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Towing Photos with X5.

153K views 428 replies 93 participants last post by  kanar200 
#1 ·
Anyone else use their X5 to tow things?

We have a '12 X5 Diesel that replaced our towing vehicle (an 08 Chevy Silverado) so obviously the replacement needed to be able to pull when we were car shopping. No complaints yet! Seems to tow everything from 600lbs in sheet rock and bathroom materials to a covered snowmobile trailer and our 21ft Four Winns runabout with no problems and still get relatively good mileage compared to the old V8 truck. Love that torque!





Anyone else tow and have some pictures? I am looking forward to loading down the boat the boat this upcoming summer and really trying the X5 out!
 
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#125 ·
^^ Manual specifically states not to use a WD hitch. I think it has to do with running it on a unibody, and BMW not having experience with it. I know on the E53, user withdl ran one when towing an 8k airstream trailer, but I don't know of anyone using one.
 
#131 ·
Pick up the trailer. Everything works fine. Programming worked on OEM setup.

Open car trailer weights 1900# about. I plan to load up my DE car next week (3200# pig)

With equipments and tools, Im guessing 5500# on the trailer and about 100# of "luggage" in the X5 hauling at the end.


I do feel that I am pulling something obviously, but Im driving slow in the most right lane trying to get used to the whole dynamic of this.

My 2012 50i seems to want to stay on 8th gear. X5 doesnt have tow mode and sometimes i need to shift manually to 6 to get it going on the hill.
 

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#133 ·
I am thinking of the X5-D and my towing requirments are over the 6K rating, but I only tow localy, about 4 miles to boat ramp. Would towing a 7,200-7,500 pound boat and trailer (Pachanga 27, with twin small blocks on dule axel) be too much for the X5-D. Assuming this is OK loclay, any recomended set up's.
 
#134 ·
^^ You would be towing over the limit. Not sure what hitch you are using but the NA hitch is rated only to 6k pounds. The X5 itself has been rate to 7700 lbs in some European literature from BMW's site. While I think that the car is capable, you may run into an issue if you have any sort of accident with insurance denying your claim.
 
#135 ·
Thanks for the info. If I can figure out which hitch to use, I would be inclined to go for it. I live four tenths of a mile from the boat ramp, and < 2 miles from the place it's stored in the winter.

Anyone have suggestions on the proper hitch for my application, and the best place to purchase.
 
#136 ·
Contact Daryl at Invisihitch. He is a sponsor on this site, do a search and you'll find his information.

IIRC, their hitch is rated at 7,700 lbs, but Daryl can give you more information. I have their hitch on both of my X5's and it is the best hitch on the market for the E70, IMO.

Good luck!
 
#139 · (Edited)
rear of my x5 sags - i should weight fully loaded tongue weight. Also another thing I experienced was 4x4 xdrive warnin sign when climbing up a mountain on a VERY hot day. This was after 6 hrs of driving hauling the trailer. I think tranny got really hot. I will probably position the porsche few inches back as it is rear heavy car. I just ordered Shoreline scale so i will weight the tongue and make adjustments.
 

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#140 ·
^ I had a good offline discussion a few weeks ago with Mick ("digdesign") about the tongue weight on his setup, which is very similar to yours. You may want to reach out to him. He's got it down to a science, both with and without a loaded wheel rack at the front of the trailer.

You can tow heavy with the X5. But you really should watch your tongue weight very carefully. The normal forward/aft forces of towing act directly on the horizontal "frame rails" of the unibody because that is exactly where the hitch attaches. So you've got tension/compression acting along the full length of the vehicle's beams. But tongue weight tries to torque the rear chassis panel. If it were my X5, I would keep the tongue weight down to 450 lbs, despite BMW's higher rating.

Daryl
daryl@invisihitch.com
 
#141 ·
^^ If you move too much of the weight to the rear of the trailer, don't you risk trailer sway? I know people trash talk the self levelling suspension, but the bags don't seem expensive or difficult to replace if you have an issue. It also allows for a higher rear axle load according to BMW's documentation.
 
#143 ·
I know people trash talk the self levelling suspension, but the bags don't seem expensive or difficult to replace if you have an issue. It also allows for a higher rear axle load according to BMW's documentation.
I agree. I've been meaning to pick one up to have as a spare. I occasionally do 10-12 hour tows, and since they're easy to replace on the side of the road it seems like cheap insurance.
 
#142 ·
Optimum tongue weight is always an interesting discussion. The theory is that you want enough downward force on the ball to provide resistance to "floating" because when the trailer coupler starts floating on the ball, the trailer will be more apt to sway side to side. However, the amount of downward force that is sufficient to provide the desired resistance to floating is much debated.

In the States, it is common to use a 10% rule of thumb for the ratio of tongue weight to towed weight. In Europe, where towing is much more heavily regulated, it is not uncommon to see that same ratio be as low as 7% or even 5%. In my opinion, it is not merely a coincidence that, in the States, you see many more large, box-style trailers that offer high wind profiles, whereas such trailers are relatively uncommon in European countries.

An argument can be made that the ratio of tongue-to-towed weight is the wrong metric to use to prevent coupler float because wind resistance becomes the dominant factor at highway speeds, and highway speed is the only time that trailer sway becomes an issue. I would personally use much higher tongue weight for an RV than I would for a cigarette boat of the same weight because their two wind profiles are entirely different.

In practice, I tend to largely set aside the ratio rule-of-thumb and instead I just load the tongue all the way up to a weight that I am confident will not damage my vehicle. I'm conservative about that number, so on an X5 it would be about 450 lbs for me. There is always the lurking pothole seeking to jar that weight downward... :(

Daryl
daryl@invisihitch.com
 
#144 ·
Any possibility that I can't get to 450# of tongue weight even if I try to move the load to the back of the trailer? On a 5500# loan, 450# would be less than 10% TW... I know BMW doesn't recommend WD devices but I would think it is actually safer that it gives more range of "heavy load" tongue weight to be within safety range
 
#145 · (Edited)
The purpose of distribution bars is not to give you leeway with the trailer load distribution. You still need to shoot for a tongue weight that is 10-15% of the gross trailer weight. If you move the load rearward to try and tow with less than 10% on the tongue the trailer will become unstable and could be at risk of going into a dangerous sway. (Especially when coasting down hill)
http://www.etrailer.com/faq-weightdistribution.aspx

 
#147 ·
I just installed my hitch and towed the boat for the first time. The X5 pulls very well, power with the 4.8L was not fazed by the 4,000 pound trailer, could not really tell it was back there. I went up some very steep long hills on the HWY at 70 MPH, no problem. Brakes were great.

One issue, maybe solved by Post 123, Softride.

My hitch is making popping and cracking noise although the bolts are torqued and I really don't think anything is moving. Maybe it is the receiver moving in the hitch? I really did not look to see if it has excessive play.
When hooked to our Chevy Tahoe I have never heard any of these noises so I think it is Hitch related. I used a Drawtite hitch, it fit very well and looks good on the car.
 
#148 ·
Just got my hand on cargo 7x14 for my move yesterday. First though - damn, how my X5 will do it? Keeping in mind all pictures I saw here I though it will be fine and that how it was.

I barely notice it behind, except hitch rattle on bumps, ordered Silent Pin to reduce that.

Overall, I was very impressed! I was expecting something like that based on what I've read but trying by yourself is different story!

Will post my pics soon too.
 
#152 ·
Some recent towing pics. Pardon my horrible instagram filters. :rofl:

Went supermoto racing and used the X5d.


Nice shot while waiting to load our Four Winns 210 SS.


I quite enjoy towing with this rig! I think it pulls very nicely.
 
#158 ·
Spot on. ridiculous.
 
#159 ·
Nice shot while waiting to load our Four Winns 210 SS.


I quite enjoy towing with this rig! I think it pulls very nicely.
Nice pic. Alpine white looks awesome. :thumbup:[/QUOTE]

I see your from Shakopee, do you recognize the lake and launch? haha. I love making the turbo whistle and the diesel strain a bit while pulling the boat up that ramp and everyones looking around like, someone should tell that guy his BMW is knocking. :rofl:
 
#161 ·
"14 X6 Towing Question

Hi: New to BMW towing. We have a 2014 X6 xDrive 35i with a BMW hitch Kit installed and will most likely use the BMW brake controller installed by BMW:confused:. We did nor get adaptive drive nor active steering.; also no 3rd row seat.

We plan to tow a travel trailer with a GVWR of 3,862 and a tongue weight of 379. Do you see any issues or concerns?

Also does this vehicle have a transmission cooler? Do you see any issues for 6-7 hour trips in the hot areas of the South.
:confused:
Many thanks
 
#168 · (Edited)
Hi: New to BMW towing. We have a 2014 X6 xDrive 35i with a BMW hitch Kit installed and will most likely use the BMW brake controller installed by BMW:confused:. We did nor get adaptive drive nor active steering.; also no 3rd row seat.

We plan to tow a travel trailer with a GVWR of 3,862 and a tongue weight of 379. Do you see any issues or concerns?

Also does this vehicle have a transmission cooler? Do you see any issues for 6-7 hour trips in the hot areas of the South. :confused:
Many thanks
It sounds like you have a a standard suspension on the 35i (no self leveling feature). The car will have no trouble pulling/towing a trailer with GVWR of 3,862, but the tongue weight is a bit on the high side. You should strive for less than 10% of GVWR, 5% to 7% is best. That may not be possible with a travel trailer because you probably can't move the axles.
 
#162 ·
You would think that if the official towing capacity is 6k lbs and no extra cooler is required, then it should be ok just the way it is.

I am hoping to soon upgrade to the X5 from my MDX, but just for the record, the maximum towing capacity of the MDX can only be achieved - as clearly specified by the user manual - with the additional tranny cooler NOT supplied with a stock car.

I happened to put on a massive 11x11in one to get all the cooling I need in the world and it was pretty easy, but again, if the BMW manual does not call for one, then I presume it is perfectly fine for towing up to 6k lbs...

Wouldn't it smell like a bad lawsuit, if one towed 6k and his fluid boiled?
 
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