Why Does Trailer Hitch for 2017 BMW 328 Diesel wagon xDrive Have Higher Capacity Than Vehicle

Question:

Im wanting to purchase a GREAT tow hitch for my car. I was told the car can handle a pretty hefty payload, but when looking that up, it says 915Lbs. I want to tow a 2004 16 foot Bambi Airstream trailer with my wagon and need the perfect hitch, and also go into this knowing Im not crazy and my car can actually handle pulling a trailer weighting 3500 lbs. I found this hitch, LOVE that its not visible, but its SO costly.

asked by: Genevieve

Expert Reply:

The final authority on whether a vehicle can safely tow the weight of a camper is going to be either the owner's manual or a dealer. They are the ones who designed and rated the vehicle and are also who will have to honor the warranty of the vehicle. We have hitches that fit your 2017 BMW 328 Diesel wagon xDrive like the Curt part # C11367 but this hitch only has a capacity of 2,000 lbs and it sounds like your vehicle is rated even lower at 915 lbs. You'd either have to look into a camper with a lower weight or you'd have to look into a tow vehicle that is rated for the weight of your trailer.

The reason some hitches have a much higher weight capacity than the vehicle they fit is basically because the hitch manufacturers will engineer a hitch to fit the vehicle while making it as strong as possible. Since the hitch is rated separately from the vehicle a lot of times you end up with a hitch that's rated much higher than the vehicle it fits.

expert reply by: Jameson C