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#1
05-26-2008, 04:12 AM
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Hitch
I looked at the homepage about the OEM hitch installation. I was agog!
then I googled hitches and found etrailer.com and an X5 6-bolt hitch that was rated 600/6000 Class III. I paid $124 US and got it delivered in 7 business days. At first I was surprised at how simple it looked. 4-left holes and 2-right after reading the instructions, I lifted the rear using jack and placed stands on the axles. I used a hex pin and a pneumatic ratchet to remove the 6 bolts. I placed the hitch and aligned the holes from below the frame, replaced the 6 bolts with the ones supplied from etrailer. I then creeped under the crossmember and drilled a hole according to the instructions, un bolted the hitch, placed the compression threaded grommet into hole. I put the bolt into the threads and torqued to specs, and replaced re-torqued to etrailers' specs the six bolts above. I dropped the jack and stands. the receiver sticks out of the oval plastic hole when I haul, but I unbolt the 7 screws and pop the plate back on. I spray the holes with WD-40 replace all the bolts and drive off sans hitch. I never had to drop the bumper or disconnect the sensors. The only electrical I had to do was to connect the lights through the designated port and plug into the trailer dongle. I was done in 1 hour. My rides are a 1999 e46 328i and an 2005 X5 4.8is On e46fanatic.com you can visit my garage. Looking back at the OEM install, I cringed. Last edited by drgeeforce : 05-26-2008 at 04:20 AM. 
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#2
05-26-2008, 04:45 AM
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I can't blame you for cringing at the OEM hitch price and installation but I'm afraid that it is the best solution. I do not have a hitch of any kind as I do not tow but I have heard about a few horror stories involving aftermarket hitches causing major damage.
As you saw from the DIY instructions, the OEM kit is bolted directly to the frame with a replacement piece of steel. That is the strongest way if you are going to pull anything with your X. If you're just using the hitch as a way to mount a bike carrier then you might be okay. I hate to link the site as it generally sucks but please see this thread about a bad experience with an aftermarket hitch. I also know of someone who had a Hidden Hitch and iand had problems with just a hitch mounted cargo carrier.  Here is the thread.I don't mean to crap on your accomplishment but I think it's important for you to be aware of potentially expensive problems. BTW,  .
__________________
--- Kevin ---
Last edited by PersonaNonGrata : 05-26-2008 at 04:53 AM.
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#3
05-26-2008, 05:10 AM
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Bait and switch
"Went to the dealer and looked at the hitch that was removed and it is nothing like the picture on the DrawTite website..." Sounds like that guy got the old "bait and switcheroo" the installer sold them something else. Draw-Tite Class III Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver Hitch #75113, 75154,75492 Hiddenhitch's 87404 all look the same: 4bolt pattern on the left, 2-bolt right.
If asuttie had pics of the post-mortem, then I would agree with you. Right now it seems he/she had an unscrupulous installer who gave him/her the wrong hitch. "I also know of someone who had a Hidden Hitch and iand had problems with just a hitch mounted cargo carrier." Your "second victim" is the same person, asuttie, saying the same story: "It is possible the the installer said they put in the Draw Tite 75113 hitch but installed the wrong product, or that Draw Tite changed the original style of the 75113 hitch..." Last edited by drgeeforce : 05-26-2008 at 05:58 AM.
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#4
05-26-2008, 05:15 AM
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hiddenhitch's warranty
HIDDEN HITCH'S LIMITED ONE-YEAR WARRANTY THIS WARRANTY APPLIES SOLELY TO THOSE PRODUCTS (THE "PRODUCTS") MANUFACTURED BY HIDDEN HITCH. PRODUCTS SOLD BUT NOT MANUFACTURED BY HIDDEN HITCH WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY AND ARE NOT WARRANTED FOR ANY PURPOSE BY HIDDEN HITCH. Warranty and Warranty Period
Hidden Hitch warrants to the original Purchaser/Consumer of Hidden Hitch's Products that Hidden Hitch will provide free of charge the replacement of any Products which are defective in material or workmanship (the "Warranty"). This Warranty applies only to the Purchaser/ Consumer of the Products for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase at retail of the Products. Defective Products returned to Hidden Hitch become property of Hidden Hitch. Limitations on the Warranty The following limitations apply to the Warranty:
To obtain the benefits of the Warranty, the Purchaser/Consumer must complete the following steps:
Subject to the terms and limitations set forth in this document, Hidden Hitch will provide replacement Products to the original Purchaser/Consumer free of charge. Legal Rights and Limitations of Purchaser/Consumer THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU ALSO MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ON ANY HIDDEN HITCH PRODUCT SHALL BE LIMITED TO ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE AT RETAIL TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. HIDDEN HITCH SHALL NOT BE LIABLE OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LOSS OF THE USE OF ANY VEHICLE, LOSS OF TIME, RENTAL OF VEHICLES, LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, EXPENSES SUCH AS GASOLINE, TELEPHONE, LODGING, OR TOWING, OR ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OR OWNERSHIP OF ANY PRODUCT. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION SET FORTH BELOW MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. REPLACEMENT OF THE PRODUCT IN THE MANNER PROVIDED ABOVE SHALL CONSTITUTE FULFILLMENT OF ALL LIABILITIES OF HIDDEN HITCH TO THE PURCHASER/CONSUMER WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE. HIDDEN HITCH'S LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY THIS WARRANTY APPLIES SOLELY TO THOSE TRAILER HITCHES AND RECEIVERS, TRAILER HITCH BALLS, BALL MOUNTS, DRAWBARS AND TOW BARS (THE "PRODUCTS") MANUFACTURED BY HIDDEN HITCH. PRODUCTS SOLD BUT NOT MANUFACTURED BY HIDDEN HITCH WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY AND ARE NOT WARRANTED FOR ANY PURPOSE BY HIDDEN HITCH. Warranty and Warranty Period Hidden Hitch warrants to the original Purchaser/ Consumer of the Products that Hidden Hitch will provide free of charge the replacement of any Products which are defective in material or workmanship (the "Warranty"). This Warranty applies only to the original Purchaser/Consumer of the Products for as long as the original Purchaser/Consumer owns the vehicle on which the Products were installed. Defective Products returned to Hidden Hitch become the property of Hidden Hitch. Limitations on the Warranty The following limitations apply tothe Warranty:
To obtain the benefits of the Warranty, the Purchaser/Consumer must complete the following steps:
Subject to the terms and limitations set forth in this document, Hidden Hitch will provide replacement Products to the original Purchaser/Consumer free of charge. Legal Rights and Limitations of Purchaser/Consumer THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU ALSO MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ON ANY HIDDEN HITCH PRODUCT SHALL BE LIMITED TO ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE AT RETAIL TO THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. HIDDEN HITCH SHALL NOT BE LIABLE OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LOSS OF THE USE OF ANY VEHICLE, LOSS OF TIME, RENTAL OF VEHI-CLES, LOSS OR DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, EXPENSES SUCH AS GASOLINE, TELEPHONE, LODGING, OR TOWING, OR ANY OTHER INCI-DENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OR OWNERSHIP OF ANY PRODUCTS. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION SET FORTH BELOW MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. REPLACEMENT OF THE PRODUCT IN THE MANNER PROVIDED ABOVE SHALL CONSTITUTE FULFILLMENT OF ALL LIABILITIES OF HIDDEN HITCH TO THE PURCHASER/CONSUMER WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE.
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#5
05-26-2008, 05:16 AM
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drawtite's guarantee
Lifetime Guarantee
We are the only company online that offers you a Lifetime Guarantee on all of the products that we offer. That is how important your business and our customers are to us. We want you to be satisfied - at all costs. If your product that you buy from us, breaks or becomes defective within your lifetime - from the time that you buy it from us all you need to do is contact us and we will replace it for you. It is that simple! About Us We are the largest, oldest, and most professional company selling towing products on the Internet. To date, we have shipped over 200,000 hitches, hitch accessories, cargo carriers, bike racks and other towing products to over 200,000 customers. We have over 30+ years in the towing industry. Our company employs towing experts to help and assist you with any questions you may have about your towing product decisions. Our company began operations in 1997. We started out of a retail store in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1999, we took advantage of the Internet, and launched our first website. Since then, we have grown with the online community and magnified our customer service goals in order to ensure that each customer's unique needs are met. From the very first day we opened our retail doors and our first website our goal has not changed – the customer always comes first! In 2004 we moved the operation from North Carolina to Fort Worth, Texas. We did this to dramatically improve the level of service to our customers. We moved closer to our biggest suppliers so that, you – our customer, could get your product that much faster. Our employees vigorously uphold our mission statement of ensuring that every one of our customers is satisfied. Our customers are our greatest asset, and their support of our company has allowed us to expand our operation. It is our goal, each day to bring value to our customers. With our entire staff sharing our vision of distinctive quality and unparalleled customer service, we are headed for greater success. Last edited by drgeeforce : 05-26-2008 at 05:24 AM.
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#6
05-26-2008, 05:40 AM
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holland hitch's /Westfalia's warranty
HH: these guys make tractor/trailer parts out of Holland, Michigan. Their website make no mention of BMW hitches.
Westfalia: this is a division of VW, a subcontractor that makes camper-vans. again, no mention of BMW hitches.
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#7
05-26-2008, 05:44 AM
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BMW parts/accessories warranty
Our parts come with a ONE YEAR WARRANTY unless otherwise noted.
Upkeep Items Maintenance; engine, transmission, and body adjustments; wheel alignment, balancing or rotation; wiper blade inserts; engine drive belts; spark plugs; filters; fuses; all batteries; all hoses and clamps (except air conditioning and power steering); oils, lubricants, fluids, refrigerants and coolants (except as required in the course of a covered repair); brake pads and rotors; brake shoes and drums; manual transmission clutch assemblies; suspension dampers (shock absorbers/strut elements); exhaust systems; tires. Wear and Tear All wear and tear items as defined in The Certified Pre-Owned BMW Protection Plan Consumer Information Statement (including all suspension parts and components). Body and Interior Paint; glass; headlamps; bulbs (except instrumentation); mirrors; lenses; body and chassis; body seals and gaskets; interior and exterior trim, moldings, and fasteners; upholstery, headliner, carpeting, floor and trunk mats; convertible top (all components except electronics); air or water leaks; wind or body noises; wheels; damage due to rust, corrosion, or contamination, except as covered by the BMW New Vehicle Rust and Corrosion Perforation Warranty. Accessories Radio/cassette player, telephone, navigation system, CD changer, or any components of those systems; non-original equipment parts, components or accessories.
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#8
05-26-2008, 05:48 AM
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As far as I can see...
If a warranty is one measure of how a hitch will perform, then by the previous four posts, DrawTite's lifetime guarantee beats them all, including the so-called "OEM".
That leaves me with one question, why are there six holes with bolts into the crossmember? All of the OEM hitches don't use these six bolts. Last edited by drgeeforce : 05-26-2008 at 06:03 AM.
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#9
05-26-2008, 11:32 AM
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let me take a bite too ... everyone keeps on referencing the same old 2-3 posts ... and trust me there are more than that aftermarket installed out on the road ... talk to your local hitch installer and see how many they have installed and how many have come back complaining ... in my case our local installer = zero complaints ...
all OEM ppl are pushing is little bit peace of mind (pretend) for a biggie price ... and aesthetics ... its a rated hitch guys ... if there were that serious issues, trust me there would be more posts ... for half the installed price, you better believe there are more aftermarket hitches installed on X5s then OEMs ... disclaimer : i dont have any ... but seen both in action ... fwiw
__________________
Go Kimi! Go Massa!
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#10
05-26-2008, 04:58 PM
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Response (long)
Quote:
A warranty has absolutely nothing to do with how a product will perform. That is like saying that you will live longer if someone sells you life insurance. Remember when Chrysler went to 7 year powertrain warranties? Do you think they redesigned the engines that year? A warranty, by definition, covers defects in materials and workmanship. It generally doesn't cover suitability for purpose, although some local laws require a form of that. It doesn't cover wear and tear. On a hitch, it really covers only the weld quality, since they commonly exclude the paint finish. The issue with hitches on E53's (that is the only model that I researched extensively) is not the hitch itself, it is the design, and by extension, the attachment method. Those 6 holes you reference are all drilled in the bodywork. There is no frame on an X5, it is a unibody design. In my opinion, it doesn't matter if you use a few or all of the holes in the bodywork, you are still attaching a trailer hitch to sheet metal. Early failures of the Drawtite hitch discovered this the hard way. The response was to add a fore-aft member to stop the 'twisting' of the bodywork when you do use those holes. The horizontal shock struts for the bumper are attached to longitudinal box sections, one per side. The OEM hitch replaces those struts with carrier braces that transfer the load into the strongest part of the unibody. It isn't a frame, but it is the nearest thing the X5 has. Some caution on the 'just using a bike rack' argument. The original damage was on vehicles using a load carrier, essentially a receiver-mounted load tray. The problem with any load carrier is that it applies the load further out from the hitch mounting, essentially creating a bending moment (twist). It is worse if you go over bumps, as you introduce a dynamic loading effect. If you are carrying one or two light bikes, close in to the rear window, probably it will never be an issue. Trouble is, nobody remembers this later after you install a hitch bolted to the sheetmetal, and end up pulling a trailer. People only look at the 6000# label on the receiver itself. In reference to dandruff's comments on more aftermarket hitches than OEM, well I don't think that is true. Perhaps other parts of the world have different experiences than where I live. I note that my local U-Haul outlet (they install many different aftermarket brands) has a disclaimer that due to previous installation warranty issues they won't install any hitch on an X5 that isn't the OEM model. They also won't touch the wiring. Maybe they just had bad luck. The aftermarket hitches are rated. However, they appear to be rated based on a bench test or theoretical design, not in a real world application. The hitch itself is one thing. The rating of the hitch and the attachment method, together, is far more important. I don't have anything against Drawtite, Hidden Hitch, or the others. I have installed many similar hitches working as a mechanic years ago. We lived and worked on a small island, and many of our customers had trailerable boats. However, they also mostly had cars and/or trucks with frames. Bolting a hitch to a real frame is a pretty simple exercise. I agree that the OEM hitch is expensive for what it is. It is a piece of steel. But it is also a piece of steel that includes some thought in the design. It is designed to protect the integrity of your investment in your X5. I don't think it matters if it was built for BMW by Dalan, Westfalia, or someone else. The OEM hitches all use the same attachment method, and that is the important point. If the design content isn't important, by all means use any hitch out there, there are lots of choices. I am obviously a fan of the OEM hitch. But it generally goes along with valuing the engineering that went into the BMW vehicle in the first place. Good luck whatever you decide. Jeff
__________________
2008 535, 6 MT, M Sport, Premium, Space Grey 2007 X3 3.0si, 6 MT, Premium, White Retired: 2003 X5 3.0 Steptronic, Premium, Titanium Silver 2002 325xi 5 MT, Steel Grey 2004 Z4 3.0 Premium, Sport, SMG, Maldives Blue Last edited by JCL : 05-26-2008 at 05:07 PM.
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