ANOTHER Hitch thread!
 

I spent about an hour to see that the OEM hitch is the way to go...

BUT, I really hate to "ruin" the back of my 4.8is with the receiver sticking out.

Is there any hitch out there that is "removable" when not in use? Just pop the cover back in?

I will be towing a MAX of about 750 lbs...250 lb dirt bike and LIGHTWEIGHT Harbor Freight folding trailer.

THANKS in advance...AND I know the "right" hitch is the OEM...BUT...

I have not seen a removeable hitch receiver, but the looks are not that bad if you cut the removable bumper panel to to be tight around the receiver and use a plain black plug cover in the receiver hole.

GOOD idea if that's the only option...Any others?

Thanks!

i have a plain black plug in mine and its not bad at all. i'd like to get my hands on the OEM cover and cut just a little hole through it though to make it look less conspicuous.

Sorry, but maybe I am not getting the point here.... I have a standard BMW tow hitch that completely disconnects and I just press back the plastic panel on the bumper and its like it was never there!

Send a pic. Apparently we don't have them here.

Thanks!

Yes, but you have the Euro hitch with the swan neck and metric hitch ball. The North American hitch has a 2" square receiver that remains visible when the hitch ball is removed (although you do get a nice black rubber plug with a BMW emblem embossed on it).

Ok I get it... will post a pic of mine for zracer196, for interest only as it will clearly be no use 'cause of the different hitch specs! Why does the US and Europe always do things differently?

Pics of Europe version removable BMW hitch.... please excuse the dirty state of the hitch, I tend to leave it on as I use it in one form or another at least twice a week.... and horror of horrors I use it on dirt roads as well!

Very slick! I think ours may be bigger and stronger...Ours are rated for 6,000 lbs.

I do like it that it can be covered when not in use! Also, strange that your exhaust is covered up too. Our 3.0 models have single tips coming through the outside covers...It that a diesel?

THANKS for the pics!

I'll just chime in and add that because the entire lower rear valance is black, you really don't notice our black hitch reciever, especially with the rubber plug inserted. OR, if you want to add an element of red-neck to your X, just get one of those propeller covers, or one of these! :rolleyes: :rofl:

http://www.wholesalecarcovers.com/icon-76814202.jpg http://www.wholesalecarcovers.com/92350785.jpg

Yes its diesel something else you don't get in the US. Exhausts point straight down for some reason, probably because its expected to belch black smoke sometime in its life!

That is perfect because i'm doing the same thing as the OP! What is the towing capacity w/ that hitch then? :thumbup:

Harbor Freight has a generic US style hitch plate - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices that can be custom welded to whatever a designer can think of then I was thinking of using something like this - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices to get the ball away from the bumper, but its not a completely flat mounting area under our bumper reinforcements so I stopped pursuing it :(

M5James...

Let me know what you find out..OR if it is even usable here in the US!

ALSO a big fan of the TLR's! Great bikes.! I raced (AMA too) for quite a few years...

THANKS!

Thanks Z, I absolutely love it too...can't make up for that sound :thumbup:

I did some searching RealOEM.com Part Search and found http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.do?model=FB32&mospid=47741&hg=71&fg=10 and RealOEM.com BMW E53 X5 4.4i Retrofit kit, towing hitch detachable, so now I just need to find the differences and see where to take it from there.

Hey Cole, any chance for some under bumper and through the receiver hole pics? I'm hoping I can see some visual differences and mounting points.

Searched on Google using the RealOEM part numbers Google and found Equipment/styling - outside for BMW X5 (E53). After conversion, it's around the same price as the US factory one, but at least it's hidden! I emailed the seller since the PDF http://www.schmiedmann.com/377/produktId/7507.htm link is broken. I'm still looking around now...

Received this http://static.schmiedmann.dk/Manualer/14.4106.pdf from Schmeidmann.com today, so looks like i'll be digging through the X later tonight to see if its compatible w/ our bumper reinforcements.

The X5 is the same in both geographies. You will need the two braces that go into the box sections of the unibody, as well as the cross member and all the hardware/bolts. You discard the collapsible bumper supports (for the 5 mph bumper). The US hitch has a different brace for the bumper, presumably to make it stronger and keep it legal without the shock mounts.

The euro hitch isn't legal in the US (it is not DOT approved, and it is a metric hitch ball) but it is usable, depending on your trailer coupler, since 50 mm is close to 2".

The other downside is that while you can tow a small trailer with it, there is no receiver so no possibility of using hitch-mounted accessories such as bicycle carriers.

If you look on the tab above for Online References, in the E53 section there is a PDF of the BMW guide for installing the OEM hitch. It is the euro book in this case, so it shows the euro hitch in the diagrams.

Good to know, thanks for the info. I've replied to the guy who sent me the PDF to see what shipping charges would be or if its possibly something I could get more locally. I have a full size Chevy now to pull my enclosed trailer with now, but it'd be nice to be able to take a small utility trailer w/ my bike (im guessing 500lbs combined) to Seattle, track events, etc using the X. I hope this pans out. Thanks again for the info though.

M5james...

PLEASE keep me posted. Maybe we could buy 2 together!

I'm on it brotha! I already recruited you and told the seller we'd be needing two of them. While its past season for me here, I assume'd you like the hidden just as much as I do to keep that clean look while still being able to use the X for towing. I have some buddies over there in the military, so if this guy isn't willing to ship, we'll get it one way or another.

You da man!!

THANKS for thinking of me!! And yes...I am actually about to do a track day @ Jennings GP (North Florida) this weekend on my KTM SMR...

Here is a pick of my last racebike.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...6/PC025882.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...6/CIMG1958.jpg

And my last M3...AA Supercharged!! THOSE were the days!

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...6/CIMG3030.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...6/CIMG3028.jpg

Nice bike and ///M. My bike is a big, fat, heavy pig, but i'm no paperweight myself. It often gets confused w/ a Gixxer, but the sound is what made my trade up (or down, depends on who you ask) from my R1 to the TLR.

Here's some shots of the bike, me and the ///M. The pic of me next to the Porsche is me racing my attorney is his 993...looking at it now, I was guaranteeing his job security by doing so, ehh :rofl:

I don't have any pics at the track, but I should just for the fun of it. Got any shots of your trailer? The only thing I worry about taking my bike to Seattle w/ me is from all the twisty roads on the way there and the bike raising the center of gravity too much.

Now that is a NICE TLR...What is the deal with the clutch cover? Almost looks like a dry clutch set up!

The TLR is one of the few that I have not owned...

NICE Rides as well!!

Thanks for the work with the hitch!!!

The clear cutch cover is from a guy who also makes 1/3 throttle inserts...just something cool to look at.

It's a heavy pig, but the sound it intoxicating and definately unique.

Thanks...apparently I have a thing for blondes...

NP, hopefully we'll hear something in a another day or so like his last email reply. Check out this rinky dink setup! http://motorcycletrailer.com/tib/. At $1300 and it doesn't even come w/ simple accesories (tire holder, lights, etc) that are available at HF for like $30 or less, this guy is makin a killing if he sells one. I'm thinking of just something like - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices or - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices, just putting a 4x8 sheet under the bike like the ad suggests, then just strap her down for the ride. Then when I'm done, I can either fold it up like it's designed for, or just put in on the side of the house behind the fence w/ my enclosed trailer. Decisions, decisions...

A couple of my friends have the second HF one (larger wheels) for $329. They added plywood and even a lockable box on the "a" frame portion up front!

That is the one I will get.

Thanks again for the work!

Got an email today. Nothing concrete yet, but these guys seem very helpful and are working on it for us.


Thanks to you and Niklas, I appreciate it.

Sincerely,

James A Hartline

JohnLScott.com
Realtor
Cell (206) 679-7149

Treasure Valley Quality Remodel
General Contractor / Owner
Cell (208) 571-9392
www.tvqr.webs.com

Boise Bimmer Service
Consultant/Technician
Cell (208) 571-9392
www.boisebimmer.webs.com






--- On Thu, 10/15/09, Martin Andresen <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Martin Andresen <[email protected]>
Subject: SV: SV: About manual for 14.4106 at schmiedmann.com
To: "'James Hartline'" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 12:47 PM

Hello again,




I will make sure you get at dealer login tomorrow and also the price for shipping :o)

Have a nice day,

Best regards Martin
Fra: James Hartline [mailto:[email protected]]
Sendt: 15. oktober 2009 21:40
Til: Martin Andresen
Emne: Re: SV: About manual for 14.4106 at schmiedmann.com


There is actually a post on the mssageboards in regards to some of us purchasing a hitch of your style. http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/x5-e53-forum/66242-another-hitch-thread.html



50mm converts to 1.9685 inches. I'm sure that between the slop in where the ball connects on the trailer and the size of your ball that it'll be fine.



People who have contributed to the thread have stated that the structure underneath the bumper is exactly the same. Besides the terrible rate of exchange (don't get me started ;) ), i'm afraid that shipping charges would be obnoxious.

I never saw a dealer logon, but i'd be interested to see pricing differences. I realize that use of the hitch is not DOT approved, but myself and others absolutely hate the look of the options we have here in the states because it can't be hidden.



If you could give me an idea on shipping, that would be outstanding...just an idea.



Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,





James A Hartline


JohnLScott.com

Realtor
Cell (206) 679-7149



Treasure Valley Quality Remodel

General Contractor / Owner

Cell (208) 571-9392

www.tvqr.webs.com



Boise Bimmer Service

Consultant/Technician

Cell (208) 571-9392

www.boisebimmer.webs.com






--- On Thu, 10/15/09, Martin Andresen <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Martin Andresen <[email protected]>
Subject: SV: About manual for 14.4106 at schmiedmann.com
To: "'James Hartline'" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 11:43 AM Dear mr. Hartline,




I have been doing some research concerning to your request about the towing hitch, and actually Monoflex can´t tell us whether it will fit or not, and Westfalia towing hitch tells “not for USA”.

The ball on the hitch in Europe is 50MM standard size, maybe the size in USA is different?, there can also be something different about the bumpers…

The original BMW hitch for USA models look totally different also, so we would love to sell a towing hitch to you, but I really don´t think it will fit..

I hope we can sell you something else :o) did you get at dealer login for our homepage so you can see your dealer discounts?

Please don´t hesitate to contact us again, Best regards Martin

THANKS again James!!

Let me know if I can help!

James...

Just curious to see if you have heard anything on the hitch!

Hope all is well!

Thanks,

Mark

He's sent me an email w/ a dealer logon, but it's slowly worked its way out of the 25 emails stored in my phone from all the replies i've been getting while shopping for TL and X5 stuff. I also went on a two great rides this weekend since the sun has finally come out again! I need to get to it soon, I know. Sorry Mark. I'll try to get onto it tonight, so get off my back man! ;)

No worries James!!

Same here...Just did a nice track day @ Jennings GP in Florida. Fun track. Rode my KTM 450SMR. Nice 70 degree weather all day!

Let me know when you get more info...I am depending on my buddies at this point to get my toys around!! Sold my Titan a couple of weeks back.

I haven't forgotten about this Mark, just been slammed w/ work and just got back from Seattle...again. I'll keep ya posted, I promise.

Thanks James!! I need to get something going soon...Either this or the US OEM...

Take care!

Signed up w/ my dealer discount this evening (averaging over $100 savings vs their normal prices), but after playin around on the site more this evening, I've found two different kits w/ one costing almost 1/2 as much. I've sent an email for clarification beforehand so we can be certain that it'll work for our needs. They both use the same PDF for installation, so maybe it's down to a brand name thing...one being called MonoFlex for $384.58, the other called Westfalia for $693.39.

After looking at their wiring kits, I think they use connectors that are nothing like ours. I'd like to be able to use a flat 4 harness, so we're going to have to figure out how to make that happen w/o the OBC freaking out. I think this is something people have found workarounds before w/ US version wiring kits being out of stock all the time.

THANKS James!! I hope this works!!

It'll work, I'm just hashing out the last of the details. This is my most recent email.

Westfalia: Is an OE product, and therefore no modification, it manages 7716 lbs

Monoflex: Is a sistercompany of westfalia, and you have to modify your rear-bumper where the hook is placed, it manages 5511lbs


I asked for calification of this since they both require removal and disposal of some bumper support bracket to be thrown away for the hitch mounting points. I told him that I'm only interested in the hitch that can be completely hidden once the access panel is placed back on, especially if I can get away w/ it for being almost half the price of a stock BMW hitch. I just happen to be in the trunk this weekend gutting it while doing my sub installation, so I've seen the brackets that are removed and reinstalled as part of the installation. It doesn't seem to be that much work, mostly just taking your time w/ being careful not to scratch the bumper when it's removed.


I just spent some decent coin (right before the holidays ;)) to finally do the 6spd conversion in my 7, so if the Westfalia hitch is the only one that I can use that is completely hidden, i'll probably wait till till Spring since I won't be using it till then anyways. You're still welcome to do either hitch using the discount they gave me, so once I get clarification on what they mean by modified, we'll go from there.

THANKS James! It looks promising...

Just an update. I asked for clarification of what they meant w/ modifcations to the bumper, but after looking over the one and only installation PDF I've received (the Monoflex kit, which is more affordable) it appears to me the only modification is behind the bumper via changing some brackets...nothing visually from the exterior.Sorry its taking so long, but I simply have to wait for their replies. I've gotten two suggestions to be their one and only US distributor, so we'll see what happens w/ that.I'll keep ya posted :)

THANKS M5!

I am holding out as I would love to retain the look without the hitch when not towing!!

So apparently I've been asking a lot of questions ;), but here is my latest reply :)

Hi Jamens

Yeah what is up with all the question :) Just kidding you can ask all you want. We dont wanna get you some wrong parts.

I Hav spoaken With monoflex again, an they say that the monoflex hitch will go out though the original hole in the backbumper, so if you dont have the original hole for the hitch, there you will have to modifications.

With both hitch kits you use the original hole and cover for the hitch, the only difference between monoflex and westfalia is the weight on tha ball.

I just finished another lengthly email in regards to how we're going to handle shipping for this item. It'd be absolutely pointless to have it shipped to me directly seeing that I'm probably 2000 miles from you, along w/ you being geographically closer to Europe. Since I have the acct w/ them, I've asked how we can go about ordering your kit, either you paying directly, or you paying me through PayPal then me paying them, then ensuring it gets sent directly to you. I've given them all my IM addresses in an effort to speak w/ them live and get it handled quicker than 2day delay emails ;) I've got an IM app installed on my Treo, so hopefully I'll start hearing from them this way.

Currently their total price for the hitch kit and shipping is $746.58 US, while being in the same price range as the US version, this one is sooo much cooler! Their site gives nothing specific to determine shipping costs within the continental US, so I'm hoping that if we can get down to a more specific location, maybe there will be a price break.

So once again, we hurry up and wait...:yawn:

Thanks James...

A couple of hundred more than the US oem hitch. But I really like the fact that it is "gone" when not in use.

Do you see any issues with compatibility? I would hate to spend the bucks and have to do some special modding to get it to work...

I know you are really into MAJOR modding, so no bid deal to you...While I am mechanically inclined, I really do not want to have to "make it work"...

What do you think from looking at the diagrams?

THANKS James for the hard work!!

I thought the stock hitch was at least $600 as is? I just did a search to see what they go for and came across this as some light reading - http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/...tion-tips.html

Based on the Monoflex installation PDF, the only modification you'd have to make is by removing the 5mph bumper things inside and replace them w/ some other bracket. It's nothing that's viewable, just something underneath the skin of the bumper. I think when those guys were writing me and mentioning modifications in regards to some stock Euro bumpers where they don't even have a removable opening for the hitch. Since we have the stock opening, we're good to go.

Have you seen the installation PDF yet? There should be a link for it somewhere on this thread, and the PDF is of the Monoflex kit instead of the Westfalia one anyways. It shows the part that gets thrown away.

I agree, for the money I'm not interested in making it work either...I want it to bolt in and go. I'm still curious as to how they can decrease the pricing a little, but they don't control how weak the dollar is vs the euro :( I'll keep ya posted Mark.

James...Look at post #9 in this thread. That guy lives in South Africa and has the removable plate in the bumper...I wonder if his kit is the same one as your find?

EBAY had the OEM hitch (a couple of BMW dealers post items often) for under $500 shipped WITH the receiver and ball kit.

That hitch in post#9 is the euro hitch that you guys are looking at. :thumbup:

The only modification that it would need legally for the US is the adition of safety chain attachment points... just simply getting some rings welded to the removable part which can be done at any welding shop, possibly even most exhaust shops would do it for a few bucks.

I know, I told Pierre that yesterday :( I had about a 2hr long conversation w/ Pierre over an IM Voicecall...discussed shipping differences, other products they have, etc. The company they use for shipping to the US charges them a flat fee, but we're going to talk again on Monday to see what we can do about the shipping charges seeing that you and I are roughly 2000 miles apart, so that should at least lower the shipping charges for you seeing that you're closer to them than I am.

Otherwise, I guess we've gotta pay to play :D

I've seen trailers w/ the most rinky dink "safety" setups, but if it keeps The Man off our backs, so be it.

My CFO is intrigued by this for her E53... I'm gonna wander up to the concessionaire early next week and see what they charge.

Anyone have a part number?

Schmiedmann - Styling/Tuning/Spare parts for BMW - New parts - much closer to you than us over here in the U.S.

Hey James and Mark,

If you have not ordered your hitches yet let me give you my .05 worth. I installed a Drawtite hitch which is a real heavy duty 2" receiver. It was less than $200 bucks including shipping. I can email you some picks of how I cleaned it up by trimming the plastic oval piece. I mostly use my hitch for a bike rack but do use it to haul the dirt bike on a trailer to and from Colo where my son lives. I have not yet installed a light plug but hope to do that over the winter cuz the CO highway patrol would definitely ticket me with out trailer lights. If you are interested let me know and I will email you a couple of pics of what mine looks like.

I'd say post pics here just for the heck of it.

I would but first I have to find the pics somewhere on my office pc and since I am so pc illeterate, I am not sure how to post pics on the forum. If you give me a few days I might be able to figure it out. I can email them much more quickly if interested or I can email and you can post if that helps.

That sounds great Taos! Could not hurt to see another idea..

PM to you...

My email is [email protected], feel free to send them whenever you get a chance.

euro hitch
 

hello all, been tracking the posts on the euro hitch topic and decided to do some research of my own. i called a couple of places in the UK. towequip which is a large retailer of tow bars as they call them said they dont ship to the states, so don't bother with them. then I spoke with a guy named Gary Bailey from PF Jones Witter Tow bars and Westfalia Towbars, Price Promise all Tow bars. Eberspacher Main Dealer and he said:

"Hi Robert

Price on the Westfalia towbar 303207 for an X5 BMW delivered to New york 11542 is £390.00 sterling.Approx exchange rate is below as is the link to the towbar.


Kind regards
Gary Bailey

0044 161 8724755

390.00 GBP

=

654.731 USD

United Kingdom Pounds United States Dollars 1 GBP = 1.67880 USD 1 USD = 0.595665 GBP

HOPE THIS HELPS

I've been checking several dealers and some tell me they don't even show a part number for an E53 hitch. Hmmmm I thought they were all linked via computer network? Well, some dealers have them and they are around $500. Factor on your BMWCCA discount and it's not too bad. The bad is the shipping charges unless you can pick it up.

I haven't taken a closer look at the Witter version yet, but it does seem about $100 cheaper than the Monoflex version I've found. I've been SWAMPED w/ work, so I haven't even been able to get back onto IM w/ them. Sorry Mark.

Zracer said he's been able to find the stock BMW hitch on ebay for a decent price.

My mechanic has one coming from a local dealer. Cost around $435 with wiring harness, no shipping but tax. It should be here around Thanksgiving and installed by the week after that.

I'm installing a factory hitch tomorrow (hopefully) on my '06.
ECS Tuning hooked me up for $555 including shipping. I tried Tischer first but I waited for 3 weeks and it was still on backorder so I changed vendors to get it here sooner.
It is definitely a well engineered hitch. Looks fairly simple to install.

I've been emailing w/ a gentleman there back and forth about shipping quotes and a discount on the price for shipping it to me. Once I get something worked out, i'll be sure to post up. I spend quite a bit of time talking to the guys at Schmeidmann, but at this point, it's still coming down to cost, and even w/ them giving me "employee" pricing, the PF Jones seller is still cheaper before any pre-negotiated discounts.

Can you post up pics for others to see?

Did you end up going this route? Sorry I've been go for so long...trips back and forth to Reno, going to Seattle next week, then Reno again, etc etc.

Does anyone know or can confrim if the swanneck hitch is only a European thing? I wonder if this is something available in say, Mexico or South America where it wouldn't be as much to ship. Cole seems to be the only person I can think of who's using this hitch and is out of the United States, but South Africa is definately further away than the two retailers from UK or Denmark are located.

Hi M5James,

I don't have pics here on my lap top so will have to send them from my office pc. Hopefully I can find time today. If I can't figure out how to post on the forum I will email them to you.
doug

Hi Guys,

Sorry I'm a bit late to this party, but I was searching about replacing my water pump and came across this thread and can hopefully help as I am in the UK and have the Westfalia kit that I installed myself.

Looking at the Install Tips for the tow hitch (this one: http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/...tion-tips.html ) the Westfalia bar is identical, except that instead of having the ugly square section receiver, there is a nice socket to accept the swan-neck. The replacement bumper part is otherwise the same.

I've posted up a couple of pics before which you might be interested in, as part of a thread on UK tow bars. You can find the thread here: http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...towbar-uk.html specifically my pics on the third page: http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...wbar-uk-3.html

If you read through, most of us in the UK recommend the Westfalia kit combined with the plug'n'play electronics pack, both supplied by Towequipe. Their website is here: Towequipe - UK's best value towbar store -

I bought my kit through ebay and it cost me less than £250, roughly $400 at today's rates.

If you have any more questions or need more pics, just shout.

Thanks for the pics, I just finally cleaned out my email box and I found them.

Can you post an ebay link of the kit you have? I haven't clicked the link yet, but is the Towequipe harness a flat 4 like we have in the US?

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/2199996...tor_Plug_A.jpg

What about the Witter version? I'm only going to be towing maybe 800lbs max, so by no means do I need to get the most expensive version of highest weight handling capabilities.

After reading this post, I contacted this seller and after a few emails, he stated that the Westfalia bar won't fit on US Spec X5. Now after reading antonye's post, I forwarded this thread to them and told them to pay particular attention to post 66.

I still keep finding sites saying Witter is cheaper than Westfalia, and as long as it can still tow the minuscule amount of like 800lbs compared to most of these hitches that do like 4000-5000lbs.

Hello thread revival!!!

SO my buddy just reminded me that I need to start coming back out to Seattle more so we can go riding. I've done a TON of things to my bike to prepare it for the new season (tires, PC'ing the frame and wheels, 50 shot NOS and progressive controller, valve adjustment, new clutch and Barnett Springs, EBC rotors and HH pads all around, TB sync, ceramic coated header and midpipes all the way up to the slip-on mufflers, 9003/H4 bi-xenon kit...that all I can remember now :)), so I need to get off my ass and get a hitch installed on the X5. The prices of the removeable swan neck type hitch has come down, but then I read about a guy selling a hitch for his X3 for only $140 shipped! I wished we had those kids of prices, so I decided to look on ebay, and low and behold....

2006 06 BMW X5 Trailer Receiver Hitch Tow 3 III : eBay Motors (item 330396020992 end time Mar-17-10 21:15:57 PDT)

2000 01 2002 02 BMW X5 TRAILER HITCH CLASS 3 75148 : eBay Motors (item 280416200725 end time Mar-27-10 11:18:33 PDT)

Mind you, I'm only going to be towing like 600lbs (trailer and bike), not some 3000lb load, so I don't need some super high load capacity, top of the line hitch. I HIGHLY doubt that w/ the small load that I'm going to be pulling that I need to worry about anything tearing away from the reear bumper, etc so for the factory diehards, please keep an open mind because I'm not wanting to spend $500 for something I may use 2-3x a year. One is from some company I've never heard of before, the other is from Uhaul...that must mean it has a little credibility behind it, right?

As for wiring, I have a splice kit on my Chevy that has an LED indicator that confirms I have a signal for parking lights, brakes and turn singals. Other than maybe an OBC error message for resistance (unless I install LED bulbs on the trailer), what is preventing me from using the same thing on one of these hitches?

Thanks people...I haven't been on the boards in a while, I hope everyone has been good.

James, I'd ask the top link for an actual picture or the application.

The second link is the one I have on mine (since the OEM was not available when I needed it) and it has been sufficient for my needs so far with no issues, but I've kept the trailer up to but under 3000 lbs with proper matching tongue weight. (12' enclosed trailer with whole bands rigs + stage PA) If you're gonna be using a normal trailer setup for your bike it will be sufficient.

I agree that the U-Haul hitch will be fine for 600 lbs, or 1000 lbs of total trailer weight.

You can try the splice kit, as some posters have used them without problems. Others have reportedly had to take them back off, and put on the OEM module due to fault codes. I know one poster damaged his LCM, but that may have been an installation error. A splice kit is worth a try if you want to do it on the cheap.

You can always just turn off the PDC manually if you ever want to back up with the trailer.

The OEM electrical connections that come in the BMW kit are worth $200 or less (I think ECS sells them separately).

I don't know what the hitch kit costs with discounts in the US, but I assume it is something just under $500.

So yes, you can save some $$, and after all, just barely good enough to get by is probably fine. Did you use discount parts for building up your bike? :stickpoke

Or you could just bite the bullet and buy a real hitch. But to reiterate the first point, yes, the U-Haul hitch will tow the very light trailer you are planning to pull. Don't sweat it. Just don't ever put a heavier trailer load on it.

The top one has a link to an installation PDF, and it has slightly different mounting points. It has a bar that points to the front of the vehicle. If yours is sufficient, I'd rather stick w/ something I know has been used and works well. Oh, and what'd you use to wire it...do you think I can get away w/ a splicing kit instead of buying a bunch of BMW specialized parts just to get functioning lights w/o OBC errors? Honestly, I don't min an OBC errors when using the trailer if its gonna save me another $100, but then again I have no clue how much the accessories cost.Would you mind sending me a few pics, from the side so I can see how far it sticks out, and maybe directly from the back as well so I can see if I need to spray paint anything black under there before I complete the installation. Thanks bro.

Weasel, you mentioned previously that you were planning on fabricating a longitudinal strut to stop your hitch flexing. Did you ever build that brace?

James, I would go with the U-Haul hitch of the two you showed, since it attaches the the rear of the box section rails in the unibody, instead of just the rear pan like the first hitch. Then you just need to fabricate a brace up to somewhere around the diff, and drill a mount into the rear floor pan.

The 1st pic is of the no named version, which has an additional support like JCL recommended.

The 2nd pic is of the one you have. I'm going to be towing 1/3 of the weight, and never anything more because I have a work truck for towing my trailer. I'd just like to be able to take the bike to Seattle, Reno, track events in SLC, etc and the X5 is far more fun to drive on roadtrips that my work truck. I think I read somewhere in here you might have had a flex problem, but with either kit, I highly doubt I'll ever have that problem. I replied on this thread lastnight, but I don't see it on this thread. Anyways, can you shoot me a pic of your hitch from the side and maybe like a L or R rear corner so I can see how far it sticks out? I still like the swan neck idea so I don't have to see the receiver, but for under $150 shipped, I'll trim the access panel to fit tightly against the receiver instead so it's not as visible.

I agree, that's why I think either one will work just fine for me. I like the additional bracing of the 1st one, but if it looks visible form below, that might kind of ruin the look. Also, since I'm not towing anything near what Weasel is, both should suffice.

I would think it was possible an installation error as well. If using LED's like I suggested will solve my OBC bulb errors messages, that's a plus...otherwise I can deal w/ the little messages for the few hours I'll be towing.

[QUOTE=JCL;722266]You can always just turn off the PDC manually if you ever want to back up with the trailer.[/qoute]
No PDC, so I'm good there :thumbup:

And that's why I'm trying to avoid...having a $700+ tow bar that I'm going to use very little. Of course I didn't use discount parts on the bike, but that's a daily driver (in the summer), so cheaping out there isn't an option. If my brakes fail on the bike, then I'm dead...if the hitch fails on the trailer, I'd probably hear it breaking first, it has chains to back it up, and at worse it'll disconnect completely from the car and take it's own path :wow:I agree, if I planned on towing up to the limit of the tow bar, that getting the real deal from the stealership would be the way to go, but I will never be doing that. With all the talking we do of transmissions on this board, I wouldn't even wanna tow a full load w/ the X5 as is anyways.

The UHaul hitch is the one Weasal has, and it isn't he one w/ the added brace. If his flexes, that's probably an issue that should be addressed considering the weight he's towing, but that won't be an issue w/ the total weight of my load.

Here is a link with the old U-Haul hitch on an X5. They damaged a few X5s, and added the brace to stop further damage. The hitch they are showing now doesn't have this brace, it would appear they have deleted it. My local U-Haul had a notice in their system that they were forbidden to install hitches and wiring on X5s, as I found out when I rented a trailer from them. I didn't need a hitch, but they asked about my hitch, and advised that they had had lots of damage claims and so just bailed out of the X5 hitch market.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-thinking.html

I have seen what I believe was a Drawtite hitch with a very similar looking brace.

LEDs on the trailer don't necessarily solve your fault codes if you do get them. Actually, LED trailer lights have been reported to cause problems with the OEM trailer module due to the current being different than expected by the system monitoring bulb outages.

Not sure why you are quoting $700, as the BMW hitch can be found under $500. It includes the wiring connection that ESC sells separately for those who need it. If you do turn out to require the BMW wiring (and you may not, if you don't have any problems with your splice kit), you will have spent $150 on the U Haul hitch, and something under $200 for the wiring, making it not that much different in cost than the BMW kit price, for a lot less in terms of final product.

Weasel mentioned previously that his hitch did flex, and that he was going to build a brace. What you need to watch for is breaking the welds in the unibody as it flexes. The hitch can't really be damaged, as it isn't what flexes, rather it is the vehicle itself. I also wouldn't be relying on safety chains, as they attach to the hitch receiver, lol. Anyway, with the low weight you are towing you will likely be fine.

You also shouldn't worry about the transmission when towing. Lots of posters have pulled real loads without damaging it. Poster withidl famously pulled 8300 lbs of Airstream, over the continental divide several times, for tens of thousand towing miles. No transmission damage. The transmissions are very durable; failures seem to be due to random component failures, and not overloading. I would suggest it is the difference between reliability and durability.

Good luck. Now just go and put a hitch on it already.

I saw that Airstream thread...good stuff. Since I'm towing such a small amount of weight, maybe I'll lowball the ebay/Uhaul guy since its not as durable :) Either way, once I finished the cooling system overhaul, i'll probably be ordering the one w/ the extra bracing since its the same price.

I installed the oem hitch but it did not come with a bmw plug, just a plain black plug. I may try to fabricate the original cover but it's not unsightly imho. Sorry guys, I guess I'm just not wound that tight to worry about how my hitch looks. It's a nice clean install and functions well to me. To each their own I guess.

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.

Absolutely. Because a member who cares about what his BMW looks like is considering installing a non OEM hitch similar to this one :rofl:

Coles Notes version: Buy the OEM hitch. If you don't, make sure you reverse stall park, up to a wall, when you don't have a trailer on.

No JCL, I'm not installing that one. That is hideous looking, and I'd be going w/ something completely different if I had to see anything more than the receiver itself, and even that sticking out as much as it will is not making me happy.

I know James, but it is one of the ones you proposed a few posts up, and that is why two of us recommended you get the U-Haul one instead, so that you didn't end up with something like this. :thumbup:

just get oem hitch, now that they are available. wiring harness alone makes it worth it imo. it's not THAT ugly. function before form and all that good stuff :)

I don't think the factory hitch looks bad at all - in fact it almost looks castrated without it :)

I ended up going OEM. Really not that bad. I like the look better before of course, but this will do.

Bought it off of EBAY (dealer).

My apologies...I looked at the pic, and the lower support looked to me like it was going out to the 8 0'clock position, not straight below like that pic on the X5 3.0. Yeah, I'll for sure be doing the Uhaul version.

Sorry man...after countless emails back and forth w/ Pierre from Scheidmann, getting onto Yahoo IM so we could talk using VOIP, things never really panned out. He was able to find a cheaper shipper, but at the time I still didn't have an immediate need for it.

I can't remember if you're towing more weight than I am, but Weasel's setup should be perfectly fine for my needs. Did you trim around the access cover to make it fit tighter? If not, I can forward some pics I received from another member of how he cut it to fit so it had minimal gaps around the receiver.

Hi all, I have been reading this thread and i am getting myself a little confused.

I rang the stealership here and they want AUD$1982.00 for OEM installed.

I am looking at other options.

1. 00-06 02 03 04 05 BMW X5 Class 3 Trailer Receiver Hitch : eBay Motors (item 230447033718 end time Apr-07-10 18:01:05 PDT)

2 . 05 06 BMW X5 Receiver Trailer Hitch 13070 : eBay Motors (item 170459403209 end time Apr-13-10 18:10:56 PDT)

I see that 1 + 2 mount differently, could someone please tell me which would be more sturdy for the car?

Thanks

Confused Dubs

Neither is sturdy. How much are you towing?

Recommend you ask your dealer for a parts price for the kit, and ask an independent mechanic for an installation price, or install it yourself if you have a jack, jackstands, and basic hand tools. It is straightforward to install.

Also, in Australia you likely have a Euro (metric) hitch available, with a swan neck. That is nicer than the 2" square receiver that North America uses, and which those eBay hitches are.

I was also going to ask the question on whether they use euro/metric hitches or sae/us hitches where you are... It makes a difference! Also, what/how much will you be towing?

ours are traditionally like this:

Fixed

http://www.parksidetowbars.com.au/Po...owbarclose.jpg

Removeable

http://www.parksidetowbars.com.au/Po...C118aPrado.JPG

I would be towing, at most, a ski boat or a loaded furniture trailer.

I just called for a price, the wiring harness alone - aud$833 :wow:

Dubs

The 1st link is the one I was looking at, made by Uhaul. It's also the same one Weasel uses towing up to 3000lbs, but it flexes a little. Look at the links I posted IF you decide to get that one as I've found it for about $40 cheaper.

The 2nd link is for an 05 and up X5, so you need to compare apples to oranges. What year is your X5, then only look at the hitches that fit in your year range. When I did my search, I used the keywords "x5 hitch" then arranged them by cheapest to highest price and found the Uhaul one for $140.

Depending on the weight of the ski boat, you might be better of getting the full on factory one. People have found them on ebay for $500 US, shipped and I believe it even came w/ all the wiring needed as well.