Towing pictures

[Variante Alta]

Stays beautifully flat on the road and behaves well with no WD equipment.

[JesusLovesU]

Originally Posted by X Mon™

The trailer in his photo is a Featherlite 3110, likely in a 17'6" variant. I also own one. The tire rack is an add-on, looks like it may be a Trailex.

For controllers, I'm running a RedArc Tow Pro Liberty and have been quite happy with it. The harness is custom built to interface with the proprietary BMW 4 pin Amphenol connector. Fortunately Teknosha is now selling a pig tail for that.

So regarding your brake controller, it seems theres 2 connections being made. One to the vehicle and one to the trailer? Is this correct? I'm just trying to understand the missing piece which is the brake controller and how thats integrated. I have the stealth hitch and a trailex trailer with electronic brakes.

[X Mon™]

Originally Posted by JesusLovesU

So regarding your brake controller, it seems theres 2 connections being made. One to the vehicle and one to the trailer? Is this correct? I'm just trying to understand the missing piece which is the brake controller and how thats integrated. I have the stealth hitch and a trailex trailer with electronic brakes.

The connection for the brake controller is at the 4 pin Black Amp connector within the wiring harness. Here's a "borrowed" photo of the connector from another thread:



Unfortunately it is super hard to find the correct wiring diagrams from BMW. The TIS shows the 13 pin European diagram, not the 7 pin US. While the US installation instructions shows A13 as the 4 pin connector in question, it still shows the incorrect wiring diagram for the US application.

Long and short is that US spec trailer brake controllers function off four wires:
Battery (12V+) - Black
Brake Light (Signal) - Red
Trailer Brake Power - Blue
Ground (-) - White

On the BMW harness at A13 this is:
Battery (12V+) - Red
Brake Light (Signal) - Black/Yellow (2 Wires)
Trailer Brake Power - Yellow/Green
Ground (-) - Brown

The Battery Wire and Ground Wire are the power circuit FROM the F15 TO the Brake controller. This is simply analog 12V+ from Fuse F139 in the rear fuse panel, and Ground at Z10*14B. It should be noted that Fuse F139 also feeds power TO the 7-pin trailer connector at Pin 4.

The Brake Light wire is a SIGNAL wire FROM the F15 TO the controller to let it know the brakes have been applied. AFAIK (again with no diagrams to support in front of me at the moment) the SIGNAL is generated by the AHM from the CANBUS signal produced when one applies the brakes. It is sent TO the controller as an analog 12V signal.

The Trailer Brake Power Wire is an OUTPUT FROM the Brake Controller TO the 7-Pin Trailer Connector (via Pin 2). This is an analog voltage ranging from 0 to 12 volts based upon the settings of the brake controller itself.

[Yachttech1]

2017 X5 MSport Stealth hitch

[Blixem]

Originally Posted by Chester2008

I tow a 24' Yamaha 242 Limited S with my 2017 X5 35D. Pulls the boat out great even on steep ramps. Definitely get some looks at the boat ramps from the guys with their oversized trucks and 17' fishing boats.

Beautiful Yamaha. Do you have air suspension? Any squat?

[TheLaw]

Originally Posted by Yachttech1

2017 X5 MSport Stealth hitch

Nice.

[epenbecks]

Originally Posted by jp182

which trailer did you end up going with? i'm going to have to tow with a similar uhaul trailer for a bit.

i'm using Uhaul trailer too.

[X Mon™]

Tow pig, doing tow pig things. Why tow one trailer when you can run two at the same time. Yes, the tongue is little high.

[tlow98]

Ok gang - Towing noob here looking for advice.

X5 details:
- 2014 x35i w/ air suspension (fresh air bags)
- Curt class 3 hitch https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Towing for about 7 hours
- Currently, the OEM trailer integration harness is not fully plugged in and coded.

I'm going to be renting a trailer from U-Haul and towing an E46 M3 vert. About 3,800 lbs + Trailer.

Questions:
- What ball mount should I get?
- What height should the hitch be off the ground with it loaded?
- I need to get the trailer towing harness plugged in and coded right? Otherwise, I won't have brake lights right?

Please excuse my nOObness - very happy to join this thread and learn from you gurus.

I've towed before, but not with this rig - only with U-haul moving trucks that are all set up already.

Thanks!

[nizmugen]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Ok gang - Towing noob here looking for advice.

X5 details:
- 2014 x35i w/ air suspension (fresh air bags)
- Curt class 3 hitch https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Towing for about 7 hours
- Currently, the OEM trailer integration harness is not fully plugged in and coded.

I'm going to be renting a trailer from U-Haul and towing an E46 M3 vert. About 3,800 lbs + Trailer.

Questions:
- What ball mount should I get?
- What height should the hitch be off the ground with it loaded?
- I need to get the trailer towing harness plugged in and coded right? Otherwise, I won't have brake lights right?

Please excuse my nOObness - very happy to join this thread and learn from you gurus.

I've towed before, but not with this rig - only with U-haul moving trucks that are all set up already.

Thanks!

When I was towing a lot with the U-Haul trailer, I just used the U-Haul ball mount that they sell. Didn’t have any issues with it.

From U-Haul: “ The optimal ball height for towing U-Haul trailers is 18½ to 18¾ inches.”

And yes, from memory, you should get the harness installed and coded so that when the 4-pin connector from U-Haul is plugged in, your brakes and blinkers work. They won’t let you drive off if the lights don’t work.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by nizmugen

When I was towing a lot with the U-Haul trailer, I just used the U-Haul ball mount that they sell. Didn’t have any issues with it.

From U-Haul: “ The optimal ball height for towing U-Haul trailers is 18½ to 18¾ inches.”

And yes, from memory, you should get the harness installed and coded so that when the 4-pin connector from U-Haul is plugged in, your brakes and blinkers work. They won’t let you drive off if the lights don’t work.

Much appreciated. I'll take a stab at the wiring tonight. The rear OE exterior plug is already mounted and the wire harness is just hanging out in a coil in the rear of the car.

I'll also stop by U-Haul and get a ball. I bet that will buy some brownie points too.

Thank you much!

[pshooter]

Average 20MPG with this setup.

[beattiecj]

Originally Posted by pshooter

Average 20MPG with this setup.

Nice man, good to see. Will post a few with my SpecE30 in tow soon.

[brianhinton77]

From the BMW MOA rally a few months back

[beattiecj]

X5 35i - tows pretty decent averaging 16mpg around 4Klbs, would not want to tow into the mountains but otherwise pretty solid. Using the Curt bluetooth brake controller is also quite nice.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by beattiecj

X5 35i - tows pretty decent averaging 16mpg around 4Klbs, would not want to tow into the mountains but otherwise pretty solid. Using the Curt bluetooth brake controller is also quite nice.

I thought the same about the mountains, but I had to get over a couple large passes (2,500ft gain) and it did well, albeit just maintained a steady climb. Now, if I had to go over the Rockies at elevation I’d probably think about it differently…

[Exclusivs]

Hey guys,

Looking at an X5d : WITHOUT rear air suspension.

Has:
S508 Park Distance Control (PDC)
S522 Xenon Light
S524 Adaptive Headlights
S563 Light Package
S575 Additional 12V Sockets
S5A1 LED Fog Lights
S5AG Lane Change Warning
S5AT Driving Assistant Plus
S5DL Surround View
S8SL Trailer Coupling Preparation

Plan to be towing right around 5000lbs long distances 5+ hours every month.

How detrimental will this be, not having rear air suspension?

Many thanks in advance

[beattiecj]

Originally Posted by Exclusivs

Hey guys,

Looking at an X5d : WITHOUT rear air suspension.

Has:
S508 Park Distance Control (PDC)
S522 Xenon Light
S524 Adaptive Headlights
S563 Light Package
S575 Additional 12V Sockets
S5A1 LED Fog Lights
S5AG Lane Change Warning
S5AT Driving Assistant Plus
S5DL Surround View
S8SL Trailer Coupling Preparation

Plan to be towing right around 5000lbs long distances 5+ hours every month.

How detrimental will this be, not having rear air suspension?

Many thanks in advance

In my little towing experience my X5 with the car above was around 4,500lbs there was a little sag in the back, nothing detrimental. Think most of it can be mitigated with proper loading and hitch height. Airbags would prob be an overall plus.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by beattiecj

In my little towing experience my X5 with the car above was around 4,500lbs there was a little sag in the back, nothing detrimental. Think most of it can be mitigated with proper loading and hitch height. Airbags would prob be an overall plus.

Agree. I have air and it prolly just made it easier overall, but masked the weight distribution, which is not great.

I would think if you were doing regular towing and distributing the weight correctly you’d be better off than with air bc you’d know the weight was right and the air bags wear out fast enough, already.

[JupiterBMW]

Excited that I get to share in this thread now. This was my first tow, learning as I go and starting to research trailers and potentially make a purchase.

[X Mon™]

I spent the spring/summer with the 335 parked on the lift, and the 325iX underneath it whilst we remodeled the kitchen. And then a mere 9 months, and a quick 1450 mile trip later...we brought home my wifes new to her M240Xi. Be careful where you leave cars laid up folks.



74.5mph average from Detroit south to Toledo then most of the way across the the Ohio and PA turnpikes, 18.7 mpg. Probably could have done better if I didn't decide to set the cruise control and forget it coming home.