No dog in the (clearly emotional) fight…but as someone who owned 21-23 foot boats for over 15 years…would never want to pull a boat with rear sag like that. Had it happen when the rear air bags went out (the first time) on my long gone '07 Denali. Boat is only a 19 footer, but the bigger concern is the "tail wagging the dog", which can be a very scary situation for short wheelbase trucks. I'm only looking at this on my phone (maybe the X3 has a longer wheelbase than I think?)…but there are a lot of safety concerns to take into consideration when towing. That pic looks very "un" assuring.

This thread is cracking me up haha, all the experience in the world doesn't equate to real world knowledge if it's done behind a desk at a dealership, just my opinion

DG-X5 wrote

Say what now? There's different kinds of air for towing?

Yes, just be sure to only get from your BMW dealer. Air from other sources may void the warranty on your tires.

My buddy's friend's finance manager at Alpina HQ said so.

DeepSeaZ4 wrote

DG-X5 wrote

Say what now? There's different kinds of air for towing?

Yes, just be sure to only get from your BMW dealer. Air from other sources may void the warranty on your tires.

My buddy's friend's finance manager at Alpina HQ said so.

Thank you. That took me a second. 🤦

Wow - never expected this thread to be on the front page, lol. Or to be as controversial and opinionated as it has. I remember there was a guy in the Stealth Hitch thread towing his air-cooled 911 on a car trailer with his X3M and he didn't catch any flack lol.

ghaffari46 wrote

Just be mindful of your gearbox when you tow such a large load. You may have enough hp and torque but M car gearboxes are not build to pull loads, especially on lower gear and high RPM for a long period of time (pulling a boat uphill)

I initially had the same fear, but the X3M doesn't have a DCT or anything. The X3M uses the ZF 8HP76 trans, which is also used in Range Rovers/Land Rover Defenders, and is supposed to be an updated version of the gen 2 ZF 8HP75 trans (used in the X5M/X6M, F15 X5, Ram 1500, and diesel Wranglers/Gladiators). From the research I did, it actually appears to be a more stout transmission than the one that was in my old Jeep SRT. The X3M also has a pretty large trans cooler.

There's less info out there on the rear diff - but the X3M uses a version of the F90 M5's rear diff which is naturally rated to higher hp/tq.

Either way - definitely a valid point of concern, but generally when towing any load I'm driving like a grandpa (especially when accelerating from a stop) which should hopefully alleviate most of the stress.

pit1 wrote

Be careful with Payload, that's the total allowable cargo capacity. You can find the number on the driver door frame. Most vehicles will exceed payload limits well before tow limits, and most salesmen or techs won't bother to educate.

The tongue weight of your trailer/boat is considered cargo and a reduction to payload. I'm guessing a mid-size luxo, performance crossover like the X3M will have a payload of only 1,000lbs, which will vary depending on the vehicle equipment. Assuming your boat's tongue weight is 10% of gross, you'll consume 400lbs of payload. Add a few adults and cargo and you're over the limit. If that happens to exceed the Gross Combine Weight Rating (GVWR) and you find yourself in an accident, your insurance may not cover you in some states.

Only sharing this from experience. I attempted to tow a 3,500 lbs trailer with a XC90, which is more capable than X3M, and found myself exceeding safety thresholds well before the 5,000lb tow capacity. I'm sure the car feels great under tow, as did the Volvo, but please stay safe.

Yeah, also definitely a valid point - I know the X3 M40i's payload is just a tick under 1,000 like you suggested. Thankfully when we're towing to the marina/back the trunk is empty and it's just me, the gf, and sometimes the dog, so with 400lb of tongue weight + 300-400lb of passenger weight (dog dependent) we're still under that. Would definitely be another story with another person or a weekend's load of gear.

F8SEVEN wrote

Looked into this...didn't believe it was possible on the X3 M/MC models, so wow, impressive. OP, the M40i is rated to tow around 2k kgs (4400lbs) when equipped with factory hitch, so makes sense. I can't believe a 19' Yamaha with trailer weighs that much. Our 2005 Chris Craft Speedster (20' LOA) with 5.0 MerCruiser on dual axle braked trailer is about that.

davmanm5 wrote

Your about 1300lbs shy of 4000lbs on that boat....unless fuel weighs in at 30lbs per gal. Your more likely around 2750lbs wet on trailer.

As far as boat weight goes I'm just going by what the manager at the marina told me. The dry weight of the Yami is 2500lbs without trailer, so add roughly 800-1000lbs for the trailer, 240lbs of gas (40gal tank), etc and you're in the 3,500lb range. So maybe the manager was being overly conservative. Either way - just trying to share that the X3M is more than capable of towing a 19/20 foot boat on trailer.

Poochie wrote

I'm sure if you try, you could pull a boat trailer with a Toyota Camry but why.. 🤷🏻

If I had boat money, then a reasonable-priced pickup truck to haul it around shouldn't be that farfetched. The M SUV bimmer stays at home or tails it, minus the anchor - unless it's a lease of course.. 😁

Why would I want to go out and spend money to purchase, maintain, insure, and store another vehicle for towing a boat 2x a year for about an hour?

I love the X3M because it's truly a do-it-all vehicle for me. It's an M car I can drive all year round (unlike my M3 which is in storage for half the year). It's big enough to fit all of the stuff we need to get up north for the weekend. It can be just a "normal" X3 when it wants to be, which the gf appreciates on the occasion day she needs to visit the office. And, as demonstrated, it is more than capable of towing the boat when needed.

There is this mindset (especially in the US) that to tow ANYTHING you need a pickup truck, and that is just simply not the case. Most of the rest of world gets by just fine towing with normal passenger cars or SUVs. I was victim to that mindset and initially had a Tacoma as my daily which was just so boring, then moved to the Jeep, and now the X3M.

akgambino wrote

Great thread lol sales pro guy sounds pretty dumb with all the auto levelling suspension stuff lol

But what I wonder is if the OP can afford any major service that will come up on his new x3m because he has surely voided his warranty by adding a tow hitch to this vehicle why not just buy another cheap vehicle to tow your boat a couple times a year? Guaranteed bmw will fight you tooth and nail on any future warranty claim regardless of other x3's being offered with tow packages and how much research you do.

For some reason the warranty issue keeps coming up in this thread - there are way more flash-tuned X3Ms that have much more to worry about warranty-wise than I do lol. Not to mention there are plenty of other X3Ms with tow hitches added (mostly Stealth-hitches) - the voiding of any warranty claim would require the dealer to prove that the fault of the claim was tied directly to the hitch which seems pretty difficult.

Regardless, my X3M is more than halfway through the factory warranty anyways and I'm more than comfortable owning out of warranty BMWs regardless. Haven't had a single warranty issue thus far.

I have the exact same boat. I towed it with my 22 X5 M50i from NC to NY because I purchased it in NC. What bimini top is that? The stock one is fabric.

Definitely voided the warranty on drivetrain, suspension, and brakes at the minimum. Probably voided the warranty on electrical/electronics and body/frame too. Even as a BMW fan, this lifelong boat owner/tower would smh seeing that overloaded setup at the ramp. I just wonder why shoehorn this creation instead of building a proper tow rig? Experienced people who tow simply don't think this is cool or smart. This only impresses towing rookies.

Also you should have changed the roller on the trailer before ur trip. The stock roller marks up the hull. Stoltz is the roller u want

shatty wrote

I have the exact same boat. I towed it with my 22 X5 M50i from NC to NY because I purchased it in NC. What bimini top is that? The stock one is fabric.

Haha - awesome! Great taste. This is the stock fabric bimini one - maybe the lighting in the pic just makes it look different.

shatty wrote

Also you should have changed the roller on the trailer before ur trip. The stock roller marks up the hull. Stoltz is the roller u want

That was the first thing I ordered (along with a few additional marine mats). Thankfully no marks on the hull yet but I will have the stoltz on there for when I take her in for the break-in service.

Quadruple VANOS wrote

Definitely voided the warranty on drivetrain, suspension, and brakes at the minimum. Probably voided the warranty on electrical/electronics and body/frame too. Even as a BMW fan, this lifelong boat owner/tower would smh seeing that overloaded setup at the ramp. I just wonder why shoehorn this creation instead of building a proper tow rig? Experienced people who tow simply don't think this is cool or smart. This only impresses towing rookies.

lol any other warranties I voided? You have no clue what you're talking about. "Shoehorn this creation"? Clearly you haven't read most of the thread, specifically the part where it's mentioned the X3M is factory rated to tow 4400lbs in the euro market.

I have been towing for 15 years - not only boats/boat trailers, but utility trailers and I owned and frequently used a tandem axle car trailer for a few years. Towing a boat/trailer with the X3M feels very similar to how it did with my GC SRT with the factory tow package. Both have a ZF 8spd trans and adaptive dampers and coil springs. Both had some rear end suspension squat when loaded.

Keep bringing, keyboard warriors.

So basically ....

I wouldn't go so far on the warranty voided stuff. They'd have to prove that trailering did whatever the damage ended up being. The vehicle comes with the tow hitch preparation and on the German BMW website they show the hitch option with a 2400kg limit, even though it's not available in the North American market.

lonestar22 wrote

bigjae1976 wrote

That's pretty cool to see the X3M towing. What is the total weight? I've explored an X5 as a tow vehicle but the hitch ends up being too low so I tend to drag the jack over driveways. Not sure if an air suspension system will help.

bmwsalespro has a point. BMW could deny warranty claims if there is aftermarket coding or hardware that could have contributed to the failure. If there's an aftermarket hitch and the transmission overheats, then BMW could say that you were towing and the car is not designed to tow. Therefore, won't warranty the transmission.

Whether it's true or not, then it's up to you to fight with BMW to maybe get it covered.

Yes, BMW pulls data for any major repair. If they see coding for lighting and the engine blows up, likely not an issue. If they see a tune that increases the boost, definitely an issue.

So the question is how much pain are you willing to endure?

But the OP is in Canada. Might be different.

They'd be hard pressed to find out if the car has been coded or not. You have to remember when coding factory modules you're only changing settings that the module already had in it. So they'd have to know without a doubt that bmw didn't code the car that way from the factory. Which I can promise you most techs aren't 100 percent on and at the same time don't care. Unless the coding caused the problem. Which is unlikely.

They won't casually find out that something was coded unless there is some accompanying hardware that was installed. Then if the car is programmed and then there could be an error code that will prevent the programming from finishing.

Or you come back and complain that some features no longer work…that's a dead giveaway

BMW will definitely know if the ECU was flashed. The dealership won't know. It's when the dealership opens a TSARA case and then BMW requests a data pull. BMW won't do a data pull unless the test plan is inconclusive or the repair is on the TC list - which requires BMW approval for the repair.

F8SEVEN wrote

I wouldn't go so far on the warranty voided stuff. They'd have to prove that trailering did whatever the damage ended up being. The vehicle comes with the tow hitch preparation and on the German BMW website they show the hitch option with a 2400kg limit, even though it's not available in the North American market.

If the transmission or engine fails you think BMW USA is going to look past the vehicle being modified to tow? :

Quadruple VANOS wrote

If the transmission or engine fails you think BMW USA is going to look past the vehicle being modified to tow? :

I'm not testing it myself...I tow our boat with a big Discovery diesel. The windshield leaks and the driver side A-pillar can't seem to stay locked down but she hauls!

This thread has been good content, throughly enjoy it. OP, we aren't paying for your amazing vehicle so as I normally say, do as you please with your things. Keyboard warriors worry about what belongs to them. I tuned my F90 well into my warranty and still went in for my visits etc, if the engine goes that's on me and I've yet to do so because a tune doesn't necesitaste me having to drive like a hooligan.

So long as they aren't paying your bills it's all just good forum entertainment.

F8SEVEN wrote

I wouldn't go so far on the warranty voided stuff. They'd have to prove that trailering did whatever the damage ended up being. The vehicle comes with the tow hitch preparation and on the German BMW website they show the hitch option with a 2400kg limit, even though it's not available in the North American market.

BMW NA won't look at it like that. This is how will it go...there is an aftermarket tow hitch on the vehicle which likely caused the failure to the transmission. Not covered.

Then you'd need to fight BMW NA, you'll probably lose.

Then the threat of a lawsuit is levied. Then BMW NA is like...Ok. They have an army of lawyers on their payroll. So you'll end up spending more in legal fees than the cost of the repair.

BMW NA is in cost cutting mode. If they can find a way NOT to warranty something...they are doing it.

This thread has been extremely entertaining! The hypotheticals just flying left and right! It's awesome:lol:!

I've installed hundreds and hundreds of trailer hitches professionally on anything from Mini Coopers and Smart Cars to you name the truck and every SUV, car and mini van in between. This includes a fair number of X3's, X5's and 3 series. The vast majority of these vehicles were Caravans/Grand Caravans/Town and Country's with a 3,600lb tow capacity. The thought that a modern BMW SUV would have a voided warranty or even a failure because it towed about as much as a Grand Caravan absolutely blows my mind. This is a ridiculous argument.

patsbimmer1 wrote

This thread has been extremely entertaining! The hypotheticals just flying left and right! It's awesome:lol:!

I've installed hundreds and hundreds of trailer hitches professionally on anything from Mini Coopers and Smart Cars to you name the truck and every SUV, car and mini van in between. This includes a fair number of X3's, X5's and 3 series. The vast majority of these vehicles were Caravans/Grand Caravans/Town and Country's with a 3,600lb tow capacity. The thought that a modern BMW SUV would have a voided warranty or even a failure because it towed about as much as a Grand Caravan absolutely blows my mind. This is a ridiculous argument.

Remember, most of the people on these boards are used to reading about BMW voiding warranties left and right for anything...with anything meaning "Well, I tuned the motor to 250 hp/liter, but BMW should still pay for it because it's a BMW and should be perfect even if I ruined it."

lagunablue1 wrote

Keep bringing, keyboard warriors.

Thank you for your post and knowledge on the subject.

Some folks need to learn to zip it.

This is awesome! The S58 is a BEAST! 😎

bmwsalepro wrote

so after speaking with my Parts Pro here this is what I can tell you: Your part #'s are correct (yes I know you know that already) and not offered in N.America. He told me one of the functions of the module is to keep the vehicle level at all times when towing whether you're alone or with three passengers and the back loaded with stuff. And as you agreed it is sitting down in the rear a bit with no people on board.

Next is you had your X3M coding done by codemybimmer. I work at the second largest BMW in the country and BMW Warranty has been cracking down on cars having that type of coding being done, cars that have been tuned and even lowered. You bring you car in for service and warranty work will not be done; you're out of warranty and BMW for you stands for "bring my wallet."

As far as "hands on experience" I've changed motors on cars and changed the ring and pinion in the differential being very careful to set the lash. (any idea what that is son?)

so next time you bring it in for service let me know how that works out for ya.

You have no idea what you're talking about. Sure, if you're lowered and something breaks on the suspension BMW will not honor the warranty, but if your motor pops they don't care what your suspension looks like. As long as the motor isn't modified.

So what does one need to install a Stealth Hitch to tow a small motorcycle trailer for a single sport bike (1000lbs total?)?

My car has the tow pre-wiring. Do I need the harness and module or is the included Stealth wiring sufficient?