Mine is not the u-haul hitch with the lower brace, that one is more prone to bending and pointing down as it bolts to the thin sheet metal cross piece between the subframe rails. (which is why they added that BS brace on the bottom, which looks rediculus from behind)

I have the second one that is actually cheaper and bolts up the same as the OEM to the rear on the subframe with the bumper mounts, minus the internal bracing the OEM hitch adds. And I got the OEM towing module and wiring through the shop. I'll actually be carefully towing a 7x20 trailer with a huge metal a-frame on it, then with a couple thousand pounds of steel stairs and landing on it... (can't turn wrenches right now, but sure can weld for a nice side job ;))

And JCL, the thick walled square tube I bought to make the internal brace was 1/8 too wide to fit in the frame tube! (didn't realize the inside of the frame was tapered) So I will snag some scrap in the proper size from the fab shop I'm working with for the stairs job to work with on a later date. But the OEM bumper shocks (which are removed with the OEM hitch and would be cut/welded for my fab job) do offer some lateral load transfer to a bracket in the subframe, just not near the level of the internal braces.

The only thing I had to modify was changing the 2 center PDC sensors to right angle mounted vs straight back mounted and clearance away small portions of the metal bumper to fit them as the body of the hitch was in the way of the sensor. I could have used a pipe notcher to cut half circles in the bottom of the hitch and welded in round tube as a filler, but I didn't but a notcher yet and didn't have tube at the time so I improvised.

It is nice clean install, and that is only one of the reasons to use the OEM hitch. :thumbup: The BMW rubber receiver plug just has slightly raised letters, it isn't anything worth searching out. Besides, punks like to steal them, like roundels, so count yourself lucky that you have a plain one.

are we seriously discussing what the hitch looks like? :p:

The second one with no longitudinal brace is labelled as being from U-Haul (although U-Haul hitches used to have a brace). The one with the brace is a Hidden Hitch, according to the link.

Well, the one I got that is identical is labled as a CURT hitch, not u-haul. And the hidden hitch style one is what u-haul used to sell... but it got to the point that they wouldn't touch an X5 because of all the problems the hitch was causing (including a few cases of torn sheet metal in trunk floor) So I guess they switched to the better design hitch, which is coincidentally cheaper.

1) Because you're from Alabama, where everything from Cutlass Supremes to F350's have hitches ;)

2) Because in Europe they make sexy cars like BMW's w/ removeable swan-neck style hitches because they have better taste than we do in the US.

Its not a huge issue to me, otherwise I'd still be going for the $500 Euro removeable version. I just don't like how far it sticks out, even compared to my other truck, so I wanna clean up the look a little bit.

I'm reading/replying from my phone and can't open and download each versions PDF w/o losing this internet window, so forgive me...but you guys have got me lost now. Considering the low weight i'll be towing, should I get the Hidden Hitch w/ the additional brace (that is potentially visible from the back) or the plain jane (and easier to install ) Uhaul version?

The plain jane easy to install u-haul version. Believe it or not it is actually more sturdy in mounting and safer. As mentioned earlier, the only problem I had at all was a minor clearance issue with the 2 inner PDC sensors. (nothing outside of your capabilities I'm sure)

No PDC, so that makes it even easier :) Thanks bro. Is yours the same one that JCL was referring to w/ tearing out issues if used to its full capacity? Not that it matters to me, but an FYI for others who read this.

No, mine is less likely to tear out. It bolts up in the same place as the OEM hitch, just without the OEM brace. The hidden hitch one with the big square tube lower brace is the one that tears the chassis by bolting on to non structural body parts. Really a poor design, not properly researched and should be removed from the market. It's the equivalent of putting the trailer hitch to the bottom of a pickup trucks bed instead of the frame rails.