Trailer hitch installation

[PMen]

Wanted to share some observations for those brave souls that want a DIY trailer hitch experience on the E70. I purchased a hitch (Magnus) via Ebay for 159.00. Very well made. Also purchased extra replacement rivets for the wheel wells and a fascia kit for the trim requirement. After reading all I could regarding R/R of the bumper fascia I would offer that it is not for the faint of heart and the instructions do not do the job justice. After punching out the rivets in the wheel well, working the bumper out of the myriad of clips on the sides and across the back is very challenging and most definitely a two person job. It is a good idea to tie the lower portion of the lift gate at a 45 degree angle so as to facilitate easy access to the bumper bolts and the clips across the back. A deep well socket is recommended as well, as the bumper mount studs are quite long. Since all we ever tow is the BMW Thule bike rack and a couple of beach bikes, I wasn't so concerned about wiring. Trimming the fascia was very easy and involved trimming less plastic than expected.. As it was, I didn't need the trim kit because the 2012 design is slightly different than the earlier models. Now I am stuck with a part I can't use. Whole job took two hours start to finish. Hitch sits clean and tight under the bumper.