Rent a truck with >6k lbs towing capacity

[Bob4x4]

Originally Posted by bono

Hi,

I couple of dealers I talked to are saying that they would check the towing capacity of the tow vehicle. They would not let me leave with the trailer with a vehicle that does not have the towing capacity. It does not make any sense for me as I am an adult and I should be responsible for my actions not the dealer, but anyway...

The trailer I am looking at is 6,300 LBS dry. BMW X5 (my TV) is rated 6,000 LBS in the US and 7,700 LBS in Europe.

Question – where I can rent a truck with a towing capacity >6k LBS. As an example, uhaul claims on their website that the trucks are up to 6,000 lbs towing capacity.

Thanks!

bono

Enterprise has some Ram 2500 diesels in their fleet

[Tom_T]

Bono -

Since you already have the CanAm style mods, go online & see if you can find both tow ratings for the X5 in the US for "weight bearing" & "weight distributed" or something similar terminology. Get a print-out & email it to them to get their pre-approval (which I too find odd).

You may have to dig into the factory service manuals for the X5 to get to the detailed ratings, which a cooperative BMW service tech should be able to do. I recall seeing both ratings for some of the older mid-2000s X5 V8 models when I was researching mid-sized TVs.

I'm not as familiar with the X5s as the Cayenne S's that we're looking for, but I know that Porsche buries their actual tow ratings in obscure tech manuals for their dealers service guys, & BMW is yet another German maker.

BTW - nothing against BMWs, as I'm the original & still owner of my 85 E30 325e 2dr, but my wife & I just preferred the Cayenne S for several reasons, but the X5 V8s were definitely in the running.

Try finding a buddy or neighbor with a truck to tow your Jayco home, barring that rent the Ram 2500 or F250 from the local Enterprise Truck Rental for a day or weekend to tow it home, & combine that rental to do some hauling chores around the house .... then enjoy your awesome X5!

I think you may have said that you're thinking of picking it up out of town or out of state, so you can do the same there, but you may want to double check the costs & hurdles which DMV can put you thru to get it registered in CA when you get home, as they sometimes can make things a royal PITA!

PS - That's a good X5 thread .... with the usual truck only BS! In reality, the domestic cars & trucks also used that "drag strut" concept to forward of the axle to both frame & unibody to help with the leverage of a WD system, & non-reinforced factory, Reese, etc. aftermarket hitches have suffered similar failures of cracked welds & bent components when not so reinforced since the 1950's. We had neighbors in the 1950's & 1960's who "lost" hitches with non-WD hitch - let alone with the extra TQ from WD, which is apparently ignored by the truck only crowd.

Good Luck!
Tom
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[PKI]

Bono

I've heard that some folks have their trailer delivered to a local RV park by the dealer, because they plan to stay there until they can afford a tow vehicle or the one they have purchased arrives. Might be a possibility to consider.

Good luck and safe travels. Pat

[jcl]

Originally Posted by Tom_T

Since you already have the CanAm style mods, go online & see if you can find both tow ratings for the X5 in the US for "weight bearing" & "weight distributed" or something similar terminology. Get a print-out & email it to them to get their pre-approval (which I too find odd).

You may have to dig into the factory service manuals for the X5 to get to the detailed ratings, which a cooperative BMW service tech should be able to do. I recall seeing both ratings for some of the older mid-2000s X5 V8 models when I was researching mid-sized TVs.

The X5 model built from 2000 until 2006 was an E53 platform. I had a 2003 model.

The E53 in 2003 did not have any published vehicle tow capacity rating in the owner's manual, or on the driver's door sticker.

The owner's manual did say to use only BMW approved accessories (lol).

The BMW E53 hitch (dealer or DIY install) was built by Westfalia. It was sold by the dealer with the TSB enclosed in the package, with full instructions. That is the only place that the vehicle tow rating was referenced. The rating was 600 tongue weight/6000 tow limit for both weight bearing and weight distributing hitches (specified separately). There were further restrictions relating to off road towing (3300 lb max), trailer brakes required over 1650 lb, and for the early 6 cylinder model with the GM 5 speed automatic, 5000 lbs tow limit. There are also published limits for the hitch ball offset from the receiver pin, horizontally and vertically. That hitch kit was used through the end of E53 production (mid 2006)

I have the BMW service manuals, and they reference the same TSB, for North American models.

At some later point, BMW began referencing tow ratings on the door labels and in the owner's manual. I don't know what the precise date was.

I don't believe that the E70 hitch (2007 onward) had a higher rating for a weight distributing hitch.


Jeff

[bono]

E70 hitch definitely does not have rating for WDS. People are claiming that BMW is not allowing to use WDS on this car. Not sure where it is stated... maybe in manual, but I could not find it (maybe did not try hard enough). It appears that at least the hitch is not designed to work with WDS. The reinforcement should fix this flaw.

However, I have a question in relation to WDS in general. I read that very often a rating for a weight distributing hitch is higher in relation to tongue weight limit. Very often the limit is doubled. Is this a fair approach for all hitches that if you use WDS, you can apply more tongue weight? As an example, BMW X5 tongue weight limit is 600 lbs, no rating for WDS. Is this reasonable assumption that there is extra safety margin when using WDS?

[jcl]

I have a bulletin from the early days of the E70 that says not to use weight distributing equipment. I think that it is mostly to do with the authors of the manual not knowing anything about a WDS.

A WDS will apply different loads to a receiver than a stand ball hitch. Whether or not you are exceeding the safe loading for a particular vehicle and hitch has to do with what the limiting factors are in the design and construction.

Remember that a WDS doesn't reduce the tongue weight, it is still there. What it does is change the effect of that tongue weight on the tow vehicle.

Since you have strengthened your hitch, you are safer with a WDS than a user with a standard hitch would be. But you are still limited by vehicle axle load ratings. Theoretically, if your hitch is stronger you can apply a higher tongue load to it, but only to the limits of tire and axle loads, and GVWR.