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Originally Posted by sandy eggo
Hi All -
We're seriously thinking about buying a TM 3023 or 3124KB but are finding it difficult to verify what our BMW X5 4.4i will tow (and tongue weight, etc).
A few details on the BMW:
2001 model year
4.4 liter V-8
282 HP, a bit more than that in "grunt" (ft. lb.) if memory serves
Factory tow-hitch
Automatic with sport/manu-matic mode (can keep transmission in a gear within safe RPM limits)
The owner's manual says nothing about towing limits or tongue weight. All I can find on the Internet is that it is supposedly rated to 6,000 lbs.
When I check the TM website, it confirms the 6,000 lb weight limit - which implies I'd be ok towing virtually any TM product. However, I'm a bit nervous that given the combination of wheelbase, gear ratios, etc, etc, that I may be in for a nasty surprise with the combintion of my X5 and a 3023 or 3124KB.
Anybody using a X5 4.4i out there in TM land - if so, what model are you towing and how's it going?
Even if you're not using a X5 as a towing rig but can "speak" with some authority on whether or not I could tow the 3023 or 3124KB, please let me know.
Oh yeah, we live in Southern CA and would plan on taking the TM pretty much anywhere in the in the West (sea level to Rocky Mountains).
Thanks!
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I can't recall any prior posts here from anyone who's using an X5 for towing (you might check the Tow Vehicles forum at RV.NET). But who knows...we may have another X5 owner who's just been lurking...and if so, please speak up!
However, until such a person appears, I'll take a stab at answering your questions.
First of all, BMW markets the X5 as a Sports
Activity Vehicle and not as a plebian Sports
Utility Vehicle. That
does make we wonder about issues like frame/body strength, hitch receiver attachment considerations/issues (allowable tongue weights become critical here) that are generally not a problem with true SUVs (which the manufacturers assume will be used for moderately heavy duty towing) but that
could be a problem with a vehicle that's marketed for sports activities. So, here you are on your own...talk to dealers, factory reps, search the BMW online forums, etc.
But moving on to the basic specs...the engine is rated at 324 ft-lbs of torque at a decently low 3600 RPM (when it comes to towing, the Horsepower rating is almost meaningless since that's measured at about the Redline RPM and no-one in their right mind will continuously run the engine near the Redline). The X5 apparently has a 3.64:1 axle ratio. This combination of torque, axle ratio and a 5 speed transmission
should be more than sufficient for all western states towing...even in the high altitudes of the Sierra and the Rockies. I did say "should" because, as with the frame, the strength of the transmission for towing is an unknown. If the X5 does not have an external transmission cooler, you should certainly consider adding one before doing any towing.
The other critical spec...wheelbase...at 2,819 mm (about 111 inches), this seems sufficient for either a 3023 or 3124 TM. Not much more than sufficient, but other people are successfully towing this size of TM with SUVs that have 110 to 112 inch wheelbases. Wheelbase is critical, BTW, because it is the primary determinant in whether the Tow Vehicle can exert sufficient leverage on the trailer to handle sharp mountain curves (especially those that are also steeply descending) and the traditional bugaboo of trailer sway from semi-truck bow waves and cross winds.
So...
on paper...your X5 looks like it should be able to tow any TM up through a 3124 with a reasonable level of spare capacity (a fully loaded 3124 or 3023 will weigh around 5000 lbs so even with a 6000 lb tow rating there isn't a lot of spare capacity, especially at high altitude).
But, given the demographic and usage styles that the X5 was developed and marketed for (and BMW's reputation as the builder of sports sedans and sports cars)...I personally would do a lot of investigating into just how much strength there is in the frame, hitch attachment provisions, and maybe also the transmission before I took the plunge of buying a trailer.