hitch as you back into position. Is this true?

EDIT - generally true but depends on factory features installed in the X5 - may only be true for 2010 onward (?)

BTW, I have a great indy mech so I'm not going the $1200-1500 route for the OEM hitch and install. After looking through this thread, its obvious that better, tidier options exist.

Brief intro...

We have a 2012 X5 on the way and I'll post pics etc. when it gets here. I'm already on the Z4M forums and the R1200S forums and now here on the X5. Honestly, I never set out to own BMWs... the bike won the toss between it and a Ducati... the Z4M Coupe won the toss between it and a Cayman S... and the X5 is simply nicer than the Merc 350 and others my bride looked at. LOL. Life's funny, innit?

Cheers,
Ian