Towing with the X5
 

Does anybody tow there track car with there X5? I have an 04 4.8is and I need to start hauling my E46 M3 to and from the track. So I was wondering where you guys purchased your hitch kits and your impressions of them. Thanks

There are several members here who tow race cars with their X5s. Do a search and you should find out more details and see some photos. I can't recall whether they were 4.4, 4.6, or 4.8 X5s but either way, you should be fine.

I have a friend who has a 4.4 who has towed his 996 race car in a trailer.

Get the factory hitch kit. Nothing else. Others (Curt) can cause damage when you are towing the load you will be towing.

Somewhere on here there's even a pic of an E53 towing a test mule BMW of some sort. Even the creators of the beast still use an old one

This

+1. This is the best advice.

I guess you might be right. But, I had my hitch installed by a local trailer dealer. saved me about $1400 or so. I paid around $400 or $500 for the whole thing. The dealer wanted around $1800.

I've had it for 2 yrs and frequently tow 2000 to 4000 lbs . I believe it is a 6500 lb hitch.:dunno:

That might be OK for light duty, but towing the weight of a car (and trailer) will be AT LEAST 4000lbs (open trailer) and closer to 5-6000lbs for an enclosed trailer. Best and safest to go with the factory hitch for towing a car. The factory hitch basically replaces the entire rear bumper and bolts to the chassis of the truck. Aftermarket hitches don't share the same design and put unusual stress on the chassis when towing heavier loads.

OP--I tow mine in an enclosed trailer and have always been pleased with performance of the 4.6is. Your 4.8is should do even better. Only downside is atrocious gas mileage. 65-70mph seems to be a sweet spot for my 4.6. When I go faster (which the truck is totally capable of) my mileage drops to well below 10mpg :(

I'm also on the hunt for a trailer hitch. etrailer.com shows two distinct designs for the X5; along with the normal attachment points the Draw-Tite and Hidden Hitch models have an additional 'leg' that connects to a cross member whereas the Curt unit only bolts up to the factory locations behind the bumper fascia.
https://www.box.net/shared/static/us...2fhck0saix.JPGhttps://www.box.net/shared/static/mt...t3h208psze.JPG
I have yet to see what the factory hitch looks like but I'm leaning towards the extra support and towing capacity (6k# Vs. 5k#) of the Draw-Tite hitch even though the installation is a little more involved.

Comments?

The OEM hitch kit is the way to go in my opinion. OEM fitment is always nice and the hitch kit includes module and wiring harness needed for a complete plug and play installation. We have the genuine BMW hitch kit available HERE.

http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/28640_x600.jpg


ECS Tuning

Can the plug and play wiring module be purchased separately?

My notes from BMW say no it cannot be purchased separate from the Kit.

ECS Tuning

Does is help if you have a part number?
Wiring Harness 71 60 6 009 698 - Fits 4.4i and 3.0i X5 models.

I'm getting an incorrect part number report back from BMW when I run that number.

Now we do have the Trailer Towing Module found HERE and seen in the photo below.

http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/23708_x600.jpg

I can also bring in the trailer wiring which goes from the X5 to the trailer if that's what you're referencing. A few different styles of that are available depending on your setup. They can all be found HERE

http://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/32180_x300.jpghttp://c1552172.r72.cf0.rackcdn.com/31794_x300.jpg


ECS Tuning

I have the Draw-Tite unit on the left. I have well over 2k miles towing a 6k lb trailer with no issues, even at 90 mph.

That's the one I have as well its very beefy. I believe it is 6500 lb hitch,not sure though.
It has a very positive solid 3 point hitch to the frame and is ton cheaper.

You don't tow with the bumper why would rebuilding the bumper be an advantage?

More OE coolaide,imho, to charge$ 3 or 4 times its worth. And seperate the
Consumer from his/her money.

Edit:
6000 tow weight
600 tounge weight

Both my brother-in-law and I tow race cars behind X5s with the 3.0 motor for years without any problems. Both trucks have Draw-Tite 6,000 lbs hitches installed. They are the ones with the extra brace. Although I am not convinced that the brace offers any benefit. Installation was very easy as I remember.

In addition to the hitch you will need the factory towing module. It is used to powers the lights on the trailer. This ran around $250 from the dealer a few years ago. Also, if you plan to be using a trailer with electric brakes you will need a brake controller. There are several sold that pretty much do the same thing. I do not remember the make of mine. There are also many DYI postings on how to hook that up. IMO most are much more complicated that need to be. Feel free to contact me if you need additional information on how I hooked up mine.

The OEM vs. aftermarket hitch debate has been a hot topic. I recall seeing some posts where there were users of aftermarket hitches that experienced some significant problems. Then there are users of the Draw-Tite that seem to be fine. I don't have a trailer hitch but if I needed one, I'd go with the OEM hitch just to be safe. The fact that ECS has the OEM unit for $430 seals the deal. It's a very reasonable price to pay for OEM and peace of mind.

Ghost Flame: Your dealer is clearly trying to rip you off. $1800 is ridiculous! You can the OEM hitch from ECS and there are excellent DIY installation instructions here.

I wish someone would have taken a pic of one of the failures.

Sorry I can't remember the exact details. I've been around this X5 forum stuff for too long! :tsk:

I think it was a Curt hitch and it torqued his entire frame. It was on xoutpost (x5world) or possibly the BMW forum that will remain unnamed from which we fled to start this forum. ;)

I have removed my bumper and done a visual inspection/fastener re-tq twice in the past 18 mos. I have the Draw-tite and it has looked good so far. If I see any damage I will post pics.

FOUND IT!

HERE is an excellent thread that, thanks mostly to JCL, has some history about aftermarket hitches.

Thanks Kev

Saves me looking for the link.

If anybody is going to tow a valuable load, I think it is misguided to use anything except the OE hitch. Yes it costs more. Suck it up. When you compare the attachment points of the aftermarket hitches, and their lack of reinforcement of the body pan, with the OE design, there is no question whatsoever.

There is no reason to pay outlandish dealer install prices. The hitch is around $500, and it is either a straightforward DIY following the links posted on this site, or an easy install for an independent shop who will charge 3 hours or so. If you have a later model, you will need to get the vehicle software flashed, so that is another consideration in choice of installer.

I have installed a few hitches on X models, and can answer any specific questions.

I also think it is worth buying the OE wiring harness, because of the integration into the vehicle. You get the rear PDC turned off to prevent continual beeping, and the Trailer Stability Control function in DSC. There is no risk of damage to the mutli-plexed wiring. It used to be possible to buy the OE wiring harness separately, but what I am seeing now is the separate parts of it, not the complete wiring kit. If you add up the parts the price is not reasonable. If you buy the OE hitch, all the wriing kit is included. It makes it pretty much a no-brainer.

On the other hand, if you are towing 1000 lbs, anything will do. But the hitch with the strut running longitudinally looks fugly, IMO. Look up the threads here where we discussed it. Edit: this thread here:
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-thinking.html

Jeff

What exactly does this module do?

Plugs into the vehicle wiring harness, reading the multi-plexed signals and taking power directly for the trailer wiring harness.

Tells the vehicle that a trailer may be connected.

Provides an interface for the trailer wiring harness that runs down to the hitch receiver. From this interface to the trailer the wiring is direct, ie traditional, with no multi-plexing.

If the trailer wiring harness has a trailer plugged into it, it then tells the vehicle to turn off the rear PDC (because it will beep due to the presence of the trailer drawbar) and to use the Trailer Stability Control mode in the DSC if severe sway is encountered.

Importantly, this module does not provide a trailer brake controller if you choose to use electric trailer brakes. That is a separate device.

ahhh...thank you! Pretty important piece of kit.

Appreciate the thorough explanation.

False economy on those aftermarket hitches. Skip a few meals out and get the BMW hitch for all the reasons above.

Occasionally I'll search for used X5s on autotrader. I immediately SKIP those with the non-BMW hitch, as I take it as a sign that the owner probably likes to cut corners elsewhere too.

So I guess we are to believe that BMW has more experience designing and building hitches than Draw-Tite. LOL

Two holes, no waiting . . . . Yeeehaaaaaw! Maybe that lower mount helps one avoid a drop hitch or maybe take core samples of snow banks and such.

There is nothing wrong with a DrawTite hitch if you have a vehicle with a frame, like a pickup truck. There is nothing magic about the BMW hitch itself, the important point is in how it integrates into the vehicle. And yes, BMW understands the X5 better than DrawTite.

To see the difference in vehicle mounting with OE and aftermarket hitches, look at the BMW instructions here: http://www.bmwmotorsports.org/pdf/e5...iler_hitch.pdf

Look at section 2.3 to see the reinforcements BMW uses. Some hitches just bolt to the rear pan. Others attach at the same point as the OE hitch but don't use any reinforcements. The reinforcements tie into the longitudinal box sections in the unibody and are cross bolted in three planes.

The instructions show the Euro hitch but the mounting is identical

After reading the pdf above, I have to concead that the oem installation looks like a better design. You can see by the photos below that the third point on the draw tite transfers the towing force to the frame member that holds the rear wheel suspension (I guess its the axle).

While this design creates a strong and probably fail proof towing connection it may not give you the torsion support needed. It is attached to the car underneath the bumper (not visible) which might handle all the torsion support you need. Since I didn't install it, and I'm not removing the tupper-wear to see it, I don't know how much beef is there in those two contact points. If I were to to it again I would buy the hitch from BMW and install it my self.

Side Note: when I got this hitch, My wife and I made an impromtu trip to Key West with my Motorcycle trailered. I needed the hitch right now! the only place that could take me that quick was a trailer dealer that I have been dealing with for 20 yrs. He put me first in the que and installed it the next day. So my decision was somewhat of an impulse with little research

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x...1-22081251.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x...1-22081309.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x...22081300-1.jpg

Geez...$430 bucks? I guess that's not a lot considering you'll be towing cars. I'll only be towing 2-3 motorcycles so I think I'll be good with the aftermarket. but after seeing how ugly it sticks out like that, I may opt for OEM as I like a clean look. Had a Hidden Hitch on my Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7L Hemi and I forgot I had bikes back there most of the time.

However my question is this. With my Jeep, there was a "TOW/HAUL" button which pretty much locked the trans into 4th gear to keep it from fishing around between 4th and 5th. I noticed my X5 4.8is doesn't have such a button. Should I manually shift over and put in a lower gear? I'll be towing the bikes for approximately 900 miles. Should I get my trans fluid changed beforehand also?

Get the OE hitch. It includes the electrics. You won't regret it.

While you don't have a 5th gear lockout, you do have Steptronic. Leave it in automatic, not sport mode. Determine if the vehicle is hunting for gears on a hill when towing. Unlikely, but watch the tach. If it does, shift into manual mode to stop it hunting. Don't go into a lower gear than you have to. With a 4.8 and only towing bikes, it is unlikely that will have to worry about it at all. The main thing is to prevent unnecessary shifts, and to keep the torque converter in lock-up mode. Those two things keep the heat down. No need to change your trans fluid before towing.

I see you use yours as a jacking point too! :thumbup:

Yes it is a perfect jacking point. It is dead center, it distributes the weight to the frame and lifts the car evenly on both sides so I can fit the jack stands under the rear corners.

Easier to get at too! I've been jacking my X the same way.

ECS, does that kit work on the e70 also?

Ghost, TiAg:

If you could get right under the hitch attachment bolts (at the rear pan) then the OE hitch is rated for a 600 lb vertical load. This hitch would be similar in capacity, as it is loading the rear attachment point in shear, with no bending moment.

But bring the trolley jack back towards the middle of that aftermarket hitch strut, and you introduce bending forces. Also, the rear of the X5 weighs a bit more than 600 lbs. Quite a bit, in fact.

Not that I'd recommend it, but you could just as easily lift on any part of the sheetmetal underneath the vehicle, it would have the same strength.

I'd say it is a terrible jacking point, for those reasons.

The hitch kit found HERE is the one for the E70. Now in my notes I'm seeing that if you have the M Aero bumpers the kit will have fitment issues, or you'll have to do some serious cutting to your bumper.

ECS Tuning

Hi

When plugged the trailer cable into the X5, do we suppose to get some sort of message from the Dash at all?
I've got genuine bmw wiring kit which is the flat plug and old trailers use round plug so i bought an aftermarket adaptor to connect the two. Is this the reason why my PDC keeps beeping because i can't tell that i've got the trailer in the back?

Thanks

No dash acknowledgement in North America. Not sure about Oz.

If pdc is still beeping I would check if the trailer lights work

If not your vehicle may require flashing by the dealer so the vehicle recognizes that the trailer wiring module is installed. You don't list your vehicle details but it was 2004 models onwards that may need flashing, IIRC

Here is my .05 worth. I too installed the Draw Tite with the support arm. The install took two of us about 3.5 hours but 2 hours of that was scratching our heads trying to figure out how to remove the rear bumper. The actual install is easy with the right tools. I think I wrote a bumpber removal thread but if you can't find it I know one exists.

I also used the wiring harness from E-Trailier and that was about a 45 min install. I did it months after the hitch install and it would not take long if you did it when you install the hitch.

Your M3 stripped down for the track is probably around 3000 lbs, your trailer maybe another 2K to 3K depending on your trailer. The Draw Tite is rated at 6000 lbs but I personally would not tow that much with my X5. It is too mountainous in my area and I would not feel comfortable towing that much weight with the X5. If I were close to the track and the drive not to demanding I would not hesitate pulling a trailer with an M3 on board with my X5. But the X5 is a mid size SUV that was not designed as a tow vehicle. You have to think about stopping and also consider the added strain on the tranny. A new tranny for the X5 will cost you more than you could by an older pick-up truck for so if I had the room I would probably buy an old pick up and save the X5 for what it was designed to do.

Lots of useful info on this board and tons of threads on hauling and hitch installs. Good luck.

Not too sure about the dash acknowledgement either but i do recall seeing something like a caravan on my dash.

PDC beep because it detected the trailer in the back as an object and not a trailer hence got me to think that maybe BMW genuine adaptor might have a trigger wire that tell PDC to shutup, i'm towing :dunno:.

It isn't the adaptor that tells the vehicle there is a trailer there, it is the load of the trailer lights.

I suspect it needs coding. Model year?

02 4.4 (pre-Aug 02)

Trailer lights? This has nothing to do with the PDC is it?

Trailer lights being connected is what turns off the rear pdc. 02 shouldn't need coding. Are your trailer lights connected and working?

I see, thank you.

Yeap, we hooked up the trailer, tested all the lights to make sure the trip to the dumpster is safe for us and anyone else on the road.
Its got 7 pins.

What exactly does the flashing do? Is it mainly for PDC? I have an 06 4.4 with an aftermarket hitch and wiring (I know, I know).

The BMW OE trailer wiring module plugs into the vehicle wiring harness, and provides an interface for the BMW OE trailer wiring harness (out to the hitch).

When it is plugged in and powered up the first time, the vehicle is supposed to recognize that it is there, similar to a plug and play CD drive on your computer ("new hardware found", installing drivers, ready to go...). Sometimes the plug and play aspect doesn't work, and the vehicle doesn't know it is there. In that case, vehicle flashing (software update) tells the vehicle that the module is installed, and then it all works fine. The trailer module doesn't get flashed, and programming to work the PDC cancel and trailer stability control programs doesn't get loaded, those functions are there already. Flashing just says "oh look, there is a trailer wiring module here now" so that those functions now work.

Up to 2003, flashing wasn't required. But then problems started happening, and it appears to have been due to a combination of build modules, ie how the vehicle is configured when it was shipped, or which options are installed, because it happened sometimes and not others. In 2004 BMW started advising to flash the vehicles when installing their trailer wiring module, and it wasn't always required, but if the rear PDC didn't cancel that was a good indication that flashing it was required.

If you have aftermarket trailer wiring, none of this applies. You turn off the PDC yourself, and don't get the trailer stability control program in DSC.

I'll skip the lecture on using aftermarket hitches and wiring :rofl:

I just read through pages and pages of lecture :D

Thanks for the reply! :thumbup:

Okay okay, I see what you mean. I actually never thought that through but I looked under my bumper and the hitch is attached to some knid of plates. But , I'm not going to take any chances going forward. I'll find another jacking point. I would think the center of the rear axle would be okay to raise the rear end at once then put the jack stands under the corners

You can jack on the differential if you are careful of the flanges and fins. It is strong enough

In the shop I had a long handled trolley jack so that worked fine. My trolley jack at home has a shorter handle so I find it easier to do one side then the other for the rear jack stands, then the front centre jacking point

Well after two attempts and some swearing the factory hitch and electronics are installed and except for some issues with the parking sensors and the running lights on the trailer flashing slowly I'm more than happy with the results. For those of you worried about the brake controller, the Prodigy RF system is the way to go. Took 10 minutes to install and setup.
https://p.twimg.com/AnyE8j3CIAAHYO7.jpg

Congrats! The X sure makes a nice looking tow rig for that e30!

My head is spinning from reading so many posts on the towing, so I don't even know, if I am coming or going!!!

I do have an OEM hitch, installed by previous owner, with the module in the battery compartment and hopefully all the correct struts under the bumper.

I need to get a UHaul trailer to haul some pieces of furniture for about 20 miles one way (and go empty 20 miles back), and before stepping into a UHaul place, I wanted to know what kind of hitch mount, or ball or whatever that thing is called that I need, and also, if I need any kind of electrical adapter to go from the OEM electrical outlet to the UHaul electrical inlet. I think I saw something the ECS guys were selling for an adapter, not sure if I need it or not, but I have not seen that ball thingy being offered as an OEM device.

An advice would be appreciated.

thank you,

With the OE hitch kit you need a hitch ball mount which fits into the 2" square receiver, drops the ball to a convenient height, and has a 2" (or similar) ball mounted on it. You need one with the correct size ball for the trailer you will be towing. I can't remember if the hitch mount came in the kit or I bought it separately when I bought my hitch kit. If you don't have the BMW one, any one will do, as long as the drop and reach (from pin to ball mount) are within the BMW spec, ie not too long or too extended.

The OE hitch kit also includes an electrical adaptor that plugs into the round socket under the flap, and converts that to a flat four pin connector commonly used in North America. If you don't still have that adaptor, U-Haul sell a version of it for a few bucks. You can see a picture of this adaptor in post 10 in this thread, right above the white trailer wiring module. It has two ears on it, is cylindrical on one end, and has a four pin flat connector on the other end.

Having bought the car used, I do not have the adapter nor the 2" adapter with a ball. I will check with the UHaul about those.

I don't think I have to go OEM on those parts, do I?

So, I guess, even a Wal-Mart will do, with their chinese made crap? I hope it will last 40 mile trip... lol...

Get them from U-Haul, not Walmart.

OE not required.

Updated my post, but you posted first.

Thanks!!! Let me talk to the U-Haul

A least with the X3 kit, it came with.