[Captain Buumer]

Hello all interested or have tough about adding towing capabilities or just wondering how it would look on an E90.

More and more need to transport heavy things, scrap metal, building residues, (sometimes even horses) and inside cabin is not that suitable for things like that.

Bought a kit from HERE. Other sites should sell the same kit. There were much cheaper options from scappers but wiring was mostly partial and didn't want that headace.

Some pictures and info about the fitment/electrical wiring. Hopefully someone finds it worthwhile.

Hitch installed but detached:

Completely hidden, can't even tell this car can tow.

But they are there:


Side view:


Back view:


Installing:

This part was tedious, had to disassemble the weird L shaped OEM PDC connection(old grommet, In the process accidentally damaged wiring and had to solder/rebuild isolation around it) and then push one pin at a time through the grommet. But it was convenient that the grommet had two holes - one for PDC wires, other one for hitch wiring. Not really necessary to do this way but end result is neater.


Mess of wires to fit into. This was car specific kit (tapping into canbus) and the instructions were rather straightforward. Still decided to modify wiring slightly as it was way too long.


There was canbus OEM split in this location (similar to how they made speaker wire parallel connection). Just added third wire here and soldered all together.


Location of the module above passenger rear headlight. Also slightly hidden.


Wiring pretty much done. Took quite quite some time to plan layout.


Didn't need to do any coding, actually it reported to the car that one of the trailer indicators is bad (via CCC). This was surprising because it was indeed broken. So to speak it is talking with the car brain.
The rear PDC is also disabled when reversing with the trailer on.

In the end, this was good kit. Should be same as BMW OEM but just missing BMW logos.

[ryan stewart]

I got the execuhitch/invisihitch and really like it. It's a similar design but slightly heavier rated and you can change the ball/receiver options

[TunafishE93]

I just went and bought one of these hitches for $1000, it was a pretty good deal.. It came with a car but its not hidden though

[Brian86]

If you tow a loaded horse trailer with that, please take pictures (and video).

[dwashy]

I have the same Westfalia hitch and love it. Use it to tow my motorcycles and recently took a trailer loaded up to Colorado. I keep mine attached though as a bumper in case anyone hits me from behind. Might help a little

[david in germany]

I installed the westfalia swing hitch on mine, it makes for fun times. Roasted a convertable 911 while pulling my 4x8 utility trailer. Guys friend in the passenger seat will never let him live that one down!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Brian86

If you tow a loaded horse trailer with that, please take pictures (and video).

This. Please get a video of an E90 towing a horse. Lol.

[jsunma]

Originally Posted by Captain Buumer

(sometimes even horses) and inside cabin is not that suitable for things like that.

Well, clearly you haven't been to Arizona, Wiiillllllllburrrrrr.

[ryan stewart]

Better use for a minivan (also seen one setup for towing a small motorcycle).

I prefer keeping them on the outside and enjoying my luxury inside. I wouldnt try a horse trailer but it doesnt even notice a small open trailer with two sportbikes on it:

[TunafishE93]

How bout

[TyroneShoelaces]

Originally Posted by TunafishE93

I just went and bought one of these hitches for $1000, it was a pretty good deal.. It came with a car but its not hidden though

same, bought this hitch for $2500, came with truck over it. More useful than the Curt hitch on the wagon that is also not hidden.

[ryan stewart]

Eh, not all of us want to maintain and house another vehicle we would rarely actually require. The spec on a 328 is 250/2500 and it easily does that, so this takes care of 99% of my needs and those odd outliers I just go to home depot and rent (or would do Hertz/Uhaul if for some reason Id ever need to long haul for the 3rd time in my entire life).

I have a nice fold-up trailer that fits against the wall in my oversized 2 car garage in my urban house and the hitch goes in that little compartment under the trunk floor.

[TunafishE93]

Fair enough but I was always told to use the right tool for the job. Plus if I seen a hitch on a BMW car for sale I would walk away but then again if I seen any BMW car for sale I would probably still walk away. To each their own, just make sure you tell the next owner about that.

[krhodes1]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

This. Please get a video of an E90 towing a horse. Lol.

Not sure why this would be surprising, for decades the standard car of the horsey set in Europe was the mighty ~100hp Volvo 240 - having owned a few of those ancient crates, I would much prefer to tow with my e91. A single average-size horse (not a Percheron or a Clydesdale) in an aluminum single-horse trailer, as they generally are in the olde countries, is well within the tow rating of an e9x (which is 1800Kg with a braked trailer, IIRC). Two smaller horses would be fine.

And yes, Europeans have different speed limits, tongue weights, blah, blah blah than our "designed for idiots" tow ratings over here.

I actually have the entire Euro hideaway hitch and wiring setup for my car, just never bothered to install it because it has always had a Range Rover or Land Rover sitting next to it in the garage, and I'm lazy. Even the Euro rating is not enough to tow the boat I tow in the summer, so I never bothered. But if I ever get rid of the truck it will be getting installed in short order for hauling utility trailers around.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by TunafishE93

Fair enough but I was always told to use the right tool for the job. Plus if I seen a hitch on a BMW car for sale I would walk away but then again if I seen any BMW car for sale I would probably still walk away. To each their own, just make sure you tell the next owner about that.

Anyone who would know enough about cars to want to pay what it would cost for me to part with the e91* is going to know well enough that there is no issue with me towing a motorcycle that weighs less than two average Americans and is sprung on its own axle. I'd be listing it as a feature, not a bug, as it's a properly specced and fitted mount.

The e9x has more power, more torque, a higher gross weight, a better tranny and miles better brakes than an early 90s Ford ranger. We don't need noobs to tell us to buy shitbox trucks

Hell I even got 27mpg on my most recent trip to Savannah, my car is under less stress responsibility towing than some kid "doing pulls."

Only Americans think you need a truck to carry a toolbox.

*Or a scrap dealer, as I plan to drive the wheels off of this thing.

[TyroneShoelaces]

I'm just goofing around with my truck pic. sheesh. I paid $2500 for it from my neighboor with 84k miles. Planned to flip it for 6k after my wagon was on the road but I'll likely keep it around as I'm shopping for another boat to rebuild after this wagon swap is done. I've always had a 4runner in the fleet with a utility trailer for sheet goods but have always maxed out the 6k lbs towing capacity occasionally. That Titan towed my wagon waaaay better than my 4runner ever would have. 9 hours at 70 mph no sweat and got 13 mpg doing it. Honestly it's the same mileage I get around town unloaded.

I agree this country is kinda ridiculous with "mah truck" for those that don't ever really use a truck for what it's for. Here in FL every dude that tows a 1k lb skiff needs a diesel dually to get to the ramp. The other type of dude tows a 26ft boat down the highway at 80mph through the rain. In my dad's years the family station wagon towed the boat, the camper, or whatever. There is a post in the e91's picture thread of a wagon towing a 135 track car. It's super awesome.

[rothwem]

I've got a regular Curt hitch on my E91 for a bike rack, but I've never towed a trailer with it, my main hurdle is the electronics. I bought a tow harness kit for an E70, thinking it would be similar, and it sort of is, but the E70 has a CANBUS junction box and an aux fuse box in the rear cargo area that my E91 doesn't have, so I'd have to run wires through the car to get an OEM-like integration. Soo... the kit is still sitting in my shed and we tow our utility trailer with my wife's MDX.

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by rothwem

I've got a regular Curt hitch on my E91 for a bike rack, but I've never towed a trailer with it, my main hurdle is the electronics. I bought a tow harness kit for an E70, thinking it would be similar, and it sort of is, but the E70 has a CANBUS junction box and an aux fuse box in the rear cargo area that my E91 doesn't have, so I'd have to run wires through the car to get an OEM-like integration. Soo... the kit is still sitting in my shed and we tow our utility trailer with my wife's MDX.

Honestly if you were going to ever tow anything ditch that Curt and get either this westphalia one or the Execuhitch/Stealthhitch. Not only do they come with the proper wiring (and mounting for the wiring) but they have considerably more substantial mounts when replacing the bumper subframe.

Turns out I was wrong on the rating, its 350/3500. https://stealthhitches.com/products/bmw-hitch-shr31006

Which is believable because it doesnt notice that 740lb combo behind it with the track bike, most of that 1/2" of suspension sag is from all of the crap loaded in the car (seats dropped, mesh up, full of my paddock gear and luggage).

And it is hidden. Its a gooseneck that slots up into a mount that has a keyed lock, a 4 pin trailer connector and a hidden hook for chain/cable.


Honestly my only complaint about towing is I cant turn off the PDC sensors. Putting it in reverse with the trailer on makes it think Im constantly going to run into my own trailer.

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

Honestly if you were going to ever tow anything ditch that Curt and get either this westphalia one or the Execuhitch/Stealthhitch. Not only do they come with the proper wiring (and mounting for the wiring) but they have considerably more substantial mounts when replacing the bumper subframe.

Turns out I was wrong on the rating, its 350/3500. https://stealthhitches.com/products/bmw-hitch-shr31006

Which is believable because it doesnt notice that 740lb combo behind it with the track bike, most of that 1/2" of suspension sag is from all of the crap loaded in the car (seats dropped, mesh up, full of my paddock gear and luggage).

And it is hidden. Its a gooseneck that slots up into a mount that has a keyed lock, a 4 pin trailer connector and a hidden hook for chain/cable.

and it costs $800.

there's 0 things wrong with towing with a 1 1/4 hitch if you stay within it's rated limits.



I am interested in OPs can bus box as that would be way nicer than tapping into the lights for trailer isolation.
Can I get a model number on that?

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by nsjames

and it costs $800.

there's 0 things wrong with towing with a 1 1/4 hitch if you stay within it's rated limits.



I am interested in OPs can bus box as that would be way nicer than tapping into the lights for trailer isolation.
Can I get a model number on that?

Yeah, its not on a budget. But its all inclusive and with the ball and receiver included fits the vast majority of whats out there already. And those additional features.

So its YMMV just like the truck. I opted for the extra cost because I was planning on doing a lot of long hauls, having the trailer locked, and wanted it hidden and also not to lose the rear approach angle for driveways in Atlanta when its not installed

[TunafishE93]

To say adding a trailer hitch to an already problematic rear suspension is irresponsible.. But their next post will be https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1769557

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

Yeah, its not on a budget. But its all inclusive and with the ball and receiver included fits the vast majority of whats out there already. And those additional features.

So its YMMV just like the truck. I opted for the extra cost because I was planning on doing a lot of long hauls, having the trailer locked, and wanted it hidden and also not to lose the rear approach angle for driveways in Atlanta when its not installed

There's nothing wrong with the curt hitch for towing long distances. It is rated as a standard class 1 hitch. it bolts to most of the same places the stealth hitch does.
If you stay within it's rated limits, it's not going to fail.

yes, the stealth hitch is a nice piece, but there's nothing wrong with the curt unit if you don't mind the receiver showing and you don't intend to put 3500 lbs behind your e90.

my 4x4 trailer has a titanium deck and a max GVW of 1500 lbs.
I have a truck for towing actual trailers, it has a 10K lb rated hitch. I do not need a 2" receiver on a station wagon.

and the $800 stealthhitch on etrailer comes with a hopkins PWM isolator, not the can bus box.