Steve Minshall 13/05/2017
Fitting a Hayman Reese #3058RW towbar to a BMW X5
Fits models: X5 (E70 and F15) 01/2011 on
Time for experienced fitter: Approx. 3 hours
Fitting difficulty: 5/10
In this article we are giving an overview of the installation of a Hayman Reese 3058RW tow bar to a BMW X5. This bar is suitable for both the E70 and F15 series vehicles built from 01/2011 until the current time of writing.
The Bar:
For current specs and fitted price please see our BMW X5 page.
Rating 2700kg max trailer, 270kg max ball weight.
The Hayman Reese tow bar for this fitting is a Class 4 hitch making it a heavy duty unit with a 50mm square receiver socket for the tow ball mount. The bar replaces the vehicle impact beam and is mostly hidden behind the bumper. What I like about this design is that the receiver drops low with the ball height then recovered with a relatively tall ball mount. This means that where bumper cutting is required on some models, it is on the underside of the bumper and out of sight.
The Kit:
Towbar #3058RW, ECU #4829, trailer socket #4817.
The Hayman Reese kit comes with a wiring loom, tow ball mount and ball. Additional parts required are an electronic control module (HR #4829) and a tail piece to complete the electrics with the desired socket style. We would typically install a Hayman Reese #4817 which is a 7-pin flat socket with an appropriate length of cable to complete the hook up. There are no fasteners supplied with the kit as it utilizes attachments already present on the vehicle.
Fitting:
Physically bolting the bar to the vehicle is very straight forward as the tow bar simply replaces the vehicles impact beam which is secured with four nuts at each end. However, the removal of the bumper does require some care, especially when accessing the two screws that are hidden behind the reflectors. The reflectors require some gentle persuasion to remove. Care should also be taken not to damage the park assist wiring when separating the bumper from the car. Internal panel work in the boot area needs removing for the instalation of the electrics but none of this is particularly difficult.
Electrics:
Although the BMW X5 electronics are very complex the Hayman Reese wiring solution is pretty straight forward. It incorporates an ECU unit to interpret and deliver the trailers lighting requirements and protects the vehicle from any faults within the trailer wiring. The power supply is taken from the vehicles fuse box which is conveniently located in the right hand rear wing cavity.
Bumper cut:
This is very straight forward for the X5s covered by this fitment. Some models require no cut at all. Others require a 90x100mm window cutting into the plastic shroud on the bumper's underside. This is not visible unless viewed from below.
Additional:
This job could be done by the DIY mechanic who takes appropriate caution when removing/refitting the bumper and connecting the electrics. Issues to watch for are carefully removing the reflectors to access bumper screws, ensuring all grommets going through the body for things like park assist cables and towbar wiring are properly seated as there is lots of electronics in the boot and water entry can cause all sorts of damage.
Our current fitted prices for this bar are available here or we can supply the bar to customers in Australia for you to install yourself:
Current supply only price for kit including: #3058RW towbar, #4829ECU, #4817 tail is $1350 including freight. The kit is usually available for dispatch within 1 to 5 days.