Good luck

An interesting point I notice on the NZ unit is that its max tongue weight is listed as 120kg (265lb).
Having just purchased a second hand OEM towbar in Australia recently, it has a plate on it stating the max tongue weight is 270kg (595lb).
Both the Aus & NZ units are rated at 2.7 tonnes (5,952lb).
Assuming a rule of thumb of 10% load on the towball, this would imply the NZ unit could really only tow 1.2 tonnes (2,646lb), perhaps a little more if you reduce the 10% slightly.
Presumably this is because the NZ one is not a receiver hitch setup like the OEM Aus or US versions.
I also wonder if the NZ version has the brackets that mount up inside the chassis rails.
I'm unsure who actually makes the Aus version but the plate on it has BWM Australia written on it.

Not sure what you mean by "receiver hitch" but if you mean the tongue isn't attached to the bar via a socket and pin etc, it is. It's a verticle "receiver" up in behind the bumper bar. There's a large 19mm pin, retained by an R clip, that can be pulled out and the tongue (the "hitch"?) drops down and out. There's a leather bag in the boot (trunk) to place the tongue in when it's not in the receiver. There also a 12mm hex head bolt up into the centre on the receiver that must be loosened first; this only serves to stop the tongue rattling the socket.

I almost never remove the tongue etc. as it serves to reduce parking damage from other careless drivers.

Hitch update. I found one, used obviously, $400 from Dave at bimmerparts on the island. Super happy! Thanks for all the help guys.

Wow look at that. It didn't take long at all and closer to you then you would have imagined.

This auto recycler in Milwaukee Wisconsin

2005 BMW X5

is stripping a X5 with what I believe is a factory hitch.

http://images.craigslist.org/00p0p_e...us_600x450.jpg

That is an aftermarket one. If you look where the safety chains attach on a factory one it is a flat plate of steel with hole to attach to. Aftermarket option use the welded on bent round bar for chain points.

Check the parts against the OEM instruction sheet, attached early in the long DIY thread. There is a bunch of stuff, and you want to get all of it, even if you need to go to boltsdepot for a replacement fastener set, as one 'retrofit' installer, I believe in Arizona, ended up doing.

Perhaps that's just Aussie terminology, the receiver is the square bit that the hitch (the piece with the tongue attached) fits into. It gets held in place with a horizontal pin and R clip.
Had I read you original post properly I would have seen that you already mentioned that. :D
I just thought it was interesting that the NZ unit has a substantially lower tow ball weight rating that the US or Aussie one yet still has the same max tow rating.

These OEM tow bars are getting harder to find here too.
New ones were NLA years ago and it took me about 6 months of looking to find a genuine second hand OEM unit. Now to get it sand blasted and powder coated.

Found a vehicle being parted with what looks to be an OEM hitch in NY:

https://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/cto/5604010897.html