New X5 4.4i Owner (and a rusty trailer hitch question)
 

Hi Guys,

Just picked up a 2006 X5 4.4i this morning - my first SAV (had a 330ci and a 330i before this). Time to try out the truck. :)

I'm not going to use it to tow anything, but it does have the trailer hitch installed. The hitch is fairly rusty and not great looking. Does anyone have any experience repainting them?

I'm just planning on sanding it, masking the bumper, and hitting it with some black rustoleum, but I thought I'd ask the experts before I dove in.

I've been wondering the same thing about my hitch. The original paint must have been pretty lousy (almost every hitch I've seen has been rusty).

I'd suggest pulling off the back bumper if you're going to just repaint. I don't think it's that hard to do. I guess once you get to that point, you could pull off the hitch and take it to get blasted/powder coated...

Well, I took a stab at it on Wednesday night. I sanded it down like crazy (definitely didn't get all of the rust off, but quite a bit), masked off the bumper area around the hitch really well, and brushed on some Rustoleum. Thought it would be a little safer then spraying.

It actually turned out pretty well. Drastically better than it was before. Probably took me an hour or so, all-told.

Let me know how it goes if you decide to take the bumper off. I'm sure I'll have to do this again at some point!

I've had mine for 4 years and no rust (parked outside 75% of that time, ID,SC,NJ) - do you have OEM hitches?

Yep, it's OEM. I'm thinking the previous owner might have had a boat and dunked it frequently. That's all I can think of.

Yup, mine's OEM as well. Like I said, I've seen a few others around and they're rusty too. No saltwater for 1000 miles from where I live!

Add me too for the rusty trailer hitch. I plan on actually sanding the hitch down with some fine sand paper then repainting with some type of ruste-o-leum paint. I dont' have a boat to tow but plan on using the hitch for a bike rack.

After having just installed the hitch. If you are going to remove it go get it powder coated, It will probably be 100 at the most but with all that work I would want the coating to last longer than a spray bomb.

sand it down as best you can - mask off the rest of the car then hit it with Rustoleum Red Primer - min 3 coats - then min 2 coats black or whatever colour you want - did that to a welded up truck frame made with real rusted & pitted steel - it came out great and never had rust again