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      03-30-2016, 02:38 PM   #1
AnupT
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Tow hitch msport

I know there a lot of posts out there... Now that its going to be nice outside, i started to chk out the hitch options... I thgt the invisihitch was cheaper than oem... But the invisihitch is 998+71(shipping) and bmw oem is 1164 plus free shipping... So is it worth getting the invisihitch? I will be using the hitch for both towing and bike hitch..... Install price is going to be the same... As i dnt have garage andcant do it myself... Are there any other good options?
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      03-30-2016, 04:43 PM   #2
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I went with invisihitch
Also had one on my e70
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      03-30-2016, 08:27 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdavuga
I went with invisihitch
Also had one on my e70
How much did it cost you?
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      03-30-2016, 09:03 PM   #4
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I called Invisihitch and bought the hitch only (no wiring) for about $500 and installed it myself. Super quality.
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      03-31-2016, 01:46 AM   #5
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Don't get the BMW one. You have to pay like $300 for the ball and it's a proprietary attachment system.

BTW don't ever let a lack of garage be a deterrent. I serviced my car on the street or large parking lot all through college. For the hitch you will want help from a friend though.
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      03-31-2016, 08:32 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnupT
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jdavuga
I went with invisihitch
Also had one on my e70
How much did it cost you?
I only got the bike rack version and had invisihitch install it for me (they are local to me). It was $740 total.
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      03-31-2016, 08:45 AM   #7
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If you search around, there are several people that say the OEM one sucks and wish they didn't get it.

I had the OEM one on my X3 that I just traded for the X5 and it is a poorly designed thing the way it works, only thing that is good is the OEM wiring to deal with the sensors etc, hitch itself sucked and left marks on my bumper from taking the hitch part on and off even though I was careful - also takes a rocket science degree to figure it out the first time and ensure it is locked properly to the car. Doing it again I would do Invisihitch if you want to see nothing and OEM wiring to deal with sensors going off in reverse with the hitch on. I did the Curt as it is very little to see and was $150 for the hitch!
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      03-31-2016, 09:07 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roadkillrob
If you search around, there are several people that say the OEM one sucks and wish they didn't get it.

I had the OEM one on my X3 that I just traded for the X5 and it is a poorly designed thing the way it works, only thing that is good is the OEM wiring to deal with the sensors etc, hitch itself sucked and left marks on my bumper from taking the hitch part on and off even though I was careful - also takes a rocket science degree to figure it out the first time and ensure it is locked properly to the car. Doing it again I would do Invisihitch if you want to see nothing and OEM wiring to deal with sensors going off in reverse with the hitch on. I did the Curt as it is very little to see and was $150 for the hitch!
With curt hitch did you have to cut your bumper
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      03-31-2016, 10:42 AM   #9
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with curt you dont have to cut the bumper, installed it on an msport this week.

model 131077
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      03-31-2016, 11:10 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roadkillrob View Post
If you search around, there are several people that say the OEM one sucks and wish they didn't get it.
In case the OP is wondering why the OEM one sucks, here is the square receiver attachment. Look how it pokes out. And it's only rated to 3500 lbs. If you want perspective, I can mount a Thule bike rack to this square receiver and the trunk can be open and closed without me having to remove bikes nor swing the rack away.



If you want to really tow, you need to get this attachment. This one is a Class III rated to 6000 lbs. This however I think is BMW being conservative. It's solid steel; should work fine to the 7700 lbs that the vehicle can tow. Notice the proprietary attachment to the car.



Basically there are better options. And this contraption, even though I think they intended to be hidden when not in use, is definitely not hidden from view.

Quote:
Originally Posted by roadkillrob View Post
hitch itself sucked and left marks on my bumper from taking the hitch part on and off even though I was careful
Just curious, does yours have the foam pads at the edge of the receiver tube to prevent the scratching?
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      04-01-2016, 05:56 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aligazi View Post
with curt you dont have to cut the bumper, installed it on an msport this week.

model 131077
Yep that is the one I used, no cutting at all on the msport.

The drawtite 75600 will also fit without cutting and you can apparently also retain the bumper crash bar with it (the new curt model you cannot retain the bumper bar behind the bumper due to the location of the bracing on the hitch near the bolts.

The other issue I had with the OEM one on my X3 which is the same design and same receiver attachments is that the 2" square tube is quite shallow and I had to cut my hitch shorter to get it to fit into the 2" receiver - whole thing is just a poor design at best - why they would not just OEM the hidden hitch like the rest of the world is beyond me.

Rob
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      04-01-2016, 11:47 AM   #12
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invisihitch! id highly recommend, and i installed it myself no garage, if you call them they actually quote you a cheaper price than the website, also whats better then the car not having a hitch sticking out when you don't need one
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      05-26-2016, 11:43 AM   #13
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Hey guys... can someone confirm that this is the invisihitch everyone is talking about?

https://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2014_BMW_X5.htm
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      05-26-2016, 12:47 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmastale
Hey guys... can someone confirm that this is the invisihitch everyone is talking about?

https://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2014_BMW_X5.htm
Nope.

This one: http://www.invisihitch.com/
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      04-01-2017, 12:16 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aligazi View Post
with curt you dont have to cut the bumper, installed it on an msport this week.

model 131077
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadkillrob View Post
Yep that is the one I used, no cutting at all on the msport.

The drawtite 75600 will also fit without cutting and you can apparently also retain the bumper crash bar with it (the new curt model you cannot retain the bumper bar behind the bumper due to the location of the bracing on the hitch near the bolts.
So now I'm really confused... I called Curt technical support line and was told the 13077 hitch (there is no 131077 model) will not fit on an M Sport without "considerable cutting of the bumper". Also the DrawTite website specifically says Part Number 75600 won't fit the M Sport.

I'd like to avoid buying an Invisihitch as I really just need a standard 2" receiver for my 2016 X5 35d M Sport.

Can you guys share some pictures of your no-cut installs?
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      04-04-2017, 01:31 PM   #16
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Fellows anybody can confirm invisihitch is no-cut solution for msport bumper?
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      04-04-2017, 07:36 PM   #17
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Confirmed, Just had mine installed a few weeks ago and no cutting involved. Steve at invisihitch was great to work with. Their website sucks but just give them a call and they can explain the options. I went with the oem harness as I don't like risking anyone tapping/cutting bmw wiring harnesses.
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      04-04-2017, 08:16 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bcromwell View Post
Confirmed, Just had mine installed a few weeks ago and no cutting involved. Steve at invisihitch was great to work with. Their website sucks but just give them a call and they can explain the options. I went with the oem harness as I don't like risking anyone tapping/cutting bmw wiring harnesses.
Thanks a lot for info and comprehensive response!
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      04-05-2017, 10:18 PM   #19
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Got my MSport detachable tow bar from PFjones UK, Witter Brand, same as OE. Much cheaper than Aftermarket or OE at dealer price. $180 + $200 3day shipping to South America. No wiring harness since I use it only to carry a bike rack.
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Last edited by Galion; 04-06-2017 at 01:12 PM..
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      05-08-2017, 02:39 PM   #20
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Curt for M-Sport? nope

Quote:
Originally Posted by M3-Mike View Post
So now I'm really confused... I called Curt technical support line and was told the 13077 hitch (there is no 131077 model) will not fit on an M Sport without "considerable cutting of the bumper". Also the DrawTite website specifically says Part Number 75600 won't fit the M Sport.

I'd like to avoid buying an Invisihitch as I really just need a standard 2" receiver for my 2016 X5 35d M Sport.

Can you guys share some pictures of your no-cut installs?
I also called Curt and asked about fit for an X5 M-Sport. I was told, and I quote, "It's a crap shoot. We have no idea if it fits, we have never tried it."

So much for that
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      05-09-2017, 12:16 AM   #21
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75600 Class III Hitch - Bmw X5

This is a Draw-tite hitch I bought from etrailer for my F15 X5 35 Xdrive M-sport ,
I install it myself , it took about 6 hrs and it requires no cutting ,
the cutting has already been made from factory in anticipation of this install I guess.

Its sticking out a bit but doesn't look bad at all, in fact it makes the X5 looks more like SAV


Hope it helps
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      04-29-2019, 03:35 PM   #22
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Curt fit fine

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rigby View Post
I also called Curt and asked about fit for an X5 M-Sport. I was told, and I quote, "It's a crap shoot. We have no idea if it fits, we have never tried it."

So much for that


UPDATE - I did end up buying the Curt and it went on the X5 M-Sport perfectly. It was awesome and economical.
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