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You've gotten some great advice! Enjoy being a part of the forum. :thumbup:

Wow thanks for the all the great advice...Villajoe I hear ya bud...I'm trying to downsize and consolidate as well. Selling off my current DD the E46 and my tow rig to combine both tasks into one vehile...a la BMW X5!

The OEM hitch and electronics seems like the way to go. I have a Tekonsha Odyssey on my Dodge Cummins now...I can get another one of those or transfer it over if need be. If the truck isn't pre-wired is there anything the electronics package does that allows for a plug and play brake controller?

I take it BMW has a clas III hitch for this vehicle accepting a 2"x2" hitch reciever. I have a rapid hitch with a 2 5/16th ball.

As mentioned, there is no plug and play for the brake controller, you are working from scratch. You can take a signal from the Lighting Control Module (LCM) to activate it, that is documented in the article I referenced.

BMW do call their OE hitch a Class III, but Class III is a very broad classification what doesn't mean much. What is important is that it is a 2" square receiver, with a 6000 lb rating. Before using your hitch with this receiver, check the dimensions. BMW's rating for the hitch has maximum reach and drop measurements, included in the hitch instructions. I have previously posted them on here as well, if you do a search.