E61 Touring Discussion The touring is also known as the wagon version of the 5 series.

First Mod for the Wagon

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Old 02-11-2015 | 03:47 AM
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Default First Mod for the Wagon

Well I ordered a trailer hitch for the wagon. I proceeded to the installation. Overall it was an easy to medium installation with allot of swearing, knuckle busting, and cramped fingers on my end, but overall was worth it. Planning on using the hitch for bike racks.


CURT Mfg 111942 Class 1 Hitch
CURT Mfg 56146 Wiring Tail Light Converter

This trailer hitch did not require any drilling into the spare tire tub or anything that Ive read about on other hitches. I did have to JigSaw some holes in the cover that transition between the spare tire tub and the bumper covers, to gain access to the but securing it in place.
I had to buy and use (4) m10 35mm cap bolts instead of the supplied bolts. Here's the reason why, the hex head on the supplied bolts was little too big, and got in the way of the edge of the plates. trying fit the bolts and screw them in next to the muffler was almost impossible. Leading to allot of cramped fingers and hands.

Wiring was easy to do, since there was already an installation DIY some where on here How to Install Trailer Hitch and Wiring in a E60 5 Series BMW - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums .

Will post pictures later today.
Old 02-12-2015 | 04:22 AM
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I really wish CURT Mfg made a 2" receiver for our wagons...I have a bike rack that I use on all my other cars that is a 2". Oh well.

-r
Old 02-12-2015 | 08:32 AM
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I wonder if there's 2" hitches in Europe for our cars. They have a lot more options there and I've seen pics of wagons towing RV trailers even!

Isn't this one, for example?

http://towbars.co.uk/bundle/BMW_5_Se...achable_Towbar
.

Last edited by Lotus99; 02-12-2015 at 08:45 AM.
Old 02-12-2015 | 08:45 AM
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I purchased a 1 1/4" to 2" adapter for that purpose.
Old 02-12-2015 | 08:48 AM
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Another excuse or me to install this trailer hitch is, it'll add another 4 point structural rigidity to the rear end.
Attached Thumbnails First Mod for the Wagon-20150212_081849.jpg   First Mod for the Wagon-20150212_083731.jpg  
Old 02-12-2015 | 09:22 AM
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I have a 1-1/4"-2" adapter on my Outback. 2 issues with it: 1) sticks out way too far from under the bumper (its a shin knocker) and 2) it negates the ability to put the 2-bike add-on which then lets me carry 4 bikes total.

As for the CURT hitches, they do add some rigidity. What's crazy is that the hitch they make for the 2008+ E61s has a much firmer (or appears to be) attachment. AFAICT, it should bolt right up to an 06-07. My thought is to buy the receiver for the 08+, then get a friend with a welder and fabrication skills to cut out the 1-1/4" portion, weld in a 2" receiver, and re-powder-coat the whole thing.

-r
Old 02-12-2015 | 09:51 AM
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OCLVFRAME, your right on the shin knockers, but I only put it on when I need to carry my 2" bike racks or hitch baskets. I've got a solution/idea on making a sturdier adapter that doesn't knock our shins. Give me another week, and I'll fabricate the piece, and post.
Old 02-12-2015 | 10:47 AM
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Originally Posted by 801535
I purchased a 1 1/4" to 2" adapter for that purpose.
Hmmm... I don't see the point of that too much, in the sense that you can't carry any more weight just because you do that? A class 1 hitch's tongue rating is 200 pounds, whereas a class 3 (typical 2" receiver) has a tongue weight of 600 pounds.

So just because you have a 2" receiver now, won't allow you to carry a 4 bike carrier for example, like you would on a true class 3 hitch...

This hitch for example looks like it's almost a class 3, as it says it can tow up to 2200 kg / 4800 lbs, though its tongue weight is still only 200 pounds:

BMW 5 Series Touring ? 303212600001 ? Westfalia-Automotive
Old 02-12-2015 | 01:55 PM
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Unsure if this other one offered is any better, but from the design, it looks less of a hitch then the ones I purchased.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...390990&alt=web

One I purchased mounts to the bumper crash frame bolts location vs this one mounts to the wheel well?
Old 02-15-2015 | 06:01 PM
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Yes, the 2" receiver lets me carry up to 4 bikes but since my heaviest mountain bike only weighs 27lbs, I am not too worried about exceeding the tongue weight capacity. Main goal would be to simply swap the rack between my vehicles and not have to buy a different rack.

-r
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