Good luck. So far I learned there is no BMW hitch available - it is not licensed to sell in US. I'd love to get hitch - just for bike carrier, not for towing for my 2010 wagon... alas, so far I was not successful locating one.

 

The specs for a 530xiT are as follows:

Max unbraked trailer: 750kg
Braked trailer driving up to 8% gradient: 2000kg
Braked trailer driving up to 12% gradient: 2000kg

Specs are the same for manual or automatic transmissions.

The retrofit kit number is: 71 60 6 782 128 for the mechanics plus 71 60 0 421 166 for the electronics. It's really expensive and the electronics kit is required. I doubt a US dealer can order it for you, but the part numbers are correct and do register.

Here's an eBay listing so you can see what it looks like. http://cgi.ebay.de/BMW-5er-E60-E61-...3pol-ES_W0QQitemZ150334751906QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutozubehör?hash=item2300a644a2

From what I can gather on German forums, Westfalia is the OEM manufacturer of the hitch.

 

Thank you very very much for this information!! Very helpful!

 

This is actual hitch, but what I really wanted is a hitch receiver so I could mount bike carrier.

 

FWIW http://www.thehitchstore.com/class-i-receiver-hitch-p-2125.html claims it fits E61

It looks like its true, here is mfg installation instructions: http://sitepro12.sitepro.com/masterlibrary/11194/installsheet/CM_11194_INS.pdf - not sure if it fits M kit I have though... RealOEM lists kit for M5 aerodynamic kit, but it says 'spare wheel' = no which is weird since I have both...

 

I had the Westfalia hitch on my old Passat 4Motion. If you need a hitch(for towing), it's the one to get. No drilling. It replaces the rear 5-MPH bumper and shocks with a welded steel member that acts as the receiver... This is why it's not available in the US. The tow bar takes literally 5-seconds to attach and locks on(key)... Very German and over engineered. It even comes with a bag for the tow bar and a pair of white cotton gloves so you don't mess up your hands while putting it on.

It's completely hidden when the tow bar is removed... no fugly receiver hanging out. I just picked up an '08 535iX wagon and will be acquiring one ASAP. Helps to have friends in Europe that are willing to pick one up and ship it to you.

 

Curt sells them, but only Class I.

Found another one, called Execuhitch, but they are $700 for a class 2

I think BMW in Germany sells them. I saw a class 2 hitch on a 928 S4 in Germany, and a factory rep was driving it.

 

Curt Mfg makes a Class I hitch receiver, 1.25 inch, specifically for the E61, which I had installed at a reliable local hitch dealer. It requires drilling in the bottom of the spare tire well below the rear floor. I use only for bike rack. The only thing visible from behind or beside the car is the central receiver box below the rear bumper. The installer removed the plastic fairing that smothes the air flow between the tire well and the rear bumper. I had to spend a bit of time with shears and a hack saw to modify that piece so it could go back on with the hitch receiver in place. The screws that hold that fairing on apparently were installed at the factory before the rear bumper, so reaching some of them with the bumper in place was NOT easy.

 

Picture please

I'm interested in a trailer hitch for my 530 wagon as well. Number39, can you post a photo of your's. Thanks. I am looking for as clean an install as possible.

 

I'm interested in a trailer hitch for my 530 wagon as well. Number39, can you post a photo of your's. Thanks. I am looking for as clean an install as possible.

Execuhitch is very clean!

But also very expensive.

Depends on what you plan to tow, curt is class 1, Execuhitch is Class 2

 

Not exactly what you are looking for, but this is what a Curt looks like on a saloon. I use it for my Yakima mtn bike rack and a little lightweight trailer to haul my MX bikes and CBR1kRR. It was the cheapest solution I could find.

 

That's really clean!

Does the bumper have to come off for the curt?

 

Yes, I've installed it myself. Drilling from outside (under the car) is almost impossible without 90 degree drill adapter. So, I measured from outside and transposed the distance inside the trunk (in the spare well) and drilled from inside. Take a look. For reference, top of the picture is the bumper carrier, bottom is the spare wheel well -- picture taken from under the car looking up.

 

Gotcha. I guess you used those existing screws as reference marks to measure from?

 

All...........I can confirm that the KURT 1 1/4 inch hitch works perfect on my US 2008 535xiTouring (aka e-61)......install was easy and took 40 minutes. it tucks perfectly under the bumper and all you see is the receiver hitch. I don't tow and it is perfect for a bike rack with a 1 1/4' to 2' converter (unless your rack is already a 1 1/4'). Good Luck.

 

yup, that's what I use ... perfect for carrying bicycles.

 

I installed a Curt unit and a light module on my 2006 E61 wagon.
I got power for the module from the cargo area fuse box. The E61 (and likely E60) have tail lights that brighten when you hit the brakes rather than a separate element or bulb. Running lights are perhaps 10volt then when you hit the brakes it goes to 12V+ thus brightening. The module converts the signal of light function to just an on&off and the module gives 12v to the trailer wiring, thus not using power from the original lights to power the trailer lights. A bit odd but it works. I ran the wire from the module (to trailer) through a grommet on the right that is for the exhaust flap control. I had to cut the wire for the trailer to be able to fit it thought the grommet as the 4 pin plug is far too big. I added some silicone to ensure its leak free.
The hitch only mounts to the bottom and side of the spare wheel well. I have towed about 1000 pounds with it with only about 150lb on the tongue. At times it sounded like it was gonna rip the tire well right out but it was probably just the various joints knocking around. Hope so! I also had two bikes on a rack and that was ideal.

 

I installed a class 1 from Curt last year, love it. I opted for the non-drilling version, which could actually be class 2 but it only had a 1-1/4 receiver, I say this based on the heftyness of the hitch. Here are some pics, you can find it in ebay or amazon.

There's no need to remove the bumper cover, but I would recommend if you have limited amount of tools (long ones required)y helped me make the installation easier.

 

What is the part number for this Hitch ????