Comparison Between Trailer Hitches Available for 2013 BMW X5

Question:

I have a 2013 BMW X5 35d, and need a hitch and wiring harness. Is there any reason to buy the DrawTite vs the Curt? The majority of towing will be a travel trailer. I previously purchased a Curt hitch from you for a different vehicle and the receivers always jiggled in the hitch, so Im wary of Curt. Do your wiring harnesses interact with the BMW towing features such as camera zoom, PDC disable, shift pattern adjustment, and advanced anti-sway control? The vehicle is supposed to sense the trailer is attached and do many nifty things. Thanks!

asked by: Dennis L

Expert Reply:

The fact that the ball mount was a little loose in the previous Curt hitch you had was more a product of manufacturing tolerances than it was an indication that the Curt hitch was lacking in quality in some way.

Both the inside dimension of the receiver tube and the outside dimension of the ball mount's shank are manufactured so that they fall into a given range or tolerance. The receiver tube will always be a bit larger than 2 inches square, while the ball mount or accessories' shank will be a bit smaller than 2 inches. This is purposely done because if both dimensions were exactly 2 inches, you'd have a heckuva time getting the ball mount in and out of the receiver tube. If you had a hitch that at the large end of tolerance and a shank that was at the small end of tolerance, you're going to have some movement.

Which hitch to choose? Visually speaking, both hitches are very similar. Both hitches have the same capacity and would install in a similar manner. The primary difference between the two is that the Curt model has a warranty stipulation that a stabilizing strap like # 18050 needs to be used for non-trailer loads like bike racks and cargo carriers. The strap adds extra expense, and I don't recommend using it on vehicles that have the spoiler over the rear window like your X5. The strap could apply downward force on the spoiler and damage it, so I'd recommend the Draw-Tite 75600 which has no such warranty stipulation.

Please note: The plastic rivets included with the hitch for reattaching the wheel well liner are meant for X5 models up to the 2010 model year. For your 2013 model, you'll need to obtain rivets from your BMW dealer.

The recommended trailer wiring harness is part # 119250KIT, which supports the right turn/brake lamp, left turn/brake lamp and the running lamps only. I believe all the features you mentioned are involved with the two vehicles and wouldn't require any connection to the trailer but your BMW dealer should be able to shed some light on that for you.

expert reply by: Mike L